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TechEd 2004 Europe coverage : major upgrade to Tablet PC operating system coming this summer July 01, 2004 [mobile PCs (Tablet PC, mini-PC, ...)] | By Edward J. R. When it will be released (some time this summer) in full commercial version then it will be called "Windows XP, Tablet PC 2005 Edition". For now it is available as "Service Pack 2" in Beta (non-final) version for Windows XP Tablet PC edition. So what's new in the new version that you will be able to download for your Tablet PC quickly from Internet and take advantage from the new features immediately? Well, apart from overall improvements in handwriting recognition, it will feature one groundreaking change: the floating virtual keyboard that appears on demand exactly there where you want it, namely in the text entry field. Once you will move pen of yor Tablet PC over text entry area a little "button for the virtual keyboard" will appear: 
... and after tapping on it with a pen a virtual keyboard will appear: 
Virtual keyboard means: either the handwriting area as pictured above, or a genuine virtual keyboard - with buttons to tap on. Another novelty in the new major version of Tablet PC operatin system will be possibility to write continuosly in several lines on the handwriting recognition area: 
Yet another improvement will be the way user corrects the handwriting recognition results, what make the process easier: 
Here is the version information of the service pack that constitutes preview for the next major upcoming Tablet PC update: 
It is kind of beta yet, so not for commercial use. Conclusion: the new major version of Tablet PC operating system that wil be available very soon brings some major improvemnts. Keeping in mind that resolution of screen of some latest Tablet PC devices reaches even 1400x1050, the possibility to have virtual keyboard appear exactly in the vicinity of text entry area. By now it was necessary to drag and drop the virtual keyboard across the whole big big area of the screen to the place where text entry area was located. Big improvement indeed. Unfortunately the left-handed users of Tablet PC operating system still are being neglected and it is not possible to have scroll bar located on the left side of windows of standard system applications. Well, so still there is a room for improvement but Tablet PC becomes, with the new floating virtual keyboard something really qualitatively better.  Post your comment (free registration is required to post, but if you register you can edit your posts later)
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