The tc4400 has been out for some months now but we’ve been aware of its quality. Now that PC Authority has flung itself in to the world of Tablet PCs it seemed only right to test what many consider to be the best of the bunch. Indeed, Tablet PCs in Australia have traditionally been used by industry and the education sectors. For a long time their build quality was suspect and the cost premium, enormous. However, the features have now been refined and Vista has further helped popularise the form factor making Tablets more useful for everyone.

Inside is a 2GHz Core Duo T2500 processor,1GB 667MHz DDR2 RAM and the 945GM chipset. This gives a tremendous speed boost over the previous model (the tc4200), and you also get Intel’s 802.11a/b/g wireless card. Note too that our test unit sported only 512MB of RAM so performance will be even higher than our benchmark scores below show.

This power comes with no discernable downside either. Battery life is impressive at 4hrs 35mins under light use. An Extended Life Battery is also available ($195), which HP states will give you a maximum of 12hrs 30mins.

A great asset to stringing out battery life is the comprehensive control over the backlight behind the 12.1in LCD. This can be dimmed down so far that it almost turns off completely, with the only drawback being that – even when you power up to full brightness – it isn’t quite as vivid as a normal notebook. It’s still a good screen for working on, though. Viewing angles approach 180 degrees in all directions, so you can share a presentation with a room full of people if need be. There’s a slight reflective shimmer to it, but it’s fine for working in front of for prolonged periods. And while the 1024 x 768 resolution sounds restrictive, we found it acceptable in use.

Data security is taken care of by the fingerprint reader in the bezel, bolstered by a TPM (Trusted Platform Module) chip.

Swivelling the screen into tablet mode reveals the inevitable weak spot: the hinge. The swivel mechanism is strong enough, but the screen-tilting hinge feels weaker than we’d like. A magnetic screen tether locks the lid in place when in tablet mode, and it’s helped by two plastic nubs that fit into recesses in the lid to hold it securely.

Once in tablet mode, you’ll find everything tailored to your needs. Three stylus-operated buttons open the handwriting-recognition panel, switch orientation or open the Q Menu (which gives access to touch-friendly Control Panel-like options). Buttons like the power switch and Wi-Fi switch are placed around the sides where they can be pressed easily in either mode. And then there are extras like the jogwheel to scroll through documents and a Ctrl-Alt-Del button.

The design for tablet mode is so good, it’s easy to forget that there’s a perfectly good keyboard at hand. The keys are fantastic to use: just firm enough, the right size and exuding quality. The keyboard’s spill-proof, and there’s both trackpad and trackpoint, with a set of buttons to go with each of the input devices.

Considering its price, design, features and power we have no qualms about recommending the tc4400 to just about anyone considering a tablet PC. It isn’t absolutely perfect, but it’s the closest we’ve seen yet, and there are no penalties for the speed and responsiveness. There are a few things to consider before placing an order, though.

First, the tc4400 lacks an optical drive. You’ll need to either buy a USB external drive, or go the HP route and opt for a MultiBay II Cradle for ($165) and add a super-slim MultiBay II DVD writer (another $375). For even more flexibility, you could also slip the DVD writer into the Advanced Docking Station (costing $345), giving you six USB ports, two PS/2 ports, DVI-D and D-SUB outputs, plus LAN, parallel and serial connections. It also comes with Windows XP Tablet edition as standard though HP claims it’s fully Vista upgradable.

There are some impressive competitors on the market but few have got the combination of price, power, performance and design as near spot on as HP.