MICROSOFT TABLET PC
ABSTRACT
The latest buzz in mobile computing are TABLET PCS. The concept conceived by software giant Microsoft, and these devices are a cross between palm tops and laptops. A tablet pc allows you a palmtop-like input facility via a stylus and the touch sensitive LCD screens. Tablets are often used in hospitals, where the doctor can access prescription data of a particular patient while taking rounds, or in manufacturing and construction sites to glance quickly through any required information.
Such work places demand devices that are portable and can be handled comfortably. Dimensions, weight and configuration are the factors that determine the cost of a tablet.There are currently two types of tablet pcs available: the stand-alone models that are true tablets, and the convertibles this can also masquerade as a laptop. The weight of these devices is usually between 1.5kgs to 2.5kgs.
The true tablets have no moving parts and are robust, the apparent mechanical complex city of the convertibles makes them delicate gadgets. One more aspect that makes tablets different from laptops is the use of smaller LCD displays-12inch displays are the norm.
INDEX
1. INTRODUCTION
2. WHAT IS TABLET PC
3. FEATURES
4. HOW TO USE IT
5. WHY THE NAME TABLET PC
6. WHAT OS IT FOLLOWS
7. ADVANTAGES
8. APPLICATIONS
9. CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION
The latest buzz in mobile computing are TABLET PCS.
- For all the hype that Bill Gates has been generating around the Tablet PC concept, you could be excused for thinking the idea is a new one for Microsoft Corp. But in fact, it's a second go-round for the company, years after its ill-fated "Windows for Pen Computing" experiment a decade ago.The concept conceived by software giant Microsoft, and these devices are a cross between palm tops and laptops. A tablet pc allows a palmtop-like input facility via a stylus and the touch sensitive LCD screens.
What is the Tablet PC?
The Tablet PC is a mobile computer a bit smaller than a notebook personal computer. It’s distinguishing feature is a screen that you can write on with a stylus like a personal digital assistant, or PDA.TABLET computing that combines the portability of a laptop, the convenience of pen and paper, and of course Microsoft software.
First and foremost, the Microsoft vision for a Tablet PC is that it's a full Windows computer. It runs all of your familiar productivity applications such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and offers the same rich connectivity to the Internet that you expect from your desktop or notebook PC. What the Tablet PC adds is the simplicity of pen and paper. Because you can write on the screen, it's optimized for tasks that are very common in business computing -- like taking notes at a meeting or annotating a document, or for immersive reading.
Tablet PCs come in a variety of designs, all of which will include a keyboard. Convertible Tablet PCs look much like today's notebooks with integrated keyboards and clamshell designs. With a convertible Tablet PC, you simply rotate the screen and lay it flat to convert to Tablet mode. In this way, the convertible model offers all the advantages of pen-based computing with immediate access to the integrated keyboard. Tablet PCs are also available in Slate tablet designs. These designs offer an ultra-slim and lightweight form factor, with the ability to easily attach a keyboard, or dock the PC to gain access to a keyboard, mouse or other peripherals.
The ink features are good for taking notes and especially useful for sketching. Drawing with a pen is simply more natural to me than with a mouse. The vertical orientation of a tablet and special buttons for moving up and down on a page make it better than a conventional notebook display for reading electronic books and magazines, using software like Microsoft Reader or the Zinio electronic-magazine format. (More than 100,000 subscribers now get PC Magazine in the Zinio format.) The handwriting recognition has improved, though it still has a ways to go
portable PC With Handwriting, Speech Recognition Features
Launched today, Microsoft's Tablet PC is based on the vendor's Windows XP Tablet PC Edition operating system, a superset of Windows XP Professional that adds both handwriting and speech recognition capabilities. The units themselves include a writing pen as the primary input device, and will be offered primarily in two different configurations. The "slate" design is a simple flat panel, about the dimensions of a typical legal pad and just shy of an inch thick; while the "convertible" design features a clamshell configuration similar to traditional notebook computers with an additional catch: in the convertible design, the display can be "spun" 180 degrees and folded back down onto the keyboard in reverse; allowing the user to hold and use the PC in the same manner as they would a pad of paper
Everything you write on the pad is stored as graphics—called digital ink—unless you highlight an area and ask the machine to recognize what you wrote. Then it takes its best shot at turning your scribbles into ASCII text. This actually works quite well, even on my often illegible handwriting.
