Page 1. Tablets: Let s Get Productive

1 Tablets: Let s Get Productive

Contents Introduction... 5 Types of Tablet Users... 6 What s Important to You?... 7 App Ecosystem... 8 Mobility... 9 Hardware Tools... 9 Other Factors... 11 HUGOMETER Your Algorithm for Choosing a Tablet... 11 Security on a Tablet... 14 Software Infiltration... 14 Device Loss and Cloud Security... 15 Remote Wipe... 15 Online and Offline Interaction... 17 Storage vs. Cloud... 17 How Much Should You Need to Connect?... 18 Going Beyond App Stores... 18 Input on a Tablet... 20 Multi-Touch... 20 Keyboards and Devices... 20 Software Solutions... 21 SWYPE... 21 Handwriting Recognition... 22 Active Digitizing Pen... 22 Voice Recognition... 22 SnapKeys... 23 Potential Alternatives... 23 Note Taking and Voice Memos... 25 One Note vs. Evernote... 25 2

Tips for Note Taking... 26 Speed on the Road... 28 How Fast Is Fast Enough?... 28 3G... 28 4G... 29 WiFi... 29 Video Chat and Conferencing... 29 File Access and Screen Sharing... 30 Phone vs. Tablet Use... 31 Connectivity between Devices... 31 Productivity Tips for Your Tablet... 33 Training Your Apps... 33 Handwriting Recognition... 33 Setting Your Flicks... 34 Voice Recognition... 35 Settings for Popular Apps... 35 Using Search Functions to Find Apps... 36 Cross Platform Input... 36 Project Management... 37 Searchable Notes... 38 Email and Calendar Functions on Your Tablet... 38 Mail... 38 Gmail... 39 Outlook... 39 Integrating a Universal Calendar... 40 Taking Your Work on the Road... 41 Additional Productivity Tips... 42 Case Studies in Productivity... 44 Basfoods... 44 Jon Dee... 45 Herron Todd White... 46 3

Conclusion... 48 4

Introduction If this is your first opportunity to sit down with the Tablet series, you picked what I feel is the most important of them all a close look at the productivity that comes with a tablet PC, how it can be optimized and more importantly, how the way we use tablets will evolve in the years to come. I ve written a lot about Tablet PCs over the years and in that time, one thing I ve come to expect is that I ll almost always be amazed by how people use technology. No matter how creative I feel I ve been with my tablets, someone else will come along and blow it all away with their ingenious use of the format either to produce a new app or software platform or simply to get work done. As per Sevda Karaca, a TEGA v2 user mentioned as part of Tegatech s array of successful case studies showing tablet integration into business, a tablet can be much more than just an emailing device. As a sales manager for Basfoods Australia, Sevda spends most of her time visiting customers, processing orders and checking stock levels. Having to stop and open a notebook every time she needed to access her files just wasn t practical. Portability was the key, and a Windows 7 tablet made it possible to get everything done she needed to do while on the road. She learned how to use a tablet to make her life easier. That s the most amazing thing about tablet PCs the fact that you can do almost anything with them, no matter what you do for a living or how you normally use your home computer. There are factors to consider of course. Everyone is a different user some of us have heavy PC needs on a daily basis. We perform desktop publishing tasks, manage complicated databases, respond to hundreds of emails and much more. Others simply need to stay in touch with other people. Above all else, communication is the key to success for them. Some of us do all of these things and find ourselves waffling back and forth between three or four devices to keep it all straight. But with tablet PCs, everything is changing. It hasn t happened yet there is still a lot left to happen before technology catches up to the dreams and aspirations of its users but eventually tablet PCs will be capable of replacing any of your computing devices, if not all of them. Heck, some of us might end up with multiple tablets that we carry at different times. Some of them for the airplane, others for a weekend away, and others still for a day in the office. 5

That s the beauty of the format you can do anything with a tablet and eventually they will be lightweight enough and specialized enough to carry with you for specific tasks. Types of Tablet Users Before we dive head first into all the ways you can use a tablet PC to make life easier, let s look at the different types of tablet PC users out there right now. Too many conversations focus on how the tablet platform will change to reach the mainstream, but I don t like to think of any market as having a mainstream. Sure, there are consumers who generally use a computer for entertainment and email, but with tablets, we re on the precipice of a major boom. When that happens, there will be dozens of types of users, and each type will have different needs and different definitions of productivity. To truly understand how people use their tablet PCs and what they can use to get more out of them, you first need to know what type of user you are and what you already expect from your device. Traditional Users While I don t feel there is such a thing as a traditional user when it comes to technology, there is a mainstream consumer class; the average Joe or Jane who buys a tablet because they want to read the newspaper at a coffee shop or check email at the airport. For those of you that fall into this category, super powerful devices, enterprise applications, and high end graphics are not necessities. Your focus should be on accessibility and functionality. Power Users The tech set includes everyone who enjoys these devices for the sake of what they can do. They want the biggest, flashiest new hardware, the highest capacity storage, the brightest screens, the most powerful processors. The more a device can do the better. As for how the device will be used, if you fall into this class, your imagination is the limit. Install Linux, dual boot Android, jailbreak it, install PC games do whatever makes you happy. Enterprise Users Enterprise users can include either traditional or power users. The key here is more related to the way in which the technology can be integrated into an existing platform, now how the user wants to use it. How easily can files be transferred between devices? What is the security environment like? How many apps are available for enterprise integration? How friendly is the platform for remote support? If you are researching tablets for enterprise execution, productivity is the premiere concern, but within the context of a secure environment. Gamers and Entertainment Users Early tablets, post ipad, are mostly focused on entertainment and gaming. It s the flashiest category of content and it s universally 6

appealing to just about anyone who s ever played Tetris or Mario, so it s not surprising. However, productivity may not be the utmost concern for someone who simply wants a device on which they can watch movies and play games. Children Right now, very few devices are built specifically for children. The few that are tend to over simplify things. While the ipad could be used effectively by a young child, most parents are a little hesitant handing a $500-$800 device to a grade schooler, but in the future, you can bet a full range of education focused tablets will hit the market, hopefully with a palate of features that offers a chance for fun and education. Specialized Professionals Enterprise is one thing, but there are countless industries in which tablet technology can be used effectively to increase productivity. The most likely right now is the health care industry. As most health care systems digitize their records and admitting processes, tablets will allow on-the-go access to records, tests, and patient information for doctors and nurses, and provided highly valuable resources at the touch of the screen. Other industries that can look forward to productivity boosts from a tablet solution in the years to come include shipping, construction, theatre and live entertainment, and government among others. The list doesn t stop there. We could easily break this down into increasingly smaller groups of people who use their tablets in completely different ways. The point, though, is that not everyone is the same. In the first year or so of the revitalized tablet market, between the release of the ipad and ipad 2, companies all jumped on the all or nothing bandwagon, trying to create a device that would compete with Apple s consumer friendly entertainment device while offering enterprise and power user functions. For some it worked; for most, it did not. We need to recognize that there are a lot of subgroups out there, just as there are for standard PCs. Users who recognize which group they fit into and what their particular needs are will do much better in optimizing their tablet PC experience. What s Important to You? Which of course brings up my next question what is most important to you in a tablet PC? By reading any of the other books in my Tablet series, you know a bit about what I hold dear. I like interconnectivity, productivity boosts, and open platforms that drive innovation. I like anything that makes my life easier and I have some issues with software that limits the uses of a product by the end user. For example, even though itunes provides an infrastructure for quality control and a unified UI, I fear it also limits freedom and ties users into their devices as portals rather than freestanding computers. 7

But, everyone has different priorities, so consider for a moment where you stand on each of the following factors: App Ecosystem Right now there are a handful of different ecosystems you can choose to join. The current frontrunner and the likely leader of the market for at least another year or two is Apple s ios platform. Used on both the iphone and ipad, the ios focuses on entertainment and access to content. Developer solutions are highly encouraged however for dozens of other potential uses including document editing, video conferencing, gaming, and mobile entertainment. With more than 60,000 apps in the App Store and hundreds more added every day, the Apple ecosystem is by far the most vibrant. But, size and opportunity don t necessarily make Apple the best choice for those who want full control over how they use their device. Apple puts a number of heavy restrictions on its App Store, both in how apps are approved and how they are downloaded and distributed. Enterprise use of the ipad is encouraged, but with limited latitude to change how content is distributed, it will be interesting to see how companies handle security and content issues on the platform. That s why Android is so attractive to so many developers and enterprises. The ability to control how content is used and distributed on the Android platform makes it easier to customize the experience to a particular industry. Remote access to devices in the field is not only possible, it s encouraged, and with Google s suite of apps built into the operating system, users can easily tap into cloud tools that boost productivity across all devices. Microsoft s Windows platform is probably best suited for those with productivity in mind. Unfortunately, because Windows is not yet 100% optimized for touch screen use, the platform doesn t provide nearly the support it needs to be a viable replacement to Android or ios. More importantly, Windows is not a complete ecosystem. Right now, we re moving into a new age of computing where devices are defined as much by the OS and surrounding App ecosystem they utilize as by their hardware. Microsoft s model is outdated and inefficient. Expect something to change in the near future for both Windows tablets and how they are used. 8

