I'm a believer in Tablet PCs. Not so much the recently released models from Acer, Fujitsu, HP and others -- they have serious software limitations and are too expensive -- but the concept itself. It is long past time to reconsider the physical shape of computers.

Notebooks, for all their versatility, have serious limitations. When I want to take notes in meetings, I want something that doesn't require a flat surface. And I would like to use a stylus when I do interviews, so that the experience is more informal, like using a paper notepad instead of typing office-style on a keyboard.

Not that the Tablet PC's operating system makes writing by hand much easier than, say, a Palm or a Compaq iPaq. But Microsoft's Journal software lets you save documents as handwritten notes. Indeed, you can add notes to existing documents and send them back and forth on collaborative projects using wireless e-mail. Many Tablets will be shipped with built-in 802.11 "Wi-Fi" networking.

And though Microsoft's Tablet software isn't ready for prime time, third-party developers will boost Tablet capabilities. Palo Alto, Calif.-based Sensiva, for example, is bringing gesture recognition to the Tablet. As built into the Toshiba Portege 3505, the Sensiva Symbol Commander lets you launch programs, track Web sites, insert text and more simply by drawing symbols on the screen.

Symbols are a great way around the deficiencies of handwriting recognition. Instead of using Microsoft's cumbersome menu trees to perform basic editing tasks, you can customize your Tablet to recognize particular pen strokes.

Manufacturers from Hewlett-Packard to Acer, Fujitsu and Toshiba are bringing out their own version of Tablet PCs, and the range of styles is bewildering. The Toshiba Portege opens up like a notebook, but the 12.1-inch screen can be rotated, swiveled back and locked so that it creates the defining tablet shape.

HP offers the Compaq TC1000, which comes with a detachable keyboard and a docking station. When you're not in the field, you can use it as your primary PC. Some Tablets will come with detachable keyboards, depending on which market the manufacturer is trying to target. In many cases, pen-based input will be enough.

Tablet PCs should find an audience because they are not low-power devices that force the user to make compromises in software. Indeed, Motion Computing's M1200 Tablet can house up to 1 GB of memory, and will offer hard disks of up to 60 GB.

That kind of power should appeal to companies with sales forces, and to professionals in industries such as health care and insurance, where taking notes and filling out forms are constant occupations. RTP's Mi-Co is a significant contender in forms software for Tablet PCs.

Expect slow growth at first, much of it in Asia, where character-based languages such as Chinese and Japanese will adapt readily to pen-based input. But the sheer versatility of the tablet design should eventually catch on with U.S. consumers, particularly as the prices of the early models (many in the $2,000 range) begin to come down.

There's something to be said for making the computer experience more like using pen and paper. It's a step in the direction of usability, combining digital power with intuitive data entry. Tablets are the first devices in years to make a compelling case for trying something new, although I would advise waiting a year for the next software cycle. By then, prices should be lower.