Microsoft Tablet-PC

A Microsoft Tablet PC (English tablet, writing board, ' U.S. engl. Tablet, notepad ') is a portable tablet PC with a Microsoft operating system.

A tablet PC is a special notebook especially light version without folding parts. The term is not trademarked, so it is a class of devices that can be held in the hand and also served as.

Modern designs do without a keyboard, the input of data dialog is done by touching the display surface with stylus or fingertip. The touch screen is either a virtual keyboard or ready displays icons and menus to choose from. Usually, a tablet PC is also equipped with software for handwriting recognition.

• 2.1 Pen Display can be operated
• 2.2 housing types 2.2.1 Convertible
• 2.2.2 Slate
• 2.2.3 hybrid
• 2.2.4 UMPC

• 3.1 Operating Systems
• 3.2 Handwriting Recognition
• 3.3 Application of gestures
• 3.4 speech input
• 3.5 programs with special features for Tablet PCs

• 4.1 Market Overview ( incomplete)

• 5.1 advantages
• 5.2 disadvantages

History

Development of pen -to-use computer

The idea of ​​pen -operated computer ( PC or penabled pen computer ) existed long before the tablet PCs. The term tablet PC itself was introduced in 2001 by Microsoft. The first concept to a portable computer with an intuitive user interface was planned Dynabook in the 1960s and 1970s. Already in the 1980s, the first software for handwriting recognition by Charles Elbaum has been developed. One of the first computer with a real pen input was 1993, the Apple Newton, the forerunner of today's PDAs.

In 1991, the pen was first seen as a serious alternative to the mouse, after which 3.1 brought, for example, the Microsoft Pen Extensions for Windows on the market. Between 1992 and 1994, published several manufacturers (eg, Compaq, Fujitsu, IBM, NCR, Samsung and Toshiba) matching hardware that ran from the two available operating systems Windows for Pen computer or PenPoint ( GO Corporation). The DynaPad T100X Toshiba was the first true forerunner of the tablet PCs. The ThinkPad was, as the name suggests, originally planned as a slate. However, since these concepts no large market opportunities were granted, they disappeared at NCR and Samsung back in the drawer. Pioneers for pen applications and hardware such as GRiD and the GO Corporation were acquired or liquidated. Compaq, IBM, NEC and Toshiba presented 1994/1995 all pen-based Consumer Products a. However, pin- to-use computers were for the industry continue to be manufactured and sold. One example is the SIMpad (2001).

Microsoft's Tablet PC standard

Because Microsoft 's continued adherence to a concept of pen -operated computers, were repeatedly presented pen-based input devices for years in their computing in the future presentations and published finally in 2002 the Tablet PC extension for the Windows XP operating system. Same time, various housing types were presented for tablet PCs. Since the launch of Windows XP Tablet PC Edition are a variety of devices, including Dell, Fujitsu -Siemens, Hewlett -Packard, Lenovo and Toshiba, available. The original idea of the Tablet PC after the Microsoft standard was that the operation of a Tablet PC is primarily done by writing with the stylus on the screen. Here, an inductive digitizer captures the gesture as a graphics tablet. An operation using fingers was in the beginning, however, is not provided, why digitizer for pen-based tablet PCs today are still common.

Since 2005 touchscreens may be used according to the specifications from Microsoft that allows you to operate with your fingers ( also in conjunction with UMPCs ). The background was that the most touch-sensitive displays initially could not distinguish between the laying on of hands on the display and the operation with pen or finger, which caused problems when writing. Further requirements were that the device dominate a quick start-up from standby mode and must match the legacy-free design ( no external serial or parallel ports ). In addition, the screen contents via a button for portrait and landscape format can be rotated so that you can work as usual on writing pads in portrait format. For use in enterprise environments, a button for Ctrl -Alt-Delete function for Windows application and to call the Task Manager is available. As designs were originally slate, convertible or hybrid provided (see section Types of Tablet PCs ).

The definition of Microsoft, however, only describes what requirements must a tablet PC that this was allowed to be sold with the Tablet PC edition of Windows XP. The following versions of Windows provided the tablet functions for all devices with a matching input device ready.

Tablets

In addition to the devices based on Microsoft's Tablet PC standard, there are also devices that are sold with Linux or Mac OS. Due to the use of an open hardware architecture operating systems are usually interchangeable.

In addition to tablet PCs has come up with the Tablets, a similar device category established, which consists of finger- operated embedded systems in Slate design. These devices are based on a closed hardware architecture with a solid operating system that are in contrast to tablet PCs intended primarily for media consumption. This device category was introduced in early 2010 with the iPad by Apple.