Mobility After the apps and operating system used by your device, the mobility of that device becomes a major factor in how useful it is to you. For a tablet to be ideal in productivity situations it must be mobile, and that involves three important factors: Weight There are few complaints right now about the weight of tablets with only some exceptions. Most tablets have successfully found ways to reduce weight and create slim devices that pack enough power for their compact bodies. The real question here is whether you d prefer a 7 or 10 body for your tablet. I feel that the 10 model is ideal for productivity, both in terms of screen space and how easy it is to hold. However, some might find the 7 model easier for work because it is so much lighter and easier to store. Battery Life How long your tablet lasts in the field is also very important. There are two classes of tablets today those that run on ARM processors and get 6-10 hours of battery life and those that use Intel based processors and get between 3-6 hours of battery life. The latter consists mostly of Windows tablets and admittedly, it s a major drawback for the platform right now. It s being addressed, thankfully with Windows looking into both more energy efficient Intel processors and the next generation of ARM processors. More importantly, you can expect battery life to start increasing even more in the next year or two as new processor technology is developed and components are further reduced in size. A factor you may want to consider here is the availability of replaceable batteries. Slim devices like the ipad or Xoom do not allow you to swap out batteries. Not only does this tether you to a power cord if you need the device for long periods of time, but it requires you to send the device in for servicing when your battery dies in 2-3 years. Connectivity Finally there is the issue of connectivity to the Internet. There are three options right now WiFi, 3G and 4G. All tablets come with some form of Internet connectivity and there is some degree of debate over just how much access you need. Not only do 3G and 4G connections require monthly subscription to a mobile service provider, the radios increase the price of the tablet by $100-$200. We ll cover how each of these affects your decision more in-depth in a little bit. Hardware Tools Then there is everything else. The ecosystem and mobility are vastly important, but there are some features you may decide are important to your tablet experience. These hardware 9

features are not universally important though. Some people don t need a camera or SD slot while others wouldn t consider buying a device without them. Cameras Since the Galaxy Tab was released in 2010, every new tablet on the market has contained at least one front facing camera for video conferencing. The rear facing camera is optional, though it can be nice, simply because it provides an additional tool when in conversation. If you decide video conferencing is a necessity for your tablet, shop for the right camera to match your needs. Keep the software options in mind as well. The ipad 2 features Facetime, which is interoperable with the iphone and Macs, but Skype is more universal across all platforms Screen Resolution Tablet screens generally look very good. It s rare for a device to release with a muddy, foggy screen. After all, the device is 95% screen, so if that screen didn t look good, it wouldn t be a very attractive option, would it? However, beyond the screen looking good, there are varying degrees of resolution. Very few tablets approach the mind-numbing clarity of the iphone 4 and its HTC competitors with their super high resolution displays, but some come close and the effect is awe-inspiring. If you do detail based work on your tablet, this may be a bigger issue to you than other factors. Expansion - Most Android and Windows based tablets come with SD slots, if only because the technology is inexpensive and the feature is useful. People like to back up their content on external storage and SD cards are incredibly cheap. However, the ipad and ipad 2 both eschew the option for external storage. To be honest, with cloud storage and constant connectivity with 3G and 4G, I don t know how much longer this will be an issue for some users, but if you re in the camp of users who need physical media support, look for expansion slots. VGA Connectivity As great as a tablet is and as definitive as the format will become, sometimes you want to plug that 7 or 10 screen into something a little bigger and share the love. That s where VGA connectivity comes in. Not all tablets provide this support, and those that do don t always make it easy. Ideally, a good tablet will have a simple HDMI or VGA out that allows you to seamlessly plug your device into a TV or computer monitor. Launch a presentation from PowerPoint, share a video you recorded or simply watch a movie this way and you ll know why it s such a great feature. Of course, wires are quickly becoming a thing of the past and developments are being made to provide VGA support over Bluetooth. With more TVs supporting Bluetooth and almost all tablets supporting the wireless format, it s only a matter of time before you can stream anything to pretty much anything else. Accessories Rounding out your next tablet are the accessories you ll use to get the most out of the device. This includes a good carrying case, car charger, port replicator 10

and stylus pretty much anything you need to keep your device safe and accessible while on the go. The right accessories can turn a tablet experience from good into great. Other Factors What else should you be concerned with related to your tablet? There are a lot of features on these devices and not all of them are necessarily related to each of us. Here are some other things to consider when making a choice for your next device: Speed There are a few ways to measure the speed of a tablet, so I won t get into the technical details right away. However, most of the newest tablets available feature dual core processors like the Tegra V2. These processors are faster, more energy efficient and affordable, so they are very popular. Also look for enough physical memory (RAM) usually 1GB or more is plenty for a tablet PC, though the ipad 2 has 512mb and it s a speedy little device. Speakers A tablet is more than a portable media player so it needs to have the pipes for more than one person to hear it. Low audio quality can ruin a device designed to play movies, games and music on the go. Bluetooth You ll be hard pressed to find a tablet that doesn t provide Bluetooth connectivity but they are out there, so beware. Bluetooth is great for headphones, peripherals like digitizing pens and keyboards. Weight and Thickness The average tablet weighs between 1 and 2 pounds and is roughly 12 and 25mm in thickness. That s a pretty lightweight nifty gadget. However, keep in mind that although 2 pounds sounds very light, it is significantly more than a dedicated ereader or portable media player that can be held in one hand. For most users, the weight doesn t matter, but for those who literally take it on the go while walking or working lighter is better. HUGOMETER Your Algorithm for Choosing a Tablet Over the years, the intensely personal decision of how I buy a new tablet has often been determined by a few very important factors. I love tablet PCs and have since the first day I laid eyes on my TabletKiosk i213 Sahara Slate. It was a transformative experience the kind you only have a handful of times in your life and it taught me a very important lesson. You need to think through this process very carefully. Buying a tablet isn t like buying another PC. You can t just look for processor speed and storage and call it good. Each device is made for something different one might be good for a trip to 11

the park and another for video conferencing across the world. Another still might be perfect as a PC replacement while a different one offers the best potential entertainment options. So, I ve taken all of these factors and crafted what I like to call the HUGOMETER, a personal process I go through every time I buy a new tablet or slate and one I want to share with you here. Here are a few of the questions I ask when I run a computer down the HUGOMETER: Desktop Replacement On a scale of 1-10 how important is it that you can use your new tablet as the primary computing device in your arsenal? The higher you score here, the more important factors like VGA connectivity, docking, battery life, and software options become. Speed and Efficiency How fast does your tablet need to be? Are we talking make a Cheetah weep fast or just I need to read the news and watch an occasional video fast. Most tablets meet the challenge of speed, but just how high do you want to set the bar? Again, I use a 1-10 scale here. Finger or Pen? Basically, how important is it that the tablet offers a pen-based interface that allows inking? Is this vital or would you prefer an attractive tablet that focuses on multi-touch input? This might change depending on the device, but you should know which camp you belong in because each device offers different solutions for inking and interface. Connectivity and Expandability On a scale of 1-10, how important is it that the tablet PC be connected all the time and how much expansion should it support? An ipad offers almost no expansion with moderate connectivity through WiFi and 3G. On the other hand, some new tablets like the Xoom or Playbook offer 4G connectivity and plenty of expansion through USB ports and SD slots. How important is it that you remain connected 100% of the time and how will it affect your purchase? Screen Quality This used to be a big time concern in my HUGOMETER measurements. Smaller screens with full scale Windows and low quality resolution made it really hard to do anything on certain tablets. Today, most devices are at least 7 and for Windows, usually 10. Plus, they re freaking gorgeous. But, nonetheless, you want to make sure the screen covers your bases it needs to look good and be easy to work with. Too small and it ll be torture trying to write on your screen. Aesthetics Don t think I d forget the importance of looking good. Today, we have slicker, cooler, and fancier looking devices than ever before and it s nice. Apple gets kudos for making tablets attractive and everyone else followed suit. For hours of the day, you ll hold that curvy device and get things done and people will gawk and watch jealously. How important is the attractiveness factor in the end. 12

When it s all said and done and you have five scores for what matters most on your PC, it s time to sit down and add them up and then compare them to specific devices. We do this by scoring every device on your maybe list and seeing where it stands. Here s a quick peek at the spreadsheet I use to get this done you ll notice how I create separate columns for each potential device and then breakdown my needs and desires based on what each has to offer. Put the HUGOMETER algorithm to use properly and you ll find the perfect tablet or slate for your needs. There s no guarantee you won t find a new tablet you like a few months from now (as I often do), but when that happens, you can use this process again. The important thing is that you find a tablet or slate that fits your needs and that you don t buy whatever device happens to be the coolest or most popular right now. Which of these factors matters to you will depend largely on what you want to get out of your tablet PC? There are hundreds if not thousands of little quirks that you might find more important than someone else so make sure to sit down and map out your necessities in advance. 13

