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Friday, July 28, 2006

The right prescription: Tablet PCs

A tablet PC is a mobile computer shaped like a slate on which data can be entered via a touchscreen and a stylus. Tablets are becoming steadily more powerful and sophisticated and there is also more tablet-specific software available. For instance there is Windows XP Tablet PC Edition and some tablets also come with Linux pre-installed.

Tablets come in two basic varieties. Slates consist of a screen and a stylus without a keyboard though it is often possible to attach a separate keyboard either through USB or wireless. Convertibles come with a keyboard attached to the screen at a single joint which can be rotated out when necessary.

The main advantage of a tablet is a much more intuitive interface since for many people writing is still easier than typing. The stylus comes in especially handy for digital art because the mouse is often too jerky a device for precise drawing. It also makes it easier for students to take classroom notes involving graphs or diagrams. Some tablets come with speech recognition software as well and if necessary a keyboard is available on many models.

Tablets, especially slates, are also lighter and easier to handle compared to laptops.


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