The Tablet PC ushered in a new era of mobile computing as a single, fully functioning PC that's practical and comfortable. With integrated pen support, touch-screen support, digital-ink input, handwriting recognition technologies, and innovative hardware, ultra-portable Tablet PCs are comfortable and productive virtually anywhere, anytime
Many Tablet PCs such as this one from Electrovaya are made to function as a totally portable tablet, but can be docked with a keyboard for desktop use. The Scribbler includes Electrovaya's SuperPolymer battery technology for extended battery life. (Image courtesy of Electrovaya Inc.)
Tablet computer-A complete computer contained in a touch screen. Tablet computers can be specialized for only Internet use or be full-blown, general-purpose PCs with all the bells and whistles of a desktop unit. The distinguishing characteristic is the use of the screen as an input device using a stylus or finger. In 2000, Microsoft began to promote a version of Windows XP for tablet computers, branding them "Tablet PCs".
Tablet PC-A tablet computer environment specially from Microsoft that is based on an enhanced version of Windows XP. Designed to function more like a portable writing tablet than previous tablet-based computers, it includes handwriting recognition as well as the ability to retain handwritten words and annotations without turning them into computer text. This latter ability is known as "rich digital ink," because the inking (writing, drawing, scribbling) is stored as a graphic after algorithms smooth out rough edges.
Tablets vs. traditional notebooks
The advantages and disadvantages of tablet PCs are highly subjective measures. What appeals to one user may be exactly what disappoints another. The following are commonly cited opinions of the tablet PC platform:
Advantages
The ability to use in environments not conducive to a keyboard and mouse such as lying in bed, low lighting when a lighted screen is the input source, standing or with one hand.
Recording non-character based information such as diagrams and mathematical notation and symbols.
Lighter weight, lower power models can function similarly to dedicated reading devices like the Amazon Kindle.
Disadvantages
Higher cost — convertible tablet PCs can cost significantly more than their non-tablet counterparts although this premium has been predicted to fall.[34]
Input speed — handwriting can be significantly slower than peak typing speeds which can be as high as 50-150 WPM, though Swype and other technologies provide alternate, speedier methods of input.
Screen damage risk - Tablet PCs are handled more than conventional laptops yet built on the same frames and since their screens also serve as input devices (like PDAs) they run a higher risk of screen damage.
Designing around disadvantages
Manufacturers can design additional durability into the displays of tablets to effectively reduce screen damage risk, hinge failure, and screen size limitations. The use of scissor shock absorbers mounted to the screen, flexible connectors for data cables, molded magnesium alloy screen casing, durable and replaceable screen overlayments, and purpose built convertible hinges impact reliability.
Features
New Tablet PCs may have:
Capacitive technology, which senses touch of finger with no pressure required for system to recognize input.
Digital palm recognition technology prevents inadvertent contact from disrupting pen input.
Multi-touch recognizes multiple simultaneous touches, allowing for enhanced manipulation of on-screen objects.
Sunlight readable displays (800 nit display) are clearly readable even in bright and direct sunlight.
Docking station can improve the extensibility of tablet PC such as:battery ,Keyboard, USB, RS232, LAN and VGA.It usually design for using tablet PC as desktop computer.
Before you read details go through some defination related to Tablet pc-
Generically, a tablet PC refers to a laptop or slate-shaped mobile computer, equipped with a touchscreen or graphics tablet/screen hybrid to operate the computer with a stylus or digital pen, or a fingertip, instead of a keyboard or mouse.
This form factor offers a more mobile way to interact with a computer. Tablet PCs are often used where normal notebooks are impractical or unwieldy, or do not provide the needed functionality.
Specifically, Tablet PC refers to a product announced in 2001 by Microsoft, and defined by Microsoft to be a pen-enabled computer conforming to hardware specifications devised by Microsoft and running a licensed copy of the "Windows XP Tablet PC Edition" operating system or a derivative thereof.
