As one new
tablet PC announcement after another surfaces these days, you may be asking yourself, "What does a tablet give me that I don't already get out of my computer or smartphone?" At first, I didn't see why I would need a tablet. But after observing quite a few PCWorld editors using them around the office, I relented and picked up an iPad last summer. Initially I had purchased the device to browse my massive library of digital comic books, but soon I found it useful for other, more-practical tasks. I started taking the iPad to meetings and using it to do quick Web searches, and it became my preferred way to read and respond to e-mail.
With the
Motorola Xoom and other
Honeycomb-powered tablets in the works, and with HP announcing its
WebOS-based TouchPad, consumers will have a much bigger pool of devices to choose from. Although a tablet may not totally replace your PC anytime soon, using one has its benefits. Here are my top five.
