Chat Tablet PC chez Microsoft

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Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100

Current chat room activity: Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): Welcome, everyone! For those just joining us, we'll be getting started with our Tablet PC chat in 15 minutes, so have your questions ready! Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): For those just joining us, we'll be getting started with our Tablet PC chat in 10 minutes, so have your questions ready! Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): Hi everyone, and welcome to the Tablet PC chat! Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): Today we are answering your questions about the Tablet PC. Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): Before we begin, I would like to begin by posting the chat rules and instructions for customers: Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): 1. This chat will last for one hour. During this hour, our Experts will respond to as many questions as they can. Please understand that there are some questions we cannot respond to due to lack of information or because the information is not yet public. Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): 2. We encourage you to submit questions for our Experts. To do so, type your questions in the send box, select the Submit a Question radio button and click SEND. Questions sent directly to the Guest Chat room will not be answered by the Experts, but we encourage other community members to assist. Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): 3. We ask that you stay on topic for the duration of the chat. This helps the Guests and Experts follow the conversation more easily. We invite you to ask off topic questions after this chat is over, but not during. Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): 4. Please only submit your question once. Submitting your question more than once is against the Chat Code of Conduct. Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): 5. Please abide by the Chat Code of Conduct. Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): Now, I'll have our hosts for the chat today introduce themselves: ArinGoldberg_MS (Expert): Hi I'm Arin Goldberg, I'm the ISV Architect for the Tablet PC Team VictoriaKruse_MS (Expert): I'm a Program Manager on the Mobile PC team. Welcome to the chat! Sears Young [MS] (Expert): Hi I'm Sears Young, a Program Manager on the Mobile PC team. frankgo_ms (Expert): A: Hi my name is Frank Gocinski and I work on ISV Evangelism and Business Development for the Tablet PC team. Thanks for joining us today! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): I'm Andrew Brown, and I'm the MVP Lead for Tablet PC, and the moderator for this chat. Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): Go ahead and begin sending us your questions, and we'll get the chat underway. Robert Williams MS (Expert): Robert Williams, Director Bizdev and Partner Engineering Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): Everyone - we're getting some of our hosts up and running, so please be patient for a moment. Thanks! frankgo_ms (Expert): Q: I want to ask what is Tablet PC? I never heard of it - sorry for such an original question A: Tablet is basically a Notebook running Windows XP with additional support for use of a Pen and Digital Ink that enables scenarios such as handwritten note taking right on the Tablet’s screen, check out ; Robert Williams MS (Expert): Q: Is there any plans to rebrand the "Tablet PC"? A: Between now and Longhorn there will not be a branding change. LH plans are TBD ArinGoldberg_MS (Expert): Q: what digitizers/tablet pens can be used with a desktop computer for develop tablet pc software with pressure recognition? A: Any HID compatible digitizer and driver should work for development as long as the hardware supports pressure. VictoriaKruse_MS (Expert): Q: Hello. Is tablet PC supports writing recognition with languages more exotic than english, german, etc.? (like hebrew, arabic, etc.)? are you currently developing such support? A: Tablet PCs support handwriting recognition in the following languages: English (US), English (UK), French, German, Spanish (Worldwide), Italian, Korean, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), and Chinese (Traditional). We are not currently providing any handwriting recognizers for bi-directional languages. No additional languages have been announced. + frankgo_ms (Expert): Q: When will the reco pack be available for Tablet PC 2k5? A: We’re currently finishing up the Reco Pack and doing the last round of internal testing, I believe it should be available within the next few weeks. + ArinGoldberg_MS (Expert): Q: Microsoft will develop voice recognition in other languages (french for example ?) ? A: Microsoft supports speech recognition today in English, Simplified Chinese, and Japanese. Robert Williams MS (Expert): Q: I am looking for information about the sales and use of tablet PCs world wide. Do you know where I can find these demographics? A: Microsoft does not disclose detailed sales information publicly. Industry analysts such as IDC, Gartner, and DataQuest regularly publish these figures. They typically collect this information by surveying tablet pc OEMs, enterprise customers, channel partners like retail, etc. Their information should not be considered as precise but as a good directional indicator. Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): Q: Input panel disappearing with sp2 installed, just me or a bug? A: Did you install the final version of SP2 over a previous beta version? We have received reports of similar problems from users who have done that. VictoriaKruse_MS (Expert): Q: I know MS doesn't control driver creation, but I'm hoping you can tell me if I should I be disturbed about the fact that my vendor hasn't released updated drivers for anything other than wireless (June) since March? A: Frequently I've seen manufacturers upgrade drivers a couple times right after the unit ships for things that they missed, but after that it's usually some time before they upgrade them again. Six or even twelve months is not unusual. Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): Please do not submit duplicate questions. All the questions are saved in a queue and we are getting to them as rapidly as possible. To avoid slowing the process further, please only submit your question once. Thanks! frankgo_ms (Expert): Q: Why the decision to combine Tablet PC 2005 and SP2 into one release? A: This decision was based on customer feedback. IT professionals wanted only one image to deploy into their organizations and end users were confused with all the different operating system options. Now it’s simple you have Windows XP and if you install on a Tablet the Tablet specific features are installed. Robert Williams MS (Expert): Q: Is there going to be any additional advertising for the tablet pc in the upcoming year? I did some demos in some of the retail stores and the public knowledge is very lacking in this area as they are seen as just another notebook in the stores. A: Yes. we will have a presence in the Windows Experience More campaign that kicks off next week and runs through the fall season. In the spring tablet will have a larger presence as more retail spec tablets come into the market, and specifically, the retail channel. We have done a lot of work around the tablet experience at retail, specifically wrt fixturing, displays, demos, retail sales person training, etc. Hopefully, you will see a much better tablet retail experience int the spring. We really appreciate our friends out there that watch this and give us feedback. That's how we learn and improve. Thank you for this question and your comments. Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): Q: Hello, I represent a school in the UK, which is buying roughly 240 tablet PC's a year for their new intake of students. Occasionally, we have students whose tablets freeze, and the cursor no longer moves - is this a bug in the OS, or the hardware? A: Without knowing which model of Tablet PC and what version of the software they are running, we can't troubleshoot your question. Can you provide this information? Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): Q: will the up coming recognizer pack will enable the use of inkedit and inkpicture on a desktop pc? A: No, the Recognizer pack will only work with a Tablet PC, not a desktop system. Sears Young [MS] (Expert): Q: Will Longhorn include any new TabletPC oriented features? What are they? A: Unfortunately we can't comment on any future Longhorn plans. ArinGoldberg_MS (Expert): Q: Is there a fix that can be applied so that the nw SP2 TIP releases the memory that it seems to accumulates during use ? (Other than having to stop the programs and restart them ) A: We are currently investigating these issues and hope to understand more in the near future. + VictoriaKruse_MS (Expert): Q: did a touchpad hardware could have certification for Wndows Xp Tablet PC Edition ? A: There is currently no hardware certification specific to Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. It should have the "Designed for Windows" logo however. Robert Williams MS (Expert): Q: Do any of you have blogs or do you know of good Tablet PC related blogs I can read to stay current on what's happening? A: I have a blog and I have been told that I suck b/c I post infrequently. Sadly, this is true. I promise to get better. I would recommend the enthusiast websites and blogs as the best place to go for information. I don't want to give a specific recommendation lest I leave someone out by mistake. Try doing an MSN search on tablet PC to find the best ones. Google search may also work but I have never tried VictoriaKruse_MS (Expert): Q: excuse me this is a basic question - but what is tablet PC A: Tablet is basically a Notebook running Windows XP with additional support for use of a Pen and Digital Ink that enables scenarios such as handwritten note taking right on the Tablet’s screen, check out ; frankgo_ms (Expert): Q: should a developer use an inkedit or inkcollector for getting the user handwriting for "full" diagnose? A: This depends on your scenario, in most cases InkOverlay is the preferred mechanism because it supports more features then InkCollector. Check out the first Tablet 101 article on our development center - ; + ArinGoldberg_MS (Expert): Q: is Microsoft working on possibility to store ink information in Access directly ? A: Ink can be stored directly in the Access database today as binary ISF or GIF (with embedded ISF) SpencerGoad_MVP (Expert): Q: Do any of you have blogs or do you know of good Tablet PC related blogs I can read to stay current on what's happening? A: You might like to check out my site, we have a Tablet PC news/comment feed on the frontpage - http://www.tabletpcbuzz.com + frankgo_ms (Expert): Q: is it possible to create specific gesture (and interect with VBS macro) in the future Tablet PC ? A: Yes, it’s possible today [but not easy to do] please check out the SDK documentation and