On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 09:46:02 -0700, Dave P <Dave
P@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>First, I realize that Windows XP Tablet PC Edition is not available for retail sales and that Microsoft has no announced intention of changing that.
>
>Second, I realize that my license does not allow me to install my Tablet PC's OS on my desktop.
>
>Having said that, I have a desktop computer with a Wacom digitizer pad attached. Does anyone know if there is a technical reason why the Tablet PC version of Windows XP would not work on such a machine if Microsoft changed their mind and offered a retail version?
>
>Also, are the ink enabling extensions such that they could be installed on a Windows XP Pro machine as a component (similar to voice extensions)?
>
>If the answer to either of those is yes, would somebody please tell Bill Gates that, judging from the number of posts here and elsewhere, there is a definite market for ink on the desktop.
>
>Dave
>
>Dave

For testing purposes, before I got my tablet, I had my MSDN version of
the tablet OS - I installed it on a desktop. I didn't have a
digitizer, but could "ink" with the mouse in apps that did ink. From
what I've heard from other developers who went this route with
digitizers, you'll have the expected pen functionality - obviously not
the full "tablet experience" but certainly something that lets you use
the inking abilities. Pressure sensitivity and other pen-specific
things would vary of course depending on the digitizer you got.

As far as adding the tablet bits to the XP, I've never seen or heard
of a way to do that. Those components are tied into the XP install
routine, based on the CD key used during install. XP Pro key gives
you XP Pro, tablet key gives tablet, and Media Center key gives media
center edition. Nor is there an "upgrade" path - to run the tablet
install on an existing XP Pro machine and keep everything. The tablet
and media center installs are full installs only.

There's no way to know for sure what the future will bring, and I've
never heard anything even hinting that the tablet version will ever be
released as a retail disk anyone can purchase. But the media center
version has loosened it's constraints a bit, so you never know.

John