List of Figures

Chapter 1: The World of Tablet PC

Figure 1-1: The Motion M1200 Tablet PC comes with a detachable keyboard.

Figure 1-2: The ViewSonic model offers a good-size screen and rubber edging to help you grip the unit.

Figure 1-3: Corel Grafigo offers artistic types a more natural input approach for drawing.

Figure 1-4: If you don’t want to see this window every time you reboot, tap in the Do Not Show Me This Again check box.

Figure 1-5: This screen is typical of what you see on a combination keyboard-and-writing-pad input device.

Figure 1-6: You can use text and handwriting entries in a single document.

Figure 1-7: The Motion M1200 Tablet PC enables you to adjust to any of four orientations with a touch a button.

Figure 1-8: Find Tablet PC functionality help by clicking Welcome to Tablet PC.

Figure 1-9: You get audio narration as well as on-screen instructions in these tutorials.

Figure 1-10: This screen tells you how much disk space is required to hibernate — and whether you have that much available.

Figure 1-11: You may want to go into hibernation mode more frequently if you’re working off of battery power.

Chapter 2: Redefining the PC Experience

Figure 2-1: A pen like this comes with the Motion M1200 Tablet PC. The pen fits into a slot for safekeeping.

Figure 2-2: Working in Windows Journal, you can use portrait orientation to emulate the look and feel of a typical legal pad.

Figure 2-3: Graphics programs such as PowerPoint are sometimes a better fit with a wider orientation.

Figure 2-4: Starting with the primary portrait setting, the orientations move in this sequence.

Figure 2-5: You can change your screen orientation by selecting an orientation from the Orientation drop-down list and tapping Apply.

Figure 2-6: After you change these settings, various orientations will appear in the order that you selected each time you tap your tablet button.

Figure 2-7: The ViewSonic LED lights are lined up on the left side of the screen in primary portrait orientation.

Figure 2-8: Motion puts four lights on the face of its M1200 Tablet PC.

Figure 2-9: Press the larger button in any of four directions to use the four directional arrows.

Figure 2-10: The detailed view of buttons will differ in this dialog box based on your Tablet PC model; this was taken on a ViewSonic Tablet PC.

Figure 2-11: This dialog box offers several preset options for tablet button functions.

Chapter 3: Connecting to Your Office . . . and Beyond

Figure 3-1: You can use various cable adapters to connect peripherals such as this CD-ROM drive through a USB port.

Figure 3-2: Various kinds of ports are tucked away around your Tablet PC; some ports are in cases behind protective plastic flaps.

Figure 3-3: This wireless card sports an antenna and fits right into a PC card slot.

Figure 3-4: You can use the AC power cable and adapter that you get with all Tablet PCs to provide power and charge your battery.

Figure 3-5: The plug on the far left is for a monitor, and the small ports on the right take connectors such as the one shown for a keyboard.

Figure 3-6: These two jacks look similar to any regular phone jack, though the one on the right is for a network connection and doesn’t accept a standard phone line.

Figure 3-7: This Motion M1200 Tablet PC places the audio/micro phone jacks next to the FireWire port.

Figure 3-8: The Motion M1200 provides a nice setup for using a Tablet PC on a desktop with its FlexDock.

Figure 3-9: A battery will slide right into the body of your Tablet PC.

Figure 3-10: Get the exact percentage of charge and current power source here.

Figure 3-11: After you create your own scheme and make individual settings, tap the Save As button to save the scheme.

Figure 3-12: You can make settings for two battery alarms in this dialog box.

Figure 3-13: Choose how an alarm will function by choosing settings in this dialog box.

Chapter 4: Discovering Pen Basics

Figure 4-1: You can tap more accurately if you choose the appropriate Handedness setting in this dialog box.

Figure 4-2: The spot that you tap on in the center of these crosshairs tells Windows something about how you perceive objects visually.

Figure 4-3: Even if the pen isn’t touching the screen, selections are highlighted and the selection cursor appears.

