Tag Archives: Tablet PCs

Get a FREE Copy of Forms2Base Pro – The Tablet PC eForms Solution

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Today we are announcing our new eForms library (not much to look at, yet) which allows our Forms2Base Pro and Litecustomers to share and download eForms.  We thought this would be a great way to let folks get a jumpstart on using Tablet PCs and eForms, and also show off all the great forms they’ve created.  Users will be able to search and sort forms by industry and topic.

The holidays are coming a bit early – As a way to help ‘stock’ our new library, we have decided to provide an incentive for people to upload forms: We will give anyone who creates and uploads a form a FREE copy of Forms2Base Pro (Retail value $499)!   So download your free forms designer software, and get going – you have until January 31, 2007.

Please see the official details below.  I can’t wait to see all the great submissions I know we’ll get!

Get a FREE copy of Forms2Base Pro!

Submit a Form to the new eForms Library

Want to earn a free copy of Forms2Base Pro (retail value of $499)?  Simply submit a form to our eForms library by January 31, 2007 and you will get one free copy of Forms2Base Pro.  Submitted forms are made available to the Forms2Base user community at http://eformslibrary.com/.

Forms2Base has established an eForms library where Forms2Base users can download already designed forms for immediate use in their Forms2Base application.  Forms will be organized by industry and topic, and will consist of both Forms2Base Lite and Forms2Base Pro forms.  All forms in the eForms library are FREE for users to download and use.  Any downloaded eForm can be modified as necessary to support a user’s specific needs.

Help us build our library and get a free copy of Forms2Base Pro!

How to participate?

If not already using our Forms Designer software, download it FREE it at http://www.forms2base.com/download.html and design your forms.

Send an email to support@forms2base.com and attach your designed eForm to be included in the library.   Remember:  Any form submitted to the library is immediately available to others for their use.  All submitted forms will be made available at http://eformslibrary.com/.

After acceptance of your form you will be contacted via email with instructions for activating your free copy of Forms2Base Pro.

For a form to be accepted into the library, and to receive a free copy of Forms2Base it must meet the following simple criteria:

1) Form must be a complete, usable form that will provide value to others

2) Form must not contain any logos, proprietary information, or other material that may infringe on a copyright or trademark.

3) User understands that upon form submission, they are providing Field2Base, Inc a non-exclusive right to distribute the form via www.eFormsLibrary.com

4) Form may not duplicate an existing form in the library

5) Limit one free copy per user

Any questions on this promotion or with on the Forms2Base eForms library may be sent to support@forms2base.com.

Ink Search Tool for Tablet PCs & UMPCs Updated!! (Beta 2 release)

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I’ve made many significant improvements and bug fixes to the Ink Search Tool, and publicly released Beta 2 today!  This release is much faster, and has many new features – Including Desktop Search! WooHoo!

For those unfamiliar with the Ink Search tool, this is a Tablet PC application that lets you write (‘ink’) search terms on your screen rather than typing or using the Tablet Input Panel (TIP).  A more general background can be found here.

Now for the good stuff….  New in this release:

  • Much faster with a lighter footprint
  • Full Windows Vista support (as well as Win XP)
  • Enhanced GUI updates (Very Vista / Office 2007 look, even on Windows XP)
  • Ability to search Google Maps
  • Google Desktop Search!!!
  • Wikipedia Search
  • Slight tweaking in the handwriting recognition
  • And of course, regular Google Search is still in here too

All of the new searches are enabled with a button called, More Searches, selecting that will give you a drop down with the additional searches.  Note: If you do not have Google Desktop Search (GDS) Installed, you will not see the Search Desktop option.

One really cool feature with searching Google Maps is that once you set your default location (via Google) you can enter a business name or type (ex: Computer Stores) and the search will show you the closest matches on the map.  Very neat!

Get the FREE Download Here

(Please uninstall Beta 1 first if you have it installed)

I’ll be adding some additional features soon!!  Keep Watching!

As always, I’d love to hear your input, feedback, and feature requests. Please get in touch here.

Announcing Ink Search Tool for Tablet PCs & UMPCs!!

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[UPDATE: A newer version is now available.  More Info Here]

I’ve just completed a neat little Tablet PC utility that I have wanted for a long time.  The tool lets you write search terms on a small form, and instantly send the terms to a Google search inside your default browser with one tap (or a gesture).  No more awkward use of the Tablet Input Panel (TIP) inside a web page!!

The tool uses the new InkAnalysis API, and so far I have been very impressed with the recognition accuracy.  Some of the beta testers have told me they are seeing better accuracy here than with TIP.

The recognition will automatically add the best result to the query, but you can also select close matches from the lower button bar.  For really difficult words, there is also a character correction screen for quick entry and correction.  I really think you’ll enjoy using this for your searches.

This is a beta version, so there may be a few grinding sounds every now and then, but I think most of them were worked out in the private beta.  Right now the tool just does Google searches (via the Custom Search engine – this is why you’ll see the URL as TabletPCTools.com), but I may expand this to other engines and desktop searches soon.

