I am not currently a handwriting recognition user, but I am interested
in getting it a trial. I have several questions about it, both on the
Tablet PC platform and on conventional computers with a graphics
tablet. Is this the appropriate forum for such questions?

My email address is llm040903 at earthlink dot net.

Good spot here, Jonathan. We answer questions in the newsgroup, not by
email, so everyone can contribute and participate. You may be interested in
the information here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/t...c/default.mspx Specifically look
at Learn more about Tablet PC, Jeff West's Using Input Panel in Windows XP
Tablet PC Edition 2005 and some of the other links at the URL above.
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
Associate Expert
Expert Zone - www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone


"Jonathan Sachs" <llm040903@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:1k4301tl1asjhocqkkjut2ui4hfd6a14h2@4ax.com...
>I am not currently a handwriting recognition user, but I am interested
> in getting it a trial. I have several questions about it, both on the
> Tablet PC platform and on conventional computers with a graphics
> tablet. Is this the appropriate forum for such questions?
>
> My email address is llm040903 at earthlink dot net.

Chris' advice is a great start. please bear in mind though that you
mentioned "...and on conventional computers with a graphics tablet". Windows
XP Tablet PC Edition is only distributed with Tablet PC's (unless you are an
MSDN subscriber). You will not be able to use the Tablet's handwriting
recognition system on a normal PC with a graphics tablet attached - it must
be a proper Tablet PC.

Hope this helps


--
Pete Wright
Author of ADO.NET Novice to Pro for Apress
www.petewright.org

"Jonathan Sachs" <llm040903@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:1k4301tl1asjhocqkkjut2ui4hfd6a14h2@4ax.com...
>I am not currently a handwriting recognition user, but I am interested
> in getting it a trial. I have several questions about it, both on the
> Tablet PC platform and on conventional computers with a graphics
> tablet. Is this the appropriate forum for such questions?
>
> My email address is llm040903 at earthlink dot net.

Please note that for development purposes with the TabletPC SDK you can
install the handwriting recognizers also on non-TabletPC computers (even
without an MSDN subscription).

If you are a developer, you can download the SDK [1] and then the Reco Pack
[2] on your Windows XP, Windows 2000 or Windows 2003 Server machine. Check
out the Recognition samples in the SDK to get started with handwriting
recognition.

Thanks,
Stefan Wick

[1]
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en
[2]
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en
--
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights. Use of included script samples are subject to the terms specified at
http://www.microsoft.com/info/cpyright.htm

"Pete Wright" <peterjwright******.com> wrote in message
news:%23iz7OjdCFHA.2620@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> Chris' advice is a great start. please bear in mind though that you
> mentioned "...and on conventional computers with a graphics tablet".
> Windows XP Tablet PC Edition is only distributed with Tablet PC's (unless
> you are an MSDN subscriber). You will not be able to use the Tablet's
> handwriting recognition system on a normal PC with a graphics tablet
> attached - it must be a proper Tablet PC.
>
> Hope this helps
>
>
> --
> Pete Wright
> Author of ADO.NET Novice to Pro for Apress
> www.petewright.org
>
> "Jonathan Sachs" <llm040903@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> news:1k4301tl1asjhocqkkjut2ui4hfd6a14h2@4ax.com...
>>I am not currently a handwriting recognition user, but I am interested
>> in getting it a trial. I have several questions about it, both on the
>> Tablet PC platform and on conventional computers with a graphics
>> tablet. Is this the appropriate forum for such questions?
>>
>> My email address is llm040903 at earthlink dot net.
>
>

On Thu, 3 Feb 2005 10:11:48 -0000, "Pete Wright"
<peterjwright******.com> wrote:

>Chris' advice is a great start...

I gather Chris is someone who has responded to my question, but his
message has not yet reached my ISP's server. If it doesn't arrive in
another day or so I'll request that you or he or somebody repost it.

>Windows XP Tablet PC Edition is only distributed with Tablet PC's
>(unless you are an MSDN subscriber)...

