Tablet PC

For tablet devices which bear similarities to tablet PCs but do not adhere to the definition of personal computer, see Tablet computer.
HP Compaq tablet PC with rotating/removable keyboard

A Tablet PC is a laptop PC equipped with a stylus or a touchscreen. This form factor is intended to offer a more mobile PC; Tablet PCs may be used where notebooks are impractical or unwieldy, or do not provide the needed functionality.

The term Tablet PC was made popular in a product announced in 2001 by Microsoft, where it was defined as a pen-enabled computer conforming to hardware specifications devised by Microsoft and running a licensed copy of "Windows XP Tablet PC Edition" operating system or a derivative thereof.[1] Tablet PCs are personal computers where the owner is free to install any compatible application or operating system. Other tablet computer devices, such as eBook readers or PDAs, do not provide this option and are generally considered another category. The original Microsoft licensing specification required proximity sensing of the stylus, which Microsoft termed "hover". This requirement was dropped with the later announcement of the UMPC.

Contents

Forms

Booklets

Booklet PCs are dual screen tablet computers that fold like a book. Typical booklet PCs are equipped with multi-touch screens and pen writing recognition capabilities. They are designed to be used as digital day planners, internet surfing devices, project planners, music players, and displays for video, live TV, and e-reading.

Slates

Slate computers, which resemble writing slates, are tablet PCs without a dedicated keyboard. For text input, users rely on handwriting recognition via an active digitizer, touching an on-screen keyboard using fingertips or a stylus, or using an external keyboard that can usually be attached via a wireless or USB connection.

Tablet PCs typically incorporate small (8.4–14.1 inches/21–36 centimetres) LCD screens and have been popular in vertical markets such as health care, education, hospitality and field work. Applications for field work often require a tablet PC that has rugged specifications that ensure long life by resisting heat, humidity, and drop/vibration damage. This added focus on mobility and/or ruggedness often leads to elimination of moving parts that could hinder these qualities.

Convertibles

HP tm2 laptop in slate mode

Convertible notebooks have a base body with an attached keyboard. They more closely resemble modern laptops, and are usually heavier and larger than slates.

Typically, the base of a convertible attaches to the display at a single joint called a swivel hinge or rotating hinge. The joint allows the screen to rotate through 180° and fold down on top of the keyboard to provide a flat writing surface. This design, although the most common, creates a physical point of weakness on the notebook.

Some manufacturers have attempted to overcome these weak points. The Panasonic Toughbook 19, for example, is advertised as a more durable convertible notebook. One model by Acer (the TravelMate C210) has a sliding design in which the screen slides up from the slate-like position and locks into place to provide the laptop mode.

Convertibles are by far the most popular form factor of tablet PCs, because they still offer the keyboard and pointing device (usually a trackpad) of older notebooks, for users who do not use the touchscreen display as the primary method of input.

Hybrids

Hybrids, coined by users of the HP/Compaq TC1000 and TC1100 series, share the features of the slate and convertible by using a detachable keyboard that operates in a similar fashion to a convertible when attached. Hybrids are not to be confused with slate models with detachable keyboards; detachable keyboards for pure slate models do not rotate to allow the tablet to rest on it like a convertible.

System software

Apple

Axiotron introduced at Macworld in 2007[2] an aftermarket, heavily modified Apple MacBook called Modbook, a Mac OS X-based tablet computer. The Modbook uses Apple's Inkwell for handwriting and gesture recognition, and use digitization hardware from Wacom. To get Mac OS X to talk to the digitizer on the integrated tablet, the Modbook is supplied with a third-party driver called TabletMagic; Wacom does not provide driver support for this device.

Linux

One early implementation of a Linux tablet was the ProGear by FrontPath. The ProGear used a Transmeta chip and a resistive digitizer. The ProGear initially came with a version of Slackware Linux, but could later be bought with Windows 98. Because these computers are general purpose IBM PC compatible machines, they can run many different operating systems. However, the device is no longer for sale and FrontPath has ceased operations. It is important to note that many touch screen sub-notebook computers can run any of several Linux distributions with little customization.