If you find any problems, have suggestions, feedback or features you’d like to see, please get in touch.

The app does require the Microsoft .NET framework 2.0 to run.  You can get this from Windows Updates.

Download the Tablet Ink Search Tool Free Here!!

Main Screen:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Character Correction:

 

 

 

Launch from the windows Quick Launch Bar:

Fujitsu 1610 Tablet PC – Hands on Preview

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I had the chance to spend a few minutes with a (pre-production) Fujitsu 1610 Tablet PC this morning.  One word – Awesome!

It has a similar (if not the same) feel and form factor as the 1510, with updated hardware AND a PC-Card slot (a MUST have for EVDO/EDGE, and a big issue for the 1510).

I had a chance to run our application on the unit, and the performance was snappy and just as good as any full size tablets.  I was a little concerned about the screen-size and and passive/touch input, but things ran great and were very usable.  I also tried to play a full screen HD video to get a feel for graphics performance, that was good as well, with a few minor jumps and skips – but I’m told this will be much better with the final software drivers.  I should have an eval unit soon, and will be sure to do more testing, and photos.

If you are in the market for a small form-factor convertible tablet you will definitely want to check out the 1610 when they become available(very soon).

For more specs and details on the 1610 (and eveything else mobile), be sure to check out the coverage at GottaBeMobile.com 

Tablet PCs, Ink Blogs, and Education

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I had a nice note yesterday from an Ink Blog user who is using it as an education tool.  She teaches a graphic communication class, and has been creating blog entries, in ink, showing various page layoutsfor her students to review online.

When I wrote the plug in, I would have never imagined it being used for education, but after seeing Romy’s use it just makes perfect sense!  What a great way for educators to quickly and easily post information for students to review – a picture is worth (at least) 1000 words!

Testing Ink Blog Plugin From Vista RC1

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I had a blog comment today wondering if the Ink Blog Plugin runs under Vista.  Oddly enough, I had not yet tried it from a Tablet, so i thought I’d give it a whirl.  Yup, looks like it will work.

Please note, you’ll likely need to follow the instructions here after installing the plugin to get things going.  Make sure to restart Live Writer after applying the update.

Ink Generated with Ink Blog Plugin - https://www1.edholloway.com

Vista, EVDO, and the Toshiba M400 Tablet PC

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I just installed Vista on a shiny new Toshiba M400 Tablet straight out of the box (I booted to XP once just to make sure the hardware was ok).  One of the items I have not seen addressed, and that I was concerned about was whether or not the internal Verizon WWAN EVDO card on the M400-S4032 would work under Vista.

I’m happy to report that using the XP driver for the Novatel Card, available from Toshiba here works just fine.  I have not used EVDO much yet (just 5 minutes to verify it works), but Vista does recognize the device using this driver, and makes a connection just fine.  One less Vista worry 🙂

 

[Update 9/24/06] – A few additional items, and answers to questions:

  • Make sure to activate the EVDO card under XP, and get it running there first
  • If you install Vista to a bare drive (not an XP upgrade) you will want to install a few utilities :
    • Toshiba 3G Power Manager, available on Restore DVD #4 at \comps2\Toshiba 3G RF Power Control Utility\Manual.  Just run the self extracting zip. (Note, if you have CDs instead of DVDs, I do not know what CD# they are on, but I would guess it is on one of the last ones in the set)
    • Latest Verizon Wireless Dialer App, available here
  • I’ve had some on and off issues using the VZW dialer app, but you can create a dial up connectoid (are they still called that in Vista?)  in the following format:
    • Phone #777
    • User: YourPhoneNumber@vzw.com (where YourPhoneNumber is your 10 digit phone number, assigned to your card) Note: some people may need to use @vzw3g.com instead of @vzw.com
    • Pass: vzw
    • If you google #777 and vzw, you’ll get a lot more information about setting this up.

 

Other Vista Resources for the Toshiba M400:

Microsoft Max, Part 2 – The Tablet PC (with video)

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As I mentioned in my last post, I was installing Max on my X41 Tablet to check out the ink.

Some quick observations:

  • Max is EXTREMENLY slow on my X41, basically unusable.  I’ll have to investigate why.
  • Ink is only available in the photo edit mode, not in slideshows or RSS news feeds
  • Only white ink and an eraser are available

All in all, not a great Tablet experience, but I’m sure it will get better, and at least they have started down the Tablet PC / Ink path with the product.

I’ll need to try some other WPF apps on the X41 and see if they are all slow, or if these issues are limited to Max.  My guess is the weak video power (Intel 915 chipset) on the X41 is the culprit, and most next generation WPF apps may behave this way.  Not good :-(.

 

UPDATE: Here is a  better quality video

Oh, and here is a quick screen cap I did showing some of the functionality of Max, including Ink on the Tablet PC.