| A tablet PC is a light weight slate shaped | | | | screen and the stylus. If a slate is attached |
| hand-held computer or a slim note book PC. | | | | with a keyboard it is called a convertible. |
| The idea is to replace the traditional pen | | | | Typically the keyboard is attached with a |
| and notebook with a tablet PC and stylus or | | | | single joint and it folds/opens onto the |
| digital pen. Historically the tablet was | | | | screen. The Hybrid has a detachable keyboard |
| used by the Egyptians to write on clay | | | | so that it can be used both as a slate or a |
| tablets with a writing stick. In the present | | | | convertible.Tablet PCs come with resident |
| day the clay tablet has been replaced with a | | | | softwares like handwriting recognition |
| screen and the writing stick with a stylus. | | | | software, speech recognition software, |
| The tablet PC may be considered the pen and | | | | shorthand entry software, virtual keyboard |
| notebook of the future. They typically weigh | | | | etc,.There are various advantages like |
| around 2-3 pounds and their main feature is | | | | portability, users who are not comfortable |
| portability. The idea of a tablet PC was | | | | with keyboards find stylus more friendly, |
| floated by Alan Kay of Xerox but was a | | | | they do not interrupt line of sight as they |
| commercial failure until now, when the prices | | | | are kept on the table and are helpful in |
| have fallen down and it is expected that the | | | | meetings and are handheld so can be used in |
| prices will fall in future. The first widely | | | | giving presentation while standing up. The |
| sold Tablet PC was Newton of Apple | | | | disadvantages of Tablet PCs have been cost |
| Computers.The hardware consists of a slim | | | | till now but since the prices have fallen and |
| touch screen, stylus, optional wireless | | | | are falling, hence is not a constraint |
| keyboard and mouse. In this type of computers | | | | anymore.Various companies like Acer, Lenovo, |
| the data input is not through the traditional | | | | Toshiba Fujitsu, HP, Gateway, Compaq, Motion, |
| mouse and keyboard but through a stylus or a | | | | NEC etc are manufacturing Tablet PCs.Are they |
| virtual keyboard on the screen. It also has | | | | future proof? Till recent years the Tablet PC |
| the facility of data input through wireless | | | | was a commercial failure but with the |
| keyboard and mouse. The stylus is used to | | | | advances in battery technology, handwriting |
| write directly/tap on the screen or fingers | | | | recognition software, wireless internet |
| are used to input data through the touch | | | | access, larger memory, better screen |
| screen. There is a magnetic field over the | | | | resolution they are being accepted as |
| screen which interacts with the stylus | | | | commercially viable option. Many popular |
| electronics, hence the user can rest his | | | | science fiction movies portray the use of |
| hands on the screen without distorting the | | | | Tablet PCs. Tablet PCs are bound to replace |
| image and only stylus movement affects the | | | | the notebook & pen and future books, |
| screen. They come in various sizes like 8.5 | | | | magazines, newspapers.Tyson J Stevenson |
| inch, 10 inch and 14 inch.There are different | | | | writes on a wide variety of technolgy related |
| types of tablet PCs like slates, convertibles | | | | subjects, always with valuable news & |
| and hybrids. Slates consist of just the | | | | reviews. Expect to see his name often. |