Security on a Tablet If you re an enterprise or power user and want to transition your everyday activities onto a tablet completely, your first concern should be for the security of the device. For some reason, users have a habit of ignoring security on a mobile device where they might be much more careful on their desktop. But, Android and Windows tablets are just as susceptible to viruses, adware, and spyware as your desktop, if not more so due to the constant connectivity of a tablet and the fact that it can get lost or stolen when you re away from home or the office. So, to ensure you can get the most out of your productive hours with a tablet, you must first secure it enough to feel comfortable using it in a coffee shop or at an airport. Software Infiltration The most immediate and familiar threat to any computing device is malware and viruses. We ve been combatting infections on our PCs for decades, using anti-virus software and firewalls to protect our personal files and email accounts from malicious worms and bored hackers. But, tablets are just as highly at risk. If you own an ipad, the risk here is relatively low. Apple products are generally safe because of the approval process and control they have over all software on their devices. No other manufacturer produces the hardware and software and controls every piece of software that can run on the device. If you use a factory ipad or ipad 2 and don t jailbreak it, you won t have to worry about direct security breaches. However, Android devices are different. Because the operating system is written to work on multiple hardware profiles and because the App Marketplace is open and subject to infection as easily as anything you download on the Internet, you should have a good antivirus software suite installed. Google does take a proactive stance in fighting infection, using their kill switch abilities to remove apps from infected devices and delete content remotely, but even so, you should take a proactive role in the protection of your device. Here are some options for software: Lookout Lookout is a fantastic, easy to use Antivirus application for the Android platform that works well on the tablet and phone versions of the software. It also features options like find my phone which will work with a 3G or 4G enabled tablet. AVG AVG is one of the top free antivirus options for Windows and it offers a similarly powerful and affordable option for your Android phone. If you re interested in other 14

commercial options on your phone, Kapersky has one on the market as well. Anti-Virus Free This simple, free antivirus software is free and runs smoothly in the background of your device. How well it captures the newest viruses is hard to tell, however, so it might be better to go with a popular name like Lookout or AVG. If you own a Windows 7 tablet, the same software you use for your desktop or laptop will work equally well for your tablet. There are paid suites like Norton or McAfee antivirus or you can download free options like AVG or Avast. It really depends on how you use your device and how secure you need your data to be. Device Loss and Cloud Security For enterprise users, a major concern is the confidential data that tends to reside on a computer. You carry work files, emails, and other pieces of information that should never be read by outside eyes. It s a primary concern for all IT departments well before a device can be integrated into the enterprise. Device loss is first and foremost a concern. Since all tablets have WiFi or 3G/4G connectivity, there are tools you can use to track your device through GPS. If someone turns the device on after it s been lost, you can remotely lock it and track it. This is available on ios as well as for Android. However, for enterprise environments, a more direct way to lock down content is important. That s why cloud computing has become so popular for many enterprise platforms. It allows users to store all of their personal and secure files on a remote server only accessible with a password. If a device is stolen, all data on that device is essentially inaccessible without a login to the cloud account. Remote Wipe Technology increasingly makes it possible to maintain security on a device hundreds of miles away just as easily as one sitting right next to you. It s a must in the go, go, go world of mobile technology and it s making tablets far more viable as an enterprise solution. Remote wiping is a key selling point for Windows and their Windows Mobile platform, especially when combined with Active Directory domains. Android too has embedded a feature 15

that makes it possible to safeguard a device as a last resort if it gets stolen or lost when out of the office. The idea is simple if you lose your tablet or someone steals it, you can wipe the device remotely the next time it is connected to an Internet connection. If the device is 3G or 4G enabled, that will be immediate. While Remote Wipe capability is a useful tool for all tablet owners, to me it stands heads and shoulders above security tools especially for enterprise users and IT departments. If your business is still considering what will work best for your next IT implementation, you can t go wrong with a Win7 or Android device you need this feature. 16

Online and Offline Interaction Productivity starts with accessibility. How easy is it to access your files and use them on the go? For enterprise users, this is an especially pressing question due to the bevy of security features designed to block access to sensitive data and information if a device is lost. Additionally, connectivity between a tablet PC and a wired in desktop is incredibly important. Without that connectivity, how do you access files on your desktop or transfer work back and forth easily? While both Google and Microsoft have cloud solutions that integrate with their operating systems and Apple s MobileMe service has been expanded in 2011 to provide better service to ipad users, I still rely pretty heavily on third party apps and software to keep my data connected between devices. Storage vs. Cloud When the ipad was first announced, some people were disappointed with the 16GB size of the smallest device. Over a year later, no one mentions storage capacity other than as a note of comparison to other devices. Unless you happen to carry a lot of multimedia on your tablet or if you have a number of apps that use a lot of storage space, the issue is moot. Cloud storage is simply more efficient and boosts productivity more readily than having on board storage. The one argument I can make here is that SD storage is a nice touch, if only because it allows you to securely move files on a physical chip, especially useful if you happen to be disconnected from the Internet at any time. However, for the most part, cloud storage through Box.net, Dropbox, or any of the other rapidly growing cloud services is ideal. Why are we moving so rapidly to the cloud? Think of it this way tablet PCs use flash storage, which has a fairly low capacity maximum compared to traditional disc-based storage on your desktop or laptop. Instead of terabytes, you re storing in gigabytes and to keep the cost down, most tablets have between 16 and 32 GB of storage. Additionally, if you store anything on your tablet, when that device is lost, it s very hard to ensure it doesn t get accessed by a third party. Cloud storage is limitless. You can upload hundreds of gigabytes to a cloud server and it is immediately accessible on any device anywhere in the world. That includes your mobile phone and laptop along with your tablet PC. 17

Imagine you re flying overseas and forgot to transfer a sales presentation to your SD card so you can call it up on your tablet and prepare for your meeting. Simple just login to your cloud server account at the airport and download the presentation to your tablet. Just like that, you have full access to everything you need no matter where you are. Combined with cloud printing and collaborative editing, cloud storage is making productivity tasks far easier when on the go. How Much Should You Need to Connect? At a certain point, you start to wonder exactly how much you should need to connect to your desktop PC. I wrote about this not too long ago in a blog post about GoToMyPC the remote desktop app for ipad and Android from Citrix. I love the idea and it fills a much needed gap in inter device connectivity but ideally, we shouldn t need to connect to these devices at all. A tablet PC, when used properly, takes over as many of the tasks of a desktop as possible. I know it s not possible to complete a whole day s work (most days at least) on a tablet just yet, but with the right tweaks to your productivity, it will soon be possible and that s important. Connectivity to a desktop won t end anytime soon, but right now it s becoming less important for people like NSW Australian of the Year and Planet Ark Co-Founder Jon Dee. He uses the Tega V2 to complete daily tasks and reduce the need for paper in his ongoing quest to save trees and encourage conservation in everyday living. Dee owns an ipad and loves it but he also has a Tega V2 because it provides the opportunity to completely disconnect from his desktop and the environmentally questionable use of so much paper. Using two separate tablets to tackle different aspects of his daily routine, Dee is able to reach new levels of productivity while minimizing the time he spends on a sit-down PC. Going Beyond App Stores Right now, most of what our tablets can do is measured by the app store ecosystem developed by their respective operating systems. Apple s App Store, Android s App Marketplace, and Intel s Meego AppUp Center are all highly touted ways to get content without spending a ton of money to buy a new tablet or software for your device. But, not every ounce of productivity that can be squeezed from a tablet will come directly from the app stores. A certain level of ingenuity and feature integration is needed by both the manufacturer and OS developer. 18

Apple s whole tablet strategy is based on this idea of 60 second increments. They want users to get what they need from their device in 60 seconds or less small bite-sized chunks that they can walk away from quickly. This is a major kink in their armor. Right now, there are users out there who are still enamored with just how cool the ipad is and how much it can do compared to a smart phone or other mobile devices that we were using just a few years ago. But, as users grow accustomed to tablet computing and touch screen productivity, things are going to change. They are going to want something more than bite sized apps and 60 second increments of information. They ll want tools that actually boost productivity something that has been limited in most of the currently popular tablets. And that requires at least a partial return to the idea of the OS and hardware configuration offering a fundamentally useful experience. Apple s ios is a portal to access the content in the App Store. The device itself is fairly limited in what it can do that makes it fast and easy to use, but if you actually want to replace your laptop or netbook with a tablet, the productivity gain isn t there yet. In time, we ll see companies tackle this issue and our tablet PCs will be completely different as a result I honestly can t wait! 19

Input on a Tablet The single most important aspect of productivity on a tablet for me is input method. How do you input data on your tablet and how fast can you adjust to the technology as it develops? In the past, we had one method of entering data on a computer the QWERTY keyboard. Developed almost a hundred years ago, the QWERTY keyboard is outdated and for a lot of people very uncomfortable. So, tablet PCs offer an opportunity unlike anything we ve ever seen before to overhaul the input methods we ve used for so long and provide instant, intuitive methods of using our devices. Which is best? It depends largely on your preferences, but here are the options currently on the market. Multi-Touch Let s start with the default interface for all tablet PCs currently on the market multi-touch. The development of high capacitive touch screens meant that these devices could suddenly be used easily with just the swipe of a finger. It s fantastic and it s what makes them so accessible to almost anyone on the planet. Depending on how you use your tablet PC and how attached you are to traditional input devices, multi-touch has its benefits and drawbacks. To start with, QWERTY input on a touch screen is not always easy, especially on a 7 screen where your fingers are highly unlikely to fit the full length of the device. Beyond QWERTY problems, writing with your finger is a bit sloppy. There is little control and not all apps allow you to rest your hand on the screen while writing. For other things, however, multi-touch is fantastic. A lot of very cool things have been done in gaming with the interface and the act of surfing the Internet in Safari or Chrome is simply wonderful an intuitive experience that you can t beat with a mouse and keyboard. Simply put, if you don t do a lot of typing or note taking on your tablet, the default finger-focused input system will work just fine for you. However, the more data you plan on putting into your device, the more you ll need to focus on some of the other methods listed below. Keyboards and Devices First on the list is keyboard input. I know that a tablet is designed to eschew the need for a keyboard, but sometimes you need to enter a lot of text and a keyboard is still the fastest way 20