X.org now supports screen rotation and tablet input through Wacom drivers, and handwriting recognition software from both the Qt-based Qtopia and GTK+-based Internet Tablet OS provide promising free and open source systems for future development.

Open source note taking software in Linux includes applications such as Xournal (which supports PDF file annotation), Gournal (a Gnome based note taking application), and the Java-based Jarnal (which supports handwriting recognition as a built-in function). Before the advent of the aforementioned software, many users had to rely on on-screen keyboards and alternative text input methods like Dasher. There is a stand alone handwriting recognition program available, CellWriter, which requires users to write letters separately in a grid.

A number of Linux based OS projects are dedicated to tablet PCs. Maemo, a Debian Linux based graphical user environment, was developed for the Nokia Internet Tablet devices (N770, N800, N810 & N900). It is currently in generation 5, and has a vast array of applications available in both official and user supported repositories. The Ubuntu Netbook Remix edition, as well as the Intel sponsored Moblin project, both have touchscreen support integrated into their user interfaces. Since all these are open source, they are freely available and can be run or ported to devices that conform to the tablet PC design.

TabletKiosk currently offers a hybrid digitizer / touch device running openSUSE Linux. It is the first device with this feature to support Linux.

Microsoft

Windows 7 touch capability is built with Microsoft Surface technologies. This is a gesture and touch-centric UI enhancement that works with most current touch computers. Windows has a history of tablet technology including Windows XP Tablet PC Edition.[3][4] Tablet PC Edition is a superset of Windows XP Professional, the difference being tablet functionality, including alternate text input (Tablet PC Input Panel) and basic drivers for support of tablet PC specific hardware. Requirements to install Tablet PC Edition include a tablet digitizer or touchscreen device, and hardware control buttons including a Ctrl-Alt-Delete shortcut button, scrolling buttons, and at least one user-configurable application button.

A few select high schools in the US use tablet PCs for every student.

Service Pack 2 for Windows XP includes Tablet PC Edition 2005 and is a free upgrade. This version brought improved handwriting recognition and improved the Input Panel, allowing it to be used in almost every application. The Input Panel was also revised to extend speech recognition services (input and correction) to other applications.

With the succession of Windows Vista, the Tablet PC functionality no longer required a separate edition. Tablet PC support is built into all editions of Windows Vista with the exception of Home Basic and Starter editions. This extends the handwriting recognition, ink collection,[5] and additional input methods to any computer running Vista even if the input device is an external digitizer, a touch screen, or even a regular mouse. Vista also supports Multi-Touch functions and gestures (originally developed for the Microsoft Surface version of Vista) and is now usable by the public with the release of Multi-Touch tablets. Windows Vista also significantly improved handwriting recognition functionality with the introduction a handwriting recognition personalization tool as well as an automatic handwriting learning tool.

Tablet functionality is available in all editions of Windows 7 except the Starter edition. It introduces a new Math Input Panel that recognizes handwritten math expressions and formulas, and integrates with other programs. Windows 7 also significantly improved pen input and handwriting recognition by becoming faster, more accurate, and supportive of more languages, including East Asian writing systems. Personalized custom dictionaries help with the recognition of specialized vocabulary (like medical and technical terms), and text prediction speeds up the input process to make note-taking faster. Multi-Touch technology is also available on some Tablet PCs, enabling more advanced interaction using touch gestures with your fingers the same way a mouse is used [6]. Despite such advances, problems may arise with tablet functions of the OS, when, for instance, touch screen drivers are recognized as PS/2 mouse input rather than a touch input device. In such instances tablet functions may be unavailable or severely restricted in functionality.

Windows applications

Applications developed for the tablet PC cater to the form factor and functionality available on the platform. Many forms of applications incorporate a pen-friendly user interface and/or the ability to hand write directly in the document or interface.

A brief description of the applications included follows:

Experience Pack
Education Pack

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

Disadvantages

Features

In addition to the host of features found on regular laptops, tablet PCs may also possess:

Popular models

Major tablet PC Manufacturers include Acer, AIS, Apple Inc., Asus, Bosanova, Electrovaya, Fujitsu, Gateway, Inc.,G-NET, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Lenovo Group, LG Electronics, MobileDemand, Motion Computing, Motiontek, NEC, Panasonic, Quaduro-Systems, TabletKiosk and Toshiba.

