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

Depending on the application, you may already have "ink" in a form on the
desktop. Office 2003, for instance, supports "handwriting." It isn't
digital ink as you have with a Tablet PC, nor do you have the recognizers
available, but you can use a Wacom pad.

The main difference between a writing pad and the Tablet PC Ink is the
digital screens sample the Ink on a Tablet about four times "faster" than a
writing pad. The writing pads for the most part sample at the same rate as
a mouse, so the Ink experience you'll have on a Tablet PC is much improved
in accuracy and speed. Desktops either need a "digital" writing pad or
digital display capabilities.
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
Associate Expert
Expert Zone - www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone


"Dave P" <Dave P@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:45972C62-7366-4D23-A88A-49F5096E9636@microsoft.com...
> 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
>

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

I think Bill Gates already knows. :)

Wacom is coming out with a desktop that will be using the Tablet PC OS.

Others have responded to your other questions.
--
Terri Stratton
Microsoft Windows MVP / Tablet PC
http://thetabletpc.net
Expert Zone - http://microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/default.asp


"Dave P" <Dave P@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:45972C62-7366-4D23-A88A-49F5096E9636@microsoft.com...
> 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
>

ikui
Chris H. <winxpnews********.com> wrote in message
news:eqkhrY1aEHA.384@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> Depending on the application, you may already have "ink" in a form on the
> desktop. Office 2003, for instance, supports "handwriting." It isn't
> digital ink as you have with a Tablet PC, nor do you have the recognizers
> available, but you can use a Wacom pad.
>
> The main difference between a writing pad and the Tablet PC Ink is the
> digital screens sample the Ink on a Tablet about four times "faster" than
a
> writing pad. The writing pads for the most part sample at the same rate
as
> a mouse, so the Ink experience you'll have on a Tablet PC is much improved
> in accuracy and speed. Desktops either need a "digital" writing pad or
> digital display capabilities.
> --
> Chris H.
> Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
> Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
> Associate Expert
> Expert Zone - www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>
>
> "Dave P" <Dave P@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:45972C62-7366-4D23-A88A-49F5096E9636@microsoft.com...
> > 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
> >
>
>

Hi Dave,

It seems you bring up two related issues. A narrow issue of doing Tablet PC development on a desktop and the wider issue of Ink on the desktop in general.
I can really only talk about the former because that is all I truly know about.
If you install the MSDN version of Tablet Edition on a desktop system and download and install our Penabled driver from:
http://www.wacom.com/tabletpc/driver.cfm
you will get a Wacom virtual hid pen driver installed that will know how to make data from a Wacom Intuos, Graphire or Cintiq look like "Ink" data.
So if you wish to do Tablet PC development on a desktop system that is the route I would suggest.

Thanks,
--
Dan Tower
Software Engineer
Wacom Technology


"terri" wrote:

> I think Bill Gates already knows. :)
>
> Wacom is coming out with a desktop that will be using the Tablet PC OS.
>
> Others have responded to your other questions.
> --
> Terri Stratton
> Microsoft Windows MVP / Tablet PC
> http://thetabletpc.net
> Expert Zone - http://microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/default.asp
>
>
> "Dave P" <Dave P@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:45972C62-7366-4D23-A88A-49F5096E9636@microsoft.com...
> > 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
> >
>
>