The Rise of Tablet PCs.

Dave Chapelle

Dec. 24, 2007

Most of us use desktop computers. Some of us have laptops. Fewer of us have tablet PCs. Expect that to change.

Social networking, blogs, and an increasingly mobile society are driving adoption of a portable lifestyle. Analysts predict portable PCs will replace desktops as the dominant models, sometime in third quarter 2008.

Tablets are notebook computers that allow handwriting and drawing to be displayed in the same way that typed characters are displayed on a typical PC. Conversion software translates handwriting and drawing so it can be digitally stored and retrieved.

Fujitsu partnered with Microsoft on the development of the Tablet PC Operating System, and claims the longest and most successful record of building pen-enabled computers, with a history of continuous improvement.

The Tablet PC initiative was a natural extension of the pen tablet systems Fujitsu had been building for over a dozen years. And Fujitsu was the first to offer Tablet PCs in both slate and convertible form factors.

Defined as a digital writing surface without a keyboard, slate models are designed for mobility -- less weight to carry. The advantage of the slate form factor is fewer moving parts to break.

The slate form-factor is attractive to doctors and nurses who use tablet PCs instead of traditional clipboards and paper forms. Artists, presenters, and workers in traditional industries, like delivery and restocking also use tablets.

Convertibles more closely resemble laptops, and are heavier than slates. Depending on the manufacturer, the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) display of a convertible has a swivel, rotating, or sliding hinge that allows the screen to rotate around 180 degrees and fold down on top of the keyboard to provide the flat writing surface.

Convertible tablet PCs represent the "best of both worlds" -- type on one side, write or draw on the other. As the business world gets faster, executives look for more ways to reduce inefficiencies in their processes. In addition to portability, tablets offer increased productivity.

An example is the executive who wants notebook functionality, but prefers taking handwritten notes during meetings. Transferring those notes into MS Word without retyping saves time and improves efficiency.

Public school boards are slow to respond to technological innovations, and even slower to put up necessary funds. But home-schoolers could increase efficiency with Tablet PCs.

For example, mathematics has always been a difficult subject to teach. It's also when a teacher spends the most time with her back to a class, writing.

Unlike traditional computers, a tablet can capture the steps of a formula or complex diagram in the teacher's handwriting. With the tablet PC, teachers work facing students to solve a problem or explain a concept. Tablet PC software also makes it easy to bring in real-world examples and make sophisticated concepts understandable. Lessons can be recorded with built-in microphones that filter out background noise, making them clearly audible for playback later.

One important aspect of handwriting capability is how well that handwriting is converted into text. This is a difficult task modern conversion programs handle exceptionally well, once a user who normally types remembers how to write correctly.

Conversion programs are also capable of "learning" how a user writes -- improving with time. Consider the activity like training in any new skill -- there is a learning curve you'll be expected to climb. As with anything else, your rate of improvement will increase directly proportional to the amount of time you invest practicing.

After I used a Fujitsu convertible for only one week, I'd pick the versatility of a tablet over a traditional notebook every time.