"Seize
the work day" (Using the Tablet PC)
Greetings
to all! Well, I had planned to do a little something on the Crossword
Puzzle Powertoy this week, but …, well, looks like there is still
a few bugs there. So instead, we decided it was time to share info
on a new book just out, "Seize the work day" (Using the Tablet PC),
by Michael Linenberger. A few Buzz members actually participated
in helping Mike edit this book, so there couldn't be a better place
to share it! I wrote the foreword for Mike, and thought we would
share it as this week's piece!
Foreword:
The
Tablet PC has been more a quest than a product for many years. Represented
in times past as "Pen Computing" and other names, it has been many
times tried and failed. Why has it failed in the past? A combination
of bad timing, bad implementation and other factors have all contributed
to the lack of success of a worthy goal. So why is a Tablet PC a
viable product today? Simply put, the world is ready for it, and
the technology is here. The meeting of minds between computer hardware
and software companies and those consumers actively using technology
on a daily basis has presented the "call to arms" for this technology.
The work day today for many people is a mobile one. Gone are the
days when the majority would go to work at one place and be able
to effectively carry out their workload. People are on the move,
and that is where the Tablet PC makes a hugely valuable contribution
to daily work efforts, above and beyond even the notebook PCs available
today. The Tablet PC can go where no computer has gone before, and
go quickly and efficiently, and with the added personalization of
your own handwriting. It is time for the tablet.
In
over 20 years of working as a computer professional, I have read
many books, both technical and business professional. What I have
generally found is that each type of book meets a certain percentage
of my needs. But what most authors neglected to realize was that
my needs were partially in both areas, technical and business. The
book you hold in your hands does realize that pertinent fact. Make
no mistake, this book is not just a computer "how-to" book. It is
about business, and how to do it better utilizing a new technology
tool. There is a mixture of the absolute technical details presented
in such a way as to make it understandable to nontechnical people,
but there also is a higher level of learning available that addresses
the business needs of the professional worker today. The author's
many years of executive and IT professional experience, combined
with an obvious understanding of the Tablet PC itself, will provide
you with an excellent source as you take this journey. In addition,
he offers many unique yet tried tips on general task and time management
developed throughout a long professional and technical career. Coverage
of and suggestions for how to organize your meetings and related
processes are excellent, not just for the individual, but for how
the Tablet can contribute to the efforts of the entire team as a
facilitation tool.
As with any new product, the Tablet PC and related software are
not ready, "out of the box" to make you productive. This book will
break it down for you in an organized manner from the start to help
you become productive quickly. Of particular note are the coverage
of Microsoft OneNote and FranklinCovey's Tablet Planner and PlanPlus
products. Mr. Linenberger has covered these products and their use
on a Tablet PC like none other has before. There is not a great
deal of information available on the use of these relatively new
products, but they are covered in a most complete manner in this
text.
Each
day I assist users with this new tool as a Microsoft MVP (Most Valued
Professional) for the Tablet PC, and many of the questions I see
daily are answered here. Whether you have purchased a Tablet PC,
or contemplating doing so, this will be a valuable resource. As
you turn each page of this book, open your mind to new ways of achieving
your workday goals, meetings, and tasks, and let the Tablet PC and
applications change the way you work as you learn to "Think Ink."
When you first begin to lay ink on that Tablet PC screen, you will
be transformed. Once you realize the value in the new breed of Tablet
PC Applications, you will wonder to yourself, "How did I ever do
without this tool?"
A
word of caution here. If you use this book wisely, your daily productivity
could increase, and your work day may end earlier. Oh my, what WILL
you do with that extra time each day? Good luck on your "inking"
journey.
Dennis
V. Rice, MCP, MCSA, MCSE, Microsoft MVP - Tablet PC Platform
January 2004
The
book is now available on Amazon.com.
Watch TabletPCBuzz.com for more on how you can get yourself a copy.
Until
next time ….!
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