Handwriting recognition is available in recent versions of Microsoft
Office for use on any type of computer with any type of pointing
device. I assumed that the software in Tablet PC edition would be
essentially the same, but from your response I infer that it's not.

Since I'm getting responses, I will toss out my questions for what
it's worth. Any assistance you can give is welcome.

I have carpal tunnel syndrome, and my ability to type is limited. I
currently use speech recognition software for most of my
"keyboarding." It is very effective for entering English text, but
much less so for editing. It also cannot deal with input that is not
recognizable English, such as unusual proper names, foreign words,
alphanumeric data, and computer program source code.

I'm interested in handwriting recognition as a complement to speech
recognition. I hope it will do the things well that speech recognition
does poorly.

Buying a tablet PC is not an option for me right now, for several
reasons. First, I can't afford one, because my carpal tunnel syndrome
ended my career as a programmer, and I'm back in school retraining for
a new profession. Other reasons are implicit in some of my questions
below.

I'd like to investigate the technology by purchasing a graphics tablet
for use on my home computer with Word 2003. This will cost a lot less
than a tablet PC, and will give me an opportunity to accustom myself
to a new mode of working that I couldn't get by trying out a tablet PC
for a few minutes in a store.

I'm aware that the experience of writing on one surface while viewing
the document on another will be different from that of using a
pressure-sensitive display. On the other hand, I know that many of the
tasks I perform require a larger display than the 1024x768 now
standard on tablet PCs. I won't know how these factors balance until I
get some experience. Quite possibly I'll prefer the graphics tablet
for use at home, and will buy a tablet PC, when I can afford one, just
for mobile computing.

Since my resources are limited, I don't want to spend any more than
necessary for a "starter" graphics tablet. If my experience shows that
handwriting recognition works for me, but I need a better, more
expensive one to make the best use of it, I will buy one when I know
it will help (and I understand more clearly what I need). At the same
time, though, I don't want to waste my money buying a device that
doesn't work well enough to let me give the technology a fair trial.

On to the questions.

1. How is editing accomplished with Word and handwriting recognition?
For example, suppose I want to insert a word in the middle of a
paragraph, or replace one phrase with another. What is the process for
doing this? (If you can refer me to an on-line document that explains
it, that's fine. I couldn't find anything helpful when I looked.)

2. A new question raised by your response to my OP: in what ways does
handwriting recognition in Tablet Edition differ from handwriting
recognition in Office?

3. If I buy a small graphics tablet (4x5" or 6x8"), will it limit my
ability to edit documents that are laid out in standard letter size
format?

4. I know that the handwriting recognition software uses pen pressure
in the recognition process. How much resolution does it need? Graphics
tablets with more pressure resolution are more expensive; at what
point(s) does additional resolution become noncritical and/or
nonsignificant?

5. Is it possible to use a tablet PC as a transparent input/display
device for a desktop system running Windows XP? If so, are there any
issues with using it in a multi-display configuration along with a
conventional display, a keyboard, and a mouse?

My email address is llm040903 at earthlink dot net.

Here's what I posted yesterday:
=====
Good spot here, Jonathan. We answer questions in the newsgroup, not by
email, so everyone can contribute and participate. You may be interested in
the information here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/t...c/default.mspx Specifically look
at Learn more about Tablet PC, Jeff West's Using Input Panel in Windows XP
Tablet PC Edition 2005 and some of the other links at the URL above.
=====
To answer some of your questions:
1 - Rather than trying to explain how Word 2003 works, just take a look in
Help, and do a little Search on Handwriting. Believe me, it is no where as
simple as using the digital recognizers on a Tablet PC, although it is
functional.
2 - Digital recognizers compare your handwriting to hundreds of thousands of
samples on a Tablet PC. With a Tablet PC, the digital Ink is better because
the sampling rate of a "writing pad" is normally limited to that of your
mouse or touchpad (laptop) speed. Because of the recognizers behind the
screens on Tablets, the sampling rate is about three or four times that of
analog, therefore more accurate and faster.
3 - I couldn't make a judgment on your skills with a writing pad. I don't
believe you can honestly compare the analog on a pad and placing your pen
exactly where you want it on the screen of a Tablet PC. Tablets are like
writing on a piece of paper, pads are like looking one direction and writing
over there, in my opinion.
4 - The resolution isn't the critical part, it is the digital recognizer as
I explained previously. It doesn't matter if you're running 640x480 or
1400x1050, the results will be the same.
5 - You can extend or clone a Tablet PC screen, just like any other Windows
XP Pro machine.
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
Associate Expert
Expert Zone - www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone

