6. Awe-Inspiring Handwriting Recognition

One thing is clear: the handwriting-recognition software is what will make or break the Tablet PC. And in this area, Microsoft has done its homework very thoroughly. The success rate of the recognition software is very high, even for novice users.

Granted, if your chicken scratchings often give rise to head scratching, even this excellent implementation won't be able to decipher your handwriting accurately. However, you can still select the PDA-esque Character Recognition option in the input panel, instead of the Writing Pad.

Office XP And The Tablet PC

The Office XP Tablet Pack bridges the gap between the Office applications Outlook, PowerPoint and Word and the Tablet PC. After downloading and installing the (free) Tablet Pack, you will see a freely movable, scalable freehand panel in each Office application where you can enter data with a pen. The size and position of the panel can be changed as you see fit. The panel allows you to insert handwritten notes, comments or even sketches into Word documents and PowerPoint presentations.