Combines Simplicity of Paper with Full Power of Windows-Based Computing
For the past few years, the Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) has grown tremendously popular. However, due to size restrictions, it has always served as a secondary device to the desktop computer. So a number of hardware manufacturers unveiled a new form of communication, the Tablet PC. What exactly is a Tablet PC? It is a notebook PC with a touch-sensitive screen and is a bit larger than the size of a sheet of paper. Tablet PCs will have two formats: the "convertible" model with an integrated keyboard and a display that rotates 180 degrees that can be folded down over the keyboard, and the "slate" style with a removable keyboard. It allows users to save their written input either as images or as converted text. It is very similar to a PDA, only larger and more powerful, and weighs less than today 's laptops yet is fully configured for PC operations and Internet applications. By combining the best qualities of a PDA and laptop, the Tablet PC can be used in applications where a laptop would be too bulky, and a PDA would not be powerful enough. In the past, field service workers with mobile devices tended to have only one application on their device. With the Tablet PC operating system, they can connect and use many more applications.
A long-cherished goal for technology visionaries and computer designers, the Tablet PC will represent the next major evolution in PC design and functionality. While retaining the full power to run all existing Windows-based software applications, the Tablet PC expands enterprise computing to address previously unmet needs, such as the ability to take notes at meetings, annotate existing electronic documents and presentations, and read on screen easily. It transforms your scribbles into proper, legible word-processor text. By allowing users to input into their PC using only an electronic pen and a few buttons, rather than with a keyboard