"Jonathan Sachs" <llm040903@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:3cp5019ie5rnltpbvintv6esoo6eklag75@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 3 Feb 2005 10:11:48 -0000, "Pete Wright"
> <peterjwright******.com> wrote:
>
>>Chris' advice is a great start...
>
> I gather Chris is someone who has responded to my question, but his
> message has not yet reached my ISP's server. If it doesn't arrive in
> another day or so I'll request that you or he or somebody repost it.
>
>>Windows XP Tablet PC Edition is only distributed with Tablet PC's
>>(unless you are an MSDN subscriber)...
>
> Handwriting recognition is available in recent versions of Microsoft
> Office for use on any type of computer with any type of pointing
> device. I assumed that the software in Tablet PC edition would be
> essentially the same, but from your response I infer that it's not.
>
> Since I'm getting responses, I will toss out my questions for what
> it's worth. Any assistance you can give is welcome.
>
> I have carpal tunnel syndrome, and my ability to type is limited. I
> currently use speech recognition software for most of my
> "keyboarding." It is very effective for entering English text, but
> much less so for editing. It also cannot deal with input that is not
> recognizable English, such as unusual proper names, foreign words,
> alphanumeric data, and computer program source code.
>
> I'm interested in handwriting recognition as a complement to speech
> recognition. I hope it will do the things well that speech recognition
> does poorly.
>
> Buying a tablet PC is not an option for me right now, for several
> reasons. First, I can't afford one, because my carpal tunnel syndrome
> ended my career as a programmer, and I'm back in school retraining for
> a new profession. Other reasons are implicit in some of my questions
> below.
>
> I'd like to investigate the technology by purchasing a graphics tablet
> for use on my home computer with Word 2003. This will cost a lot less
> than a tablet PC, and will give me an opportunity to accustom myself
> to a new mode of working that I couldn't get by trying out a tablet PC
> for a few minutes in a store.
>
> I'm aware that the experience of writing on one surface while viewing
> the document on another will be different from that of using a
> pressure-sensitive display. On the other hand, I know that many of the
> tasks I perform require a larger display than the 1024x768 now
> standard on tablet PCs. I won't know how these factors balance until I
> get some experience. Quite possibly I'll prefer the graphics tablet
> for use at home, and will buy a tablet PC, when I can afford one, just
> for mobile computing.
>
> Since my resources are limited, I don't want to spend any more than
> necessary for a "starter" graphics tablet. If my experience shows that
> handwriting recognition works for me, but I need a better, more
> expensive one to make the best use of it, I will buy one when I know
> it will help (and I understand more clearly what I need). At the same
> time, though, I don't want to waste my money buying a device that
> doesn't work well enough to let me give the technology a fair trial.
>
> On to the questions.
>
> 1. How is editing accomplished with Word and handwriting recognition?
> For example, suppose I want to insert a word in the middle of a
> paragraph, or replace one phrase with another. What is the process for
> doing this? (If you can refer me to an on-line document that explains
> it, that's fine. I couldn't find anything helpful when I looked.)
>
> 2. A new question raised by your response to my OP: in what ways does
> handwriting recognition in Tablet Edition differ from handwriting
> recognition in Office?
>
> 3. If I buy a small graphics tablet (4x5" or 6x8"), will it limit my
> ability to edit documents that are laid out in standard letter size
> format?
>
> 4. I know that the handwriting recognition software uses pen pressure
> in the recognition process. How much resolution does it need? Graphics
> tablets with more pressure resolution are more expensive; at what
> point(s) does additional resolution become noncritical and/or
> nonsignificant?
>
> 5. Is it possible to use a tablet PC as a transparent input/display
> device for a desktop system running Windows XP? If so, are there any
> issues with using it in a multi-display configuration along with a
> conventional display, a keyboard, and a mouse?
>
> My email address is llm040903 at earthlink dot net.

