IT
Scan
December
27, 2002
Microsoft sees great future for Tablet PC
Kaushik Phukan
NEW DELHI -- Microsoft recently launched the Windows
XP Tablet PC in India. This next generation PC runs
on Windows XP Tablet PC edition. It provides the performance
and features of a notebook PC and has advanced handwriting
and speech recognition capabilities. It has a natural
interface for entering data using a digital pen besides
the keyboard, an ultra light form factor and the ability
to run full versions of standard Windows based applications.
Karthik
Padmanabhan, Marketing Manager, Microsoft Corporation
India Pvt. Ltd said: "The mobility and versatility
of the tablet PC enable users to take their PCs with
them, use them in new places and in new ways. There
are two types of tablet PCs -- the pure tablet and
convertible tablet PCs. Both are very light and have
all features required by mobile users -- including
a long battery life, better displays, networking capability
and integrated support for peripherals via USB or
FireWire ports. Tablet PCs will also support docking
stations and a variety of external peripherals. Users
will be able to operate it by a digital pen or by
the keyboard and mouse.
"It
is a powerful platform that offers opportunities for
developers to add ink, pen and speech capabilities
to existing and new applications. It has all the business
capabilities of current business peripheral devices
such as CD-ROM drives, printers and external monitors,
and can run all Windows-based applications including
XP." Microsoft and its hardware partners like
Acer, Compaq, Fujitsu, Toshiba and others plan to
hold seminars, demonstrations and roadshows to popularise
the tablet PC. The companies plan to target doctors,
lawyers and others in such professions.
"There are many unique things about the Windows
XP Tablet PC. The Windows journal is a new note-taking
utility. Other features include erasing, highlighting,
and formatting text, inserting space, dragging and
dropping ink, recognising and converting shapes, and
formatting lists. Speech recognition is an integral
component of every tablet PC. It allows users to dictate
content or control applications using their voice.
The sticky notes utility allow users to jot down short
notes and place those on the desktop. It also includes
online tutorials so users can quickly familiarise
themselves with using the new features of the platform,"
Padmanabhan, pointed out.
On
being asked whether Microsoft plans to shift their
focus from the desktop PC to tablet PC, Padmanabhan
said: "We only provide the platform to develop
applications. We do want to make people aware of the
product showing the different way people can use the
Tablet PC. But it does not mean that we are shifting
our focus from desktop PC to tablet PC. Whether it
is the Palm, iPaq, desktop PC, laptops, notebooks
or tablet PCs, we want to everywhere. We want our
partners to use us as the platform to develop their
products."
Microsoft
refuses to believe that the present high price will
hamper the growth of the tablet PC. As Padmanabhan
pointed out: "Presently, the prices are high.
Hence, people who need it will only buy it. As you
know, prices tend to decrease as time goes by. Hence,
there might be a time when everyone will have a tablet
PC, the way they have a PC today."
Contact:
Microsoft Corporation India Pvt. Ltd.
Web: www.microsoft.com
