On November 12th in D.C., we attended a Microsoft event and grand promotion of the Tablet pc, which runs the Windows XP operating system.  Tablet style pc's has been on the market for the last year but most were running Windows 2000 and are a little too costly, considering Tablet pc's with Windows XP were being showcased many months in advance.  This style of pc's is touted by some as the next generation style of computers.  It allows you to be more mobile.  If you are on a long bus, train, subway, or plane ride some users might feel more comfortable pulling out their tablet pc and holding it in their arms just like a pen and pad.  Authors, poets, song writers, reporters, etc. should all love the tablet pc as they can jot down impulsive thoughts and listen to music at the same time.  The Windows XP version of this product allows for writing with a stylus or using voice commands.  Not even the Pocket PC pda has voice command capabilities.  But make no mistake about it, this is a fully functional computer.  Most models come with wireless(802.11x) networking and infrared communication among other things.  As with many new technologies and products, costs can be pretty high, averaging in the $1700-$2400 price range.  The best Tablet pc we observed is one that appears as a laptop.  The lcd screen swivels 180º and folds down backwards over the keyboard.  Thus converting into the tablet.  Some models just come with a stylus for input.  A keyboard can be purchased separately like some PDA's.  Some of the companies which currently produce Tablet pc's are Fujitsu, Fosa, Acer, Compaq, and Viewsonic, with more to follow.  For more information about the Tablet pc go to Microsoft's Tablet pc home page. 

Microsoft top 10 benefits of the Tablet PC

1. Use Microsoft's Most Advanced Operating System.
Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition is a superset of Windows XP Professional and provides the power of Windows XP with no sacrifices. Tablet PC Edition has the full capabilities of Windows XP Professional, plus additional features to enable pen-based computing. And, because it is a Windows operating system, Windows XP-compatible applications will run on Tablet PC.

2. Extend the Way You Work with Your PC.
Windows XP Tablet PC Edition lets you interact with your PC in a more natural way by incorporating the convenient and intuitive aspects of pen and paper into the PC experience. Using a digital pen and the Input Panel utility, you can write directly on the screen and save your notes in your own handwriting or convert them to typed text for input into other applications. In addition to entering text, your digital pen can do those things typically done with a mouse or keyboard (open applications, select text, display menus), or you can use a mouse or keyboard if you prefer.

3. Work from Anywhere with the Most Mobile PC Ever.
The Tablet PC provides everything you expect in a mobile PC, in a form that allows you to be productive in more situations—at your desk, in the hallway, at a meeting, or on the go. The Tablet PC comes in two basic forms: the "convertible," with an integrated keyboard, and the ultra-mobile "pure tablet," which has innovative docking solutions for easy access to the keyboard while at your desk. The Tablet PC supports grab-and-go removal from a docking station and has a fast resume-from-standby time. These capabilities, combined with wireless network support, give you greater mobility and immediate access to the full power of your PC.

4. Take All Your Notes Electronically.
Windows XP Tablet PC Edition comes with Microsoft Windows Journal, a note-taking utility that lets you create and organize your handwritten notes. Windows Journal makes it easy to capture the text, diagrams, and pictures you would normally create using pen and paper. Advanced handwriting recognition technology lets you search your handwritten notes to quickly find what you need.

5. Collaborate Easily and Effectively.
Windows XP Tablet PC Edition lets you integrate electronic "ink" into your everyday business applications. Download the Microsoft Office XP Pack for Tablet PC, and you can use ink with core Office XP applications: You can add ink comments in Microsoft Word 2002 documents, emphasize key points using ink during Microsoft PowerPoint® 2002 presentations, and write and send ink e-mail with Microsoft Outlook® 2002—all in your own handwriting. You can share these handwritten documents with other PC users, regardless of whether they have a Tablet PC or not.



6. Personalize Your Experience.
Using Tablet and Pen Settings controls, you can customize your Tablet PC: calibrate your pen, optimize your Tablet PC for left- or right-handed operation, and program the hardware buttons of your Tablet PC to complete specific actions, such as opening an application or changing screen orientation from landscape to portrait.

7. Extend Your Applications with Ink.
Windows XP Tablet PC Edition is a powerful platform and the foundation for a new generation of applications with pen and ink capabilities. For example the Windows XP Tablet PC Edition has powerful but simple ink controls and application programming interfaces (APIs) that allow software developers to extend existing applications with pen and ink and to develop new applications using this technology.

8. Deploy and Manage Easily.
Windows XP Tablet PC Edition includes the advanced deployment technologies and policies included in Windows XP Professional, making it easy to deploy and manage Tablet PCs in the corporate environment.

9. Provide a Global Business Solution.
Windows XP Tablet PC Edition is localized into English, German, French, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), and Korean. In the future, more languages will become available.

10. Get the Highest Level of Protection for Critical Data.
Windows XP Tablet PC Edition offers all of the protection features of Windows XP Professional, including the Encrypting File System security feature and the access control feature. Tablet PC also supports secure log on using a single CTRL+ALT+DEL hardware button.