Forgot to mention too, instead of relying on "other" news servers, you can
use Agent to set up the msnews.microsoft.com news server for all the
Microsoft newsgroups. There's no logon, no password, and available to
anyone around the world for free, no matter your Internet Service Provider.
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
Associate Expert
Expert Zone - www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone


"Jonathan Sachs" <llm040903@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:3cp5019ie5rnltpbvintv6esoo6eklag75@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 3 Feb 2005 10:11:48 -0000, "Pete Wright"
> <peterjwright******.com> wrote:
>
>>Chris' advice is a great start...
>
> I gather Chris is someone who has responded to my question, but his
> message has not yet reached my ISP's server. If it doesn't arrive in
> another day or so I'll request that you or he or somebody repost it.
>
>>Windows XP Tablet PC Edition is only distributed with Tablet PC's
>>(unless you are an MSDN subscriber)...
>
> Handwriting recognition is available in recent versions of Microsoft
> Office for use on any type of computer with any type of pointing
> device. I assumed that the software in Tablet PC edition would be
> essentially the same, but from your response I infer that it's not.
>
> Since I'm getting responses, I will toss out my questions for what
> it's worth. Any assistance you can give is welcome.
>
> I have carpal tunnel syndrome, and my ability to type is limited. I
> currently use speech recognition software for most of my
> "keyboarding." It is very effective for entering English text, but
> much less so for editing. It also cannot deal with input that is not
> recognizable English, such as unusual proper names, foreign words,
> alphanumeric data, and computer program source code.
>
> I'm interested in handwriting recognition as a complement to speech
> recognition. I hope it will do the things well that speech recognition
> does poorly.
>
> Buying a tablet PC is not an option for me right now, for several
> reasons. First, I can't afford one, because my carpal tunnel syndrome
> ended my career as a programmer, and I'm back in school retraining for
> a new profession. Other reasons are implicit in some of my questions
> below.
>
> I'd like to investigate the technology by purchasing a graphics tablet
> for use on my home computer with Word 2003. This will cost a lot less
> than a tablet PC, and will give me an opportunity to accustom myself
> to a new mode of working that I couldn't get by trying out a tablet PC
> for a few minutes in a store.
>
> I'm aware that the experience of writing on one surface while viewing
> the document on another will be different from that of using a
> pressure-sensitive display. On the other hand, I know that many of the
> tasks I perform require a larger display than the 1024x768 now
> standard on tablet PCs. I won't know how these factors balance until I
> get some experience. Quite possibly I'll prefer the graphics tablet
> for use at home, and will buy a tablet PC, when I can afford one, just
> for mobile computing.
>
> Since my resources are limited, I don't want to spend any more than
> necessary for a "starter" graphics tablet. If my experience shows that
> handwriting recognition works for me, but I need a better, more
> expensive one to make the best use of it, I will buy one when I know
> it will help (and I understand more clearly what I need). At the same
> time, though, I don't want to waste my money buying a device that
> doesn't work well enough to let me give the technology a fair trial.
>
> On to the questions.
>
> 1. How is editing accomplished with Word and handwriting recognition?
> For example, suppose I want to insert a word in the middle of a
> paragraph, or replace one phrase with another. What is the process for
> doing this? (If you can refer me to an on-line document that explains
> it, that's fine. I couldn't find anything helpful when I looked.)
>
> 2. A new question raised by your response to my OP: in what ways does
> handwriting recognition in Tablet Edition differ from handwriting
> recognition in Office?
>
> 3. If I buy a small graphics tablet (4x5" or 6x8"), will it limit my
> ability to edit documents that are laid out in standard letter size
> format?
>
> 4. I know that the handwriting recognition software uses pen pressure
> in the recognition process. How much resolution does it need? Graphics
> tablets with more pressure resolution are more expensive; at what
> point(s) does additional resolution become noncritical and/or
> nonsignificant?
>
> 5. Is it possible to use a tablet PC as a transparent input/display
> device for a desktop system running Windows XP? If so, are there any
> issues with using it in a multi-display configuration along with a
> conventional display, a keyboard, and a mouse?
>
> My email address is llm040903 at earthlink dot net.

