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Newsletter Archive
TabletPCBuzz Newsletter - March 29th, 2004
(March
29th, 2004)
Tablet
PC Adoption - What it Takes By Bernie Day, VP Marketing, Leszynski Group
Why
does someone decide to buy a Tablet PC? Is it because it is cool?
Is it because some software programs works best on it? Is it because
a visionary company says so? No, it's not. It actually requires
understanding what the Tablet PC can do that other computers cannot.
So, let's look for a moment at the differences, rather than the
comparables in an examination of the Tablet PC.
Differences:
The Tablet PC can convert handwriting and/or voice to text.
Why is this important? Because handwriting and voice don't fit
into a database as eloquently as text does. Data accumulated into
a database allows for specified usage of that data, as we all
know. The ability to capture, store, retrieve and use data the
way we are accustomed to and yet gather it in a new and better
way is one of the most compelling differences of the Tablet PC
when comparing it to other computers. This new way is through
the use of a digital pen and digital paper as well as digital
voice.
The
Tablet PC uses a digital pen (stylus) to enter info and navigate
pages. The digital pen is the mouse and the keyboard -
all in one. It allows for quicker movement from page to page by
tapping directly on the screen. It allows for handwriting to be
used to gather data (and speaking) - the most "natural" method(s).
The
Tablet PC allows input while standing. This feature is
not available with any traditional desktop or laptop simply because
a keyboard is necessary to enter data. The Tablet PC can gather
handwriting on the screen's surface using a digital pen (stylus)
and therefore can be used in any workflow while moving about.
The Tablet PC is versatile. It can be used in the
traditional sense as either a desktop by plugging in a mouse,
keyboard and/or CD-ROM and dropped into a docking station (with
a slate model) or like the laptop by using the convertible model
that has the traditional built-ins but has the added Tablet PC
inking and voice features.
The
Tablet PC is lighter. This is especially true when using
the slate models where keyboard & CD-ROMs are not part of the
mobile system. Being lighter weight allows for long-term carrying
from place to place while continuing the data-gathering process.
This makes the Tablet PC very portable.
The
Tablet PC allows handwritten notes to be searchable. This
feature is not available anywhere else. Any meeting notes, phone
notes, or any note of any kind can be written and saved in the
handwritten form and be searched for and found when desired. This
feature alone makes one realize that they can now get rid of all
notepads, paper bits of information and move to a digital format
for gathering information on the fly whether it's a phone number
or an itinerary. What this means is: No more lost information.
The
Tablet PC allows for annotation with ink. This feature
provides a digital way to add comments and/or highlights to any
content whether it be a legal brief or a PowerPoint presentation.
The
Tablet PC has produced new opportunities for shifting data entry
from the enterprise to the consumer. This is best understood
when examining workflows. Imagine the patient filling out his/her
medical history on a Tablet PC rather than the receptionist transcribing
it from a paper form on a clipboard. Imagine the home inspector
entering data electronically while moving about a building rather
than taking notes on a clipboard only to return to the office
and redo the data-entry, this time into his/her desktop or worse,
on a laptop in the car. Imagine meeting notes being handwritten
and then re-typed. Almost any workflow can be improved by moving
from a paper form to a digital one.
It
is more expensive - but it's worth it! Yes, Tablet PCs
are more expensive than traditional desktops and laptops but when
one considers the additional features mentioned above, why would
a person or enterprise not make that extra investment?
In
conclusion Tablet PCs are here to stay. A great deal of effort is
being invested by many people to provide the best possible innovations
to make this device exceed user expectations. These include software
that improves handwriting and voice conversion, specific software
that makes gathering data easier, and educational programs to help
users leverage all of its features and benefits. If you are not
a user yet, try one. Once you do, you will find that the upgrade
is well worth the investment!
Author:
Ms.
Bernie Day, VP Marketing, Leszynski inDepth Training, provides educational
leadership about emerging technologies. You are invited to attend
FREE educational events produced by Leszynski inDepth Training (Event
Division of Leszynski Group). Review the list of current event offerings
and register today: www.tabletpctraining.com/gateway. These educational
opportunities are FREE to the public through a sponsorship model.
If you are interested in sponsoring an event in your city, please
call Ms. Bernie Day at: 1-866-644-7826, x219 or email: bernied@leszynski.com.
Wow...
March is quickly coming to a close here, and April is fast approaching.
