What's the best tablet PC that can run MS Word?

March 3, 2011 6:20 PM

What is the best tablet PC available for around $500 that can run MS Word?

I'm an editor and the industry standard is MS Word. I need features such as comment, track changes and the like. Also, the formatting that my clients, who are publishers, expect is found on MS Word.

TIA, all.

posted by SueSwift to computers & internet (11 answers total)

Nothing new. You might find one of the Windows XP Pro Tablet PCs from around 2004-2005 on eBay for that price. It'll have a very short battery life. Generally they had Intel Banias or Dothan CPUs (the "Centrino") that was pre-Yonah, pre Core Duo.
posted by thewalrus at 6:47 PM on March 3, 2011

for around $500 you are looking at a netbook-tablet. this refurbished Inspiron Duo is probably the best you can get at that price.

it will run word.
posted by ennui.bz at 6:49 PM on March 3, 2011

I paid around 2k for my Toshiba tecra in 2007 which sells used for under 500 now. (But you can't take mine!) If you buy used, you'd probably want to replace the battery at this point.

As ennui mentions, the only thing new in your pricerange is the Dell Inspiron Duo.
posted by pwnguin at 7:21 PM on March 3, 2011

Probably this ASUS but the reviews suggest that its pretty underpowered. Might be fine for basic word stuff.

The Inspiron Duo starts at $550. Unlike the ASUS its dual core so performance is probably a lot better. Reviews are mixed, but they're a lot better than the ASUS.

Lenovo also makes a 10 inch convertible.

Right now, its tough to find a tablet to actually create content on, especially at your price point. The idea behind this form factor is to consume and buy content. This is why we're seeing the tablet market mature with little more than phone OS's. I'm not sure how much you'll enjoy typing on a virtual keyboard for long stretches or deal with Win7's handwriting recognition on underpowered hardware.
posted by damn dirty ape at 8:02 PM on March 3, 2011

FWIW, the Inspiron Duo has a capacitive screen which is probably not good as a traditional tablet unless you are using it for finger input only (and not writing on the screen).
posted by wongcorgi at 9:28 PM on March 3, 2011

I have a Motion brand that I picked up. It runs Windows XP Tablet, uses an active stylus, and was about $300 on ebay.

The latest and greatest isn't necessary for Word.

I was inspired by this article, and as it turns out, I got the exactly the one from the picture.
posted by CarlRossi at 9:54 PM on March 3, 2011

I wouldn't rule out an ipad on the basis of word. It can open and edit word files with pages, but honestly, I'd probably skip the tablet space entirely and get a netbook. Typing on a touch screen works, but I wouldn't want to do it for more than a few minutes at a time.
posted by empath at 6:22 AM on March 4, 2011

I am going to ask the obvious unasked question ... do you intend to use the tablet functionality for marking up documents?

'cause you might find the experience uninspiring.

I speak from my own experience ... the tablet seems like it will make a great editing replacement for printouts and a red pen ... but it doesn't.

You might want to try it for a few days before you shell out the cash.

J
posted by jannw at 6:57 AM on March 4, 2011

The iPad doesn't run word, but "Pages" can read, edit and save in ".doc" or .docx" format. Its a fairly robust program.
posted by rtimmel at 8:07 AM on March 4, 2011

I'm generally not an iThing fan, but an option would be an ipad running a remote desktop/vnc client. Use a bluetooth keyboard and connect to your PC/Mac running Word (assuming you have one). Refurbished 1st gen ipad is $349, +$70 for a keyboard (heck, maybe less), + $whatever rdc/vnc client you use (Teamviewer is decent and has a free version).
posted by malaprohibita at 1:27 PM on March 4, 2011

@jannw: I plan to use the tablet while traveling (I travel extensively) to edit, and I presume that's what you mean by "marking up documents." Professionally, we don't use printouts and a red pen but use the track changes and comment features of MS Word.
posted by SueSwift at 4:01 PM on March 4, 2011