Hands-on Workshop Tablet PCs in Higher Education and Research

Tablet PCs are one of the newest innovations in the computing and communications world. These devices consist of a standard notebook PC configured with a screen (tablet/slate) which acts as both a display device as well as an input device. A stylus or pen can be used to input standard mouse-type commands as well as gesture commands and electronic ink drawings. Native tablet operating systems support the use of this new input capability allowing users to input basic commands and drawings, while also facilitating the creation of innovative applications by software developers. Typical tablet PCs also include built-in wireless networking hardware that allows the user to relatively easily communicate in localized ad hoc networks or over the broader Internet.