Touch Screen-A display screen that is sensitive to the touch of a finger or stylus. Widely used on ATM machines, retail point-of-sale terminals, car navigation systems, medical monitors and industrial control panels, the touch screen became wildly popular on handhelds after Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007.
Ultra Mobile pc-A lightweight, small tablet PC with an on-screen keyboard introduced in 2006. Weighing two pounds or less and using a hard drive for all content, the Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC) runs under the Windows Tablet PC operating system with Touch Pack software. Touch Pack provides an on-screen keyboard that is operated with the thumbs as well as enlarged buttons for menus that are easier to tap with the fingers. Both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are included.
Formerly code named "Origami," the Ultra-Mobile PC followed the Portable Media Center, introduced in 2004.
Pen computing-Pen computing refers to a computer user-interface using a pen (or stylus) and tablet, rather than devices such as a keyboard and a mouse.
Pen computing is also used to refer to the usage of mobile devices such as wireless tablet PCs, PDAs and GPS receivers. The term has been used to refer to the usage of any product allowing for mobile communication. An indication of such a device is a stylus, generally used to press upon a graphics tablet or touchscreen, as opposed to using a more traditional interface such as a keyboard, keypad, mouse or touchpad.
General techniques of pen computing
User interfaces for Pen computing can be implemented in several ways. Actual systems generally employ a combination of these techniques.
Pointing/Locator input
The tablet and stylus are used as pointing devices, such as to replace a mouse. Note that a mouse is a
relative pointing device -- you use the mouse to "push the cursor around" on a screen.
However a tablet is an
absolute pointing device -- where you put the stylus is exactly where the cursor goes.
There are a number of human factors considerations when actually substituting a stylus and tablet for a mouse. For example, it is much harder to target or tap the same exact position twice with a stylus, so "double-tap" operations with a stylus are harder to perform if the system is expecting "double-click" input from a mouse.
Note that a finger can be used as the stylus on a touch-sensitive tablet surface, such as with a touchscreen.
Handwriting recognition
The tablet and stylus can be used to replace a keyboard, or both a mouse and a keyboard, by using the tablet and stylus in two modes:
Pointing mode: The stylus is used as a pointing device as above.
On-line Handwriting recognition mode: The strokes made with the stylus are analyzed as a "electronic ink", by software which recognizes the shapes of the strokes or marks as handwritten characters. The characters are then input as text, as if from a keyboard.
Different systems switch between the modes (pointing vs. handwriting recognition) by different means, e.g.
by writing in separate areas of the tablet for pointing mode and for handwriting-recognition mode.
by pressing a special button on the side of the stylus to change modes.
by context, such as treating any marks not recognized as text as pointing input.
by recognizing a special gesture mark.
The term "on-line handwriting recognition" is used to distinguish recognition of handwriting using a real-time digitizing tablet for input, as contrasted to "off-line handwriting recognition", which is optical character recognition of static handwritten symbols from paper.
Direct manipulation
The stylus is used to touch, press, and drag on simulated objects directly. See the special Wiki article on Direct manipulation. The Wang Freestyle system [3] is one example. Freestyle worked entirely by direct manipulation, with the addition of electronic "ink" for adding handwritten notes.
Gesture recognition
This is the technique of recognizing certain special shapes not as handwriting input, but as an indicator of a special command.
For example, a "pig-tail" shape (used often as a proofreader's mark) would indicate a "delete" operation. Depending on the implementation, what is deleted might be the object or text where the mark was made, or the stylus can be used as a pointing device to select what it is that should be deleted.
Recent systems have used digitizers which can recognize more than one "stylus" (usually a finger) at a time, and make use of Multi-touch gestures.
The PenPoint OS was a special operating system which incorporated gesture recognition and handwriting input at all levels of the operating system. Prior systems which employed gesture recognition only did so within special applications, such as CAD/CAM applications or text processing.
