The Tap Is Mightier than the Click

If you're like me, you spent a few days (or weeks) learning how to control a mouse to get things done on your computer. Now you can forget all that - because Tablet PC uses a pen (also referred to as a pen stylus or cordless Motion pen) to do everything you do with a mouse.

With your pen you can

• Select things (text or objects)

• Open and close programs and windows

• Drag and drop things

• Rotate and resize objects

• Display shortcut menus

• Reactivate your computer when it's in Stand By mode

• Follow hyperlinks

. . . and even more . . . all by tapping the pen that came with your Tablet PC on the computer screen - firmly but gently - in a variety of ways.

 Warning!  Don't use just any old pen on your Tablet PC screen. The pen that came with your unit is a specially designed pen made to work with the LCD touch screen. In fact, Tablet PC input is so specific to this style of pen that pressing on the screen with any other implement (even your finger) won't have any effect. Sharp implements, of course, could damage the screen surface.

In general, however, don't worry - learning to use a pen is much easier than learning to use a mouse for the first time!

 Tip  Tablet PC documentation varies in how it refers to taps and clicks. As a general rule, if you run across a direction to click or double-click, consider it the equivalent of tapping and double-tapping. This book sticks to tapping.

First, pick it up

Pens vary in size; some are the size of a traditional ballpoint pen, others are like those mini-pencils you get as free gifts in envelopes from groups asking for donations to save iguanas in Borneo.

No matter the size, essentially you hold a pen stylus just as you hold any pen.

 Remember  If there is a button on your pen (about which you'll hear more in a moment), always position the pen so you can press the button easily with your thumb or forefinger.

Confidential to lefties

If you're left-handed, follow these steps to change the Handedness setting in the Tablet and Pen Settings dialog box:

1. Choose StartðControl PanelðTablet and Pen Settings.

2. With the Settings tab displayed (as shown in Figure 4-1), tap the Left-handed button to select it.

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

3. Tap OK to save the setting.

Calibrating your pen

To ensure that your pen and screen see eye to eye, you should calibrate your pen. Calibrating sounds awfully scientific, but it just means showing Tablet PC how you perceive the center of a set of crosshairs, so it can accommodate your on-screen taps more accurately.

In fact, some manufacturers of Tablet PCs recommend that you calibrate every time you change your screen orientation. Tedious? Yes. But it only takes a few seconds - and as pen technology improves, we can hope this chore goes away entirely.

Follow these steps to calibrate your pen:

1. Choose StartðControl Panel and double-tap Tablet and Pen Settings.

    Tip  Your screen may show a Change Tablet and Pen Settings icon in the Windows icon tray that you can double-tap instead.

   The Tablet and Pen Settings dialog box appears.

2. On the Settings tab, tap Calibrate.

   A dialog box appears, instructing you to tap in the middle of a set of crosshairs in a corner of the screen (as in Figure 4-2).

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

3. Tap in the center of the crosshairs.

   Another set of crosshairs appears.

4. Repeat Step 3 until you've tapped four crosshair sets.

5. Tap OK to close the Calibrate screen.

6. Tap OK again to close the Tablet and Pen Settings dialog box.

That's all there is to calibration. Now you're free to start using that pen.