Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols in his article titled Another Day, Another Dumb Idea writes that the Tablet PC is not for the consumer but fine for vertical markets such as hospitals and warehouses. He argues that the handwriting is not trainable and therefore not useful. He also claims to have tried three tablets and none of them worked.

I couldn't disagree with Mr. Vaughan-Nichols more strongly. I come from a 1980's to 90's Windows history, with a slow migration to Linux in the mid-90s and then back to Windows XP after using an FIC SlateVision. I fought it fairly hard until I was overwhelmingly convinced that the SlateVision was helping me be more productive. And that is the sole reason I use a computer.

Handwriting recognition and speech recognition are touted as the reasons for getting a Tablet PC but they are not the only reasons. In fact, the increased mobility (wireless 802.11 a/b/g) and the light weight of a slate more than make up for the extra price Microsoft charges for their Tablet OS.

As a teacher, I am able to walk the classroom while my students are working. The tablet is out with the grading program ( Grade Machine ) and my lesson plan. Grades are put into the computer program immediately and the student has prompt feedback.

Plus, I'm able to walk the classroom while lecturing. There is no need to print out the lecture and if there is a place students become lost then I'm able to enter reflections directly onto the lecture. I can then adjust for the next class period.

For teachers, the Tablet PC provides the freedom needed to actively use a computer for lesson plan preparation, record keeping, and reflections.

Now, the added features of inking should be discussed in terms of notetaking. Inking is not the same thing as handwriting recognition. Mr. Vaughan-Nichols apparently tried to convert his handwriting to typed text. And I agree that touting handwriting recognition is a mistake because this leads most people to assume that the user must convert text. This is not a requirement of the Tablet OS. Journal and OneNote allow the teacher to keep notes in their original form. No conversion is required. Therefore, handwriting recognition is moot. I rarely convert text. And I wouldn't recommend it because it is a waste of time.

Actually, the list of reasons for using the Tablet PC in the classroom goes directly to the heart of professional development. There have been countless meetings and workshops in which I wanted to incorporate an idea into my lesson plans. However, my notes were handwritten on paper and then later had to be typed into my saved lessons. Instead, with the Tablet, my notes are placed directly into the Tablet. I can search them, organize them, and even convert them if necessary.

No, Mr. Vaughan-Nichols, the Tablet PC is not another dumb idea. It's an evolution of the notebook. It's practical, more productive and much more natural.

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Layne P. Heiny / Administrator for Tux Reports Network

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