• Illustration: Windows on the Go
• Illustration: Windows Journal for Tablet PC

A decade after introducing Windows for Pen Computing, Microsoft is releasing Windows XP Tablet Edition to support a new class of portable computer that accepts input from an electronic pen rather than a keyboard or mouse. Microsoft hopes that hardware improvements and the increasing ubiquity of wireless networks will help it find new markets for pen-based computing—instead of costly, proprietary systems for vertical applications, Microsoft hopes to turn pen-based computing into a standardized platform that's as cheap and simple to use (and develop for) as today's laptops. But some remaining technology issues and unknowns, such as battery life and pricing, could still slow the widespread adoption of the Tablet PC.

Improved Technology Inspires Another Try

Pen-based computing has suffered from several false starts, including the Apple Newton, Go Corporation’s PenPoint OS, and Microsoft’s previous attempts to pen-enable Windows. (See the illustration "Windows on the Go".) These earlier efforts failed because of inadequate processor power, hardware components that were too large and power-hungry for the form factor, software that could not adequately recognize handwriting, and the difficulty of synchronizing information from the pen-based computer to desktops or servers. While personal digital assistants (PDAs) based on the Palm or Windows CE operating system (OS) have gained market acceptance for simple applications, such as storing calendar or contact information, Microsoft is betting that the convergence of improved hardware, software, and communications infrastructure will allow it to succeed with a fully Windows-compatible pen-based computer where others have failed.

Improved hardware. Numerous improvements in the off-the-shelf components used to build today’s ultra-light laptops will allow OEMs to design a truly inexpensive, portable pen-based computer (form factors include a portable flat screen that can be docked into a PC, or a convertible laptop). These hardware improvements include the following:

• Faster and more power-efficient processors
• Small hard drives that offer gigabytes of storage
• New generation of digitizers and LCD displays with greater resolution
• Universal Serial Bus (USB) connectivity for peripherals.

Improved software. To support pen-based computing, the device's software must be capable of interpreting the movement of a pen across the screen’s surface and displaying it as an image, converting it to text, or recognizing it as a "gesture" or command (because the pen must function as both a text input instrument and a mouse). Microsoft has improved its recognition software to meet all these goals.

Equally as important, Microsoft has tried to create an environment where a user may choose to leave the handwriting as an image, rather than always converting it to text. Microsoft believes that this will encourage multiple uses for the Tablet PC—not only will users use it like a traditional laptop but also as a note-taking device with extra computer-like functionality. To create this environment, Microsoft has built new software to move the unconverted handwritten input ("digital ink") between applications, and to perform operations on the digital ink, such as searching.

Improved communications. New wireless technologies, including Bluetooth for connecting peripherals and 802.11 for wireless networking, increase the flexibility of the Tablet PC. Users can add a keyboard for data entry when appropriate and use the wireless network to move documents and e-mail to and from the Tablet PC without being tethered by cables. Wireless networking enables two key scenarios for the tablet: first, "road warriors" who need to travel to customer sites, and second, "corridor warriors" who are rarely at a desk but move from one meeting to another throughout the workday.

XP Tablet Edition

Windows XP Tablet Edition is based on Windows XP Professional, so the interface and applications will be familiar to most users. The main difference is that XP Tablet Edition includes the enabling software for ink recognition; the Tablet Input Panel utility for accurate entry of data, such as passwords in log-on dialog boxes; a Journal application for taking notes; and some minor changes to accommodate the use of the pen in place of a mouse.

Ink recognition. The heart of XP Tablet Edition is the ink recognition software. Acknowledging that the early pen-based computers, such as the Newton, failed mostly due to poor recognition software, Microsoft has enhanced its ink recognition engine to improve the quality; in particular the engine works with context information, as well as information about the size, grouping, and direction of the inked strokes to correctly group ink into words, sentences, or images. Its ink recognition supports several languages, including simplified and traditional Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, and Korean.

