Getting more out of your Tablet PC

Tablet PC Input Panel allows you to enter text in your computer without using the keyboard. Check out these tips to help make it easier for you to use Tablet PC Input Panel to enter and correct text.

• Handwriting recognition is currently available for English, Japanese, Chinese (Traditional), Chinese (Simplified), Korean, German, French, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, and Portuguese (Brazil). If you are not using one of these input languages, you can use the on-screen keyboard in Tablet PC Input Panel to enter text without using a standard keyboard.

• If you write a word in Input Panel and it's recognized as multiple words, you can use your tablet pen to drag across the recognized text to select all of the word. The correction area will open so that you can delete the unintended spaces within the word. This is especially useful if you're writing a word that contains both letters and numbers.

• You can use gestures to delete text and control the insertion point. Gesture are motions that you make with your tablet pen, or a symbol that you draw with your tablet pen. For information about how to use gestures, see How do I use gestures in Tablet PC Input Panel?

• Set the Insert button so that it works when you point to it with your pen. This way, you don't have to tap the Insert button to insert the recognized text. Instead, you can just wave your pen over the button, which can make it faster for you to enter text.

  To insert text by pointing to the Insert button

  1. Open Input Panel. (Tap the Input Panel tab, which appears on the left edge of the screen by default.)

  2. Tap Tools.

  3. Tap Options.

  4. On the Settings tab of the Options dialog box, tap Pointing to the Insert button inserts text.

  For information about other settings that you can modify in the Options dialog box, see Customizing Tablet PC Input Panel.

It can be frustrating if your handwriting is not recognized correctly by your Tablet PC. There are several things that you can do to improve the chances that your handwriting is recognized correctly.

• Turn on automatic learning for personalization.

  Automatic learning lets the handwriting recognizer collect and use information about words that you write and how you write them.

• Provide lots of handwriting samples in the Handwriting recognition personalization tool.

  Open the Handwriting recognition personalization tool by tapping the Start button , tapping All Programs, tapping Tablet PC, and then tapping Personalize Handwriting Recognition.

• Personalize handwriting recognition for all of the available languages that you use. To determine what languages are currently available for handwriting personalization and how to provide handwriting samples for a language other than your default input language, see Personalizing handwriting recognition for another language.

• Improve handwriting recognition for words such as proper names, acronyms, technical terms, and abbreviations by adding them to the handwriting dictionary. For instructions about how to add words to the handwriting dictionary, see Strategies for improving handwriting recognition.

You can use your pen instead of the mouse to move around the screen. The following tips can help you do more with your tablet pen.

• Use your tablet pen even if you are using a convertible Tablet PC in laptop mode. You might find that this feels more natural than using a mouse or the pointing device that is included on your Tablet PC keyboard.

• Turn on pen flicks. You can customize pen flicks so that you can use a pen flick instead of any key or keyboard shortcut. For more information about pen flicks, see What are pen flicks?

  To turn on and customize pen flicks

  1. Open Pen and Input Devices by tapping the Start button , tapping Control Panel, tapping Mobile PC, and then tapping Pen and Input Devices.

  2. Tap the Flicks tab to turn on and customize pen flicks.

• Use Snipping Tool to capture an area of your screen and write on it with your tablet pen. You can then use the captured image in an e-mail message, a Windows Journal file, or anywhere else that you can paste an image. For example, use Snipping Tool to highlight important information in a spreadsheet and send it in e-mail. Or, use it to capture an interesting headline from a website to use in a presentation.

• Use check boxes to select multiple items, such as files and folders.

  For information about using check boxes, see Select multiple items using a tablet pen.

Don't forget about the buttons on your Tablet PC (called tablet buttons).

Tablet buttons

These buttons can give you a quick way to perform common tasks. For example, if you frequently open Windows Journal, you can set a tablet button to do this for you.

You can assign two actions to most tablet buttons. Press the button once quickly to perform the primary action. Or, press and hold the button to perform the secondary action.