Figure 4-4: You make selections, enter text, and display drop-down lists and color palettes in dialog boxes by tapping them with your pen.

Figure 4-5: In this tutorial, you practice your tapping skills.

Figure 4-6: Change both the speed and spatial settings for your pen stylus in this dialog box.

Figure 4-7: The little mouse icon disappears as soon as you lift your pen; then a shortcut menu like this one appears.

Figure 4-8: The Input Panel replaces your standard keyboard — and it accepts handwriting!

Figure 4-9: I’ve enlarged the font size here so you can see the two entries more clearly.

Figure 4-10: This little window at the top of the Input Panel displays your handwritten entry so you can check it for accuracy.

Figure 4-11: Your handwriting is sent to the Text Preview window, where you can make sure Tablet PC has converted it correctly.

Figure 4-12: These keys are similar to several keys found on a standard keyboard.  

Figure 4-13: Simply tap any option on this menu to modify a word you entered.

Figure 4-14: Control how the Write Anywhere feature functions from this dialog box.

Chapter 5: When Your Keyboard . . . Isn’t

Figure 5-1: The Input Panel Keyboard has a familiar looking configuration, just like your desktop keyboard.

Figure 5-2: The Tools menu of the Input Panel.

Figure 5-3: When you hide the panel, it appears as this single title bar, sitting wherever the panel was on your screen at the time you hid it.

Figure 5-4: When you expect to do minimal typing and you want to see more ofthe document that you’re working on, resize the Input Panel.

Figure 5-5: When you tap a key on the keyboard, it is highlighted, and the letter is inserted in the open document.

Figure 5-6: A highlight around a key indicates that when you tap again you will have done the Tablet PC equivalent of typing the key on a standard keyboard.

Figure 5-7: Note that the number and punctuation keys all show their uppercase options, and all letter keys display uppercase letters.

Figure 5-8: Commonly used symbols can be input easily from this handy little pad.

Figure 5-9: Select text with your pen, then edit it using your keyboard or application editing tools.

Chapter 6: Talking to Your Tablet PC

Figure 6-1: The first step in understanding you is for Tablet PC to adjust to your speaking volume by adjusting your microphone.

Figure 6-2: If the playback is fuzzy, you may be too close to the microphone.

Figure 6-3: Speak slowly and clearly; the highlights tell you the words that have been recognized.

Figure 6-4: You can choose from among several additional training options.

Figure 6-5: If you say something Speech can’t recognize, the phrase Listening will change to What Was That?

Figure 6-6: If the word you really meant to input is on this list, just tap it and it will replace the word that Speech input.

Figure 6-7: Adding to Speech’s dictionary will make it convert your speech more accurately.

Figure 6-8: Anything grayed out in this dialog box is not relevant to the open application.

Figure 6-9: Choose to deactivate any of these five categories from this dialog box.

Figure 6-10: Deselecting some options, such as Controlling Speech, may come at a price in terms of Speech accuracy.

Figure 6-11: Just don’t forget which key you assigned or you could find yourself dictating when you least expect to.

Chapter 7: Thinking Ink with Journal

Figure 7-1: Journal will feel familiar to those who are used to writing on legal pads or loose-leaf notepaper.

Figure 7-2: Check boxes let you easily check off the tasks you’ve completed.

Figure 7-3: If lining up things is important in your work, consider using the Graph template.

Figure 7-4: Because Journal has no templates preview, you just have to try the templates one by one.

Figure 7-5: You can base notes on stationery or a template.

Figure 7-6: You can drag this dotted line down as far as you like to create multiple new lines in one move.

Figure 7-7: Fill up the page if you like, but remember that you have as many pages as you need on this pad.

Figure 7-8: A variety of pen styles can make your notes more interesting.

Figure 7-9: You can use this dialog box to change several pen settings or apply a new pen style.

Figure 7-10: When you tap a text box to select it, the insertion point is active, ready for you to input text with the Input Panel.

Figure 7-11: Flags are easy to spot as you move through a note.

