The challenging step towards shrinking notebook hardware and making improvements in integrated digitisers as methods of input has culminated into the invention of Tablet PC. The touchscreen or digitising tablet technology of the device allows the user to operate the computer with a stylus or digital pen or a fingertip, instead of a keyboard or a mouse.
Typically, a digitiser is integrated with the screen, and correlates physical touch or digital pen interaction on the screen with the result that the virtual information is portrayed on it. A tablet PC’s digitiser is a complete pointing device; it is not a relative pointing device like the mouse or a touchpad. Older Tablet PCs has little or no persistent memory.
With a Tablet PC, the user can enter text using handwriting recognition features. There is an on-screen (virtual) keyboard, speech recognition, or standard keyboard to help the user in entering the text. The Ink object acts as a means of data input and storage may be utilised by the devices that use Windows XP Tablet PC Edition or Windows Vista. This data type was first created as part of the Windows XP Tablet PC Edition.
Ink object allows one to manipulate and process handwritten data, including recognition results and, in some cases, the pressure information for each part of the stroke. In this way, you get the leverage to change properties in much the same way as properties of other objects. At the same time, the data can be saved to allow future reference.
Computerised manipulation, organisation, and reading of large amounts of printed information are the most popular use of the Tablet PC. Particularly, any casual reader may download electronic versions of their favourite books and read it on their Tablet PCs. Students may also do way with bulky textbooks by scanning in the pages of textbooks and just bring their Tablet PCs to class.