Hi,

I have a problem with a Samsung Q1b (with Windows XP Tablet PC 2005): Our
staff should be using it (while being on the road in a car) to connect to a
terminal server in our company via Remote Desktop Session in Fullscreen-Mode.
The Input Panel works perfectly, including handwriting, etc. But I cannot
leave the Input Panel opened all the time (as suggested by Charlie Russel:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...motedsktp.mspx),
because it takes away too much space on the screen. We need as much space as
possible to show our application during the Remote Session, and the Input
Panel is only needed in some places. So we would need to show and hide the
Input Panel, but if I close it, I can never get it back, because I am running
in fullscreen, so the controls, taskbar, etc. of the Samsung Q1b is not
visible. The only way is to minimize the Remote Session, start the Input
Panel, and maximize again, which is too complicated.

I KNOW that there IS a way how to show and hide the Input Panel, because we
have a different tablet pc from another company, which does exactly that! It
has the same configuration (Windows XP Tablet PC 2005, Remote Desktop in
fullscreen, etc). The difference is, the software which manages the hotkeys
(hardware buttons on the front of the device) has an option for "User Input",
which starts the Input Panel. So I can put this on one button, and if I press
it during Remote Desktop in fullscreen, it shows or hides the Input Panel,
perfectly! Unfortunately, the hotkey manager which comes with the Samsung
Q1b, doesn't have that option, but there must be a way, since the other
device can do it, too!

I even tried to use the small exe-file, which can be found on the internet,
"tip.exe", which does nothing else but showing or hiding the input panel. If
I put this on one of the hardware buttons of the Samsung Q1b, it works, but
once again, not during the Remote Session in fullscreen... The same exe-file
works perfectly on the different device, if I put it on one of hardware
buttons, even in fullscreen...

This is all very strange and really annoying, since the Samsung Q1b would be
perfect for our use, and it is much better than the different device. If only
this would work... And it is even more annoying, because I know that it is
possible. I only don't know how to make it work on the Samsung Q1b...

Any idea? I would really apreciate any hints, thanks a lot!

Daniel

>> I can never get it back, because I am running in fullscreen, so the
controls, taskbar, etc. of the Samsung Q1b is not visible. <<

You can tap the "window icon" in fullscreen mode which will then expose
your own taskbar plus leave the session visible in a window which you
can size as needed.... once sized, you can then toggle access to the
input icon by tapping the window/fullscreen button on the remote session.

The "fullscreen mode" has several quirks because input redirect can't be
assumed... for example, if you setup a shortcut on your machine to start
the input panel, in fullscreen mode, the keystroke to run that shortcut
is going to be redirected to the host machine...

....with that in mind, you can START/RUN/OSK on the host machine (or
shortcut that command) to bring up the host's osk.

Beverly Howard [MS MVP-Mobile Devices]

I know this isn't a great suggestion but I just wanted to point out that
this is one of the areas where Vista has greatly improved the TIP's
usability. It can float and remain open and can be called up, even when in a
full screen application just by moving your pen to the side of the screen.
If you've been considering moving to Vista, keep that in mind.

There is also a gesture that can bring up the input panel but I don't know
how/if it works with a touch screen as opposed to an active digitizer.
Waving the pen back and forth on the screen in XP shows or hides the input
panel. But on a touch screen you have to be touching in order for the system
to even see the pen.

--
Josh Einstein (Tablet PC MVP)
Einstein Technologies
Tablet Enhancements for Outlook - Try it free: www.tabletoutlook.com


