Using Tablet PCs and Ultra-Mobile PCs : Using a Tablet PC (part 3) - Using the Tablet PC Input Panel

2. Using the Tablet PC Input Panel

Back in the original version of Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, the Tablet PC Input Panel, or TIP, was typically docked to the bottom of the screen, just above the taskbar, and you toggled its display by clicking a TIP icon next to the Start button. In Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005, Microsoft enhanced the TIP by enabling it to pop up in place, where you needed it. That is, if you wanted to input some text into the address bar of an Internet Explorer window, for example, you could tap the address bar with the pen and the TIP would appear in a floating window right under the tap point. That way, you wouldn't have to move the pen up and down across the entire screen in order to enter text or other characters.

That said, the TIP could still be manually launched by clicking that special icon next to the Start menu; and the TIP in Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 was a pretty big bugger, occupying a large swath of onscreen real estate.

These issues were first fixed in Windows Vista and remain fixed in Windows 7. Instead of a special taskbar button, the TIP is now always accessible, but mostly hidden, on the edge of the screen. As shown in Figure 12, only a small portion of the TIP is visible by default.

Figure 12. The TIP stays out of the way until you need it—really far out of the way.

If you're not even sure you're seeing the TIP, you can mouse over it (using either the mouse or the pen/stylus). When you do so, the TIP peeks out a bit more, as shown in Figure 13.

Figure 13. It's not shy, per se, but the TIP needs some encouragement before displaying itself completely.

To activate the TIP, simply click it with the pen or stylus. The TIP will then appear in the center of the screen, as shown in Figure 14.

Figure 14. An activated TIP is a happy TIP.

So what does the TIP do? The TIP is designed to help you interact with applications that aren't natively Tablet PC (or Touch) aware. (That is, virtually every single application on the planet.) Therefore, if you want to enter a URL in the Internet Explorer address bar, search for an application in Windows 7's Start Menu Search, or perform similar actions, the TIP does all the work. It enables your pen (or finger) to work with any application.

What's nice about the TIP is that you don't really have to worry about where it is on the desktop, or whether it's enabled. Just tap a text-entry area in any application, even those not made by Microsoft, using the pen or stylus that came with your Tablet. When you do, you'll see a mini-TIP pop-up appear, as shown in Figure 15.

Figure 15. The TIP is available anytime you need it.

To see (and use) the full TIP, just tap this mini-TIP. You'll then get the full TIP, exactly where you need it.

Compared to the TIP in previous versions of Windows, the Windows 7 TIP offers very similar functionality with a slightly reworked user interface. The Quick Launch icons for the Writing Pad (the default) and Touch Keyboard modes have been moved to the top of the window, next to the Tools and Help menus. (And the Character Pad interface from Windows Vista has been unceremoniously made less accessible: you get to it by tapping Tools and then Write character by character.)

Microsoft has also added new "Show me" buttons to the top right of the TIP button that help you learn how to correct mistyped text, delete text, split text, and join text. Each of these triggers a mini video, like that shown in Figure 16, showing you how it's done.

Figure 16. Not sure how something is done? TIP will show you the way.

The TIP's three different modes are shown in Figure 17.

To close the TIP (which really just returns it to its near-hidden location on the side of the screen), just tap the Close window button.

If you want to return the TIP to its previous behavior of docking at the top or bottom of the screen, click the Tools button and choose the appropriate option: Docking and then Float, Dock at top of screen, or Dock at bottom of screen. Float is the default behavior.

Figure 17. The TIP can work like a continuous writing pad, a character-by-character writing pad, or an onscreen keyboard.

NOTE

In the previous version of Microsoft's Tablet PC operating system, the TIP included dedicated buttons for Web shortcuts such as http://, www., and so on. These can now be accessed through the Web button, which expands to show these and other related options, as shown in Figure 18. Likewise, the Sym button expands to show various symbols (!, @, #, and so on), while the Num button expands to show numbers. The Web button expands automatically when you select the address bar in Internet Explorer.

Figure 18. When you tap the Web button, a new menu of Web-oriented shortcuts appears.

Be sure to spend some time meandering around the TIP's Options dialog, shown in Figure 19. The TIP supports an amazingly rich collection of configurable options, including such things as to which side of the screen it docks, whether it's configured for left- or right-handed users, and how the Writing Pad and Character Pad recognize handwriting (as you write, the default; or after you pause).

Figure 19. The TIP supports a rich array of configurable options.

Finally, while Windows 7 does enable handwriting recognition personalization by default so that the system learns your handwriting style as it goes, you could and probably should take the time to engage in a little handwriting recognition training if you think you're going to be using a pen to interact with Windows 7 regularly. You can open the Handwriting Personalization tool right in the TIP: Click Tools => Personalize handwriting recognition to launch the Handwriting Personalization tool, shown in Figure 20.

Figure 20. Make it your own by teaching Windows 7 how you write.