our Tablet development center at > frankgo_ms (Expert): Q: is there a way to discover which strokes (by ID) used for recognition? (for example the letter 't' need two strokes) A: You can explore the stroke information collected and retrieve the stokeid if interested, please check out the SDK documentation and our Tablet development center at ;. + VictoriaKruse_MS (Expert): Q: Microsoft working on a v2.0 of Windows journal ? A: No V2 of Windows Journal has been announced. Sears Young [MS] (Expert): Q: will the up coming recognizer pack will enable the use of inkedit and inkpicture on a desktop pc? A: Just to clarify, you will be able to install the Recognizer Pack off-tablet, but will need to have the Tablet PC 1.7 SDK installed before hand. Note, this scenario is for development purposes only. ArinGoldberg_MS (Expert): Q: I've heard that there is supported code in windows tablet edition which tracks the angle of rotation of the digitiser - what kind of use can you see this for? I can only think of perhaps scrolling the page. A: Assuming that you are talking about the rotation of the stylus on the digitizer, then the Tablet PC Platform already supports this functionality. Unfortunately, the current hardware available today doesn't support this yet. This is an issue that the OEM's of Tablet PC Hardware need to address. Robert Williams MS (Expert): Q: I know that MS Internet Explorer team has a blog. Does the Tablet PC team have one and if not will there be one? A: We do not currently have a blog. I'll look at the IE blog and discuss with our team. Of course the same challenges occur here that occur with my personal blog. I don't want to strat one unless there is team commitment to keep it alive. frankgo_ms (Expert): Q: Are there any plans to support in-air gestures? I know with the new 1.7 SDK that you can intercept the digitizer data before it is rendered, but how about some real gesture recognition for in-air packets? A: In Air packets are supported today and yes you can perform gesture recognition on this packet data. There is some information on this in our SDK and at our development center > VictoriaKruse_MS (Expert): Q: When will I be able to run Media Center on a TabletPC? You know how cool that would be, admit it!!! A: We agree that it would be very cool, but no plans to allow a "Media Center Tablet PC" have been announced. We will continue to evaluate new opportunities for Media Center and for Tablet PC technologies, especially as we work on the next operating system. ArinGoldberg_MS (Expert): Q: how can i create a mirror image stroke from a given stroke? A: To create a mirror image, you need to call GetPackets() on the Stroke, then create a new stroke with the packets in reverse order. If you are not using the 1.7 SDK, you will be limited to only creating the X,Y data. With the 1.7 SDK you can CreateStroke() on the Ink object with other packet properties such as pressure. SpencerGoad_MVP (Expert): Q: I've run GoBinder maybe once. I've downloaded OneNote. However, I don't want Outlook Integration. Remember the old Office Binder of 97 and 2000? I'm looking for something like that, only ink-enabled. Does this exist? A: I don't really know of anything exactly like that. The options I know about are GoBinder, OneNote, and Franklin Covey's PlanPlus. GoBinder and PlanPlus do have Outlook integration, but you don't have to use it. frankgo_ms (Expert): Q: Have any tablet events/road shows been scheduled yet for the fall in the US? A: Yes, we do plan to have presence at events this year, for example we will be at Educause 2004 in two weeks. Keep checking tabletpc.com for more information and if you’re an ISV you can check out our new ISV Program at > Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): Q: Andrew, if the cursor no longer moves is that a function of the hardware or the OS? (We have one Acer C300 with that sickness.) A: There's no way to know for sure. One suggestion might be to reinstall your graphics driver (or upgrade to the latest one). I'd also recommend posting your question in the Tablet PC newsgroup as well for additional assistance: http://www.microsoft.com/...newsgroups/default.asp ArinGoldberg_MS (Expert): Q: is it possible to add transparent strokes on inkpicture object for collision detection with the user input? A: Sure, each stroke has a DrawingAttributes property, the DrawingAttributes has a transparancy property, this you can set between 0 (transparent) and 255 (opaque). ArinGoldberg_MS (Expert): Q: And while we are at it, on the subject for parsing formats, how about documentation to parse .isf? A: What are you trying to parse? All of the data that is stored in ISF is available through the Ink object's API. - HPClean

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Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100