"Chris H." <winxpnews********.com> wrote in message
news:uXKnQ3mCFHA.3688@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> Forgot to mention too, instead of relying on "other" news servers, you can
> use Agent to set up the msnews.microsoft.com news server for all the
> Microsoft newsgroups.

This can also be done with Outlook Express.

John... Visio MVP

> Chris H.
> Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
> Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
> Associate Expert

"Jonathan Sachs" <llm040903@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:3cp5019ie5rnltpbvintv6esoo6eklag75@4ax.com...
>
> Handwriting recognition is available in recent versions of Microsoft
> Office for use on any type of computer with any type of pointing
> device. I assumed that the software in Tablet PC edition would be
> essentially the same, but from your response I infer that it's not.

What you are seeing in Office 2003 is that it is handwriting enabled, it
needs the Tablet version of the OS to work.

John... Visio MVP

On Thu, 3 Feb 2005 19:52:39 -0800, "Chris H." <winxpnews********.com>
wrote:

>Here's what I posted yesterday...

Thank you, Chris, for offering some useful explanations. Not
everything you said is clear, though.

>2 - Digital recognizers compare your handwriting to hundreds of thousands of
>samples on a Tablet PC. With a Tablet PC, the digital Ink is better because
>the sampling rate of a "writing pad" is normally limited to that of your
>mouse or touchpad (laptop) speed. Because of the recognizers behind the
>screens on Tablets, the sampling rate is about three or four times that of
>analog, therefore more accurate and faster.

Part of that makes digital recognizers sound like software components,
but part makes them sound like a feature of the pressure-sensitive
display itself. Can you clarify precisely what they are, and what they
do?

I do understand how a higher sample rate could lead to better results.
It seems to me that a driver for a graphics tablet could easily
provide this, but I don't know whether any do so. (It does occur to me
that a high sample rate would be significant for painting and drawing
as well as for handwriting recognition, so it seems probable that they
do.)

>1 - Rather than trying to explain how Word 2003 works, just take a look in
>Help, and do a little Search on Handwriting. Believe me, it is no where as
>simple as using the digital recognizers on a Tablet PC, although it is
>functional.

I read the relevant handwriting recognition material in Word 2002
(that's the version I currently have), but it didn't clarify things a
lot. In particular, it said nothing about how handwriting recognition
can be used to edit a document, which is my main interest.

The help file mentions clicking icons on the Handwriting Recognition
toolbars, but it wasn't clarify whether this is something one must do
for every entry or editing operation. If so, that could be a
significant inconvenience. (But I doubt that it could make the process
as inconvenient as editing through speech recognition!)

The "Learn more about Tablet PC" material is, unfortunately, not
accessible to me. Microsoft seems to have designed it so that it
genuinely cannot be read with any browser except Internet Explorer. I
no longer use Explorer as a matter of policy, since it allowed an
uncontrollable influx of viruses and adware. I will see if I can find
time to meet this material next week at work or school.

>4 - The resolution isn't the critical part, it is the digital recognizer as
>I explained previously. It doesn't matter if you're running 640x480 or
>1400x1050, the results will be the same.

