Free Software

There's a lot of free software available, and several applications that are Tablet PC oriented. In this section you'll see readers, graphic tools, and productivity enhancers. Even though these applications are free, they still pack a lot of power.

Readers

Readers are applications that display digital content, such as eBooks and digital journals. For example, many magazines and journals are now published in electronic format, allowing you to use your Tablet PC as a reading platform. The Tablet PC is the perfect computer for enabling eBooks, because it's small and can be held in the hands like a book. You can download free and for-cost eBooks from numerous sites, listed here:

Amazon:	http://www.amazon.com/ebooks
eBooks.com:	http://www.ebooks.com
eBook-Hub:	http://www.ebook-hub.com
eBook Mall:	http://www.ebookmall.com
netLibrary:	http://www.netlibrary.com
PlanetPDF:	http://www.planetpdf.com
UVa eBook Library:	http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/ebooks/ebooklist.html

This is not a complete listing of sites that deal with eBooks, but it should meet most people's needs. The last link (University of Virginia) is a great source for classic works for free.

Tip

Just because these applications are free does not mean they aren't commercial quality. In fact, some of them have received awards as best products in particular categories. Try these first before forking out a ton of cash.

Adobe Acrobat Reader

Target users:	Everyone
Web site:	http://www.adobe.com

The most common of the readers is Adobe Acrobat Reader. Most computer users have encountered Acrobat PDF documents, like the one shown in Figure 18.1.

Figure 18.1. Here's my chocolate chip cookie recipe in Acrobat PDF format.

Acrobat Reader is the viewing application, which Adobe distributes free of charge. Acrobat Professional, on the other hand, is the application that lets you create and edit PDFs of your own. Printing your files to PDF format (if you have the Professional version) lets you store digital files that look exactly like the original. Anyone can then read the files in Acrobat Reader.

Tip

ScanSoft RealSpeak can turn electronic books into audio books through the most human-like text-to-speech engine around.

Microsoft Reader for Tablet PC

Target users:	Everyone
Web site:	http://www.microsoft.com/reader

The Microsoft Reader for Tablet PC is a great tool for reading digital content. You can even make your own eBooks with a free download you can get from the link shown here. Reader also allows you to annotate your eBooks with your pen, and understands Ink. Figure 18.2 shows a sample eBook in Reader.

Figure 18.2. Microsoft Reader lets you view a book just like you would in paper except now you don't have to carry anything more than your Tablet PC.

To publish Word documents in eBook-reader format, you use the Read in Microsoft Reader (RMR) tool. Download the tool from www.microsoft.com/reader/info/rmr.asp. Once it is installed, you will have an additional icon in Word (Read) that builds the eBook for you. You can find more information about using RMR to create eBooks in the Tools section at http://www.microsoft.com/reader/downloads.

You can even have Reader read to you, as shown in Figure 18.3, by right-clicking the page number at the bottom of the page and then clicking the Play button.

Figure 18.3. Reader will even read to you if you want.

Zinio Magazine Reader

Target users:	Everyone, magazine
	readers
Web site:	http://www.zinio.com

The Zinio magazine reader is a tool for reading digital magazines. Many publications, such as BusinessWeek, Harvard Business Review, and Motor Trend are now available in Zinio digital format. Figure 18.4 shows a copy of CIO Insight Magazine in Zinio. Notice also that I have written and highlighted in Zinio, although Zinio does not recognize these strokes as Ink.

Figure 18.4. Zinio lets you highlight and mark up your magazines, just like you would do with paper.

Tip

If you like audio books, you can have Reader read to you. The voice takes some getting used to, but it opens up a lot of possibilities, especially for the visually impaired.

With Zinio, you can turn pages just like you would a real magazine, as well as quickly flip through the magazine and tap on links to jump to other parts of the publication. The digital format also gives you the ability to print marked-up pages and store decades of magazines on your Tablet PC.

Graphics Tools

One of the great benefits of the Tablet PC is that it facilitates the use of the pen to sketch or generate ideas graphically. The following tools enable you to use your pen to communicate your ideas and create digital art.

Make sure that your pen settings are set for pressure sensitivity (if available). This will make whatever sketches or art you create more like real paper and pen, capturing the fluidity of your strokes and intention.

AutoDesk VoloView Express

Target users:	People who need to view and mark up CAD drawings
Web site:	http://www.autodesk.com

If you work with Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) files on a regular basis, VoloView Express and other CAD markup tools can enable you to provide red lines, mark ups, and comments on the CAD drawing in digital form. Although VoloView does not provide real Ink support, it is still as effective with the Tablet PC as a digital red-lining tool. Figure 18.5 shows a sample drawing with some hand-drawn notes. The notes were made using the Sketch tool, and can be viewed in AutoCAD, so a project manager or engineer can review and comment on drawings that a CAD operator drew. VoloView does not allow you to edit the drawing directly, so you can't move lines and such.

Figure 18.5. VoloView Express enables paper-reduced design firms, allowing project managers, engineers, and others to view and mark up drawings.

Denim

Target users:	Web designers
Web site:	http://guir.berkeley.edu/projects/denim/

Here's an idea: Why not create Web-site structures with a Tablet PC? The Group for User Interface Research at UC Berkeley has developed this application to quickly prototype Web sites creating the structure and interconnections of the site without programming. Because most Web sites start out as sketches on paper anyway, this makes a lot of sense. Figure 18.6 shows simple site structure designed in Denim.

Figure 18.6. Denim allows you to sketch a Web site and create interconnections without programming.

Productivity Enhancers

This category includes a program that speeds up routine tasks by linking actions to gestures.

Leszynski inDirect Preview Edition

Target users:	Everyone
Web site:	http://www.leszynski.com

Note

The version of Denim that I ran was good, but had a few interface issues. If you can get past those bugs, this is useful software.

InDirect lets you activate shortcuts by using pen gestures. You can define what action you want a gesture to perform. This is similar in function to Sensiva Symbol Commander. Figure 18.7 shows how you can customize a gesture.

Figure 18.7. inDirect lets you create gesture-based shortcuts to applications, Web sites, and scripts.

Video Tools

The Tablet PC is a great platform on which to create and view movies. Because you can carry the Tablet PC with you and hold it in any way, it gives you a portable movie studio and viewing room.

Microsoft Movie Maker

Target users:	Those interested in editing digital video
Web site:	http://www.microsoft.com/windowsXP/moviemaker/downloads/moviemaker2.asp

Microsoft Movie Maker is an easy-to-use and powerful application for editing digital video. Movie Maker can create polished movies that are viewable on most computers. Figure 18.8 shows a video-editing session in which I took a video clip of my kids and added a title and transition effect. You will need a way to get the video clips onto your Tablet PC, but once they are there, Movie Maker can use most digital video formats as source material. It can also save videos in several formats.

Figure 18.8. Movie Maker can help you create great-looking digital videos.

Tip

If you take digital video, or have a video camera and PC interface, Movie Maker is a terrific tool for making your videos more interesting.