SpencerGoad_MVP (Expert): Q: Is there any documentation available for the Journal Notes format? I would like to pase --parse the .jnt format within my applications. A: There is no documentation or SDK for Journal at this time. You might like to check out Agilix InfiNotes though, it provides some similar functionality - http://www.agilix.com/www/note-control.aspx + frankgo_ms (Expert): Q: One day could it be possible to read Windows Journal file or OneNote file on a Pocket PC ? A: Interesting question, we don’t have any plans today but would love to understand what scenario you had in mind. Robert Williams MS (Expert): Q: Dell explicitly says it is now shipping systems with SP2, but many of the tablets (HP, Motion, Toshiba) appear to still be shipping with the old OS, now two months after RTM. Do you expect all tablet OEMs to meet the 90 day deadline to roll their image? A: Yes we do. Each OEM has their own timetablet for rolling their images but we expect them to hit the 90 day window. frankgo_ms (Expert): Q: Any clues regarding why I can't use the entire screen within Word 2003 to ink text? I can only access the small panel that pops up via the TIP? A: I think what you are doing is inserting an Ink Comment, try inserting Ink Annotations instead. Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): Q: k that is interesting - i hope this is on the topic but eh why get tablet pc over a Media Center PC A: The Tablet PC and Media Center PC serve completely different functions. Which one is right for your needs depends on many factors, such as portability. VictoriaKruse_MS (Expert): Q: whats your fav tablet computer? Hp, toshiba,... A: They're all our favorites, of course. We can't say which ones we particularly favor, but you can get opinions from others on the Tablet PC newsgroup (microsoft.public.windows.tabletpc). The main factors differentiating Tablets are form (convertible/slate), battery life, processing power, presence of an optical drive, size and weight, screen characteristics, price, etc. If you know what's most important to you (speed over battery life for example), then I'm sure the others can give you some recommendations. Sears Young [MS] (Expert): Q: about my input panel disappearing when undock after sp2 install. Is that i remember i did install a beta copy of sp2, but i do have final installed now A: When you say that your Input Panel is disappearing after selecting Undock, I believe what you're describing is the designed behavior. When you select Undock in the docked Input Panel, it closes the docked window, but allows for the in-place Input Panel icon to appear in the target insertion point within the Operating System, Applications, etc. When you select Undock, do you see an orange floating Input Panel icon next to the blinking cursor within an input field? For example, select Undock, open Notepad, and place the active cursor within the Notepad window. Does an orange icon appear? If so, tap it to bring up the in-place Input Panel window. ArinGoldberg_MS (Expert): Q: Is there any documentation available for the Journal Notes format? I would like to pase --parse the .jnt format within my applications. A: I can actually announce today that we will be shipping a .jnt format reader component in the near future. Keep your eyes posted to our Tablet PC Development Center for more information: http://msdn.microsoft.com/tabletpc/ frankgo_ms (Expert): Q: the "windows" browsing gui has limitations and on a tabletpc even more when right click is not as available as pc - why not moving to a tree like browsing to have more benefits ? A: This is excellent feedback and something we heard before and have incorporated into our existing planning efforts. Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): Q: the cursor freezes and doesn't allow any input on the schools HP Tablet TC1100 's - running Win Tablet XP (no sp2 yet) - is it likely to be the OS or the hardware? A: It's hard to say for sure if it's hardware or software, as there are many factors. I would strongly recommend you upgrade to SP2, however, since it includes the new Tablet PC 2005 software with many improvements (and is free!). If you are still experiencing cursor freeze issues at that point, for detailed troubleshooting I'd recommend our Tablet PC newsgroup: http://www.microsoft.com/...newsgroups/default.asp Robert Williams MS (Expert): Q: Are there any 'must have' accessories out for the tablet pc that you think we should have? I dont recall coming across any apart from different digitizers A: Answering this question out of context is challenging. It depends on one's personal usage scenario. Some generalities: a good docking solution is high on my list. When working at the desk I like to use a big LCD panel as an extended desktop display and a full KB and mouse. Being able to get into and out of this config (eg, grab and go) with a good docking solution is very valuable to me. I also tend to use the tablet for taking notes while on the phone without removing it from the dock so the dock needs to accomodate that scenario. Beyond that a 2nd battery for all day out of the office is a big help. Also a good KB solution for slates for those times when one absolutely needs a KB. ArinGoldberg_MS (Expert): Q: for developing purpose, how can i enable the use of inkedit and inkpicture on a desktop computer? A: When you install the SDK on a desktop, the Inkpicture and Inkedit will work for collecting Ink. On the desktop, you will need to have a recognizer installed to get the InkEdit to recognize the collected ink. Once the Recognizer Pack is released, a developer will be able to install recognizers on a desktop. SpencerGoad_MVP (Expert): Q: I am trying to run approx. 60 tablet pc's over wireless network (11mbps), they take forever to log onto a Win 2003 network, they are HP TC1100 tablets running Win XP Tablet (no sp2) - would going to a 54mbps wireless cards sort this? A: If you are trying to log them all in simultaneously, yes... going to 54mbps might help. If you are doing them one at a time though, I don't think that would make much of a difference. frankgo_ms (Expert): Q: What about non US roadshows? A: Are scope with all Events is world wide. frankgo_ms (Expert): Q: Ink Annotations only offers the options for Pen, eraser, select objects and line choices. It does not offer the option of writing anywhere on the screen. This problem has been raised several times on the user group forum. A: what version of office? ArinGoldberg_MS (Expert): Q: And while we are at it, on the subject for parsing formats, how about documentation to parse .isf? A: ISF is a binary format, not a file format. The only way to parse it is through its object representation in an Ink object. Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): Q: Two participants asked about the cursor freezing. One has many with the problem and the cursor never returns. I only have one that freezes and then returns for a while, and then stops working again. Please say if hardware or software? A: Again, it is impossible to diagnose for certain as there are dozens of potential factors interacting. For detailed troubleshooting, I'd suggest a post in our Tablet PC newsgroup: http://www.microsoft.com/...newsgroups/default.asp + Chris_H_Tablet MVP (Expert): Q: If i buy a Tablet PC in japan, can i install Tablet PC oS in US language ? A: You could order with the English (US) to start with, otherwise the Tablet PC Edition superset is only available via an MSDN subscription - HPClean

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Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100

frankgo_ms (Expert): Q: Are the developers working on the ergonomic concerns created by removing Write Anywhere and making the wave action and taskbar icon force a docked TIP? A: Not sure I understand completely, the in air wave gesture has always brought up the tip docked at the bottom. What are your ergonomic concerns with removing Write Anywhere? Robert Williams MS (Expert): Q: How accurate is the voice recognition software in Tablet Pc 2005? And what period of time would it require in training to get a very accurate response? A: We don't specify an accuracy level for handwriting or voice. The accuracy level is heavily dependent on the specific end user so it's like EPA ratings for cars, "your mileage may vary." If we gave an average number the only thing we know for sure is that most people would get a different number, so we stay away from it. This is one where the end user needs to give it a try and determine the value as it pertains to their usage patterns and individual voice/handwriting. VictoriaKruse_MS (Expert): Q: Hi, I use a Pocket PC a lot and frequently use a couple of Timer/Stopwatch type applications. Are there any such applications for the Tablet PC? I would use this on my production floor a lot, and other places as well. A: There are plenty of timer and stopwatch programs available on the various software download sites. You don't need something specific to Tablet PC - anything written for Windows XP will work fine. I'm not aware of any ink-enabled timer or stopwatch programs. If you can think of a way that adding ink support to a timer or stopwatch program would be useful, I recommend you suggest it to a software vendor. There are a lot of software companies that are creating ink-enabled software. ArinGoldberg_MS (Expert): Q: in the future is there a chance for tablet pc emulator on the visual studio like the pocket pc emulator? A: Since a Tablet PC is a full Windows XP OS, there is no need for an emulator. You can develop Tablet PC software on any Windows 2000 or greater OS. Once the Recognizer Pack is released, developers will be able to perform recognition on a desktop, for development use. You can also install the Tablet PC OS on the desktop or VPC (as long as you have access to the OS through MSDN) frankgo_ms (Expert): Q: I'm using Office 2003. A: Ok, I am not sure now if I understand your question. Office’s Ink Annotations allow you to write just about anywhere in the document. Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): Okay, we'll be ending the Tablet PC chat in 5 minutes. Last chance for questions! frankgo_ms (Expert): Q: If I do not have the TIP icon floating, and I want to use the TIP, I must have a docked TIP. For me, it is not very comfortable writing at the very top or the very bottom of the screen. I've heard all about the applications not being written correctly... A: ok, great feedback i will pass along to the right folks. Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): Q: If I do not have the TIP icon floating, and I want to use the TIP, I must have a docked TIP. For me, it is not very comfortable writing at the very top or the very bottom of the screen. I've heard all about the applications not being written correctly... A: Can you elaborate on why would you not use the floating TIP icon instead of the docked TIP? frankgo_ms (Expert): Have to run, thanks for all the great questions and feedback... ArinGoldberg_MS (Expert): Thank you for joining us (I've got to go as well) Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): Q: I use the floating TIP whenever I can. However, there are some applications (MS and non-MS) for which this is not available, including my VPN client. A: Okay, thanks for the feedback - we'll make sure it gets to the product team. Can you list the applications you know of where this does not work, to make sure our list is complete? Sears Young [MS] (Expert): Thanks everyone! Great questions today. Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): This concludes our Tablet PC chat for today. Thanks for coming, everyone! Andrew_Brown_MSFT (Moderator): Please feel free to stay and continue to chat about Tablet PC or other Windows topics. VictoriaKruse_MS (Expert): Thanks for your questions! SpencerGoad_MVP (Expert): Thanks all for the questions folks! - HPClean