Tablet PC

A tablet PC is a mobile computer shaped in the form of a notebook or a slate with the capabilities of being written on through the use of digitizing tablet technology or a touchscreen. A user can use a stylus and operate the computer without having to have a keyboard or mouse.

Related Topics:
Mobile computer - Notebook - Slate - Digitizing tablet - Touchscreen - Stylus - Keyboard - Mouse

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Tablet PCs that include a keyboard area called convertibles or hybrids. Ones that are only a monitor with pen are called slate; they can use external wireless or USB keyboards.

Related Topics:
Monitor - USB

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The most popular convertible tablet PCs are the Acer and Toshiba. The most popular slates are the Motion Computing/Gateway Computers, Fujitsu, and HP/Compaq.

Related Topics:
Acer - Toshiba - Motion Computing - Gateway Computers - Fujitsu - HP/Compaq

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Most tablet PCs run on the Windows XP Tablet PC Edition operating system. Service Pack 2 includes Tablet PC Edition 2005 and is a free upgrade. Version 2005 brought improved handwriting recognition, and improved the Input Panel, allowing it to be used in almost every application. During CES 2005, Microsoft showed off features planned for a future upgrade. These included allowing users to ink directly on the desktop, enabling handwritten notes with increased visibility.

Related Topics:
Windows XP Tablet PC Edition - Operating system

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Running Linux on tablet PCs is another option. For some Linux distributions and some tablets this can be a tedious task unless buying tablet with Linux pre-installed, as on the early Lycoris Desktop/LX Tablet Edition. Linux initially lacked some basic tablet PC applications, but with the advent of the EmperorLinux Raven X41 Tablet http://www.EmperorLinux.com/raven/ with handwriting recognition, Linux Tablets have improved significantly.

Related Topics:
Linux - Lycoris - EmperorLinux - Linux Tablets

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Tablets such as the Hitachi VisionPlate are optionally shipped with Linux and can readily be used as wireless X terminals, freeing them from the requirements of actually running applications and, instead, allowing all of the resources of the VisionPlate to be used to display the graphic display portion of an application that is running somewhere on the local or wide area network. This has allowed the tablet to be used as a wireless graphics X terminal in vertical markets such as restaurant point of sale.

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A user can input text using the built-in handwriting recognition, on-screen (virtual) keyboard, speech recognition, or a physical keyboard (if available). Shorthand-like entry methods, which enable pen-driven input at touch-typing speeds, are also available, including AlphaTap and Shark.

Related Topics:
Handwriting recognition - Speech recognition - Shorthand

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Many tablet PCs use a Wacom digitizer, which delivers pen-position input to the computer at a fast rate. Tablets with these digitizers project a small magnetic field above the screen that interacts with electronics in the tablet's stylus. The user therefore is able to rest their hand on the screen without affecting the image or mouse pointer; only movement of the stylus affects the mouse pointer. However, due to interference from the electronics within a tablet PC, virtually every model of tablet PC suffers from "jitter." Jitter makes it impossible to accomplish two tasks: slowly draw long, straight lines and more importantly, write small characters on the screen. UC Logic and Finepoint make similar digitizers.

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Tablet PCs became available to the general public with the introduction of Microsoft's Windows Tablet PC Edition in the fall of 2002. Before then they were used in small markets in industry, medicine, and government. Now they are used by students and many professionals.

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