HOW TO USE
Hit the pen button on the toolbar, and just start writing. It supports pen erasing and you can change thickness and change it to any color you want. If you don't want to see the annotations you click the hide button, its as simple as that! I can see this feature as being extremely useful in a business environment or even a school environment where teachers or co-workers can write directly on your document without messing anything. It's easy to change colors and to highlight items as well as handwriting. If you need space between items you've already written, you can simply insert the space and drop the remaining text farther down the page.
The additional handwriting and speech recognition capabilities of the O/S support the notion of using it as a portable information collecting device. An onscreen "Input Panel" allows the user to write information with the pen into a display area of the screen that is then recognized and fed as text into applications. The pen can also recognize common "gestures," allowing it to execute certain types of actions depending on the way it is used (such as drag-n-drop, double click, or other common mouse operations). A microphone (built into some Tablet PCs, others include an external jack supporting the addition of a mic) allows for both the ability to dictate information to be translated by the Input Panel, and provides basic application control capabilities via spoken commands.
Microsoft has specified that Tablet PCs shall use an electromagnetic digitizer for the touch screen, which means you can rest your hand on the screen without affecting anything or moving the cursor, and the stylus (which has a button on it) needn't actually come into contact with the screen. Though not a wireless device per se, some OEMs will be offering built in WLAN capabilities in their Tablet.All the Tablet PCs use a version of Microsoft’s Windows XP operating system designed for "pen computing." This special version of Windows has additional software that enables a user to enter written notes or drawings into programs with a stylus on the screen.
Because it’s otherwise a standard version of XP, users also can run any regular Windows program on a Tablet PC. Several hardware vendors – including Acer Inc., Toshiba Corp., Hewlett-Packard Corp. and Fujitsu Ltd. – have announced variations of the Tablet PC, costing from $1,699 to $2,499. Most models include a keyboard that either swivels or detaches – though some, like the Fujitsu ST4000, are just an electronic slate.
What can a Tablet do than a notebook or desktop can't?
Its main appeal will be to home enthusiasts with wireless networks and students with deep pockets.
The biggest Tablet PC is the evolution of the notebook PC that lets you use your PC in new and different ways. Designed to meet the challenges of today's information workers, Tablet PCs run Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, which is a superset of Windows XP Professional.
Is it just a companion device or a digital appliance?
It is clear that a Tablet PC need to bethe primary PC. Thismeans that you can have your email and calendar, your project files, or even complete databases with you at all times. And there are no compromises: you don't need to sync or port your Windows applications, andyou retain thefullfidelity of data with no loss of formatting.At the same time, we also see a great future for Pocket PCs, smart phones and Internet appliances among users who need extreme portability. The Tablet PC is designed to work well with all of those devices, but it's targeted at business computer users who spend some part of their day away from their desks but could benefit from having their PC move with them.
What operating system will the Tablet PC run? Is it an embedded system?
What Bill Gates demonstrated at Comdex was the next version of Windows, code-named Whistler. It's not an embedded operating system (OS) running out of Read-Only Memory (ROM)--Tablet PCs will have more than sufficient RAM to run a full desktop OS.
What kinds of things can users do on the Tablet PC that they can't do on a current notebook?