Hardware

Tablet PCs provide a device category between laptops and PDAs or smartphones one hand, on the other hand dar. tablet PCs in the classical sense have the same functionality as notebooks and are similar. The differences are mainly in the design of the housing and into the accessible via pen and touch display. The remaining components such as processor, hard drive and memory correspond to the normal PC standards to allow full compatibility with software for x86 processors. Recent developments, such as the iPad, however, are based on the technology of smartphones and transfer this. Upon the device class of the tablet computer As tablet PCs are designed primarily for mobile use, they roughly correspond to the size of sub-notebooks or netbooks. The biggest difference Opposite PDAs is the larger and heavier construction. In addition, often comes in tablet PCs, a digitizer instead of the touch-sensitive display in PDAs.

Pen Display can be operated

Tablet PCs can be controlled by writing with the stylus on the screen with an inductive digitizer captures the gesture. Unlike the touch screen, the screen is touch- sensitive characterized, that is, the heel of the hand may be writing to the screen without disturbing the identification of the pen position. However, the operation is thus possible, in contrast to a PDA exclusively with a matching special pen. However, these special pens have for additional functions, so can the amount of pressure and pen inclination when writing to evaluate, and there are freely programmable keys.

The technology used in the display corresponds to that of graphics tablets. So much so, that in many current tablet PCs detection technology from Wacom, a specialist in integrated graphics tablets. For this reason, all applications that are designed for use with graphics tablets can also be used with Tablet PCs.

There are two types of pens for use:

• With battery: The pen can distinguish 64 pressure levels, the spatial resolution of the pen on the display is relatively low.
• Without battery: The pen can be more than 64 pressure levels ( current standard: 254 steps). differ, the display is higher resolution.

Since 2005, the touchscreen can be used according to the specifications of Microsoft, but the display can handle multiple inputs simultaneously must. This is necessary to discriminate whether the user wishes to enter the pen (or the finger), or only slightly hand deposits. For a touch screen, a stylus comes without electronics.

Housing types

The three original concepts of tablet PCs are convertible, hybrid and slate. Since 2006 exists with the UMPCs another form of portable computers that are operated with your fingers.

Convertible

The most common design for tablet PCs is the convertible (English for convertible ). The user basically has the same functionality as with a notebook - especially a keyboard - and can also rotate the display 180 degrees and then flip the screen up over the keyboard so that the convertible with the stylus like a notepad can be used. Thus, this design combines the advantages of tablet PCs and conventional notebooks. The disadvantage is the effect of the higher weight and significantly greater height of the folded device over the other designs, which make prolonged use on the arm. Nevertheless, convertibles common, because the built-in keyboard users can be sure that at any time with the familiar and to be able to work faster input device for text entry. However, the pen can also be used in notebook mode.

Slate

As Slate (English for slate ), a tablet PC is called, which is limited to the actual stylus operation and has built no keyboard. Hence, the housing is in contrast to the computer only from a single block rather than being divided in keyboard and display block. Due to the compact and low-weight design of these devices, they are very mobile and allow a longer work on the arm. The absence of the keyboard is not a problem, as can all tablet PCs operate exclusively through the pen with handwriting recognition as well as the case-mounted function keys. If necessary drives and keyboard as external devices must (usually via USB / Bluetooth or a docking station ) can be connected.

A device that is externally equivalent of this design was introduced in 2010 by Apple with the iPad. However, it differs in the lack of pen input and the lack of connections for external input devices. In addition, by using a stripped-down operating system (Apple iOS ), only the use of shared applications possible. As other manufacturers then brought similar devices on the market, the new device category of tablet computer was born.

Hybrid

A rare design is the hybrid (English for hybrid ), which combines the features of convertible and slate. The keyboard can just be stowed behind the screen as the convertible, but it is also completely removable, which transforms the device into a "clean " slate. The three single models of Compaq / HP ( TC1000, TC1100 and Compaq Concerto ), however, no longer manufactured. The Chinese manufacturer Lenovo has announced for the summer of 2010, a hybrid device called the IdeaPad U1, are to be used on the Windows 7 and Linux in slate mode. Another, developed in 2011 under the name of Asus Transformer Slate counts with the Android operating system to the tablet computers. Also, Samsung has developed a palmtop computer.

UMPC

An Ultra -Mobile PC is not a pure tablet PC, but a full-fledged portable computer that can be operated entirely with the fingers and is only slightly larger than a PDA. On a UMPC, a version of Windows XP Tablet PC Edition or Windows Vista running as a pen can be used for input. In order for a UMPC is a Tablet PC. UMPCs can be used for many tasks, such as a multimedia player or navigation device with all the capabilities of a PC- based platform.