Tablet Input Panel. A user can work or write anywhere on the surface of a Tablet PC, but the software also provides a dockable Tablet Input Panel (TIP) that can expose an on-screen keyboard for reliable entry of critical text, such as passwords. The TIP also provides more accurate handwriting recognition—the movement of the pen in the TIP area will automatically be interpreted as handwriting and will not be confused with a mouse action (such as a tap or double tap) or a command gesture. The combination of the TIP with the software's support for Asian languages may make the Tablet PC particularly successful in Asia, as existing PC keyboards are inefficient for character-based languages.

Journal application. Windows XP Tablet Edition includes a Journal application that resembles a pad of notepaper and allows the user to take handwritten notes. As the user writes notes in the Journal, the recognition software converts the input to text in the background, allowing the user to search for words or phrases in the notes. (See the illustration "Windows Journal for Tablet PC".)

Interface changes. Windows XP Tablet Edition supports some minor changes to accommodate the Tablet form factor, including the ability to electronically rotate the screen image from landscape to portrait mode, larger controls (such as the Minimize, Maximize, and Close buttons) to facilitate using the pen as a mouse, larger hot zones around controls to accommodate a pen that may be shaking while hovering over a control to display a tool tip, and menus for left-handed users so that the menu text is not obscured by the user’s hand.

Office Add-In Pack

Simultaneous with the release of Windows XP Tablet Edition, Microsoft will make an Office XP Pack for Tablet PC available as a free download. This add-in pack will include software to make Office applications more pen-aware, enabling users to do the following:

• Annotate PowerPoint slides with handwritten comments in PowerPoint
• Insert handwriting or drawings into applications
• Include handwriting or drawings in mail
• Enter handwritten comments (using the Insert Comment feature) in Word documents
• Move handwritten data from the Journal application to Outlook Tasks and Appointments.

A Platform for Custom Applications

Because Windows XP Tablet Edition is a superset of Windows XP Professional, companies can build their own pen-based line-of-business applications with standard Windows development tools and use Tablet PCs in place of expensive, customized hardware for tasks such as order entry for delivery or field personnel.

XP Tablet Edition has its own SDK for developing applications that treat ink as a data object. The SDK also includes controls for creating pen-enabled applications, such as InkPicture and InkEdit (specialized versions of the picture and text controls, respectively). The SDK allows developers to use the .NET development platform data types and any .NET language, such as C# or Visual Basic .NET (as well as languages that create non-manage code, such as VB 6 or C++).

Batteries, Networks Still Barriers

Despite the improvements in XP Tablet Edition, two technology barriers may block widespread adoption.

First, battery life is still limited to about four to six hours, meaning that users will have to either carry multiple batteries or plug the Tablet PC in during the day to recharge.

Second, wireless network connections may be less ubiquitous than Microsoft realizes. Microsoft has completely wired its campus, and many Microsoft employees have wireless networks in their houses, but wireless access is far from standard in every building or home. The more a user has to dock or tether his Tablet PC to recharge the battery or synchronize his data, the less compelling the Tablet PC experience will be.

There are two final unknowns that could also scuttle the Tablet PC. First, Microsoft might be unable to convince additional software developers (beyond its Office desktop team) to adapt their applications to take full advantage of XP Tablet Edition. Corel, for example, is adapting Corel Draw for the tablet, but users will expect that all software that they use with XP Professional will be fully pen-enabled.

Second, OEMs might decide to charge more than customers are willing to pay. Microsoft claims that the extra digitizing hardware, wireless networking, and the extra processing horsepower required to do handwriting recognition won't push the Tablet's cost much beyond high-end laptops, but until OEMs finalize pricing and availability, it remains possible that they will try and increase their margins with this new platform.

Availability and Resources

Microsoft is expected to release Windows XP Tablet Edition in Nov. 2002.

For information on OEMs that announced support for XP Tablet Edition, see "Vendors Back Tablet PC" on page 20 of the June 2001 Update, and www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/tabletpc/productinfo/Partners/.

For more information on the Tablet PC, see www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/tabletpc/default.asp.

For information on developing or adapting applications for XP Tablet Edition, and documentation for the Tablet PC SDK, see msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/tpcsdk10/html/gettingstarted/tbcongettingstarted.asp.