Popular models include:

Slate

Convertible

Hybrid

Application software

Screen size trends

Many Tablet PC makers have standardized on a 12" widescreen format, with a resolution of 1280x800 pixels. The Fujitsu T5010 has a larger 13.3" display, but still runs at the 1280x800 pixel resolution[10]. The Acer TravelMate C300 has a 14.1" screen at 1024x768.

The 12" form factor is optimal for the power, size and weight considerations required for portability. Although there is some demand for larger Tablet PC screen sizes from consumers, larger screens add significant weight and bulk to Tablet PCs. They also require more power, therefore larger, heavier batteries or shorter battery life.

History

The Tablet PC and the associated special operating software is an example of Pen computing technology, and thus the development of tablet-based PCs has deep historical roots.

The depth of these roots can be quite surprising to people who are only familiar with current commercial products. For example, the first patent for an electronic tablet used for handwriting was granted in 1888.[11] The first patent for a system that recognized handwritten characters by analyzing the handwriting motion was granted in 1915.[12] The first publicly-demonstrated system using a tablet and handwriting text recognition instead of a keyboard for working with a modern digital computer dates to 1956.[13]

In addition to many academic and research systems, there were several companies with commercial products in the 1980s: Pencept, Communications Intelligence Corporation, and Linus were among the best known of a crowded field. Later, GO Corp. brought out the PenPoint OS operating system for a tablet PC product: one of the patents from GO corporation was the subject of recent infringement lawsuit concerning the Tablet PC operating system.[14]

The following timeline list gives some of the highlights of this history:

