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Tablet PC: Evolutionary Tool for Natural Computing?

Explore the history, challenges, and potential of tablet PCs in this informative article by Butler Lampson from Microsoft. Discover the benefits of mobility, reading, writing, sketching, and gestures with a tablet PC. Learn about the prerequisites for success, hardware and software futures, vertical applications, and the future of tablet PCs in relation to cellphones, laptops, and people.

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Tablet PC: Evolutionary Tool for Natural Computing?

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  1. Butler Lampson Microsoft August 4, 2004

  2. Tablet PC: Revolutionary Tool or Etch-a-Sketch? Butler Lampson Microsoft August 4, 2004

  3. Why tablets? • Mobility • Reading • Pen • Pointing • Writing • Sketching • Gestures • Make the computer natural Butler Lampson: Tablet PC

  4. History • Dynabook (1968) • Workslate, TRS-80 (1982) • Lectrice (1996) – originally for reading; $8K • Pen Windows/ Go • Palm / Pocket PC • Win CE Clio Butler Lampson: Tablet PC

  5. Alan Kay’s Dynabook mockup (1968) Butler Lampson: Tablet PC

  6. Convergent Workslate (1982) Butler Lampson: Tablet PC

  7. TRS-80 Model 100 (1983) Butler Lampson: Tablet PC

  8. DEC SRC Lectrice (1994, $8k) Butler Lampson: Tablet PC

  9. Lessons from past failures • A tablet must be a full PC. Why? • Must have volume to keep cost down • Users need to run full apps • Don’t want two >$1k computers • Don’t want to carry two bulky things • Lampson’s law: Devices must differ in size by 5x • Watch • Cellphone • Tablet/laptop • Desktop • Being a full PC is hard • And it’s a moving target Butler Lampson: Tablet PC

  10. Slogans • The power of the PC, the simplicity of paper • Grab and go • Think in ink • Every laptop is a tablet • Tablet PC, the first computer good enough to criticize—Alan Kay Butler Lampson: Tablet PC

  11. Prerequisites for success • Hardware • Display: ≥120 dpi, good viewing • Digitizer: ≥120 dpi, hover • Wireless networking • Ultralight laptop engineering • Cycles and RAM for handwriting, speech • Software • UI compatibility: all kbd, mouse actions • No changes to base platform • Handwriting recognition • Cleartype for reading • Decent scribbling application Butler Lampson: Tablet PC

  12. Today’s tablets • NEC: Excellent slate, except for battery life • Motion: Good slate, part of good system • Toshiba: Excellent convertible Butler Lampson: Tablet PC

  13. NEC Litepad(2003, 2.2 lb) Butler Lampson: Tablet PC

  14. Motion M1400 (2004, 3 lb)—Grab and Go Butler Lampson: Tablet PC

  15. Toshiba M200(2004, 4 lb)—Convertible Butler Lampson: Tablet PC

  16. Natural UI: The guessing game • Computer UI: My way or the highway • Input is unambiguous • It’s your fault if the wrong thing happens • Natural UI: Ambiguous—machine must guess • What if it guesses wrong? • New requirements • I can tell what it guessed • I can undo any state changes from a wrong guess • I can say what I wanted in another way • Perhaps clunkier, but less ambiguous Butler Lampson: Tablet PC

  17. Lessons from V1 Tablet PCs • The biggest threat to development: Creativity • Keeps people from focusing on essentials • UI design is hard • Even the best people need many iterations • Example: TIP • It’s easy to overreach • The guessing game is hard • Examples: Journal and OneNote • Microsoft doesn’t understand images • Why Tablet PC doesn’t integrate PDF • Importance of ergonomics—hard for OEMs Butler Lampson: Tablet PC

  18. Hardware futures • Display • Quality: reflections, resolution, parallax, contrast • Size: smaller • New technologies: eInk • Digitizer • Cost • Calibration • Better integrated keyboard • Ride laptop evolution • Battery life • Weight—less than 2.5 lbs. • Rugged—especially for K–12 Butler Lampson: Tablet PC

  19. Software futures • Pen • Gestures—proofreader marks show what’s possible • Math input • Sketch recognition • Ink annotation – auto reflow • Speech – audio input the biggest problem • Natural language commands • Display • Smaller: UI issues • Recruiting local projector, other screens • Camera/scanner – needs image processing • Seamless networking, disconnected operation Butler Lampson: Tablet PC

  20. Vertical applications • Health care • Just what doctors need • Many system issues, however • Education • Are computers any good for education • Or is it just for cheap textbooks Butler Lampson: Tablet PC

  21. Revolution through evolution • Changes are incremental • Market is still small: << 1% of Windows • Few tablet-specific apps • Mostly small tweaks to existing apps • But it’s a different relationship to the computer • Much more intimate • Much closer to the physical world • In the end, big changes Butler Lampson: Tablet PC

  22. The future is bright, but cloudy • Tablet vs cellphone • Phone will integrate GPS, PDA, music, camera • Reading is unclear: screen size • Writing is even less clear: reading plus speech? • Tablet vs laptop • Every laptop a tablet? • Weight vs screen size vs power tradeoffs • Tablet vs people • Natural input • Computing at your fingertips Butler Lampson: Tablet PC

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