Over the last few days of orientation some of you have come up to me and asked, so what is that “thing” you are using for notes? It is called a Tablet PC. Some manufacturers also refer to it as a convertible laptop. Many organizations such as, colleges, corporate business firms and specific industries (medical, delivery companies, etc) are using them for convenience and the features they offer.
I can “write” using the digital pen with a software package called Windows Journal. I can use a variety of templates in this program including the spiral notebook for notes (which inserts the date automatically!), memos for “to do” lists, a calendar for my schedule, etc. All of this in my “lovely” handwriting requiring no keyboard at all.  Therefore, I can hold the machine on my lap or flat on the desk as if it were a real spiral notebook. 
The professors in colleges love the fact that they can now actually see students’ faces in class when they use a Tablet PC, instead of the students hiding behind a laptop screen on the desk. (ok this may not be an advantage for the students!)  Also, the annoying tapping sound of the keys as students type on a standard laptop, which can be distracting, is no longer an issue with the Tablet PC since you are writing on it and it makes virtually no sound.
The portability of this machine is also a bonus.  My screen is 12” but you can get one as small as 8” and it weighs very little so holding it on your lap works out just fine.  In addition, you can do all the other things you do on a laptop such as surf the internet and write papers in MS Word using an external wireless keyboard or one that snaps under the screen but is removable.  A fun feature is that your handwritten notes can be converted into text. The convert to text feature is not perfect since handwriting is not perfect (at least mine isn’t) and this feature is best used for smaller amounts of text such as an email message or assignment lists rather than long MS Word documents.   In the coming years, this technology should improve.
The “green” side to my Tablet PC is that since I am taking handwritten notes in class using the digital pen on the PC screen, I will not be using paper. When I write, my handwriting is fairly large and messy so, I like to re-write my notes for clarity. This used to mean having lots of wasted paper. Not anymore!  Moreover, if I want to “erase” something when writing, I click on the eraser icon and rub out the error with my digital pen. Also, with one quick click, actually the correct terminology is “tap” of my digital pen (you click a mouse you tap this pen) I can add blank space in between my existing writing if I want to add in some extra notes that belong there.
Many colleges and companies are studying the effective uses of the tablet PC and have discovered that it is a great tool. A University of Vermont professor, Dr. James Kraushaar and his colleagues conducted such a study and won the Microsoft Research Tablet PC, Technology and Higher Education 2005 Award.  Dr. K. as he is called by his students is a former professor I had when I attended UVM and the school of Business Administration.  I specifically graduated as part of the MIS (management information systems) concentration program.   For more information about Dr. K’s study details can be found on the UVM Business School’s website: http://www.bsad.uvm.edu/home/  or at the Microsoft website you can review the other award winners from other colleges and universities across the country: http://research.microsoft.com/ur/us/fundingopps/RFPs/TabletTech2005_RFP_Awards.aspx
Incidentally, I own a Tablet PC that is manufactured by a company called Motion Computing.  This was the right choice for me.  Many other companies put out a similar product such as Gateway, HP, Toshiba and Acer and more.  In addition, I believe there are products that just have the spiral notebook writing feature as a stand alone product.  This product is more affordable for many students, although it may require purchasing a second machine for standard computing features.
I worked in the MIS and ecommerce field for almost 8 years before coming to VLS.  I am not an expert, but I do love technology and am happy to help anyone who has any questions.  I feel it is a great tool in any industry and hope to bring that to my law studies and career.  I have lived with technology all my life since before my dad brought home from work an IBM machine with dual 5 1/4 floppy diskette drives as our home computer back in 1983.  From that moment on I was hooked; learning basic primer, binary concepts, UNIX commands, etc.