Get More From Your Tablet PC: Better Browsing
As I noted in my last post, the Tablet PC is an extremely versatile tool that a number of our middle school teachers are experiencing for the first time. While the Microsoft Education and Experience Packs are great starting points for budding Tablet enthusiasts, inking can be incorporated into most tasks, including Internet browsing. Today we’ll briefly examine three applications that utilize the stylus for surfing the web.
Web Search Power Tool for Tablet PC
The Web Search Power Tool is part of Microsoft’s free suite of PowerToys for Windows XP Tablet PCs. When in Tablet mode, simply ink a search word/phrase and the results will be returned from one of four available search engine options (Google, MSN, Yahoo, and HotBot). Although it is not possible to add other engines, Google should suffice for those occasions when you want to work predominately with the pen.
GeckoTIP
As described at mozdev.org, “The GeckoTIP extension provides Tablet PC Input Panel support in Firefox, Thunderbird, Sunbird, and Flock.” Once installed, special TIP buttons will be available (shown below) that allow for context-sensitive pen input. These buttons make entering URLs and completing web forms a breeze. Those wishing to explore GeckoTIP can find more detailed information and screenshots here.
Clip to OneNote
Although technically not a browsing or stylus-specific tool, Clip to OneNote is one of the most useful FireFox extensions available for the Tablet. Once installed, users can highlight text on a webpage, right-click (or use the stylus button), and send the selection directly to OneNote, complete with the citation address. Installation is simple and directions with screenshots are available here.
Note: Although originally written by Gmx Lee for Firefox 1.5 and Office 2003, the updated extension from Patrick Schmidt works fine with FireFox 3 and Office 2007.
Start Experimenting
If you’ve never used the stylus with a web browser before, I would encourage you to experiment with the Web Search Power Tool and GeckoTIP, and the Clip to OneNote extension is a “must try” for anyone who does online research. There are times when the keyboard is the right tool for the job, but with the right applications, it doesn’t have to be the only tool at your disposal.