to do that. I cannot imagine writing this book without a keyboard there are more than 13,000 words in here and it would take me a very long time to pen it out with a digitizing pen. While quite a few tablets lack many USB ports, they usually have Bluetooth connectivity and there are a handful of very good Bluetooth keyboards on the market you can use for typing on a tablet. Apple makes one themselves that is relatively effective, though as with many of Apple s accessories it isn t very durable or sturdy. One of my favorites is the DiNovo Mini by Logitech. The device comes complete with a point and click touch pad, USB mini-receiver, and Bluetooth 2.0 support for connecting to tablets that don t have USB ports. And better yet, the device can quite literally fit in the palm of your hand, folding up like a clamshell when not in use and dropping into a pocket in your jacket or your briefcase. For quick and simple typing, it s fantastic. Software Solutions There are some other hardware solutions on the market, including keyboard cases that fit directly around your tablet, though with only 10 to work with, these cases are generally very cramped and uncomfortable to type on. And for the vast majority of people, 13,000 words isn t a daily occurrence, so there are some software solutions to the input problem that I feel work equally well if not better than hardware. SWYPE I mentioned SWYPE in Tablets: Understanding Software and Apps as well, and for good reason. The idea behind SWYPE is very simple. Using the same basic technology used for the predictive text software used on more than a billion mobile phones around the world, SWYPE is a predictive motion tool. It basically predicts the words you type as you move your finger across the screen. Here s a great video showing you how the software works, but I ll summarize as well. To start, you place your finger on the first letter of the word you want to type. Then, you move your finger around the on-screen QWERTY keyboard, passing over each letter in the word. The software dynamically determines which word you re typing based on your finger motions and displays it on screen. Not only is it incredibly fast, it is much easier and less frustrating to use than traditional hunt and peck QWERTY interfaces. Only a handful of devices currently carry the SWYPE technology, but expect it to appear more and more often as people 21

come to recognize the futility of typing on a touch screen. Tablets: Let s Get Productive Handwriting Recognition As someone who has followed touch screen computer since the first ones were revealed more than 10 years ago, I can tell you that these devices were built for hand writing recognition. While newer ecosystems like Android and the ios don t use the technology as much as I d like to see, Windows 7 has nearly perfected its tablet input panel (TIP) for easy, intuitive text entry. The idea is simple. A small panel appears on screen in which you can write words, numbers, or equations. Those inputs are then translated into text which appears on screen. The more often you use the system and correct any errors that appear, the more accurate it becomes and the faster you can write. Software like One Note makes this one of the most powerful data entry systems around. Another exciting development in handwriting recognition is that developers are now starting to produce content for Android devices. PhatWare s WritePad 2.1 update for Android goes above and beyond anything we ve yet seen on phones or tablets (outside of Windows) in terms of handwriting recognition. With a similar text input panel to Windows 7, WritePad allows you to use your finger or a stylus to input data to any screen on your Android device, including emails or in-app text entry. Active Digitizing Pen Of course, even powerful systems can be improved upon and there is no better system for data entry than the TIP on a Windows 7 tablet and an active digitizer pen. These pens work in tandem with your multi-touch screen to translate motions of your pen into actions on screen. You can program the pen and train it to respond to the swipes and gestures you make on the screen. Voice Recognition Finally, there is voice recognition. Right now, voice recognition is somewhat lacking on the mobile platform, but there are some very encouraging developments in the field. Google in particular is a big proponent of voice. Their voice search capabilities are now a major part of the Google Search app and their voice commands work exceptionally well on Android devices. 22

If you own or plan on buying a Windows tablet, you re in luck because you ll have access to third party software like Dragon Naturally Speaking. As the longtime leader in voice recognition this software has proven time and again that it is possible to not only control your device with speech, but that you can get much more done this way. In fact, a friend of mine, Doug Mulray a well-known television and radio personality here in Australia has used it exclusively to write several of his books. The idea is fairly simple. Dragon has a number of built-in algorithms to recognize human speech patterns. As you use the software, it will learn from your input. If it gets a word wrong, correct it and the next time through it will be more accurate. Eventually, it will respond accurately almost all of the time (which is better than most of us type, if you think about it). Plus, the average human speaks around 150 words per minute in casual conversation far faster than most people type. If used properly Dragon Naturally Speaking will drastically increase your input speed by as much as 100% depending on your typing speed. And to top everything off, Dragon, as well as Windows 7 s built in voice recognition tool, allows you to create voice commands for opening programs and performing common tasks like copying and pasting. SnapKeys Recently announced and shown off by its developers, SnapKeys is a revolutionary new 4-key keyboard that is designed for use without a physical device, such as when using a tablet PC. Each key on the four key system contains a different type of letter including 1 downward point, 2 downward points, closed loops and flat bottomed letters. If that sounds complicated, it isn t nearly as tough as you might think. The real tough part is learning how to rethink where your fingers should be. For most of us, QWERTY is engrained in our minds as surely as the English language. SnapKeys is different because there are only four touch points and the keyboard is responsible for determining what you re trying to type similar to auto-complete or SWYPE. Already, the software is being tested for devices like the ipad, and it is very fast. Imagine being able to type something quickly and easily with just your thumbs on a tablet, without giving up 40% or more of the screen s real estate for a QWERTY keyboard. Potential Alternatives What else will we see as time passes? If you ve watched Science Fiction films, you probably have a good idea of what some people are working on. In fact, the technology we have in tablets right now might remind some of you of Star Trek already. One of my favorite 23

demonstrations of new touch interface is the go anywhere touch interface produced by Pattie Maes and Pranav Mistry. They showed off their technology at TED two years ago, showing you how a heads-up display would allow you to perform touch gestures on any surface of your choosing from a 3 notecard to a 60 wall face. The idea is simple enough a series of sensors are used to measure and follow the movements of your hands as they interact with as projected surface. The projection appears on whatever flat, static surface you choose, and as you move your fingers in familiar multi-touch gestures, you can manipulate the surface. How it will be integrated into consumer devices remains to be seen but the simple idea that we can use anything, anywhere as a screen is incredible. Another motion based device has taken the gaming world by storm. The folks at Microsoft have a hit on their hands with the Kinect gaming device for the Xbox 360. Microsoft invested hundreds of millions of dollars into the research and development of Kinect and they are constantly updating and revising the algorithms in the device to be more accurate in recognizing different people based on common facial features and gestures. In short, this device can recognize who you are and follow along with your motions. The device may just be used for gaming right now, but the technology behind it could just as easily be adapted in the years to come for tablets or smart phones, allowing us to enter data and commands with motions of our fingers or eyes. In fact, right now there is a growing movement of programmers and hobbyists who are finding ways to use the Kinect device for common tasks on a PC. Microsoft has even opened up their development kits and challenged the community to find new ways to use the Kinect. Time will tell exactly how this technology will be useful for personal computing but as it develops and eventually moves beyond gaming, you can bet Microsoft and its partners will find new ways to tap into the power of motion computing it s just too useful of a technology not to. 24

Note Taking and Voice Memos Whether you re on the go or are in a meeting, you want your tablet to be ready for note taking. There are quite a few different solutions for each platform, and while I admittedly have my own favorites, you may find yourself aligning with a different app or platform than myself. Regardless of your choices, though, a good note taking app and voice memo system is vital. Regardless of which option you choose, make sure it is cloud based. There is nothing more frustrating than taking a note on your device and then not having access to that note later when you need it, either on your desktop PC or your phone. Luckily, most note taking apps these days have full cloud integration, if not directly in the note taking app, through Dropbox or another third party cloud service. One Note vs. Evernote I ve made no secret of my unabashed love of One Note. This software goes onto every new tablet or PC I buy and is used almost immediately. What makes One Note so great? For me, it s the strong support for handwriting input. While most note taking programs these days focus on organization and cross platform support, One Note has built an extremely powerful series of handwriting recognition tools and search features. Using the TIP, you can write notes in One Note which are then digitized and indexed. When you search for your notes, One Note can bring them up, even when written by hand. Plus, because One Note now integrates into Microsoft s cloud services, you can access the same Notebooks across all of your applicable devices, including desktops, laptops, phones, and Macs. That s a lot of data accessibility. What about Evernote? Evernote is simplicity defined. This free tool is available for every major platform on the market, including BlackBerry and WebOS. It allows you to quickly and easily integrate your notes into your applications with Add-ins for Microsoft Office and it instantly syncs between all devices on the fly. Evernote allows notes to be taken of audio clips and photos (no video yet, but probably soon) and provides tools for easy tagging, cataloging and searching. I use Evernote every day in conjunction with One Note to jot down my thoughts and access them later when I need to review what I was thinking. It s essentially the perfect combination of speed and features. 25

