Channel 9 Tablet PC Videos (Recap)

Channel 9 Video Recap, all in one in case missed any. And more to come, a
demo of ArtRage and some of the Asian character reco...

What's cool about the upcoming Tablet PC software?
http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=7603#7603
"Peter Loforte, general manager of the Tablet PC team, shows us what is
cool about the upcoming Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 software update
(code-named "Lonestar") This is a free update and will automatically come
with the upcoming Windows XP Service Pack 2."

Is the Tablet PC technology good enough for using the pen only?
http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=7724
"One of the questions the Tablet PC team gets a lot is "is it really ready
to use with only a pen?" Robert Williams is the executive in charge of
working with OEM partners. He does a lot of market research, and gathers
feedback from OEMs and customers and knows just how hard it is to get
people to give up the keyboard, and talks about some of those challenges
here."

New Tablet PC powertoy under development
http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=7859
"Susan Cameron, group product manager, for the Tablet PC group, shows off
a yet-to-be-released PowerToy for the Tablet PC that converts all the
fonts used on the desktop to your own handwriting -- she also shows off
why the Tablet PC is better for people who are left handed."

What language/tool did you use to write the Tablet PC's drivers?
http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=7855
"Michael Tsang is a software design engineer on the Tablet PC team. What
does that mean? He's the guy who wrote the driver software for the
digitizer. He also wrote the software that handles what happens when you
push on the buttons on the Tablet PC (like the ones that make your page
scroll up or down)."

What is the most suprising thing you've seen a Tablet PC used for?
http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=7720
"Hot tubs? Coffee holders? Burt Parker is the OEM Product Manager on the
Tablet PC team and he shares the most interesting things he's seen a
Tablet PC used for."

The Tablet PC has changed my life (in bed)
http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=8248
"It's not often that you get a general manager at Microsoft to admit that
he brings his computer to bed. But that's not the only way the Tablet PC
has changed his life, in this video he explains how the form factor of the
Tablet PC has enabled him to use a computer in places and ways that he
never was able to before."

How does Tablet PC's digitizer work?
http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=8237
"Michael Tsang is the guy who writes the drivers for the Tablet PC's
digitizer, so if there's one guy who really knows how it works, it's him."

----- Original Message -----
From: "Christopher Coulter" <>
> What's cool about the upcoming Tablet PC software?
> http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=7603#7603
> "Peter Loforte, general manager of the Tablet PC team, shows us what is
> cool about the upcoming Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 software update
> (code-named "Lonestar") This is a free update and will automatically come
> with the upcoming Windows XP Service Pack 2."

The Loforte video was the most interesting one, focusing on advances in pen
input. It is very relevant to the question of whether handwriting
recognition should be part of the operating system or be an add-on such as
ritePen software
(http://www.penandinternet.com/piweb/...-qsg/index.asp). The Loforte
video makes a good case for handwriting recognition being part of the
operating system.

Why would a company like OQO use the non-tablet XP approach for their
pocket-size pen-enabled "ultrapersonal computer"
(http://www.oqo.com/hardware/basics/) and suggest add-on software for
handwriting recognition, if desired? Although it is true that OQO's
pull-out keyboard is useful, one can imagine many cases in which one is
using the pen for navigation and need to enter a small amount of text and
prefer to use the pen. The advances shown in the Loforte video look like
they go way beyond the capabilities of the ritePen software that one could
add to the OQO to add handwriting recognition.

Why would a company like OQO shun Tablet XP if it has such clear usefulness?
Are the hardware requirements for Tablet XP too burdensome? Is there a
large cost premium for Tablet XP? Or did OQO make the decision based on
earlier versions of Tablet XP, and simply bet on the wrong horse?

Hi Mickey,
I personally asked OQO the same question at CES this year. They told me
that they did not have customers asking for Windows XP, Tablet PC Edition on
their device. They said it would work if someone asked for it.


