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Dale
A. Miles DDS, MS, FRCD
Diplomate, ABOMR
Disclaimer:
I am not implying I'm a technical
wizard but here are my thoughts on
"Tablet PCs".
Recently
"LAPTOP" magazine reviewed 5 Tablet
PCs. These were:
- Toshiba
Portege 3500 ($2,499);
4.1 lbs.
- Acer
TravelMate C102Ti ($2,199);
3.1 lbs.
- Fujitsu
Stylistic ST4000 ($2,299),
3.2 lbs.
- Motion
M1200 Tablet PC ($2,099);
3.0 lbs.
- ViewSonic
Tablet PC V1100 ($1,999);
3.4 lbs
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Which
one of these (or lesser models most
likely) will be sold to you as the
"latest and greatest" computer technology
is anyone's guess.
"Perfect
for the roving office worker or anyone
shuffling notepads", goes the article.
How many dental assistants or even
receptionists think of themselves
as a "roving office worker"? No one
in the dental office "shuffles notepads",
instrument trays, x-ray mounts and
handpieces maybe, but NOT paper pads.
Isn't the goal of the dentist "Going
Digital" to eliminate (or at least
reduce) paper, and streamline the
in put to the practice management
system by having a CPU chairside?
All right
I know what you're thinking. Isn't
a tablet PC just the item to have
in each office? Sure if you want to
spend $2000/operatory instead of $699!
Here
are 12 reasons not to adopt these
computers just yet, because some of
you are thinking that you won't need
as many computers with a "portable"
one.
1. Having
to take it from operatory to operatory
2. Possibly forgetting it in the "last"
operatory
3. Needing the PC in 2 operatories
at once
4. Dropping it
5. Much higher cost than networked
"clones"
6. 1.3 Hz maximum speed (most are
Pentium III, 800 MHz)
7. Needing a docking station for secure
data transfer (increases cost again)
8. Battery life (maximum I could find
was 3:29 hours)
9. Weight…it's NOT like carrying a
PDA (see the poundage above)
10. Screen sizes (most are 10.4 inches)
11. Some do not have keyboards
12. Disinfection may be more problematic,
since the unit "travels"
Does
this mean I am anti-tablet PC? Not
at all. I think that a Tablet PC may
have a place in the office. You can
certainly haul a lot more data home
each night. If loaded with PM software,
it might be a nice chairside tool
for data entry by the assistant to
chart if the office is small. The
wireless transfer allowed by some
is attractive. I just wouldn't store
the data for too long on the Tablet
PC.
In Summary,
I think that these PCs are attractive,
stylish ultraportable laptops that
may be useful to some, but not all
dental environments. "Writing" the
data into a computer rather than entering
by "keystrokes" may be necessary for
some workplace personnel. But I, for
one, am sticking with a dedicated
CPU in each operatory with larger
display capability, hardwire linkage
to the office network and much cheaper
cost…at least at this time.
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