So what’s in a name? Quite a lot, if it confuses everyone. I think it might be time to rename our beloved “tablet pc”. I have a few suggestions – let me know what you think…

This all began recently when I met (again) a student who had never seen or heard of a “Tablet PC”. When I showed her what it could do, she thought it was very cool – which was quite a compliment, considering she is iBook user!

The first Tablet PC I ever saw could actually work like what one might think of as a digital tablet. It was the Compaq TC1000 that had a detachable keyboard. The computer guts were all embedded with the screen, which when detached from the keyboard, was a very portable slate. It was either beloved or completely misunderstood as a result.

Now we have “convertibles” with screens that swivel and lie flat. Everyone seems to understand that these are actually laptops whose screens swivel. Once they get over the panic of watching someone touch the screen, they realize that it’s a laptop with a screen you can draw on. But we’re still calling it a Tablet PC.

While there are many parents and educators recommending that students get a laptop for college, there still isn’t a ground-swell of parents talking about Tablet PCs (unless their child is heading to a campus where tablets are required). Personally, I can’t see why ANYONE would send their student to math class with a keyboard. Alas – sometimes I feel like a voice in the wilderness.

This has brought me to the following place: I think it’s time we retire the name “Tablet PC” and move to something more descriptive. I have a placed a few ideas in a survey, which I invite you to take. Your responses are anonymous and unscientific – but I’m curious to know if I’m the only one sensing it’s time for change…

The 2 minute survey is located at http://www.hpwebgen.com/Questions.aspx?id=12871&pass=93358. In about a week, I’ll report back and let you know what everyone said.

I look forward to your comments!