We, can balance it in one hand -- it will be about the size of a writing tablet. It will weigh less than the current laptop, and it will be incredibly useful when we are away from your desk and in a meeting. Our note-taking application literally comes up as a sheet of paper, and we can just start writing. But what digital ink offers in addition is the ability to move, highlight, save, sort and search those handwritten notes. How many times have all of us had to go back to paper-based notes from a meeting and scribble in the margin, or draw arrows to show where we really wanted to insert something? The Tablet PC allows us to actually manipulate that text -- we don't need to rewrite all the notes around it -- and it gives us some very powerful new ways to share information and collaborate via email or the Internet. The integration with the key productivity applications extends the benefits of the paper metaphor in many, many ways.Microsoft and other companies have made forays into tablets or pen-based computers before.
How is the Tablet PC different from earlier approaches?
Threemajor things have changed. First,key technologies -- such as battery life, display resolution, handwriting recognition, and memory -- haveall advanced substantially.Second, we have the benefit of the experience gained from the past. Relative to our own Pen Windows initiative in the mid-1990s, for example,we've learned to look at the complete user experience rather than simply building support for the pen into the operating system. We are evaluating the Tablet PC from the customers' perspective rather than from the OS developer's perspective. It's not a computer science problem we're trying to solve -- it's a customer problem. Third, theadded component of wireless communications makes mobility a key element in all future computing scenarios, so the Tablet PCprovides greatermobile functionality to corporate computing
What wireless standards will the Tablet PC support?
We'll support 802.11 and eventually Blue tooth or any broadly supported wireless standard. We're excited about what wireless connectivity can mean for real-time updates and collaboration -- not only for the meeting you're in at that moment, but for broader, inter-group or inter-office scenariosly to tell..
How will application developers be able to take advantage of the Tablet PC?
As we get closer to finalizing the elements of the Tablet PC, we will work with software developers to make sure they have the information and support they need to make their applications "pen-aware." This will allow them to take full advantage of digital ink and pen capabilities and optimize their software for the Tablet PC. OEM determines its pricing strategy. But since they are full-function PCs, they're more likely to be priced in that range than as lower-cost appliances.Form factor, which is portrait-based and focused on a very low-clutter user interface. We'll have development kits and the usual range of tools and technical help for the software community.
How does the Tablet PC fit into Microsoft's .NET strategy?
We think the Tablet PC will be a great platform for .NET because it gives users the best of both worlds. Since it's a fully functional PC, it can run a wider range of software and services than other mobile devices -- for example, a smart phone won't be able to host a SQL database, but the Tablet PC can. Yet, as a mobile device, the Tablet PC still supports the .NET vision of making information available to users any time, any place and on any device.
The Tablet PC is the right product at the right time. Its form-factor and wireless network capabilities are exactly what is needed for connecting knowledge workers - with information, and with each other," said Robert Weideman, chief marketing officer for ScanSoft. "Our products and the Tablet PC are perfectly aligned to deliver the maximum productivity benefits to organizations and knowledge workers worldwide. We are pleased to expand our relationship with Microsoft to enhance the value and level of productivity delivered by the Tablet PC."
Tablet PCs run Windows XP Compatible software applications without modifications. In addition, powerful new software applications written specifically for the Tablet PC will enable you to get your work done even more rapidly and efficiently. The Windows Journal note-taking utility is part of the Windows XP Tablet PC Edition operating system and has been created just for the Tablet PC. You have the simplicity of a pen and paper, combined with the power of the PC. Tablet PC's digital ink offers a rich, natural experience allowing you to use easily manipulate your handwritten information electronically, Cut, copy and paste text between handwritten notes. Search for specific text in handwritten notes. Easily erase information and insert an extra space exactly wherever it's needed. You can also personalize your notes, by changing pen style, ink color and using various paper styles. You can even create stationery templates using custom backgrounds, such as a company letterhead or photo. And with a Tablet PC, you can share handwritten information with others, whether or not they have a Tablet PC. You can share handwritten information as a Journal note file, a web page, or as a black and Journal also allows you to import documents for annotation, so that you can add comments to the document just as you would with a paper copy. The document and your annotations can be saved electronically, while the original document remains unaltered.