Figure 7-12: The Selection tool creates a circle around words as you drag it.

Figure 7-13: The highlighted words are in doubt — this is about the percentage of words you can expect to review each time you convert.

Figure 7-14: If you want to take information from Journal and plop it into, say, a Word document, choose the Clipboard option here.

Figure 7-15: The shape on the left is drawn; the shape on the right is converted.

Figure 7-16: The small boxes around this selection can also be used to resize the handwriting or drawing.

Figure 7-17: Search by specific text or attributes, such as flags or text that is a close match.

Figure 7-18: Recipients can view the automatically generated attachment of your handwritten notes.

Figure 7-19: Use this dialog box to make any corrections to your text before completing the conversion.

Figure 7-20: Your note text appears as message text automatically.

Chapter 8: Stuck on Sticky Notes

Figure 8-1: This little pad enables you to write notes to yourself on the fly.

Figure 8-2: Print or write in longhand — it will look just the way you write it.

Figure 8-3: Scratch your pen over anything you’ve written in a Sticky Note, and after a second it will disappear.

Figure 8-4: These simple recording buttons should look familiar if you’ve ever used media player software.

Figure 8-5: This is pretty much your average Save dialog box.

Figure 8-6: This should look similar to dialog boxes you’ve seen before.

Figure 8-7: The Windows Picture and Fax Viewer offers some tools that enable you to manipulate a Sticky Note.

Figure 8-8: If you’d like to paint your handwritten note purple or turn it upside down, you can do so in Paint.

Figure 8-9: Your note goes into some applications looking like that same little yellow surface you wrote it on.

Figure 8-10: In applications that handle handwriting input, your note goes in as handwriting.

Figure 8-11: If you change your mind and decide to keep the note, tap No in this dialog box to save its life.

Chapter 9: Kicking Back with eBooks and InkBall

Figure 9-1: Looking up words in the Encarta Pocket Dictionary is easy; it will even pronounce them for you!

Figure 9-2: Activating your Reader enables you to browse eBook content online.

Figure 9-3: This is the final step in activating your Microsoft Reader software.

Figure 9-4: The eBooks that you have downloaded are listed in your Microsoft Reader Library.

Figure 9-5: Links to publishers, such as Smithsonian Institution Press, offer a world of online content.

Figure 9-6: Control your reading experience from this menu.

Figure 9-7: Use the tools here to move around your open eBook.

Figure 9-8: If you want to remember a page, use these flags to mark it.

Figure 9-9: If you see something you just have to comment on, do it with the tools on this toolbar and your Tablet PC pen.

Figure 9-10: View a preview of text at the size setting you select here.

Figure 9-11: If you want to clear out older eBooks, why not sort by Date Acquired?

Figure 9-12: Note the little score counter at the top to remind you of your score to date.

Figure 9-13: These ink lines will deflect the ball to help you direct it into its hole to win the game.

Figure 9-14: With this many balls in the air, winning a game is hard!

Figure 9-15: Challenges vary with every game you play.

Chapter 10: Office XP, Meet Tablet PC

Figure 10-1: Download the Office XP Pack from Microsoft, and it installs automatically.

Figure 10-2: Expand categories of commands by tapping the plus sign next to them.

Figure 10-3: Word is the only Office application that accepts ink from the Writing Pad.

Figure 10-4: The Ink toolbar provides basic tools for working with handwritten input.

Figure 10-5: Here’s the original object size . . .

Figure 10-6: . . . and here it is enlarged.

Figure 10-7: Personalize e-mail messages with handwritten content from Word or Excel.

Figure 10-8: A comment adds a line to show where your insertion point was when you inserted the comment, drawing the reader’s attention to that place right away.

Chapter 11: Creating Presentations Just Got Easier

Figure 11-1: The Normal view in PowerPoint contains three areas where text can be entered.

Figure 11-2: The PowerPoint screen shrinks to allow the Input Panel to be displayed beneath it.

Figure 11-3: The text box delivers a motivational message that won’t be included with the speaker’s main points in the outline.