Tips for Note Taking Everyone takes notes differently on a tablet PC so how you use software like Evernote or OneNote will depend largely on what you use your notes for and where you want to access them. Personally, I feel One Note is the more powerful software, but it admittedly isn t available on every platform so if you use an Android or ios device, Evernote is a good supplement. To get the most out of each tool, here are some simple productivity related tips: Use Tags and Labels Liberally For every note you write, make sure you use at least one label or tag to make searching easier. Most major note taking tools will support this feature and it cuts a great deal of time out of searching for something you jotted down weeks ago. Make sure you use the notebooks feature in your note taking tool of choice as well. Always Add Text to Images and Audio Recordings If you record a lot of audio in Evernote or take pictures or screenshots in One Note, make sure you tag everything with text notes so you can find that audio clip or image later. It will save you a lot of time in indexing and organizing these files. Active Digitizing Pens Are Your Friend If you choose a Windows 7 tablet, an active digitizer pen will make the entire process much more productive. The speed with which you can enter data and switch between applications is much enhanced and you ll gain the ability to do far more with hand written notes. Right now there are two manufacturers vying for the top position in this space Wacom and ntrig. While Wacom holds a secure place as the leader in handwritten (and freehand input) on PCs, ntrig is spending millions of dollars to ensure it has a place too. Personally I don t like the idiosyncrasies the ntrig brings to tablets and still favour Wacom for the crispest pen input experience. However, Ntrig may well take first place in the coming years if they continue to invest and capture OEM partner s attention. Backup Notes Between Tools Evernote integrates into nearly everything, including Firefox and Internet Explorer as well as Microsoft Office. So, when you save notes to one note taking tool, save them to the other. One Note and Evernote for example can sync up very well. If you happen to need access to your One Note journals on a smart phone that only supports Evernote, this is a must. Limit Software Options Don t use too many note taking applications. The whole point of cloud based note taking is that you can access the same notes from any device, no matter where you are. If you start using a different tool for every device you own, it will quickly become impossible to keep track of everything. You don t have to use One Note and Evernote (though I highly recommend you do), but you should choose a platform 26

that can be used on all of your devices. Not everyone has time to stop what they are doing, whip out an active digitizer and jot down all their thoughts in One Note, so having easy touch screen access to a voice memo system is incredibly useful. Evernote includes voice memo tools allowing you to record up to 90 minutes of audio that are synced to your cloud account as soon as the recording stops. Newer versions of Evernote allow you to capture screenshots on tablets with cameras and soon enough, I imagine we ll be able to record video and add it to our Evernote accounts too (though how long that feature will remain free, I don t know). However you decide to use your tablet for note taking, be sure you integrate a powerful voice memo recording system. 27

Speed on the Road Accessibility is a major plus for any tablet owner. Being able to instantly review data, check email, or talk to a coworker from anywhere in the world is one of the main reasons the tablet PC format is so popular right now. But, there is some argument over how fast the connection needs to be and whether it should be persistent or if WiFi is enough. Here are some thoughts to help you decide what works best for you. How Fast Is Fast Enough? Speed is important, but how fast do you need your tablet connection to be? A lot of it depends on where you ll use your device. Take Herron Todd White for example. As the largest independent property advisor in Australia, Herron Todd While must quickly and accurately make valuations for properties so banks can proceed with mortgages for their customers. That means being in remote locations, busy urban streets, or on the road, working all the time. With constant connectivity via a Samsung Q1UP Ultra Mobile PC, that became possible. Mobility, connectivity, and the power of a full scale Windows operating system basically made it feasible for valuers to do anything while on the road, from jotting down some notes to writing up an email. In the case of Todd Herron White, connectivity is a must. And while the vast majority of users don t need to be connected to a high speed 4G network 100% of the time, but that doesn t mean the technology isn t incredibly useful. Here are some additional thoughts to help you decide which method is best for you. 3G This won t be an option for too many more years as most networks are now rolling out faster 4G alternatives, but 3G accessibility is still a very big deal for most users. The big question is whether it is worthwhile or not. Most streaming applications are optimized for WiFi, not 3G, which means you won t be able to watch Netflix or use your video chat while on a 3G network (some providers allow this, so it depends on who you use). Another issue to consider is the cost of the added antenna and connection speed. You ll spend at least an extra $140 for a 3G enabled tablet over the same device with WiFi only, but in a year or two, the technology will likely be replaced with 4G, plus you ll pay a monthly 28

fee for the access. Is it worth it to you to have that extra connection? If you use your tablet almost primarily in fixed locations with WiFi like your office or home, 3G may not be necessary. 4G The newest kid on the block is 4G. This technology is much faster than 3G, allowing users to surf the Internet and download files at or above fixed broadband speeds. New devices are just starting to release with 4G support, so you may not have your choice of devices with this speed yet, but in a year or two, I expect all major tablets will launch with a 4G version available, at least those in the higher budget range. The cost for 4G access is comparable to 3G, but in some cases, you ll sign a contract to use your 4G ready device. Not everyone is providing the same on-the-go mobile broadband access that Apple managed to work out with its providers. It remains to be seen just how important this kind of speed will be. If you happen to watch a lot of streaming video, play online games, or use video conferencing a lot, however, 4G may very well be worth the cost of admission for you. WiFi Wireless Internet is the standard for all tablets. Even the most basic level tablets have a WiFi receiver that works on a wide range. It has to if it wants to be even remotely useful. Whether you need a more powerful connection depends on a few things. First, do you need connectivity while on the road? WiFi is stationary. If you re moving either in a train or in a car it won t work unless the hot spot is in your car. Second, do you have a phone with hot spot capabilities? More and more 3G and 4G phones can be converted into hotspots when needed to provide added connectivity in a pinch. Finally, do you stream data constantly on your device? Speed limitations are mostly related to 3G, but you never know how fast a 3 rd party WiFi network will be. Some are notoriously slow, especially when traveling. Video Chat and Conferencing Introduced in limited format on the Galaxy Tab, video conferencing and chat on a tablet is now common place. All major releases feature a front facing camera that allows you to easily interact with people from around the globe. It s actually quite incredible if you think about it. We ve reached the point where personal contact and interaction is possible no matter where you are the world just grew yet a little smaller. 29

In terms of what you need for ideal video chat, it depends largely on how you will use the technology. If you just want to talk to your parents or brother across the country at home, a WiFi device like an ipad with Facetime is fine. It s mobile so you can chat on your couch instead of at your PC and it works very well on WiFi. But, if you want your video chat to provide a tangible boost to productivity from anywhere, it needs to have access to a mobile network preferably 4G for crisp connections and no lag. Check the camera resolution on your tablet as well. Some devices have been released with low resolution front facing cameras. They work, but not at an ideal level of detail. If you want to showcase a project or involve multiple people in the conversation, it is much harder with a poor camera and microphone. A lot of devices come with their own proprietary video chatting software Apple has Facetime and Google has video chat for example. But, I personally prefer tools like Skype that work across all platforms. Just because you decide you want to use Android for your company s tablet deployment, doesn t mean your partners in Tennessee will do the same. They may have ipads or Windows tablets that can t use Google video chat yet. Third party tools are universal and while they don t always work on 3G (this often depends on your service carrier rather than the device), they will all work on 4G (if not now, eventually). Video chat is currently coming into its own as a powerful tool that needs to be available on a mobile device for it to be useful. As implementation grows, it will become a standard tool in business communications a la the conference call. File Access and Screen Sharing As soon as video chat and 4G became a reality, I wanted to know when we d see screen sharing and file collaboration. If you use Skype or a comparable tool like Qik on your PC, you ve probably used these tools already. They are incredibly powerful when trying to discuss something with a contractor or colleague hundreds of miles away. Instead of describing something, you can simply show them what they need to see. While it remains to be seen if we will ever see remote access available for the ios, it is already available for the Android platform in IT packages. As the system develops, I am excited to see remote access apps made available. Imagine customer service that allows you to remotely login to a client s tablet PC and show them how to solve a problem. They don t need to be at their PC and your staff doesn t need to try and explain complex fixes on the phone. 30

Phone vs. Tablet Use The tablet boom all started with phones. Even when Apple decided they wanted to build a tablet PC, they released the technology first in the iphone because they didn t feel the support and speed was quite there to drive tablet sales. So, most of us that own a tablet also own a comparably fast touch screen smart phone. Where do you draw the line between those devices and what tasks can bleed between them? It depends a lot on how many places you carry your tablet and how connected it is. Connectivity between Devices First, there is the issue of connectivity. For those that own an ipad, the natural phone to buy is an iphone. Apps are interoperable, the data can be transferred through itunes and the accounts are all shared. That doesn t mean either device is the best for your particular needs, but if you enjoy one, you ll likely enjoy the other. For Android users, the options are even more numerous. Again, you can choose to own both an Android phone and tablet, but since there are more than 40 Android phones on the market and soon to be a dozen Android tablets, you don t have to pick just one for your next device. You can own an HTC phone and a Motorola tablet, or an LG tablet and a Samsung phone. The choice is yours and the operating system and its apps will transfer smoothly between devices. Those with the biggest question mark for their phone are in the Windows crowd. Unless Microsoft decides to adapt their Windows Phone 7 operating system to the tablet market, there is no comparable OS for your phone to match up with your PC. That said, I still think WP7 is a great option. With easy access to your Office files and Live account, it integrates directly into the ecosystem you re used to. The software and apps are not interchangeable, but data transferability is easy enough which is a big plus. How much do the platforms need to match up? Honestly, not much if you re a heavy tablet user. Unless you leave your tablet at home and never bring it with you on the road, the odds are that you ll do very little between your phone and tablet. Because of apps like Evernote and Dropbox, you can transfer files easily between different platforms and you ll never know the difference. It depends largely on how you use the devices, but as technology grows and connectivity improves for tablet users, the phone you use matters less and less. What Should Your Tablet Do That Your Phone Doesn t? 31

