my college is starting to require tablet PCs for incoming freshmen engineers

[angryswede]

I am a junior computer engineering major at Virginia Tech, so this wouldnt effect me; however, I've heard several bad things about WinXP Tablet PC edition and such and I am thinking incoming freshmen are gonna get screwed because I dont see the need for spending more money on a tablet PC over a plain laptop. What's everyone's take on this in particular WinXP tablet edition?

 

[erikistired]

apparently it's necessary or they wouldn't require it? i'm not sure how they are getting screwed.

 

[angryswede]

Originally posted by: fisher
apparently it's necessary or they wouldn't require it? i'm not sure how they are getting screwed.

well VT has a tendency to lump all engineers in the same category when it comes to computer requirements, so it may be useful or helpful to some, but def not all.

 

[corkyg]

Well, why not look at a laptop that is convertible to a tablet and be in both worlds? There are several available -
sample: Convert

 

[stash]

I've heard several bad things about WinXP Tablet PC edition and such

Such as?

 

[magomago]

um ew.

My friend has one and its great in that notes can be taken quickly and push a "button" to go to a new page...in his busy EE classes he took the notes, and and got another friend who also had one to write down all the circuit diagrams or whatever EEs draw (I'm not an EE ) and then they synced all the data together.

So it works great that way...but I don't see why they should be required. It seems like a good idea in theory that will blow chunks in real life. Expect to watch tablet laptop thefts to increase and accusations to skyrocket...mercy on the non engineering student who has one and gets accused by an engineer for stealing.

If they were THAT much better...people would naturally gravitate and switch; but until that price drops, and it provides real benefits over pencil and paper I don't see the point.

 

[angryswede]

Originally posted by: stash

I've heard several bad things about WinXP Tablet PC edition and such

Such as?

it being slow, and having poor handwrite recognition which is a pretty key feature in any tablet pc

 

[stash]

I haven't seen any issues with it being slow on my tablet. It's XP, it should have the same perf as any other SKU of XP.

I'll give you handwriting recognition; it isn't the greatest in XP. In Vista, there are some major improvements, including the ability to teach it your handwriting style.

 

[imported_Collector]

This strikes me as a way for the University to seem "advanced" and brag about how their students are on the bleeding edge of technology. Why would you need a tablet PC for Statics and Dynamics? While computers are fantastic engineering tools the profession is based on application of fundamental physical laws. Engineers have been learning about these for decades and have succeeded in helping society advance quite well.

I'm sure some students would find a tablet PC quite useful but it seems a little much to make them mandatory for everyone entering the engineering school.

 

[Bluestealth]

Originally posted by: stash
I haven't seen any issues with it being slow on my tablet. It's XP, it should have the same perf as any other SKU of XP.

I'll give you handwriting recognition; it isn't the greatest in XP. In Vista, there are some major improvements, including the ability to teach it your handwriting style.

Many of these computers run with LV, ULV processors instead of their fullspeed Pentium M/Core counterparts... making them slow... the few tablet additions should not reduce the speed of these computers that much... I believe the LV/ULV processors are required because they have to be cool enough to handle like a notepad in most cases... or else they are really useless.

 

[erikistired]

Originally posted by: angryswede

Originally posted by: fisher
apparently it's necessary or they wouldn't require it? i'm not sure how they are getting screwed.

well VT has a tendency to lump all engineers in the same category when it comes to computer requirements, so it may be useful or helpful to some, but def not all.

gotcha.

 

[Addikt]

I am currently enrolled at a University that focuses on being on the bleeding edge of technology. Although I am not an engineer, but a business student I find the use of a computer to be invaluable. So just because engineers have been learning with pens and paper for decades, why not take advantage of new technologies?

Also I have a lot of friends in engineering, I am actually an engineer at heart, and they tell me that they could not imagine life without it. I think that they are a good idea and a lot of my friend tell me that they are invaluable, if not for actual studies, for doodling nice pictures and cartoons.

 

[Umberger]

Originally posted by: angryswede

Originally posted by: fisher
apparently it's necessary or they wouldn't require it? i'm not sure how they are getting screwed.

well VT has a tendency to lump all engineers in the same category when it comes to computer requirements, so it may be useful or helpful to some, but def not all.

it won't be useful to hardly ANYONE. i'm a Senior ME at Virginia Tech, and I had to buy a laptop my freshman year. i had to use it in class ONCE. i was so pissed. the tablet pc is even worse, people will use them 99% of the time to surf the internet during class anyway. they are quite useless IMO.