You misunderstood my question -- I was speaking of _pressure_
resolution, not _display_ resolution. In other words, does it matter
whether the display can detect 1024 levels of pressure or 512, 256,
128,...?

>>5. Is it possible to use a tablet PC as a transparent input/display
>>device for a desktop system running Windows XP? If so, are there any
>>issues with using it in a multi-display configuration along with a
>>conventional display, a keyboard, and a mouse?
>>
>5 - You can extend or clone a Tablet PC screen, just like any other Windows
>XP Pro machine.

This may be important to me in the long run, so I want to be sure I
understand your answer -- is it "yes"? I'm not sure what the terms
"extend" and "clone" mean in this context, so I'm not sure whether
your response is a "yes," a qualified "yes," or a "no."

I wonder whether you are saying that additional displays can be added
to a tablet PC, which is the opposite of the question I asked. That
would not be nearly so useful, since it would expand the display area
but would not free me from any of the tablet PC's other limitations.

My email address is llm040903 at earthlink dot net.

On Sat, 5 Feb 2005 10:00:46 -0500, "John Marshall, MVP"
<lancucki@stonehenge.ca> wrote:

>What you are seeing in Office 2003 is that it is handwriting enabled, it
>needs the Tablet version of the OS to work.

It appears to be that you must be mistaken about this. None of the
descriptions mention that a tablet PC is required (nor is its OS,
which I understand will run only on the tablet PC unless one is a
developer and resorts to special tricks). And I have read several
messages from people who tried this and report that it worked.

My email address is llm040903 at earthlink dot net.

I'll try to answer the discussion points below (please see -->)

"Jonathan Sachs" <llm040903@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:7ao901dlrclrpkq17ij57n130g69te142g@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 3 Feb 2005 19:52:39 -0800, "Chris H." <winxpnews********.com>
> wrote:
>
>>Here's what I posted yesterday...
>
> Thank you, Chris, for offering some useful explanations. Not
> everything you said is clear, though.
>
>>2 - Digital recognizers compare your handwriting to hundreds of thousands
>>of
>>samples on a Tablet PC. With a Tablet PC, the digital Ink is better
>>because
>>the sampling rate of a "writing pad" is normally limited to that of your
>>mouse or touchpad (laptop) speed. Because of the recognizers behind the
>>screens on Tablets, the sampling rate is about three or four times that of
>>analog, therefore more accurate and faster.
>
> Part of that makes digital recognizers sound like software components,
> but part makes them sound like a feature of the pressure-sensitive
> display itself. Can you clarify precisely what they are, and what they
> do?
--> I don't know "all" the details, but of course handwriting the samples
are software - hundreds of thousands of them. Microsoft worked quite a
number of years developing the recognition portion (something in the range
of eight to 12 years, I believe). Digital is the means by which the user's
pen strokes are read, like when you place the tip on the screen, how you
begin a "zero" versus an "oh" by collecting metadata about the strokes.
--> The input isn't as simple as a mouse (or using a writing pad sampling
at the mouse rate of about 40 samples per second) since the digital
requirement of a Tablet PC recognizer is roughly three times (or more) than
that of a mouse. Perhaps a lot of your questions are answered here:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/mobility/t.../tab101c03.asp

> I do understand how a higher sample rate could lead to better results.
> It seems to me that a driver for a graphics tablet could easily
> provide this, but I don't know whether any do so. (It does occur to me
> that a high sample rate would be significant for painting and drawing
> as well as for handwriting recognition, so it seems probable that they
> do.)
--> As with the previous answer, the faster digital sampling gives
real-time information in the form of an on-screen display. I believe you
may find answers to your related questions here:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/mobility/t...c/default.aspx I'm not trying to
duck out without supplying answers, but the material cited on the two URLs
above explains a lot more than I can using my layman's terms.