--
Chris De Herrera
http://www.cewindows.net
http://www.tabletpctalk.com

"Mickey Segal" <> wrote in message
news:...
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Christopher Coulter" <>
>> What's cool about the upcoming Tablet PC software?
>> http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=7603#7603
>> "Peter Loforte, general manager of the Tablet PC team, shows us what is
>> cool about the upcoming Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 software update
>> (code-named "Lonestar") This is a free update and will automatically come
>> with the upcoming Windows XP Service Pack 2."
>
> The Loforte video was the most interesting one, focusing on advances in
> pen
> input. It is very relevant to the question of whether handwriting
> recognition should be part of the operating system or be an add-on such as
> ritePen software
> (http://www.penandinternet.com/piweb/...-qsg/index.asp). The
> Loforte
> video makes a good case for handwriting recognition being part of the
> operating system.
>
> Why would a company like OQO use the non-tablet XP approach for their
> pocket-size pen-enabled "ultrapersonal computer"
> (http://www.oqo.com/hardware/basics/) and suggest add-on software for
> handwriting recognition, if desired? Although it is true that OQO's
> pull-out keyboard is useful, one can imagine many cases in which one is
> using the pen for navigation and need to enter a small amount of text and
> prefer to use the pen. The advances shown in the Loforte video look like
> they go way beyond the capabilities of the ritePen software that one could
> add to the OQO to add handwriting recognition.
>
> Why would a company like OQO shun Tablet XP if it has such clear
> usefulness?
> Are the hardware requirements for Tablet XP too burdensome? Is there a
> large cost premium for Tablet XP? Or did OQO make the decision based on
> earlier versions of Tablet XP, and simply bet on the wrong horse?
>
>

"Chris De Herrera" <> wrote in message
news:e8$...
> Hi Mickey,
> I personally asked OQO the same question at CES this year. They told me
> that they did not have customers asking for Windows XP, Tablet PC Edition
on
> their device. They said it would work if someone asked for it.

If a company waits until customers ask for it, the company may not start
preparations until the new version of Tablet XP is released. This is why
things take years to happen without visionary leadership.

If I were calling the shots for the OQO or for the tiny Sony computer
running non-tablet XP (http://www.engadget.com/entry/4351469713524447/) I
would include tablet XP, at least 800 x 600 resolution, 802.11 g support,
and easy docking. Such a device will be a real winner.

In article <e8$>,
says...
> Hi Mickey,
> I personally asked OQO the same question at CES this year. They told me
> that they did not have customers asking for Windows XP, Tablet PC Edition on
> their device. They said it would work if someone asked for it.
>
>
>
Dude, that is what people always say at expos. Translation: They haven't
tried it. They don't have the time or money to really get certified to
the Tablet PC spec's. And they probably don't even know that just any old
PC with a touch screen will not work with Windows XP Tablet PC Edition.

"Grant Robertson" <> wrote in message
news:eiAxO%...
> Dude, that is what people always say at expos. Translation: They haven't
> tried it. They don't have the time or money to really get certified to
> the Tablet PC spec's. And they probably don't even know that just any old
> PC with a touch screen will not work with Windows XP Tablet PC Edition.

Is Microsoft making it too difficult to get certified for Tablet XP? Or are
the requirements not very difficult and the hardware companies are just
lacking in vision?

I think a major problem is that the hardware companies didn't see much
difference between Tablet XP and the ritePen software. For the first
version of Tablet XP, this was a defensible position. Seeing this video it
seems that this position is no longer defensible - Microsoft is making a big
push to improve pen input and integrate it into the operating system.

This year people are saying that Microsoft is doing such a bad job that they
aren't any better than the competition. I will not be surprised if soon
people are claiming that Microsoft is doing such a good job that they are
competing unfairly.

In article <OTE5#>,
says...
> Is Microsoft making it too difficult to get certified for Tablet XP? Or are
> the requirements not very difficult and the hardware companies are just
> lacking in vision?
>
>
I couldn't tell you, for sure. Maybe somebody else here does know. Keep
in mind that any certification process of this magnitude is going to be
expensive. Not just with the payments to the certifying body. But
primarily with the research and development it takes to get to the point
where you are certifiable.

"Grant Robertson" <> wrote in message
news:...
> I couldn't tell you, for sure. Maybe somebody else here does know. Keep
> in mind that any certification process of this magnitude is going to be
> expensive. Not just with the payments to the certifying body. But
> primarily with the research and development it takes to get to the point
> where you are certifiable.

I understand there are some hardware requirements for Tablet XP, involving
special buttons being present. One could imagine such a thing slowing the
ability of some companies to contract for hardware production, but it should
not stop companies such as Sony:
http://www.engadget.com/entry/4351469713524447/