Wireless tablet device in the movie 2001: A space odyssey

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Microsoft (2005), Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 Hardware Requirements, www.microsoft.com, http://users.erols.com/rwservices/pens/biblio10.html#Microsoft06i, retrieved 2009-03-14 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 [1]
  3. ↑ MSDN: Windows XP Tablet PC Edition: Tablet PC: An Overview, Microsoft, 2004-08-24, http://users.erols.com/rwservices/pens/biblio05.html#Microsoft04a, retrieved 2008-09-04 
  4. ↑ Windows XP Tablet PC Edition: Tablet PC: An Overview, Microsoft, 2002-06-01, http://www.itxcgc.com/images/Brochures/Microsoft/TabletPCOverview.pdf, retrieved 2008-09-04 
  5. ↑ MSDN Ink collection
  6. ↑ http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/features/tablet-pc.aspx
  7. ↑ Convertibles: The new laptop bling? - CNET News.com
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Tablet PC offers capacitive touch sensing capability., Dell, Inc
  9. ↑ jkOnTheRun:So what is multi-touch?
  10. ↑ http://www.fujitsu.com/au/services/technology/pc/notebooks/tseries/t5010/specs.html
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Gray, Elisha (1888-07-31), Telautograph, United States Patent 386,815 (full image), http://www.freepatentsonline.com/386815.pdf 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Goldberg, H.E. (1915-12-28), Controller, United States Patent 1,117,184 (full image), http://www.freepatentsonline.com/1117184.pdf 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Dimond, Tom (1957-12-01), Devices for reading handwritten characters, Proceedings of Eastern Joint Computer Conference, pp. 232–237, http://rwservices.no-ip.info:81/pens/biblio70.html#Dimond57, retrieved 2008-08-23 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Mintz, Jessica (2008-04-04), Microsoft to Appeal $367M Patent Ruling, The Associated Press, http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2008-04-04-2507619152_x.htm, retrieved 2008-09-04 
  15. ↑ Gray (1888-07-31), Telautograph, United States Patent 386,815, http://rwservices.no-ip.info:81/pens/biblio70.html#Gray1888b 
  16. ↑ Goldberg, H.E. (1915-12-28), Controller, United States Patent 1,117,184, http://users.erols.com/rwservices/pens/biblio70.html#GoldbergHE15 
  17. ↑ Moodey, H.C. (1942-12-27), Telautograph System, United States Patent 2,269,599, http://users.erols.com/rwservices/pens/biblio70.html#Moodey40 
  18. ↑ Moodey, H.C. (1942-12-27), Telautograph System, United States Patent 2,269,599 (full image), http://www.freepatentsonline.com/2269599.pdf 
  19. ↑ Bush, Vannevar (1945-07-15), As We May Think, The Atlantic Monthly, http://rwservices.no-ip.info:81/pens/biblio70.html#BushV45 
  20. ↑ RAND Tablet, 1961-09-01, http://users.erols.com/rwservices/pens/biblio70.html#RAND61 
  21. ↑ 50 Years of Looking Forward, RAND Corporation, 1998-09-01, http://www.rand.org/publications/randreview/issues/rr.fall.98/50.html 
  22. ↑ Pencept Penpad (TM) 200 Product Literature, Pencept, Inc., 1982-08-15, http://rwservices.no-ip.info:81/pens/biblio83.html#Pencept83 
  23. ↑ Inforite Hand Character Recognition Terminal, Cadre Systems Limited, England, 1982-08-15, http://rwservices.no-ip.info:81/pens/biblio83.html#Inforite82 
  24. ↑ Users Manual for Penpad 320, Pencept, Inc., 1984-06-15, http://users.erols.com/rwservices/pens/biblio85.html#Pencept84d 
  25. ↑ Handwriter (R) GrafText (TM) System Model GT-5000, Communication Intelligence Corporation, 1985-01-15, http://rwservices.no-ip.info:81/pens/biblio85.html#CIC85 
  26. ↑ The BYTE Awards: GRiD System's GRiDPad, BYTE Magazine, Vol 15. No 1, 1990-01-12, pp. 285, http://rwservices.no-ip.info:81/pens/biblio90.html#GridPad90a 
  27. ↑ WANG Freestyle demo, Wang Laboratories, 1989, http://rwservices.no-ip.info:81/pens/images.html#WangFreestyle, retrieved 2008-09-22 
  28. ↑ Lempesis, Bill (1990-05), What's New in Laptops and Pen Computing, Flat Panel Display News, http://rwservices.no-ip.info:81/pens/biblio90.html#Momenta90 
  29. ↑ Agulnick, Todd (1994-09-13), Control of a computer through a position-sensed stylus, United States Patent 5,347,295, http://users.erols.com/rwservices/pens/biblio95.html#Agulnick94 
  30. ↑ Agulnick, Todd (1994-09-13), Control of a computer through a position-sensed stylus, United States Patent 5,347,295 (full image), http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5347295.pdf 
  31. ↑ (– Scholar search) NCR announces pen-based computer press release, FindArticles, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NEW/is_1991_June_24/ai_10957018, retrieved 2007-04-20 
  32. ↑ (– Scholar search) Penpoint OS shipping press release, FindArticles, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NEW/is_1992_April_17/ai_12165379, retrieved 2007-04-20 
  33. ↑ [2]
  34. ↑ Lenovo - The history of ThinkPad
  35. ↑ Trends at COMDEX Event 1999, http://www.guiart.fi/gobr01en.htm, retrieved 2008-08-11 
  36. ↑ PaceBlade launches Tablet PC
  37. ↑ Fingerworks, Inc. (2003), iGesture Game Mode Guide, www.fingerworks.com, http://rwservices.no-ip.info:81/pens/biblio05.html#Fingerworks03, retrieved 2009-04-30 
  38. ↑ http://news.com.com/Go+files+antitrust+suit+against+Microsoft/2100-7343_3-5772534.html
  39. ↑ http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20050704045343631
  40. ↑ HP TouchSmart tx2z, HP, http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/computer_can_series.do?storeName=computer_store&category=notebooks&a1=Category&v1=Mobility&series_name=tx2z_series, retrieved 2008-11-28 
  41. ↑ BAETZ, JUERGEN (April 12, 2010), German tablet PC sets out to rival Apple's iPad, Associated Press, http://finance.yahoo.com/news/German-tablet-PC-sets-out-to-apf-890973130.html?x=0&.v=7, retrieved 2010-04-15 
  42. ↑ WeTab specifications, Neofonie, April 12, 2010, http://wetab.mobi/files/product_specifications_WeTab_version2.0_100506.pdf, retrieved 2010-04-15 

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