> I read the relevant handwriting recognition material in Word 2002
> (that's the version I currently have), but it didn't clarify things a
> lot. In particular, it said nothing about how handwriting recognition
> can be used to edit a document, which is my main interest.
--> Word 2002 (or any member of the Office XP family) is not as Ink-aware,
even with the add-on XP Pack for Tablet PC. Remember, the 2002 version
products came out before the Tablet PCs. The "handwriting" components in
Office XP are mouse- or writing-pad based, and really not comparable to the
Tablet PC Ink recognition. They were designed for desktop or laptop usage,
without being aware of the digital aspect.

> The help file mentions clicking icons on the Handwriting Recognition
> toolbars, but it wasn't clarify whether this is something one must do
> for every entry or editing operation. If so, that could be a
> significant inconvenience. (But I doubt that it could make the process
> as inconvenient as editing through speech recognition!)
--> Every entry, I believe. At least in Word, 2003, there is a simply
"handwriting toolbar" - floating, which allows you to select what you want
to do. Handwriting recognition is native to all Tablet PCs, whereas you
need to selectively install it with the Office 2003 version and use the
"handwriting" toolbar to perform the functions within the Office
applications on a non-Tablet PC. On a Tablet, you don't need to install the
extra functionality. If I'm editing one of my daughters' school projects,
for instance, I can use the Tablet Input Panel to change a word.

> The "Learn more about Tablet PC" material is, unfortunately, not
> accessible to me. Microsoft seems to have designed it so that it
> genuinely cannot be read with any browser except Internet Explorer. I
> no longer use Explorer as a matter of policy, since it allowed an
> uncontrollable influx of viruses and adware. I will see if I can find
> time to meet this material next week at work or school.
--> I don't believe the pages are accessible only in IE. I've been there
in Firefox, for instance.

> You misunderstood my question -- I was speaking of _pressure_
> resolution, not _display_ resolution. In other words, does it matter
> whether the display can detect 1024 levels of pressure or 512, 256,
> 128,...?
--> Pressure sensitivity (to a level of 256, I believe) is built into the
digital recognizer on Tablet PCs, however, if an individual program does not
support such output, you can't use it within that program. Windows Journal,
which was written exclusively for Tablet use, has a setting in
Tools/Options/Note Format/Pen Settings... with a box to put a check mark in
for "Pressure sensitive." If that isn't done, the user simply has lines,
letters or drawings with the "thickness" they've selected in Journal.

> This may be important to me in the long run, so I want to be sure I
> understand your answer -- is it "yes"? I'm not sure what the terms
> "extend" and "clone" mean in this context, so I'm not sure whether
> your response is a "yes," a qualified "yes," or a "no."
>
> I wonder whether you are saying that additional displays can be added
> to a tablet PC, which is the opposite of the question I asked. That
> would not be nearly so useful, since it would expand the display area
> but would not free me from any of the tablet PC's other limitations.
--> Additional monitor support is native to Windows XP (the Tablet
operating system), however not all Tablet PCs have the hardware to support
such usage, so it is best to dig into the specs before making a purchase.
This is from XP's Help and Support, "You may be able to configure your
tablet to work with more than one monitor. With multiple monitors, you can
move items from one monitor to another, or write notes and type on your
computer at the same time. To find out if your tablet computer supports
multiple monitor features, see your hardware manufacturer's documentation."

Some of the "thinner" Tablets have eliminated certain aspects to reduce
weight of their product. It is always best not to "assume" something is
there because we expect it to be. However, if the hardware is present, then
Tablet PCs normally can (yes!) extend their desktops to an external monitor.
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
Associate Expert
Expert Zone - www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone

On Sat, 5 Feb 2005 09:43:28 -0800, "Chris H." <winxpnews********.com>
wrote:

>Perhaps a lot of your questions are answered here:
>http://msdn.microsoft.com/mobility/t.../tab101c03.asp

Too much stuff to read right now, but I've printed it to carry around
with me. It will get read some time over the next week. Thanks again.