Obviously this newsletter has a global reach, but here in the US
Pacific Northwest
spring is well upon us and just about everything is in bloom. The
weather isn't bad either :-) (73 degrees right now, sunny blue skies,
slight breeze). Enough about the weather though, as spring around
here is bringing some added excitement in the Tablet PC community.
Last
week release canidate 1 of Windows XP Service Pack 2 was released.
Included in that release canidate is release canidate 1 of Windows
XP Tablet PC Edition 2004. (say that 5 times fast) This of course
brings us a tad closer to the official release of this much awaited
Tablet PC update.
Also
last week Microsoft held their Mobile DevCon developer conference.
I was not able to go, but Lora from WhatIsNew was there and provides
a nice
wrap up on her site. From talking to her this morning it sounds
like there was a fair amount of excitement and interest surrounding
the Tablet PC at the conference. And she also said the Microsoft
Tablet PC did a great job of handling the interest and evangelizing
(for lack of a better term) the platform. It is always great to
hear stuff like this, as it shows not only the interest in the platform
from the outside, but also the interest given the platform from
the inside of Microsoft.
Anyway,
looks like there are some exciting times on the horizon for the
Tablet PC. Thanks for making us a part of your Tablet PC experience!
This
week’s thread is one which has some interesting perspectives. It’s
a general debate about the use of various input methods, but mostly
focused on the use of handwriting vs. different flavors of on screen
“tapping” keyboards. Started by forum member AlphaTap (who by the
way is a software vendor, discussing his own product), a number
of people have chimed in with their opinion on the best current
and future methods of inputting text into a Tablet PC, and PC’s
in general. The makers of AlphaTap software contend that eventually
in the future, we will no longer use handwriting input at all! Here
is a small quote from AlphaTap (Liam):
“My
guess about what's held back Tablet PC adoption, and even pen computing
in earlier incarnations, is the emphasis on handwriting. We've all
been doing it since grade school, so it seems fundamental, and a
pen is a natural tool to wield. But handwriting is a weak adaptation
of speech for paper. Drawing is the original app of the pen, and
I love having it on the tablet (drawing should be taught in school
as carefully as writing). But I don't think handwriting cuts it
in a digital domain. How can tablets become the norm if they cut
your text productivity in half?”
Interesting
perspective. I do find it interesting the we are returning to the
pen after years of learning to type, but still feel there is value
in the personalization offered and capabilities offered with ink.
But the question and debate is a good one. Why do we want to use
an input method that cuts our productivity level? Our beloved Buzz
leader Spencer offered this perspective:
“Liam
- You mention you think that an emphasis on handwriting is what
is holding the Tablet PC back... I don't really think so. The biggest
hurdles right now are having enough pen-centric or "pen perfect"
applications out there to make them fully useful, and then of course
hardware pricing. I will admit that to much of an emphasis has probably
been placed on handwriting recognition though. People always say
recognizing the handwriting is slower, which it is. The power of
the Tablet PC though, is that you don't have to recognize it. Apps
like Journal and OneNote let you take notes in your own handwriting,
with the natural ink interface. This basically gives you a digital
notebook, much easier to use and organize than paper... and allows
you to increase productivity dramatically.”
There
was also some discussion on the “other” benefits of using digital
ink. Things like personalization, the use of the pen to draw diagrams,
etc. When stating an opinion on using a “tapping” keyboard, forum
member Rob Bushway stated it very simply and honestly:
“why?
Handwriting is natural and certainly faster than pecking on an input
panel. when I have to put out a long document, I type it. otherwise,
I find I actually "enjoy" handwriting. Pecking something out requires
something more that handwriting doesn't. Can't explain it, but it
does.”
All
in all, a very interesting debate worth reading through. Check out
the entire thread for your self, see what people think, and offer
your thoughts!
We didn't post this last week when it originally happened,
so you might have already heard. If you haven't though, Microsoft
has opened up a public "Technical Preview" of their upcoming
SP2 update. This of course is the update that includes the
Lonestar updates for the Tablet PC OS. So if you have been
wanting to try out the new features that are in the works
for the Tablet PC OS, here is your chance. I do have to point
out though... this is beta software, and as such it is not
officially supported. And you should perform backups before
installing it on your system.
"Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) provides an
enhanced security infrastructure that defends against viruses,
worms, and hackers, along with increased manageability and
control for IT professionals and an improved experience for
users. To aid IT professionals in planning and testing for
the deployment of Windows XP SP2, Microsoft is making available
this preview, based on Release Candidate 1 (RC1) of the SP2.
Additionally, we have established 11 newsgroups for sharing
information."