 

[Umberger]

Originally posted by: Addikt
I am currently enrolled at a University that focuses on being on the bleeding edge of technology. Although I am not an engineer, but a business student I find the use of a computer to be invaluable. So just because engineers have been learning with pens and paper for decades, why not take advantage of new technologies?

Also I have a lot of friends in engineering, I am actually an engineer at heart, and they tell me that they could not imagine life without it. I think that they are a good idea and a lot of my friend tell me that they are invaluable, if not for actual studies, for doodling nice pictures and cartoons.

that would be fine, if they classes and professors took advantage of the tools they have, but they do not. we learn an autodesk CAD program as part of our engineering "fundamentals" classes, but other than that, there is almost nothing that you can't do at home on your desktop. waste of money.

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: Addikt
I am currently enrolled at a University that focuses on being on the bleeding edge of technology. Although I am not an engineer, but a business student I find the use of a computer to be invaluable. So just because engineers have been learning with pens and paper for decades, why not take advantage of new technologies?

Also I have a lot of friends in engineering, I am actually an engineer at heart, and they tell me that they could not imagine life without it. I think that they are a good idea and a lot of my friend tell me that they are invaluable, if not for actual studies, for doodling nice pictures and cartoons.

I don't want to pay for some clueless professor to teach me how to use word. There is nothing that should be taught in class that needs a laptop, tablet PC, or a regular PC.

 

[Addikt]

Originally posted by: Umbergerthat would be fine, if they classes and professors took advantage of the tools they have, but they do not. we learn an autodesk CAD program as part of our engineering "fundamentals" classes, but other than that, there is almost nothing that you can't do at home on your desktop. waste of money.

I see your point, a lot of the engineers I know DO in fact take advantage of the technology.

Originally posted by: smack DownI don't want to pay for some clueless professor to teach me how to use word. There is nothing that should be taught in class that needs a laptop, tablet PC, or a regular PC.

Actually a lot can be taught in class that you can use a laptop for. I know that friends in engineering are able to create and analyze scientific models. Even for me in business I have used my laptop for creating statistical and financial models. I have taken electives in computer engineering and networking and a computing device were crucial to those areas. So it very much depends on where you are, what program you are in, and how well the program has been developed to use the computer as a tool. Obviously any instituion can make it mandatory for you to use a tablet, the level of benefit will then have to be gauged in respect to how courses have been designed to use them.

I do see your point though. Mandatory commitments are oftentimes not the ideal, and tablet computers are still rather expensive so it is a rather large mandatory expense to students who can barely afford to feed themselves.

 

[erikistired]

Originally posted by: smack Down

Originally posted by: Addikt
I am currently enrolled at a University that focuses on being on the bleeding edge of technology. Although I am not an engineer, but a business student I find the use of a computer to be invaluable. So just because engineers have been learning with pens and paper for decades, why not take advantage of new technologies?

Also I have a lot of friends in engineering, I am actually an engineer at heart, and they tell me that they could not imagine life without it. I think that they are a good idea and a lot of my friend tell me that they are invaluable, if not for actual studies, for doodling nice pictures and cartoons.

I don't want to pay for some clueless professor to teach me how to use word. There is nothing that should be taught in class that needs a laptop, tablet PC, or a regular PC.

wow, you're going to go far in life. it's a digital world and i don't think we'll be going backwards anytime soon.

 

[pkme2]

I agree that any technology that helps the student maintain an edge in this competitive world, is a must.
"Those who are not up to the task, need not apply." How many times have you heard that. You may not like the changes, but be prepared for a wave of technology to overwhelm you.

Get with the program, I've heard it from everybody who didn't like change.
I believe no one is too old to learn, even me. I still enroll in classes that will keep my computer info up to date.

For those who plan to work another 40 yrs, use the tools that will get you there. Success needs those tools, unless you're a genius.

 

[drag]

forcing everybody to use the same tools is akin to forcing everybody to use the same thought pattern.

Students should be able to use what works best for them. If they want to use a tablet, that's fine. If the school strongly recommends them to use a tablet pc, that's fine.