I did a little Web searching and found information about sampling
rates on graphics tablets. Most of them appear to have sampling rates
in the range of 100 to 150 per second. The Tablet PC spec is near the
middle of that range (133 samples/second, if the sources I've found
are accurate).

>--> Additional monitor support is native to Windows XP (the Tablet
>operating system), however not all Tablet PCs have the hardware to support
>such...

You did misunderstand the question, and still do -- I won't push this
further because it's not immediately important, but I'm asking about
the opposite mode of use. Not one or more monitors attached to a
tablet PC, but a tablet PC attached to a conventional computer along
with one or more other monitors, a keyboard, and a mouse.

This assembly would work just like any other multi-display PC, except
that for the part of the virtual display that maps onto the tablet PC,
the tablet's pressure sensitive input and advanced handwriting
recognition would be available.

If this configuration is supported, it would give me the best of both
worlds: fluent handwritten editing for documents, and a fast computer
with a large display and a full complement of devices for everything
else.

My email address is llm040903 at earthlink dot net.

Okay, there's lots of good information on there.

You're right on the sampling speed, exactly.

And, now that you've stated using the Tablet as an external screen. I know
of no Tablet PC (nor laptop for that matter) which can be used in that
manner. About as close as you might get would be Remote Desktop to the
Tablet PC, however there will be nothing to kick off the digital recognizer
being activated.
--
Chris H.
Microsoft Windows MVP/Tablet PC
Tablet Creations - http://nicecreations.us/
Associate Expert
Expert Zone - www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone


"Jonathan Sachs" <llm040903@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:6ffa01188pja6k5mi1d2svq4jdlsldt2k5@4ax.com...
> On Sat, 5 Feb 2005 09:43:28 -0800, "Chris H." <winxpnews********.com>
> wrote:
>
>>Perhaps a lot of your questions are answered here:
>>http://msdn.microsoft.com/mobility/t.../tab101c03.asp
>
> Too much stuff to read right now, but I've printed it to carry around
> with me. It will get read some time over the next week. Thanks again.
>
> I did a little Web searching and found information about sampling
> rates on graphics tablets. Most of them appear to have sampling rates
> in the range of 100 to 150 per second. The Tablet PC spec is near the
> middle of that range (133 samples/second, if the sources I've found
> are accurate).
>
>>--> Additional monitor support is native to Windows XP (the Tablet
>>operating system), however not all Tablet PCs have the hardware to support
>>such...
>
> You did misunderstand the question, and still do -- I won't push this
> further because it's not immediately important, but I'm asking about
> the opposite mode of use. Not one or more monitors attached to a
> tablet PC, but a tablet PC attached to a conventional computer along
> with one or more other monitors, a keyboard, and a mouse.
>
> This assembly would work just like any other multi-display PC, except
> that for the part of the virtual display that maps onto the tablet PC,
> the tablet's pressure sensitive input and advanced handwriting
> recognition would be available.
>
> If this configuration is supported, it would give me the best of both
> worlds: fluent handwritten editing for documents, and a fast computer
> with a large display and a full complement of devices for everything
> else.
>
> My email address is llm040903 at earthlink dot net.

On Sat, 5 Feb 2005 14:40:57 -0800, "Chris H." <winxpnews********.com>
wrote:

>And, now that you've stated using the Tablet as an external screen. I know
>of no Tablet PC (nor laptop for that matter) which can be used in that
>manner. About as close as you might get would be Remote Desktop to the
>Tablet PC, however there will be nothing to kick off the digital recognizer
>being activated.

Too bad. This sounds like a topic for some enterprising software
developer to pursue. (My own days of serious software development are
behind me, along with my days of serious keyboarding.)

A network with the office computer's data drive mapped to the tablet
PC might give me most of the capability I want. But I'll probably wait
to find out until I'm really employed again, and can afford to buy a
tablet PC of my own.

My email address is llm040903 at earthlink dot net.