The problem with ordinary pc tablets compared to say an iPad is that they are slow to boot. Have a very short battery life due to the requirements of running a full os. And can be heavy and bulky, again in comparison to an iPad. Also loud and hot too.

At least that's my experience, I have one. Sure you can buy a more expensive model and as the years go by tablet pc's are getting better and better when it comes to weight, noise, heat etc but as a lightweight entertainment device they are somewhat lacking.

I'm liking the look of the iPad alot. ComicRack in conjuction with an iPad should be great. I'll use CR to sort and manage my collection and something like ComicZeal to view on the iPad. Since it seems it has a mountable directory that apps can access it should hopefully be a simple case of exporting via CR and then just reading.

The iPad will be instant on, responsive, light and easy on the eyes(IPS screens are great).

If you don't like the way Apple locks down their software look for some other tablets out this year. Android will inevitably have at least one decent comic viewer. Notion Ink's Adam looks great, it's got a PixelQi screen and runs Android. If you insist on a full os I'd look out for the Pegatron tablet (running Win7), bigger screen than the HP one, 7inch is just a tad too small for comics imho.

I have to say, having used a few iphone comic apps, they all work adequately but each is missing what I would consider a major feature, namely the ability to access your local network and browse comics stored on another computer or network drive. Considering my library of .cbr files, for me it's a must have feature.

www.engadget.com/2010/03/05/microsofts-c...ive- pictures-and-de/

Sadly, OS is not Windows 7 so no CR, but it still looks promising. Double screen size seems perfect for manga, but maybe too small for western comics.

I picked up and Asus T91mt touchscreen convertible netbook. It's a bit small and a little slow, but I am actually really enjoying using it for ComicRack. You can get one for $480 so it is probably about the cheapest way to get a full Windows 7 tablet device.

The screen in portrait mode is good... very usable to read, maybe just a bit on the small side, but this is still how I use it. In landscape it is amazing, the only problem is the touch scrolling in ComicRack is not too great yet... maybe it will be improved at some point.

Anyway, I just wanted to mention this device for anyone who is looking to get a less expensive way to read ComicRack on a touchscreen.

T91mt looks pretty nice...except the MISERABLE storage capacity. (To be fair, a real hard drive would add unfavorably to the weight of the device.)

iPad is just running iPhone OS, which is laughable. You can't even do true multitasking on it!

Shinrai wrote:
T91mt looks pretty nice...except the MISERABLE storage capacity. (To be fair, a real hard drive would add unfavorably to the weight of the device.)

The storage actually turns out to be not so much of a problem. Your main drive is a zippy SSD (although small) and you have 2 SD slots you can load up with 16 or 32 gb of comics each... they also give you 500 gb of web storage through Asus you can access from anywhere, and you can also read the comics over your home network.

Some interesting moves on the iPad side...?

Visual Studio for ipad?