The Acer TravelMate C100 laptop computer was one of the earliest Windows Tablet PCs being produced. Such devices were equipped with a touch-screen and a stylus, and could be used both as a standard pc – using touchpad and keyboard as input devices – and as a paper notebook directly interacting with the screen with the stylus or with fingers.
With respect to contemporary PDAs, Tablet PCs provided the typical versatility of a traditional PC system, being capable of running desktop operating systems and applications, rather than ad-hoc software.
Despite such a versatility, Tablet PCs never become very popular, mainly due to the high cost and the awkward interaction with the stylus, which was practical only for handwriting and graphics.
The design of the TravelMate C100 is quite traditional and recalls the latest notebook models from Acer. The front profile of the notebook contains in the centre of it an IrDA port, an integrated microphone for the audio and a voice notes. The IrDA port and the microphone are framed by a silver tag which has "TravelMate" logo marked on.