Pen and ink Electronic

First, the pin replaced on the Tablet PC, the mouse, similar to typing on a tablet on a conventional PC. Single tap on the screen corresponds to a mouse click, double tap a double click. The right mouse click by tap and hold similar simulates the Pocket PC, or can be placed on one of the most existing buttons on the pen. A key feature of tablet PCs is the possibility of entering text with the pen, but this is not the case with all tablet PCs:

The idea of ​​the (Windows XP ) Tablet PC was to provide the user with the stylus on the screen the feeling that he would work with pen and paper. For this, the system calculates from the pen trace on the screen Bézier curves representing the writing mathematically. Depending on the pin and the ability of the display pressure and pen inclination can be evaluated in addition to the position of the pin also. Then, the curves are rasterized on the display. This provides the user the feeling that he would write or draw on the screen.

Many programs for tablet PCs are able to convert this Ink to text. Depending on the approach, this is done automatically in the background or out of a user request. The Ink are therefore searchable by keyword or can be further processed in other programs as normal text. However, the pen input is less suitable for pure extensive text input as the user with the keyboard it is usually faster. For complex mathematical formulas, sketches or for annotating documents, however, this type of input is beneficial.

Operating Systems

The operating system was originally an enhanced version of Windows XP to use, the Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. After about two years another version, the Windows XP Tablet Edition 2005, based on the Windows XP Service Pack 2 was released. Almost all components such as the Tablet Input Panel and the overall handwriting recognition have been revised. In the successor, Windows Vista, there is no special version for Tablet PC more because the Tablet PC features in all versions are included natively except Home Basic and Starter.

By default hardware and compatibility with the graphics tablet pen can also under other operating systems such as Linux, are used. The company Lycoris for example, offered an adapted version of Linux with the necessary drivers and additional functions for pen input. Mac OS X supports pen input and handwriting recognition natively, but matching devices are so far only available as modified versions of the standard third-party hardware.

To use applications without a keyboard that are not specially adapted for tablet PCs, there is a freehand input bar in all operating systems. On Windows, it appears once with the pen a text box is selected, and allows the user to enter text with a stylus. The handwriting recognition or the on-screen keyboard can be used.

In addition, the Windows Journal program is included in the Tablet PC edition of Windows XP that allows writing and drawing as on a normal pad of paper. Here are all the familiar ways of computer programs available, so search, undo, copy, paste ( images and text ), change format, move, resize, etc. The Journal Viewer enables the display of journal files on non- Tablet PCs.

With Windows Vista functionality for tablet PCs has been extended. New are the gesture recognition and integration with a virtual mouse, which also allows operate very small screens, such as those used in UMPCs. The handwriting recognition is adaptive in Windows Vista and not merely on the dictionary expansion customizable. In Windows Vista, unlike Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, executed clicks visualized by flashing circles to allow for better feedback.

In Windows 7, Microsoft has revised the input area, while widening among other things, the virtual keyboard buttons and introduced correction gestures. Handwriting recognition can now be trained by the user on German. A math Input Panel enables writing mathematical formulas with the pen.

There are alternatives to the enhancements of Windows, there is an alternative to Microsoft riteScript with Tablet PC Input Panel with its own handwriting recognition. With this program, the handwritten text input on the entire screen is possible.

Handwriting recognition

Handwriting recognition when entering a pin directly on your PC differs significantly from the recognition of the text with an OCR system. In the offline text recognition in OCR system until a template into a digital rasterized image needs to be changed, whereas the on-line handwriting recognition can directly access the data written with a pen curves in a tablet PC. This is information such as the speed of the individual sections of the curves and the order of the individual curves available that can no longer be in the offline text recognition reconstruct.

The curves are thereby stored as a sequence of points that undergo a series of operations to correct ( line alignment, normalization of size, orientation of the letters ). Then, the characteristics of the font, or more precisely the trajectories of the curves are extracted. Then probabilities for different words using hidden Markov models from the series of individual letters and groups of letters (N- grams) that are dependent on each other in their appearance will be charged. Depending on the quality of the models of the characters (or groups ) and the dictionary size, the recognized words may then be output.

Use of gestures

The lack of a keyboard on some models makes it difficult to use keyboard shortcuts. In principle, many shortcut keys on the onscreen keyboard can be reached, however, the advantages such as speed and ease of accessibility of the underlying functions lost. Similar to mouse gestures, so the drawing of characters with a mouse or, in this case, the pen, the user can trigger various actions with defined figures. Some programs support gestures natively, but often incorporate specialized programs this function. In Windows Vista, some gestures are supported directly by the operating system, such as the navigation in web pages (previous / next) or scrolling in documents.

