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Discovering how Tablet PC differs from a laptop or desktop
Choosing the right Tablet PC model
Turning it on
Writing on the screen
Turning the display on its ear
Getting help
Turning off Tablet PC
Tablet PC is a neat new style of portable computer that Microsoft has invested big bucks in helping to develop. It’s lightweight, sleek, and offers an interesting variety of ways to input information that Microsoft is betting will appeal to you.
Now, we can’t all come from royalty — and frankly, Tablet PC has a less-than-impressive family tree. In fact, Tablet PC comes from a long line of less-than-successful ancestors, including Apple’s Newton, Go Corporation’s Eo (I haven’t a clue what that stands for), and Sony Vaio’s Pen Tablet. These were all early entries in the world of pen computing, technology that enables you to write your input with a pen-like device instead of typing (as you would on most other computers).
Tablet PC adds voice-recognition capability to the pen technology. Twenty-odd manufacturers have brought out their versions in various portable, easy-to-hold designs that weigh around three pounds. But what really sets Tablet PC apart from its ancestors — and gives it a crack at finally making pen technology work — is its operating system. Tablet PC is driven by Microsoft Windows XP for Tablet PC — a full version of Windows on which you can run any program written for Windows.
Will this difference be enough to make Tablet PC the big success story its relatives aspired to be? Only time will tell, but I predict it will.
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