When the ipad first came out, a lot of people wondered what the difference between it and the iphone were, other than the size and phone features. When the iphone 4 was released with the same internal specs as the ipad, the question grew even more pronounced. But, as time passed, the ipad proved quite soundly that there was a market for a larger device with more screen space and different types of apps. But, what exactly should your tablet do that your phone doesn t? It depends on your phone partly. If you have a super powerful smart phone, you can surely do most of your communication on it. Email, calls, video chat, and check-ins are all done on the phone, so a tablet doesn t need to stand out there in any discernable way. But, for a tablet to really impact how productive you are from day to day, it needs to do more than just offer a bigger screen for the same apps. It needs to provide actual workspace for you to complete daily tasks. This is one of my biggest problems with the ipad. It s not the device itself which is comparable to a lot of other hardware, but how the ecosystem is implemented. Because app development is limited, we have certain deficiencies like no Flash support for certain websites, a big productivity killer for users who utilize chat and collaboration tools that use Flash. Additionally, the ipad s security platform is closed, but not controllable. Users who want to take over the distribution of content and control of access must find creative workarounds to do so. It s not ideal for everyone. So, when asked what a tablet should do that a phone doesn t, I often say everything. If your phone can t do it, your tablet should. Otherwise, we re creating a category of device between phone and laptop that is nothing more than a glorified entertainment device. It s cool, but eventually the novelty will wear off and people will wonder why they still need to carry three devices with them everywhere. That s why I so firmly support the full-implementation of a Windows interface on a tablet device it s a full computer with the hardware needed to get things done, and you don t have to make sacrifices for the sake of mobility. As the years pass, these devices will become easier to use, more portable, and best of all, a heck of a lot of fun. 32

Productivity Tips for Your Tablet The point of this book is to show you how to get the most out of your tablet PC. I hope I ve helped you realize your options for cloud storage, note taking, platform selection and connectivity, but I m not done just yet. There are some fun tricks you can use with your tablet that will further increase its productivity depending on your platform. Keep reading for ways to get even more out of your tablet. Training Your Apps Apps and software are vital to getting the most out of your tablet, but they don t always come out of the box at optimal efficiency. For some tasks like handwriting recognition especially, the productivity of the app depends largely on your ability to train it to recognize your handwriting and gestures. The better it gets at recognizing what you write, the faster it will record your thoughts. This applies mostly to Windows 7 devices that have the Tablet Input Panel (TIP), a high powered handwriting recognition tool that other tablets don t offer. In the future, however, expect Apple and Google to both look into the technology and offer similar tools for the tablets. The productivity gain is just too big to ignore. Handwriting Recognition Everyone has different handwriting so naturally the TIP in Windows 7 and WritePad for Android won t recognize everything you input perfectly the first time. That s why Microsoft has included a series of tools that make it easy for you to train the software to recognize the quirks in your handwriting. Better yet, it can save a profile depending on who is logged into the PC at any given time, allowing you to personalize handwriting on a PC for multiple users. There are two ways to use the handwriting recognition tool. The first method is to use the Personalization interface to enter data as it is presented to you. Windows will ask you to write specific sentences and then save them. The software will then analyze your handwriting and save a database with your specific handwriting quirks. Ideally, over time, it will have a full database of everything you ve written so it can determine what your I s and F s look like. Another option here is to turn on the Automatic Learning tool. This allows the software to actively save data about your handwriting as you use the device. It will pick up word patterns, 33

usage statistics and much more so that when you use your tablet PC it can quickly determine what is being written. With automatic learning enabled, accuracy will increase over time. More importantly, if the recognizer gets a word wrong, you can easily correct it with the error detection tool. Whenever it gets something wrong, make sure to correct it so it will have better data in the future. Deleting and starting from scratch doesn t actually help you much. One last note here most handwriting recognition does better with cursive script than it does with block lettering. Because cursive tends to be more consistent and because it is continuous, the results are more consistent as well. This will of course depend partially on your handwriting style and quality, but for the most part, cursive is the best way to write on a tablet PC. If you write in other languages, Windows 7 supports a number of different languages with the Multiple User Interface (MUI) pack. Currently, there are more than 10 languages for handwriting input. Setting Your Flicks In Windows 7 you can go one step further with your pen and define various flicks and gestures that allow you to perform different tasks in the Operating System. By mapping tasks like copy and paste to different flicks of your pen, you save a lot of time digging through menus and can speed through simple tasks much faster. Here are a few things you can do with your pen that are natively supported by Windows 7: Press and Hold If you press and hold the pen on the screen, it will open up the right click screen for whatever software you currently have open. You can set the time for the menu to appear after a press and hold in your touch screen options. Multi-touch Any modern tablet supports multi touch gestures such as panning, zooming and rotating. Just make sure to set the sensitivity and reaction of your gestures in the settings if you d prefer them to do something else. Flicks Flicks can be customized in the Windows 7 Control Panel, under the Pen and Touch menu. Here you ll find easy check boxes to set navigational flicks and editing flicks for your pen. I recommend you set these to the most common actions you perform with your pen this will likely include copying, pasting, going back in a browser, or closing a menu. There are a lot of options to choose from here. Since the number of flicks you can use is limited, you ll probably end up changing them a few times as you determine which ones are best for you. 34

Flicks and gestures help you save a lot of time when writing on a tablet PC. Since you don t have the accuracy of a mouse and keyboard to help you, any shortcut is a speed boost. Voice Recognition Not every tablet has speech recognition built in, but those that do or those that have software options available offer yet another way to speed up input of data in your device. Specifically, Windows 7 allows you to do this with its built-in Speech Recognition tool. Much like your text input panel, you ll need to train the speech recognition to pick up your voice and its various quirks. However, once you do this, you can use it to perform a number of common tasks on the computer. The most common task is dictation entering data or text into the PC without the use of an input device or keyboard. However, you can also use the voice recognition tools to open and close software, navigate the Internet, or find a file. For more advanced voice recognition, software like Dragon Naturally Speaking is a big upgrade. Again, lots of training is required to teach your software to recognize your voice, but as time passes, it will pick up on how you speak easily enough. Settings for Popular Apps The more apps you have, the more features your tablet has to work with. To get the most out of those apps, you should carefully manage the settings of those apps. Specifically, choose which apps appear on which screens and how they interact with your data. Organization Organize your apps into folders or pages that fit their needs. The most commonly used apps should be on the front page and the least commonly on the last. Keep games in their own separate folder so they don t use up screen real estate and make sure you clean up your tablet dashboard every few weeks to remove old apps you no longer use. Home Screen Data Choose which apps go on the home screen carefully. For the ipad, this just means which ones you place on the first page and the home bar. The home bar has four default apps as well as two slots for added apps of your choice. Pick the two apps you use most. For Android, you have far more flexibility because of the widgets you can place on your home screen. Choose to display recent email, a clock, or recent app notifications and news on your home screen this way. Push Support All tablets support push notifications in some form. To take full advantage of the push notification system, turn it on only for the apps that relate to 35

work. It s easy to forget and start getting push updates for games, sports apps, and entertainment announcements that have no relation to your work (and will ultimately distract you), so liberally edit your push settings whenever you can. Apps are the single most effective aspect of the tablet. However, if you re not careful, you ll quickly get distracted or overwhelmed by them. So, make sure to carefully clean up your apps and choose which ones will appear, what data they provide and how you will interact with that data on your home screen. Using Search Functions to Find Apps Here s a quick tip for those with too much data to sort through. Use the search function usually found on the home page of your tablet. For the ipad it s the screen to the left of your home page. For Android users it s built into the home page directly. Search for apps or data within apps whenever you need to find something fast. Instead of digging around in your menus trying to find a file or email, the search box will take care of it for you. Universal search can be messy, but it is still faster than simply trying to remember where you put something. Cross Platform Input If you use multiple platforms between your PC, tablet and phone, you need a note taking system that will work equally well on all of them. There are some very attractive apps for Android and ios for note taking like Things and Notes but they don t work nearly as well (or at all in some cases) on different platforms. That s why I m a devoted fan of Evernote for just this purpose. Evernote is available for every platform, even older feature phones that lack app support. It also syncs on a cloud server and allows you to record audio memos and take pictures. In short, it s a fantastic solution for crossplatform note taking. It has some limitations of course. Specifically, Evernote has no handwriting recognition or note taking support. That s why I use One Note. Until recently, One Note was a Windows only app (it is now available for ios as a mobile app with limited functionality), but for those that own Windows tablets, One Note is without peers in its ability to organize and sync handwritten notes on the go. 36

