In some applications, a keyboard is either unnecessary or a hindrance. For that reason, manufacturers have repeatedly offered tablet-style computers. These systems are like laptops without the keyboard. The top panel of the device consists solely of a large LCD panel. Except for a few buttons accompanying the screen, all input is accomplished via a stylus on a touch-sensitive panel that covers the tablet's screen.
A number of tablet systems appeared on the market with much fanfare in the early 1990s, but none of them caught on with the public. Nevertheless, a handful of companies, such as Fujitsu, have continued to quietly offer tablets in the intervening years.
In the fall of 2002, Microsoft launched a new initiative for tablets with a special version of its Windows operating system, dubbed Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. This operating system differs from the regular version of Windows XP in that it enables users to manipulate the Windows interface with a stylus and to enter text using handwriting. Microsoft claimed that these new tablets would offer enhanced usability and would be better able to read the user's handwriting than previous attempts. Several companies, such as Acer, HP, and Gateway, are offering tablets that can use this operating system. Most of these devices are really hybrid notebook/tablets. The basic design looks like a notebook, except that the screen can be rotated and closed down on the keyboard, thus hiding it during tablet use.
A typical tablet is represented by the ThinkPad X-Series Tablet. At first the system looks like a small, 4-pound ultralight laptop with a 12.1-inch color display. Inside is a special low-voltage version of the Pentium M processor complemented with 512MB1.5GB of DDR2 SDRAM and a 4060GB hard drive. The main difference between this system and a standard laptop is that this system includes a touch-sensitive display that can be twisted around and then folded back to cover the keyboard, at which time the included stylus can be used for input. The starting price is about $1,900.
Most Tablet PCs have the advantage that they can be used either as a tablet or an ultralight notebook. Other systems are permanently in tablet form, these are sometimes called slates. Despite having been on the market for a couple of years now, it is still too early to say how successful these devices will be. Their prices generally fall into the range of $1,000$3,000, and they compete primarily with the thin & light laptops for market share.
A number of tablet systems appeared on the market with much fanfare in the early 1990s, but none of them caught on with the public. Nevertheless, a handful of companies, such as Fujitsu, have continued to quietly offer tablets in the intervening years.
In the fall of 2002, Microsoft launched a new initiative for tablets with a special version of its Windows operating system, dubbed Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. This operating system differs from the regular version of Windows XP in that it enables users to manipulate the Windows interface with a stylus and to enter text using handwriting. Microsoft claimed that these new tablets would offer enhanced usability and would be better able to read the user's handwriting than previous attempts. Several companies, such as Acer, HP, and Gateway, are offering tablets that can use this operating system. Most of these devices are really hybrid notebook/tablets. The basic design looks like a notebook, except that the screen can be rotated and closed down on the keyboard, thus hiding it during tablet use.
A typical tablet is represented by the ThinkPad X-Series Tablet. At first the system looks like a small, 4-pound ultralight laptop with a 12.1-inch color display. Inside is a special low-voltage version of the Pentium M processor complemented with 512MB1.5GB of DDR2 SDRAM and a 4060GB hard drive. The main difference between this system and a standard laptop is that this system includes a touch-sensitive display that can be twisted around and then folded back to cover the keyboard, at which time the included stylus can be used for input. The starting price is about $1,900.
Most Tablet PCs have the advantage that they can be used either as a tablet or an ultralight notebook. Other systems are permanently in tablet form, these are sometimes called slates. Despite having been on the market for a couple of years now, it is still too early to say how successful these devices will be. Their prices generally fall into the range of $1,000$3,000, and they compete primarily with the thin & light laptops for market share.
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