What
is a Tablet PC? Part 1
Jason Dorko
12.5.2005
“What is that?” a question that so often
echoes before and after my classes. It’s
a question I really never get sick of.
Being able to share and explain something you are incredibly interested
in is a wonderful thing. Labeled a
“geek” or more appropriately a “dork” in my case, the general public and fellow
students often shun me for my love of technology. This time it’s different as students approach
and ask about the object I frantically scribble away on. Can you convert it to text, it’s a laptop too, how much is that? Often there is never enough time to share all
the marvelous details of my tablet and I often leave frustrated. That is one of the reasons I decided to make
this site and start off by writing this article. To try to explain, inform, and educate and
dissect the world of Tablet PCs. This is part I of a series of articles I plan
to write about describing the details of the Tablet PC so if your
interested stay tuned and you may just discover exactly what that weird
looking kid in the front of class is actually writing on!
Tablet PCs have been around a lot longer than
most people would guess. Bill Gates
displayed the first Tablet PC prototype in
Starting
with the basics
The main purpose of this first article is to
introduce you to the world of Tablet PCs.
The easiest and first step in this process is to simply describe their
physical appearance so if you see one on the streets or in class you know what
it is. After this article I plan to
outline other details of the Tablet PC and what it is good for but I figured
this would be the appropriate place to start.
A Convertible?
What am I shopping for a car?
A Slate? Other
Models Conclusion Now that you can name that ultra sleek laptop
you see in class, in hospitals, and on the street you are ready to dive deeper
into the world of Tablet PCs. In future
articles I would possibly like to outline how a Tablet PC works, the operating
system that allows handwriting to be entered, and so forth. Also with a current running definition of
what a Tablet PC is I would like to start work on other sections of this
web page to help those looking to buy a Tablet PC and those that would like to
know how to take advantage of one. If your still reading this article and did not fall asleep at
the beginning then I would like to finally thank you for finding your way to DorkoTech. Like I
have said before this is a new and exciting project I am undertaking but its
going to be initially a slow one as I am only one person. All I can ask is that you come back soon and
hopefully I’ll have more resources for you to examine. In the meanwhile for Microsoft’s version of
“What is a Tablet PC?” check out this link.
The idea of the convertible Tablet PC is in
my opinion probably one of the single best innovations that may save the Tablet
PC platform. I myself purchased a
convertible model “just in case” I didn’t like the feel of the pen and
could always revert back to my trustworthy clicky fast friends the mouse and
keyboard. So what is a convertible? A
convertible is now the mainstream term used for a laptop that simply has a
screen that swivels 180° and then folds flat on the keyboard. For most Tablet PCs the ability for the
screen to swivel and fold is not its only special feature. Most Tablet PCs have
a built in digitizer that recognizes only the pen. Many of these pens are also battery-free, a
concept that in the beginning of the tablet era was not available. The mechanics behind this are beyond what I
would like to share in this article but the beauty of this digitizer and pen is
that they link together to allow you to input and draw information on the
screen itself. Unlike other pen-enabled
devices you can also naturally rest your palm and hand on the screen itself
without fear of having your sleeve input any unwanted information. A few new Tablet PCs are coming out that are
simply touch enabled. These tablets are
used in much the same fashion as your Pocket PCs and Palm Pilots in that they
use a stylus or any dull pointed object to enter information with. It seems to me the handwriting recognition
software would be less accurate and many of them also do not run the Tablet PC
version of Windows that comes with most other tablets. Still they bring to the scene a window of
opportunity for the Tablet PC.To see a video of the tablet I use in motion check out this link for the X41
The slate model is the form the very first
Tablet PCs took. They look exactly like
they sound; a flat slate like surface that uses a pen to enter data with. They lack your traditional keyboard and mouse
but many of them offer options that include either a detachable keyboard or a
wireless keyboard that can be added. All
of them have docking options that allow you to hook up a keyboard, mouse, and
external monitor if you need it. With
USB dominating the scene for mice and keyboards it’s very easy to add such a
component. Your screen though is the
computer itself and because of this slate models are often light weight, thin
and very mobile. When they first came
out I looked at them as super sized Pocket PCs that had the ability to work and
operate as a normal PC.
Other Tablet PC models exist that include the
heavy duty (much like the Panasonic Touchbook) which
are often used in the military and construction scene. There also exist small models that many
warehouse supervisors use to check inventory with but can be seen being used by anyone else that would
benefit from a potable digital clip board.
Basically anyone that once used a clip board to enter in data probably
has the option to use a Tablet PC in their field. Although these models exist they are of
little interest to the group of individuals I would like to reach.