When it comes down to mobile touch screen computers there are two types that differ in their physical design. Both are fully functioning computers but the more popular consumer device is the convertible touch screen laptops. These come with a swivel screen that allows it to function both as a regular laptop as well as a touch screen tablet. The second type is the slate PC or tablet PC which is a solid state device and does not offer the same versatility of a convertible laptop.
The convertible laptops are understandably more popular among personal computer users because it allows a person to use the laptop the way they are used to with a standard laptop. It just gives them an added feature of being able to recognize touch commands. A popular brand is the HP touch screen laptop which is advertised as a multimedia machine for its bright display and high performance in video and media playback. This goes to show how far touch screen technology has come since display quality used to be something that was compromised for touch recognition capability.
The slate PC is a function specific device meaning that it is not used as a personal computing device but rather for a particular work function. For example, a waiter taking orders or a nurse taking notes while running up and down the halls of a hospital will often input notes into a tablet PC. This is because the tablet mode makes it easy to carry in the arms for writing while standing up. The entire device is a screen and there is no keyboard and mouse or touchpad built into it. These things can be added on with a USB connection but usually the purpose of this design was so that it can be used like a regular pen and notebook with the added advantage of being a computer.