How2Day: Tablet PC Components

Tablet personal computers occupy a market niche between netbooks, personal data assistants and smartphones at one end of the spectrum, and laptop and desktop computers at the other end. Most tablets provide more functionality and processing power than the basic requirements for a netbook, but less hardware and processing power typically found in a desktop. Microsoft has developed a number of software components designed to run specifically on tablets.

In 2005, Microsoft released the Education Pack suite of components for tablet PCs. This set contains Equation Writer, which enables users to use the stylus pen to write in scientific or mathematical equations. Equation Writer converts these equations to text that a user can insert into documents. Education Pack also contains GoBinder Lite, a tablet PC version of the GoBinder personal organizer software. The tablet PC version lets users hand write entries into the organizer with the stylus to create calendar entries or a syllabus.

In 2004, Microsoft released a suite of tablet components as part of a package called "Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP Tablet PC Edition." Some of these components included a calculator application into which users could directly type information with the stylus pen or their fingers. Microsoft also included a Hold Tool, which once installed eliminated the need for users to impress the stylus into the tablet PC touch screen. Instead, the Hold Tool enabled the stylus to drag and drop or open programs just by touching the screen. The PowerToys suite also provided a few games. Pool for Tablet PC converted the touch screen and stylus into a billiards table and cue stick, while the Maze Game for Tablet PC challenged users to quickly drag the stylus through a maze.

Microsoft has included the Tablet PC Input Panel component in all versions of Windows and Windows Tablet editions since 2002. This software enables users to write into the tablet as they would an actual paper notebook. Users can hand write notes or letters and input data as both print and cursive. The Input Panel can convert this handwriting into typewritten format for use in other programs. Input Panel also features an Auto-Complete feature similar to the word-completion function in a cell phone text-messaging program and lets users undo entries by turning over the stylus and "erasing" words or sentences as if they were holding a pencil eraser.

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