Project Management Project management on a tablet can be done in a number of ways. If you simply need to keep track of your own tasks, the easiest way to do so is with a calendar tool which all tablets have in some capacity. For me, that means Microsoft Outlook synced up with Google Apps. For others it may be a simple web calendar supported through the ipad s Calendar screen. However, if you juggle multiple contractors, hundreds of tasks per week, and dozens of invitations and meetings each week, your project or task management tools need to be powerful enough to keep up with you and seamless enough to make things easier not harder. There are quite literally dozens of apps for the ipad that offer task management in some form or another. Here are a couple that frequently appear at the top of the productivity listings: Things A very Apple-style app for entering tasks and to do lists on your device. Awesome Note Awesome Note is only on the ios but it syncs with Evernote notebooks, allowing you to create calendars from your tasks and to do lists. Wunderlist A simple, free task manager that syncs with a web edition. MindManager As a premier project management tool for Windows, MindManager is powerful, intuitive and ideally suited for tablet or slate use. With Catalyst or Sharepoint, you can put your documents and maps from MindManager into a cloud and access them anywhere, and there is an iphone app available for accessing and editing your mind maps. WorldCard This tool allows you to scan and file business cards using OCR. You can also use your phone s camera to capture and file data. The list goes on, and that doesn t include the creative ways that people manage to track their to-do lists in Evernote or One Note both of which work effectively on an ipad. For those with Android, there are not quite as many apps, but the solutions are coming along nicely and will soon offer everything you need to effectively maintain your tasks on a Honeycomb device. But, for optimal project management, you want tools that are accessible anywhere and seamless between platforms luckily, there are a lot of options now becoming common place on the web. Tools like Base Camp and Highrise from Signal37 are powerful project management and CRM tools that have become highly popular for web-based access and affordable scalability. Ideally, the tablet platform should offer as many types of tools as the PC platform allowing us to manage and maintain tasks the way that makes the most sense for us, not the device manufacturer. 37

And as technology grows and tools become more oriented on enterprise productivity, I am excited to see collaboration tools grow alongside them. With more powerful devices, 4G connections, and limitless applications, real-time screen sharing and document sharing will be a huge boost to productivity for many users. It already works fantastically on desktops why not mobile devices? Searchable Notes All good note taking software allows you to search a database of content. However, the best ones are those that can dynamically search non-typed data. I m talking about audio memos, pictures and handwritten notes. While no one has perfected audio and photo searching yet (short of tagging and descriptions), handwritten notes can be searched very well by One Note. Since there are so few other tools on tablet PCs that actually allow the searching of handwritten notes (some are finally starting to appear for the ipad an Android devices, but not nearly as powerful), this only applies for Windows 7 tablet users. Email and Calendar Functions on Your Tablet Email and calendar functions are both fundamental aspects of a computing experience. Regardless of how you use your device, you need both to work effectively so you can access your communications with ease. Here is a closer look at tips for all three major platforms. Mail Apple s email platform for ios is fairly simple. It doesn t provide anything beyond basic email writing and reading options, but it does those very well. Folders can be created and with a universal inbox, you can access and respond to messages with ease. The biggest issue you ll notice with Apple Mail is that you can t integrate your messages directly into your calendar or create tasks. While ios does include a Calendar feature, it s very limited unless synced to a cloud tool like Google Calendar or Office Live. If you plan on using your ipad for work, you will likely still need a PC with Outlook installed for more powerful email and scheduling applications. One option here is to sync your Outlook folders and calendar to a cloud server either through Google Apps for Business or through Office Live. You can then load that data directly on your ios device and edit it on the fly. It s not a perfect solution (and it can be frustrating to setup), 38

but it works. Gmail Gmail is a universal tool that will likely be used by anyone reading this book, regardless of the platform on which you use it. However, for Android users Gmail is a far more powerful platform on a tablet than it is on other devices. Gmail can be accessed via the mobile browser on both the ipad and Windows 7 tablets, but you ll receive the same basic Gmail interface (or an enhanced mobile option) as you do on your desktop or laptop. For Android users, Gmail integration is fantastic. You re not limited by the browser or the IMAP settings on the ipad. Furthermore, if your business uses Google Apps for Business, a universal login makes it easy to access all of your data on an Android or Windows 7 tablet with ease. In terms of built-in, free options, Gmail is a favorite for tablets. Outlook is still more powerful, but since it doesn t come pre-installed on any device, you can t go wrong with Google s email tools. If you create a Google Apps for Business account, the single greatest tool available to you is the Google Apps Sync for Microsoft Outlook tool. This tool allows you to instantly sync your Google Apps account to your Outlook profile on any PC. It updates automatically for all messages, calendar entries and contacts. I can grab ANY computer and within minutes of booting it up, have gigabytes of messages, calendar events and much more all loaded into the device and syncing back to my Google Apps account. Right now, this is by far my favorite way to manage email and if you happen to be using someone else s PC and cannot sync your messages to Outlook, you have web access through Gmail. Outlook By far the best option or a Windows 7 tablet PC is Outlook. With some touch enhancements and dozens of features not available on any other tablet, Outlook is the best email management tool on the market, especially if you have Office 2010 and the newest version with enhanced calendar views and task management. I don t have much else to say about Outlook than that. It s a powerful tool and a whole book could be written with productivity tips for this software alone. This is essentially the difference between the App Store model and the software suite model. Outlook could never exist on an Apple tablet because it wouldn t fit into the App Store with its complex settings and power user applications. However, it does provide the best multi-inbox management, task integration and calendar tools on the market. 39

Integrating a Universal Calendar Every tool on this list offers its own calendar. So, which one should you use and how do you access that information on the go from any of your devices? If you own a PC or Windows tablet, I recommend you choose Outlook and its calendar feature. With the 2010 update, the Outlook calendar is extremely powerful. Tasks can be integrated easily, there are dozens of views to choose from and your data integrates with your messages and invites in seconds. To turn you Outlook calendar into a universal calendar, however, is a different matter altogether. You have a few options here: Google Calendar Sync Google offers a calendar sync tool that allows you to upload your entire Outlook calendar to Google which can then be synced to your ipad or Android device. It is not always 100% accurate, however. Companion Link Companion link is a third party tool that works fantastically well to sync your Outlook Calendar and email with a phone, tablet or Google account. It s one of the most accurate tools available and it works in both directions (two way sync). This is your best option for a personal Google account. Mobile Me Apple offers a cloud sync option as well that is effective but still costs money. Mobile Me syncs your calendar, contacts, email, gallery, and bookmarks on a cloud server, but as of right now still costs $99 a year. There are rumors that the MobileMe service will be made free in 5.0 ios upgrade this summer. It remains to be seen whether this will happen or not it makes sense though considering Google offers all of these services for free on its Android platform. Google Apps for Business For whatever reason, Google s business tools for syncing calendars between Outlook and the web are far better than those used for personal accounts. While the Google Calendar Sync misses events at times and requires manual syncs between the 1+ hour settings it installs with, the Google Sync tool for Google Apps works in real time to sync your calendars, contacts, and messages between you Google Apps account and your Outlook profile. This of course only applies for people who have Google Apps, but I m hoping to see the same quality integrated into personal accounts soon. Keeping your data in one place isn t easy but with cloud tools, the time to find a file you edited elsewhere is evaporating. With wireless updates, remote data access and plenty of ways to tap into your content from a third party device, hopefully soon it won t require multiple choices. 40

Taking Your Work on the Road If your tablet is destined for work tasks while traveling, you need apps that provide optimal efficiency and a plan to use them. Luckily, there are fantastic options for all three platforms to choose from. Dropbox and GoodReader Dropbox is the ultimate cloud tool because it integrates so well into all the major platforms. Third party app developers often choose Dropbox as their cloud partner of choice, meaning you can save data directly to your Dropbox account with most of these services (including Documents to Go and Quick Office). Good Reader is a separate tool that allows you to open files in any major file format you can imagine from Microsoft Office to Lotus to Open Office or iwork. It integrates directly into your operating system so that if you get an email or download a file, you can open it directly from that app without having to save it to your device. It also opens.zip folders, a feature severely lacking on the ios as of yet. Good Reader is a tool largely for ipad and Android users as most PCs can open these formats or download a separate reader to do so. However, Dropbox should be installed on every platform (or a comparable piece of software like Box.net). Quick Office or Documents to Go Because the ipad and Android devices don t run Microsoft Office, they lack the most powerful productivity software currently available. Android now has a much better interface for Google Docs, but even still, you must be connected to the Internet to use it and not everyone creates and edits files with Google Docs on their desktop. So, you need a third party tool like Quick Office (ios) or Documents to Go (Android) to open and edit Word or Excel files. There are quite a few alternatives to these particular pieces of software, but for the most part, these are the best. LogMeIn or GoToMyPC If you have sensitive data stored on your desktop computer or software that you cannot use on your tablet, remote access allows you to login to your computer from a distance and access that content. LogMeIn has been available for some time as a paid remote desktop tool while 41

GoToMyPC is powered by Citrix, which requires a separate subscription for your desktop account. In either case, you can access data on your PC from a tablet or smartphone on the go. Don t expect your tablet to access and use powerful software without some glitches, but if you need to open an image real quick or access a PDF from your desktop to print, this works very well. Hopefully soon we won t need to use such software as tablets get more powerful and allows us access to more Apps and better productivity tools on the go. Microsoft Office There s a good reason millions of people use Microsoft Office. For those that opt for a Windows 7 tablet, Microsoft Office offers essentially everything you need for your productivity tasks. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and One Note make up the core of the suite, while Outlook is a must for anyone trying to juggle hundreds of emails and calendar tasks each day. A lot of people ask me whether they need to get a Windows 7 tablet so they can use Office. For me it comes down to two issues first, do you want to replace common tasks you perform on your laptop with a tablet PC? And second, do you want to get those tasks done just as fast or faster? If you don t plan on dumping your laptop or netbook and you only want a tablet for email and quick access to files on the go, then Office may not be necessary for your setup. However, if you plan on actually editing Excel and Word documents or producing presentations on the road, a tablet needs enough power to run Office and the software itself to get those tasks done. Additional Productivity Tips Productivity should never be limited to someone else s ideas. There are literally thousands of ways you can make a tablet part of your daily routine. I ve used my tablet alongside my desktop to access information as I type an email. I ve used VGA connectors to hook up the tablet to a projector and give a presentation while navigating through tasks on the screen with a stylus. I have read a PDF downloaded to my tablet via Dropbox when I forgot to print it out for a long flight. The options are limitless, but only if you open yourself up to the possibility that a tablet PC can replace your standard devices without slowing things down. Most importantly of all is the software you choose for your tablet. On the ipad and soon on Android devices, Apps make it possible to do almost anything you can think of the results are not always ideal, but creative 42

developers are finding ways to milk every ounce of productivity out of these devices and then some. On Windows tablets, your standard tasks become more mobile with the use of a stylus and tools that you probably ignored before like One Note. Don t be afraid to play with tools in the Windows Settings like Voice Recognition, the Handwriting trainer, and more. These tools will make your Tablet PC infinitely more accessible and productive as you learn to use it. 43