Voice input

Alternatively, provides the English version of Windows XP Tablet Edition and all versions of Windows Vista in addition, the speech input over the existing in all Tablet PC microphone option. Unlike the built-in speech recognition in Windows XP Tablet PC Edition other commercial applications and speech recognition can be usually well trained and enhanced in Windows Vista.

Programs with special features for Tablet PCs

To use the pen with all the benefits as an input device, the applications must be prepared for this.

Most vector -based drawing programs (such as CorelDraw or Inkscape ) supporting pen input. Likewise, the pen can be used (eg Adobe Photoshop) as a conventional pen tablet in many image processing applications.

Furthermore, there are several collections of Microsoft small software tools (Microsoft Experience Pack for Tablet PC and Microsoft Education Pack ) with different applications to demonstrate the potential of tablet PCs. Here are example programs for recognizing handwritten mathematical formulas for writing notes, a crossword puzzle or a program for sticky notes on your desktop. It offered, for example, for Microsoft Office to enhance applications with functions for tablet PCs and increase productivity, special plug-ins. Examples include Tablet Enhancements for Outlook TEO and InkGestures for Word.

Use and dissemination

• The Slate models are used for example in hospitals during rounds for direct use of electronic health records over a wireless network.
• Tablet PCs are suitable as a substitute for whiteboards and overhead projectors for presentations or seminars ( along with a video projector) and the combination of computer-based presentations and traditional teaching methods on a chalkboard. Thus, Microsoft Office PowerPoint supports painting, writing and marking directly in a running slide show.
• In conferences or sales meetings tablet PCs can be used as the display is no longer disturbing between the interlocutors.
• Tablet PCs can be used with an adapted educational software in schools to support children's learning at about the writing.
• They are also used for data acquisition, for example, in the context of recruitment procedures in personnel selection.
• For students, tablet PCs are used to supplement the often already present digital scripts and handouts in lectures.
• A wide range of applications are also applications in the professional outdoor area. For this, the tablet PCs have to be particularly robust design - for example, for use in emergency medicine.

Due to the decreasing size of the devices and the increasing power of PDAs, the boundary between the two categories is blurring.

A so-called killer application that would result in a significantly more rapid dissemination of Tablet PCs, stood until 2009 but still pending. The spread was initially hampered by the very high prices. Sales in the third quarter of 2003 was, for example, only about 1 percent ( 92,000 units) of all notebooks sold. However, prices for the devices continue to fall, and in 2008 was roughly at the level of comparable notebooks. Since 2010 devices for a price of less than 600 € are available.

Market Overview ( incomplete)

Comparison with standard notebooks

Benefits

Tablet PCs provide a more natural form of input - drawing and writing are no previous knowledge in the use of mouse and keyboard possible. The use of handwritten notes and sketches increases productivity, because all operations are carried out as on paper and can be digitally archived. To ensure that all documents are always available and searchable at the same time without the overhead of a physical archiving of documents.

The gesture recognition allows for a large increase in efficiency, as with a pen to mouse gestures, a more accurate user input is possible. The use of the stylus on the screen allows a much more precise than using the mouse and so are a common tool for artists / designers (digital painting ).

Slate Tablet PCs are compared to traditional notebooks much smaller and lighter and therefore easier to carry. In addition, tablet PCs are the only truly mobile computer as they used while standing and can be operated with one hand - on the underside of a non-slip velvety layer and partly a strap is attached with some models, making it easier to hold. Since the display for use with a permanent pen, and the contact is designed with the hand, the surfaces are generally scratch resistant and more resistant to sweat. When used in meetings or discussions with customers they do not interrupt the line of sight between interlocutors, as they can lie flat on the table.

Disadvantages

2003, by the heavier construction and the low sales compared to the same tablet PCs notebooks equipped for up to 500 euros more expensive 2010 this price difference was almost gone.

The screen sizes are limited by the optimization of mobility. Many models are sold as subnotebooks and are only available with 12 " - or 13 " displays available, some exceptions have 14.1 " displays the type as sub-notebooks and low weight mean that especially the Slate models often no optical. own drives and some smaller standard batteries. Moreover, the screening of the curves drawn in tablet mode consumes more computing time than the mere typing of text, which has a negative impact particularly on older models on the battery life.

When writing with the pen input speed is much lower than the maximum possible speed when practiced keyboarding.