"Daniel" <Daniel@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:5DDF2317-2F5B-4620-A987-CB7C2493C36B@microsoft.com...
> Hi,
>
> I have a problem with a Samsung Q1b (with Windows XP Tablet PC 2005): Our
> staff should be using it (while being on the road in a car) to connect to
> a
> terminal server in our company via Remote Desktop Session in
> Fullscreen-Mode.
> The Input Panel works perfectly, including handwriting, etc. But I cannot
> leave the Input Panel opened all the time (as suggested by Charlie Russel:
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...motedsktp.mspx),
> because it takes away too much space on the screen. We need as much space
> as
> possible to show our application during the Remote Session, and the Input
> Panel is only needed in some places. So we would need to show and hide the
> Input Panel, but if I close it, I can never get it back, because I am
> running
> in fullscreen, so the controls, taskbar, etc. of the Samsung Q1b is not
> visible. The only way is to minimize the Remote Session, start the Input
> Panel, and maximize again, which is too complicated.
>
> I KNOW that there IS a way how to show and hide the Input Panel, because
> we
> have a different tablet pc from another company, which does exactly that!
> It
> has the same configuration (Windows XP Tablet PC 2005, Remote Desktop in
> fullscreen, etc). The difference is, the software which manages the
> hotkeys
> (hardware buttons on the front of the device) has an option for "User
> Input",
> which starts the Input Panel. So I can put this on one button, and if I
> press
> it during Remote Desktop in fullscreen, it shows or hides the Input Panel,
> perfectly! Unfortunately, the hotkey manager which comes with the Samsung
> Q1b, doesn't have that option, but there must be a way, since the other
> device can do it, too!
>
> I even tried to use the small exe-file, which can be found on the
> internet,
> "tip.exe", which does nothing else but showing or hiding the input panel.
> If
> I put this on one of the hardware buttons of the Samsung Q1b, it works,
> but
> once again, not during the Remote Session in fullscreen... The same
> exe-file
> works perfectly on the different device, if I put it on one of hardware
> buttons, even in fullscreen...
>
> This is all very strange and really annoying, since the Samsung Q1b would
> be
> perfect for our use, and it is much better than the different device. If
> only
> this would work... And it is even more annoying, because I know that it is
> possible. I only don't know how to make it work on the Samsung Q1b...
>
> Any idea? I would really apreciate any hints, thanks a lot!
>
> Daniel
>

Thanks for your answer!

> You can tap the "window icon" in fullscreen mode which will then expose
> your own taskbar plus leave the session visible in a window which you
> can size as needed.... once sized, you can then toggle access to the
> input icon by tapping the window/fullscreen button on the remote session.

I'm not sure, if I understood this correctly. You mean, I should switch
between a fullscreen window and a sized window (like "almost fullscreen"),
everytime I need the input panel?
For example: Work in fullscreen mode until I need to input data, then push
"restore window", which will resize my window from fullscreen to my
previously sized "almost-fullscreen", then open the input panel and enter
data, then push "maximize window" to return to fullscreen.

Did I understand it correctly? I'm not sure, it might be a solution, if
nothing else works, but it's not really an elegant one. Additionally, I'm
dealing with staff, which is normally not using computers at all, so it
should be as easy as possible.

So, how did this other tablet device manage to put the input panel on a
button? And made it work to show and hide it, no matter if in fullscreen mode
or not? This shows that it is possible, and it is the best solution.

> The "fullscreen mode" has several quirks because input redirect can't be
> assumed... for example, if you setup a shortcut on your machine to start
> the input panel, in fullscreen mode, the keystroke to run that shortcut
> is going to be redirected to the host machine...
>
> ....with that in mind, you can START/RUN/OSK on the host machine (or
> shortcut that command) to bring up the host's osk.

Sorry, once again, I have to ask. I'm German, by the way, so excuse me, if I
don't understand everything perfectly ;-) If I got it right, by saying "bring
up the host's osk" you mean I could use the onscreen keyboard of the Terminal
Server? I already tried this, I put the onscreen keyboard on the taskbar of
the server. This would work, of course, but as I am working on a tablet pc, I
would like to use the great advantages of the tablet pc input panel. The
keyboard is much better, and I also would like to use the handwriting. The
"normal" onscreen keyboard on my server (Windows 2003) is not sufficient,
unfortunately.

If it would be possible to install the input panel from "Windows XP Tablet
PC Edition 2005", including handwriting, etc. on a "Windows Server 2003",
that would solve all my problems! But unfortunately, I think something like
that is not available? There should be something like a "Tablet PC Pack" for
servers, exactly for these applications. I would guess that a lot of people
use tablet pc's to connect to terminal servers.

Unfortunately, still no perfect solution, but thanks for your suggestions!

Daniel

> There is also a gesture that can bring up the input panel but I don't know
> how/if it works with a touch screen as opposed to an active digitizer.
> Waving the pen back and forth on the screen in XP shows or hides the input
> panel. But on a touch screen you have to be touching in order for the system
> to even see the pen.

Unfortunately, all the other possibilities to bring up the input panel don't
work, if you are in a remote session on a server. Like the "floating tip" in
input fields, etc. As I am working on a Windows Server 2003, it doesn't know
of the input panel, so the only possibility is to show and hide the input
panel with a hotkey, button, etc. But thanks for your answer!