Case Studies in Productivity It s easy to say that a tablet will boost productivity, but how do you know for sure it will work in your situation? Here are a handful of individuals and businesses who have completely transformed their productivity with tablet PCs taking their work on the road and getting more out of themselves and their businesses because of it. And if you re interested in reading more case studies from Tegatech, email me anytime and I ll be glad to provide additional details. Basfoods Download Case Study As someone who spends her working day walking through restaurants and supermarket isles, Sevda Karaca was happy to ditch a cumbersome notebook for a Tegatech Tega v2 tablet. Karaca is sales manager for Basfoods Australia, a Melbourne-based wholesaler of Turkish and Mediterranean food. She spends her days on her feet visiting customers, checking stock levels and processing orders on the spot. Juggling a notebook computer just isn't practical while you're on the move, so she turned to Tegatech for a more portable computing solution. She found the perfect solution in the Windows 7-powered Tega v2 tablet. "I need the power of a proper computer to access our ordering system, but using a notebook while you're on the move just isn't practical. It's awkward to get the lid open and you can't balance it on one hand or use it while you're standing or moving. I knew there had to be something better," Karaca says. Basfoods approached Tegatech for a solution to Karaca's problems. After evaluating her needs, Tegatech supplied her with a Tega v2 tablet. The Tega v2 sports a large 10.2-inch TFT LCD touchscreen, with a built-in HSDPA modem designed to stay online while you're out and about. It's only 25mm thick and weighs in at a mere 1kg, making it easy for Karaca to process orders on the run. It also runs Windows 7, so she can run the same software that she'd run on a Windows notebook. "If the job is going to be done properly then you need the proper tools, and that's why we turned to Tegatech. They've got the experience with tablets that ensured we got the best tool for the job," Karaca says. "The Tega v2's size and design is certainly convenient, plus it has a touchscreen so it's easy to use rather than messing around with a keyboard. It's just like carrying around a clipboard, but it's a proper computer that lets me search through back orders and do everything else I could do if I was sitting at a desk." 44

"Using a tablet is not just about convenience, using a tablet also saves me time - which means orders get processed faster and I get more done during the day. I can process orders on the spot and put them straight into the system, rather than waiting until I get back to the office or messing around with fax machines. It saves everyone else's time as well, because there's no double-handling of orders." Karaca is impressed not only with the Tega v2 tablet, but also with the level of customer service provided by Tegatech. "Tegatech were great to deal with because they actually sat down with us and discussed my needs," she says. "Then they showed me the Tega v2 and let me try it out to make sure it was the right tablet for me. It's great to deal with an organisation like Tegatech that's not just interested in shipping gadgets but actually making sure it's the right tool for the job." Jon Dee Download Case Study As a businessman and environmental campaigner, Jon Dee sees a bright future for tablets in reducing our reliance on paper. Planet Ark Co-Founder and NSW Australian of the Year 2010, Dee is also one of the campaigners behind National Tree Day which has seen 2 million volunteers plant 15 million native trees and shrubs. He s also a keen technology lover and has been using tablet computers for almost a decade. Armed with a sleek TEGA v2 tablet supplied by Tegatech, Dee finds that working with electronic documents saves both time and trees. The TEGA v2 is Tegatech s own 10-inch tablet running Windows 7. Weighing in at a mere 870gm, it features a multi-touch display, USB and memory card ports, front camera and Adobe Flash capability. I have a policy - when I go into meetings and people offer me wads of paper I refuse it and ask; can I have it as a PDF please?, Dee says. That way I can view it on the TEGA and use my fingers to interact with it like with paper, but still retain the advantage of electronically searching the document. The TEGA v2 is a tablet but it s still a fully-fledged computer running Windows. If you have to look up a certain key phrase in a report, you can find it in seconds on a tablet. So there are some advantages in terms of not just environmental benefits but also time efficiency. Dee is also an ipad early adopter and, while it has its strengths, he feels the ipad too restrictive to play a key role in a work environment. 45

I m a big fan of the ipad. I use it for reading Wired magazine, plus it s great for watching movies or looking at photos. The rise of the ipad has certainly caused people to think about using tablet computers in a work environment, but perhaps not with a restricted platform like the ipad s ios. That s where something like the Windows 7-powered TEGA v2 is very interesting, because it gives you the ability to utilise a tablet interface yet still access all your normal programs and the corporate backend, Dee says. The TEGA v2 is an excellent option for organisations which are reluctant to implement ipads because of compatibility concerns with existing IT infrastructure, Dee says. Using your fingers to Interact with a screen is very intuitive. I ve strongly believed for a long time that this is where computers are heading. In terms of the size and shape the v2 is very similar to the ipad, it s certainly a long way from the clunky tablets of old, he says. I ll admit that Windows still has some tweaking to do to make Windows 7 as user-friendly as the ipad in terms of interface. Of course that s where Tegatech s expertise comes in. Tegatech s knowledge of the tablet space makes it the perfect partner for tightly integrating a tablet rollout with your existing systems. Herron Todd White Download Case Study Time is money when you're dealing with the banks, which is why nationwide valuation firm Herron Todd White has embraced a fleet of Ultra Mobile PCs from Tegatech. Herron Todd White is Australia's largest independent property advisor and the major banks rely on its valuations when arranging mortgages. The pressure to provide fast and accurate valuations directly from the field saw Herron Todd White turn to Tegatech when rolling out more than 100 Samsung Q1UP Ultra Mobile PCs. "We work in a very technology-driven industry. The quicker we can get the valuation done, the quicker the banks can approve a mortgage and therefore gain or retain a customer," says Herron Todd White Wnterprise Architect Darren Oliver. "We've got 300 valuers spread across the country and time really is money in our industry, which is why Ultra Mobile PCs are perfect for us." Herron Todd White's valuers originally used Pocket PC devices, but the move to Windows Mobile 5 saw the valuation software slow to a crawl. Rather than rewrite the application for Windows Mobile, the company went in search of a true Windows-based solution that didn't require reinventing the wheel. 46

"Our valuers didn't want to carry around bulky 12 or 14-inch Tablet PCs when inspecting properties, they just wanted something small that would happily run our Windows applications," Oliver says. "Our office environment is built around Lotus Notes, so the move to a Windows-based Ultra Mobile PC like the Samsung Q1UP means we can run the same applications on our desktop machines and the UMPCs. We got it all up and running very easily. In fact, the UMPCs are powerful enough that, back in the office, our valuers can run a Citrix session whilst plugged into a desktop keyboard, monitor and mouse. They really appreciate the flexibility of using the same device in the office and out on the road." The Samsung Q1UP is a tiny all-in-one tablet-style computer, weighing a mere 860gm yet running a full version of Windows in the form of XP Tablet Edition 2005. Unlike a notebook UMPCs lack a traditional keyboard, instead the Samsung Q1UP features a split QWERTY keyboard alongside the screen. The Samsung Q1UP's generous 7-inch display allows Herron Todd White's valuers to view a lot more information at once, speeding up the valuation process by reducing the need to scroll and flick through pages. The in-built camera makes it simple to capture photographs, while wireless internet access allows valuers to enter data straight into bank websites when necessary. Printing documents from the Samsung UMPCs is also much simpler than from Pocket PC devices. Tegatech played a key role in helping Herron Todd White find the right tool for the job. A pool of loan devices was made available to Oliver and his team, allowing them to trial a range of Ultra Mobile PCs and rate them according to their needs. Tegatech's breadth of both product range and experience gave Herron Todd White the backing required to drive a successful nationwide UMPC rollout. "Both Tegatech and its Ultra Mobile PCs have certainly met our expectations," Oliver says, "plus the devices offer the company a lot more freedom to do things in the future. We spend our days valuing other people's assets, but these UMPCs and Tegatech's support are certainly a valuable asset to our organisation." 47

Conclusion Tablet PC productivity isn t a myth. There are people like you and I out there right now doing most if not all of our computing on a tablet. The technology is there, the hardware is there. Now is the time to put our ingenuity and creativity to the test and make sure the tools are effective for every task we perform. From the moment you wake up in the morning and marvel at how cool your tablet is, to the moment you lounge in bed at night, polishing off emails on your slim, light device, you ll know that tablet computing is the perfect solution for everything you ve ever wanted out of a computer. Faster, mobile, and best of all, really freaking cool, you ll never again want to use a desktop PC. And right now, we re rapidly approaching the day when that will be possible. If you use a computer every day to perform common tasks, a tablet PC can and will help you get more done faster, and if you have fun at the same time, all the better! 48