Tablet PCs - Features & Benefits
While there are many manufacturers of Tablet PCs worldwide, the benefits of the a tablet are universal:

Change how you work with your PC. Using the intuitive aspects of pen and paper, you can work more naturally with your computer. Simply write directly on the screen and save your notes in your own handwriting or convert them to typed text for input into other applications. Your pen can also do those things commonly done with a mouse or keyboard (open software, select text, display menus).

Take your notes electronically. Tablet PCs come with Microsoft Windows Journal, an application that lets you create and organize your handwritten notes. With Windows Journal, it's easy to capture text, diagrams, and pictures just like you would with pen and paper. Advanced handwriting recognition technology lets you search your handwritten notes to quickly find what you need.

Collaborate easily and effectively. Download Microsoft Office® XP Pack for Tablet PCs and add comments in Word documents, emphasize key points in PowerPoint presentations, and write and send email with Outlook® - all in your own handwriting. You can share these handwritten documents with other PC users, even though they may not have a tablet PC.

Extend your applications with ink- Windows XP Tablet PC Edition has powerful but simple ink controls and application programming interfaces (APIs) that allow software developers to extend existing software with pen and ink and develop new applications using this technology.

I know some people like them and some need them but I personally don't have any use for one and from a security standpoint, I see TPC apps & services as just more exploitable stuff.

http://e-articles.info/e/a/title/New-Vista-Tablet-PC-Features/

Tablet PC Settings

Before you start inking with Vista, you'll probably want to configure a few settings, and Vista offers quite a few more than XP. Your starting point is the Control Panel's Mobile PC windowspecifically, the renamed Tablet PC Settings icon (formerly Tablet and Pen Settings). In the Tablet PC Settings dialog box that appears, the General tab is basically the same as the old Settings tab, and the Display tab is identical to its predecessor. However, there is a new Handwriting Recognition tab, that has two sections:

*Personalization, you'll see that you can provide Vista with samples of your handwriting. This increases the accuracy of the handwriting recognizer (the feature that converts handwritten text into typed text), but only when the Use the Personalized Recognizer check box is activated.

*Automatic Learning This feature collects information about your writing, including the words you write and the style in which you write them. Note that this applies not only to your handwritingthe ink you write in the Input Panel, the recognized text, and the corrected textbut also to your typing, including email messages and web addresses typed into Internet Explorer. To use this feature, activate the Use Automatic Learning option.

Caution

[u]It's understandable that some people have privacy concerns about the Automatic Learning feature because it is sure to collect proprietary and sensitive data typed into email messages. However, Microsoft notes that the information stays on your computer and is stored in a proprietary format that can't be read in a text editor or word processor. It seems likely that someone will hack this new format, however, so if you do not want sensitive data stored via Automatic Learning, you should turn off this feature.[/u]

Crave hangs with people in high places -- that's how we get exclusives and free food. A few weeks ago we were having a civilised dinner with our friends at Asus and angling for cool stories when we were told in a very hushed manner: "Asus is helping Apple build a Tablet PC."

We're tempted to ignore all Apple rumours because there's just so many of them, but this rings true because Asus is Apple's contract manufacturer. It's one of the companies responsible for building the iBooks, PowerBooks and MacBooks of this world, so when their guys tell us they're building an Apple Tablet, we believe them.


We checked back with our source at Asus on a different day and they confirmed that the Apple Tablet will not be based on existing Asus designs such as the R1. It will come from a completely new blueprint, possibly based on the patent Apple filed back in May 2005. We're guessing it'll be based on Intel Core architecture, a tweaked version of Leopard, and have all the multi-touch, CoverFlow goodness we've seen in the iPhone and iPod touch.

So, can Apple turn the Tablet PC into a success when previous attempts have failed? The short answer is 'yes'. Any company that can make a mobile phone with no buttons, no picture messaging, slow Web access and no video capture into the most desirable phone on the planet can easily make tablets popular.

Sadly, we've no word on when we can expect the Apple Tablet PC, nor what the final specs will be, but you can bet your bottom dollar it's being built as you read this. Mac fanboys rejoice. -Rory Reid

Do you think Apple should create a Tablet PC? Discuss it in our new forums.

Huge news, Apple fans! There is finally information from a reliable source that Apple is finishing up work on its new tablet PC. This Apple-pad is the brainchild of Steve Jobs himself, and it's just now coming out of an agonizing three year development cycle. Expect to see it in stores early 2010.

Apple's new tablet will be a 10” touchscreen with 3G enabled and plenty of computing power. From what AppleInsider says, it sounds like this thing is basically going to be an iPod Touch with netbook level processing power and memory. And, since Steve Jobs is the man behind it, you know it's going to be an extremely solid product the instant it's released.

Apparently the tablet has had a very jumpy development. AppleInsider states that development was frozen and restarted six times due to various issues or perceived issues. Such a project must have been extremely costly to Apple, but it also shows the level of quality-control they've put into this product. I'm willing to wait an extra year to ensure the touchpad I spend (probably) over $1000 on is the best machine it can possibly be.

Price hasn't been announced yet, of course, but AppleInsider states that it should cost somewhere between the price of an iPhone and the price of Apple's cheapest notebook. I think somewhere in the $750-$1000 range is most likely. This is an Apple product, after all.

What carrier the pad's 3G will be on hasn't been announced yet either. One would assume AT&T, but it's quite possible that Apple will deal with someone else. AT&T hasn't been the most reliable carrier, and there are rumors that Apple has been in talks with Verizon.

AppleInsider's also put out a new artist's rendering of the device, since the prior one was apparently inaccurate. The image above should give you a good idea of what to expect from this device when it launches in Q1 2010. We should know more about this tablet closer to the end of the year, when Apple starts up their advertising campaign. Until then, we'll keep you up-to-date on the latest tablet rumors.

Update: Apple Tablet PC already coming in time for this Christmas