But if the school requires it then it's going to absolutely waste a lot of people's time and money. It's a university, not grade school. If they need a tablet, then they should be able to figure it out themselves.

Obediance and conformity is not something that should be rewarded, although it is. It's even worse when it's enforced through BS deals like this. A engineer should be able to think clearly and creatively, right? Why force everybody to be the same, to do the same things, when they are obviously different?

I have a realy hard time beleiving that the school is doing this for the sole benifit of it's students. Reminds me of the credit card application display rack in the corridors at a local university that I attended a while back. That sort of thing realy pisses me off.

Also that sort of stuff is expensive. Not everybody has that sort of money laying around. Beleive it or not that even in fancy schools there are plenty of people that work summers and evenings to help pay tuition and other costs.

 

[kami333]

What is the university doing to "help" students that can't buy one outright?

My college had some pretty good programs in place, freshmen who were getting a certain percentage of financial aid had a tech budget from which they could buy a laptop/desktop/peripherals and things like that. Considering we really didn't have a whole lot in the way of computer labs, it was probably their way of getting out of having to invest a lot there.

Though I never took my laptop to class and all my notes were on paper, I used to scan them all. No need to worry about losing them and didn't have to go back to my room if I needed something in a hurry.

 

[pkme2]

If you want to go to Virginia Tech, you must adhere to their rules of the institution. Since we live in America, one has free choice. If the University says it's a requirement for entry into its system, so be it. If you are not satisfied with that requirement, you can go elsewhere.
To learn, one must respect the School's requirements.
An old saying: "You can say what you want, but do it outside. Once you're outside, you can rave and rant to your heart's content."
Simply said, Learning is not supposed to be easy. Getting you ready for the real world is what the University is starting to do.

Maybe I maybe wrong to mention this in this thread, but one must state the obvious.

 

[drag]

Originally posted by: pkme2
If you want to go to Virginia Tech, you must adhere to their rules of the institution. Since we live in America, one has free choice. If the University says it's a requirement for entry into its system, so be it. If you are not satisfied with that requirement, you can go elsewhere.
To learn, one must respect the School's requirements.
An old saying: "You can say what you want, but do it outside. Once you're outside, you can rave and rant to your heart's content."
Simply said, Learning is not supposed to be easy. Getting you ready for the real world is what the University is starting to do.

Maybe I maybe wrong to mention this in this thread, but one must state the obvious.

Well I don't go to VT and I have no plans to, but I still think they are completely wrong. Its still irritating that a place that should obviously know better, doesn't. Leads me to question the value of the institution.

 

[Fox5]

I've got a tablet PC and I'm an engineering student, and I'd say there is absolutely no reason I need a tablet PC other than as a cool toy to play with. In many ways, it's actually worse than a pen and paper. Ever had your notes crash?

 

[MobiusPizza]

I love tablet PCs
Been using them since high school to take notes.
Albeit they were a bit slow to run...

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: Addikt

Originally posted by: Umbergerthat would be fine, if they classes and professors took advantage of the tools they have, but they do not. we learn an autodesk CAD program as part of our engineering "fundamentals" classes, but other than that, there is almost nothing that you can't do at home on your desktop. waste of money.

I see your point, a lot of the engineers I know DO in fact take advantage of the technology.

Originally posted by: smack DownI don't want to pay for some clueless professor to teach me how to use word. There is nothing that should be taught in class that needs a laptop, tablet PC, or a regular PC.

Actually a lot can be taught in class that you can use a laptop for. I know that friends in engineering are able to create and analyze scientific models. Even for me in business I have used my laptop for creating statistical and financial models. I have taken electives in computer engineering and networking and a computing device were crucial to those areas. So it very much depends on where you are, what program you are in, and how well the program has been developed to use the computer as a tool. Obviously any instituion can make it mandatory for you to use a tablet, the level of benefit will then have to be gauged in respect to how courses have been designed to use them.

I do see your point though. Mandatory commitments are oftentimes not the ideal, and tablet computers are still rather expensive so it is a rather large mandatory expense to students who can barely afford to feed themselves.

Again I don't need to be in class to have a professor badysit me while I create a model. That should be done outside of class. If there is an important model that a professor wants to show they can use a project and their laptop.