Introduction:

 

I am a hematologist/oncologist in practice in suburban NY for 25 years. I became interested in computers when my brother dragged me to a "computer store" in Westchester in 1974. It was a revelation ("I can have THAT?!"). I've been using computers since then; my first was a Processor Technology SOL. Subsequently, I've been an "Apple person" all the way from the II through the first Mac and iMac, iBook, etc.

 

The idea of a truly portable device which would help me manage my patients has been an attractive one to me for years. I first become interested in using computers in practice when I found I could digitize microscopic images on my Mac and use them for reports, etc. I still do.

 

I’ve made numerous attempts to do so over the years:

 

• A portable computer which would allow me to write notes and enter data prompted me to buy an AT&T Eo and later an IBM Transnote... both close but not what I could easily use on rounds or at the office.  
• Newton -- an idea before its time and prematurely killed off just when blossoming technology could have brought the concept to an amazing conclusion. 
• Palm and PocketPC platforms -- screen just too small and underpowered for what I needed.

Then came the Tablet PC ...

 

When Tablet PCs were announced I was intrigued and but a little cautious. Then I saw Microsoft’s rollout session on the web and was even more intrigued. I had an opportunity to try several tablets: Acer, Fujitsu, ViewSonic and Toshiba. I also did as much research as I could on the web and then sat down to define my goals. I decided to take the “plunge” and become an “early adopter.” Something of an impulse, for sure.

Although the computer store I frequent had the brands I mentioned, I decided on an Acer TravelMate C102Ti. There were several reasons why I chose the Acer.

 

1. Form factor: It was a bit smaller and thus easier to carry. As a “clamshell” device, the screen would also be protected when not in use.

2. Keyboard: Why have to “settle” when both “slate” and keyboard could be had and were always there? And there’s a perfectly decent track pad, to boot.

3. Inclusion of a CD drive. It just seemed to me that when paying a premium price, it should be part of the package. Only Acer seems to have “stepped up to the plate” on this one.

4. Other positive reviews.

5. What really drove me over the edge was that when I scribbled in “hemoglobin electrophoresis” it got it right. (The others did too, I might add.) This was a major “WOW” for me. 

 

One friend mentioned that the 256 MB memory ceiling might come back to haunt me later. Given what I wanted to do (and given what I’ve done so far) this seems to be a “non-issue.”

INITIAL EXPERIENCE

The device was well-packed and everything was easy to find. In addition to the usual hardware, some nice touches were a set of plug adapters should I ever want to take it abroad. There were two manuals as well as a small pocket reference. They even included a special cloth to clean the screen (never got one with any other LCD device).

There was a “quick start” sheet which walked me through the initial set up. It was concise, clear and on point and it took me little time to get the computer up and running.

Some have commented on the fact that they thought the machine was flimsier than others, particularly with respect to the hinge. I found the C102Ti to be solidly built and “tight.” It certainly didn’t feel as though anything would fall off. Changing from the notebook mode to the tablet mode was easy and everything seated and locked as expected. I found their system of detents easy to use and well thought out.

Both pens were fine. I like the idea of always having one “in” the machine. I wish it were the larger of the two, but even the smaller pen worked fine. It would have been nice to be able to tether the larger pen to the unit or absent that, to have a clip on it to make it easy to find in my jacket pocket, but that’s really a small issue.

One word about the CD. Yes, it is flimsy and not at all up to the quality level of the rest of the computer. But, it works well and since in my daily activities I’m not going to need to install any software “one the fly” (or more accurately, on rounds), it’s not a problem (at least for me). There are a few small points to remember regarding the CD. It does require its own power supply and its CD end adapter is smaller than the computer’s adapter so Acer has provided another power supply (rather small in size) for the CD. The other issue is a reminder: the CD has an on-off switch on the side.

As an aside, I think the extra money for the “i” version is worth it: the wireless card is the obvious reason, but it also includes an extra battery which will come in quite handy.

USE SO FAR

So what have I done so far? Primarily a lot of familiarization-play. I’ve created some templates for patient management (initial histories, progress notes, staging diagrams and the like) in the Journal. And most excitingly, I’ve starting taking images of bone marrow smears and other biopsies for inclusion in patient “files.” I’ve even “scanned in” x-rays, CT scans and MRI. The fun part is that I can do some image processing and annotation right on the Acer. I’ve found that Adobe PhotoShop Elements 2 works very well, very well, on the Acer. I’d swear it’s faster than on any of my Mac’s (did I mention that until now I’ve been a dyed-in-the-wool Mac fanatic? Gotta admit, I still love the platform!)

My ultimate plan is to go completely paperless and I think the Tablet PC is the way to go. I’d like to eventually avail myself of one of the software packages out there to help me do this, but my guess is that they will be obscenely expensive (as virtually all medical software seems to be). I am going to try one EMR (electronic medical record) package I’ve “noodled around” with before called SOAPware which is reasonably priced.

FINALLY...

So far, I couldn’t be happier with the Acer. Has anything about it annoyed me so far? No, no and no. It’s easy to carry, easy to use, sturdy and not to be ignored. Best of all, it is fun to use.