Figure 11-4: In this dialog box, you can also control the time delay for sending handwriting to a document and the thickness and color of ink.

Figure 11-5: The line moves around the screen; wherever you write, the text appears where your insertion point rests— whether in an outline, slide, or note.

Figure 11-6: This object can be moved around your slide and resized.

Figure 11-7: The few tools on this toolbar let you use different styles of pen, different colors, and different line thicknesses.

Figure 11-8: You can use the Dictation and Command buttons to move back and forth between entering content and using voice commands at any time.

Figure 11-9: What can I say? It’s the What Can I Say listing.

Figure 11-10: The ViewSonic Tablet PC V1100 sports an infrared port on its side.

Figure 11-11: Ballpoint, felt tip, highlighter — pick your pen style and start writing.

Figure 11-12: You can change the ink color of any of the three pen styles from the Ink toolbar.

Chapter 12: Communicating with Tablet PC

Figure 12-1: This PC card sports a wireless LAN antenna that sends and receives data through a wireless access point.

Figure 12-2: Whatever access points are available will be listed here.

Figure 12-3: Reach Network Connections from the Windows XP control panel.

Figure 12-4: The Input Panel allows you to add text to documents.

Figure 12-5: The Ink toolbar provides basic tools for working with handwritten input.

Figure 12-6: You can insert a handwritten message in an e-mail message by writing in the Ink object.

Figure 12-7: Control how the Write Anywhere feature functions from the Options dialog box.

Figure 12-8: Now it’s listening to you.

Figure 12-9: Recipients can view the automatically generated attachment of your handwritten notes.

Figure 12-10: Choose highlighted words one by one and change them to alternative words from the list provided; then tap Change.

Figure 12-11: Your note text automatically appears as message text.

Figure 12-12: Enter your message here and deliver it instantly.

Figure 12-13: Don’t have a cell phone? Just use your Tablet PC to make calls on the go.

Chapter 13: Ten Neat Things You Can Do with Your Tablet PC

Figure 13-1: When your data is imported into Journal, you can write onto any form.

Figure 13-2: Get creative by adding words, drawings, and effects to your photos using your pen.

Figure 13-3: The document is now an image in Journal, ready for you to write on it, highlight it, or add things to it.

Figure 13-4: This document image has been annotated to help the reader understand how to fill in a form.

Figure 13-5: The Motion Computing M-Series Leather Executive Portfolio is typical of the slim profile of Tablet PC cases.

Figure 13-6: You can choose only an installed service for your default language.

Figure 13-7: This presentation uses a graph paper style notes template to full advantage.

Figure 13-8: Using gestures to activate functions.

Figure 13-9: You must scratch out before the ink is sent to the document.

Chapter 14: Top Ten Applications for Your Tablet PC

Figure 14-1: This could be the best program to use to sketch out ideas or just doodle during those long meetings.

Figure 14-2: Visio is a very handy little program if you build flowcharts or schematics for your work.

Figure 14-3: The Daily view shows all the things you have to do, notes, and appointments for each day on one screen.

Figure 14-4: These forms provide a useful place to organize information you need to keep a record of.

Figure 14-5: Add your signature to Pen- Commander; then simply write words, such as My Sign, and Pen- Commander inserts your signature into documents.

Figure 14-6: Write your own letters to help your applications recognize your handwriting.

Figure 14-7: You can build documents of snippets you grab from any program — or even online.

Figure 14-8: You can link to data, group similar fields together, and prompt the users of templates to make entries in ink by using these authoring tools.

Figure 14-9: Make your e-mails come alive with riteMail.

Figure 14-10: Pop-up palettes are fun to use and offer simple, yet effective, sketching tools.

Figure 14-11: You can figure out how to use all the tools of Alias SketchBook Pro in about five minutes and then just have fun with it.

Figure 14-12: Do not try this at work — it will eat up your afternoon faster than a staff meeting.

Figure 14-13: If you have to learn to write on-screen, you may as well have fun doing it!