Daniel

In message <A3B705C4-5999-46FD-9223-F8C6A65D0552@microsoft.com>, Daniel
<Daniel@discussions.microsoft.com> writes
>> There is also a gesture that can bring up the input panel but I don't know
>> how/if it works with a touch screen as opposed to an active digitizer.
>> Waving the pen back and forth on the screen in XP shows or hides the input
>> panel. But on a touch screen you have to be touching in order for the system
>> to even see the pen.
>
>Unfortunately, all the other possibilities to bring up the input panel don't
>work, if you are in a remote session on a server. Like the "floating tip" in
>input fields, etc. As I am working on a Windows Server 2003, it doesn't know
>of the input panel, so the only possibility is to show and hide the input
>panel with a hotkey, button, etc. But thanks for your answer!
>
>Daniel
>
Daniel,

I don't know if this will help, but the control structures for the
tablet buttons seem to be kept in

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\...
Control\TabletPC\ButtonActions

I think this stuff is generic to all tablets. At least it is on my
machine, and on the HP(?) machine I got the hint from.

The control process seems to be tabbtn.dll followed by a code. I am not
sure

a) if its possible to call the dll directly

b) Which codes do what.

But this might give you a pointer to experiment.

Regards
--
Peter R Cook

I don't believe the Samsung has HID drivers for the buttons either which
means that the tablet buttons would not be configurable on that device. If
they're not enabled in the UI then the registry won't affect it either
unfortunately.

--
Josh Einstein (Tablet PC MVP)
Einstein Technologies
Tablet Enhancements for Outlook - Try it free: www.tabletoutlook.com


"Invalid" <news@wisty.plus.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:jV0eRWCTqRHHFwK2@wisty.plus.com...
> In message <A3B705C4-5999-46FD-9223-F8C6A65D0552@microsoft.com>, Daniel
> <Daniel@discussions.microsoft.com> writes
>>> There is also a gesture that can bring up the input panel but I don't
>>> know
>>> how/if it works with a touch screen as opposed to an active digitizer.
>>> Waving the pen back and forth on the screen in XP shows or hides the
>>> input
>>> panel. But on a touch screen you have to be touching in order for the
>>> system
>>> to even see the pen.
>>
>>Unfortunately, all the other possibilities to bring up the input panel
>>don't
>>work, if you are in a remote session on a server. Like the "floating tip"
>>in
>>input fields, etc. As I am working on a Windows Server 2003, it doesn't
>>know
>>of the input panel, so the only possibility is to show and hide the input
>>panel with a hotkey, button, etc. But thanks for your answer!
>>
>>Daniel
>>
> Daniel,
>
> I don't know if this will help, but the control structures for the tablet
> buttons seem to be kept in
>
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\...
> Control\TabletPC\ButtonActions
>
> I think this stuff is generic to all tablets. At least it is on my
> machine, and on the HP(?) machine I got the hint from.
>
> The control process seems to be tabbtn.dll followed by a code. I am not
> sure
>
> a) if its possible to call the dll directly
>
> b) Which codes do what.
>
> But this might give you a pointer to experiment.
>
> Regards
> --
> Peter R Cook

>> button actions <<

In the fuji, they are discoverable but showed that the tip activation
was not direct, but rather it launched a fuji tablet utility exe which,
in turn, launches (shows?) the tip.

C:\Program Files\Fujitsu\Utils\FjShwTip.exe

which was gleaned from the key at;

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Fujitsu\Fujitsu Menu

Beverly Howard [MS MVP-Mobile Devices]

>> I should switch between a fullscreen window and a sized window (like
"almost fullscreen"), everytime I need the input panel? <<

I suggest this as the "windowed" remote desktop leaves the user's local
taskbar accessible. (You will have to check "display connection bar"
for this to work.)

If you begin in full screen mode and don't have or loose the tip, tap
the windowed icon on the connection bar, tap the tip icon, then tap the
restore icon on the remote window and it will revert back to full screen
with the remote's taskbar replacing the tablet's taskbar.

Also, go in and take a look at the connection options... for example
there are a couple of toggles on specific commands which may be possible
to use by configuring the tablet buttons.

Beverly Howard [MS MVP-Mobile Devices]