Tablet Input Devices
Enventra's products use patented math handwriting recognition technology to simplify entering and editing math expressions on your computer.
MoboMath and MoboCalc let you write equations by hand on a tablet PC or external tablet using a digital pen. Both products then translate your handwritten input into formatted math expressions for use in your favorite applications, including Mathematica, Maple, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel.
External Tablets
If you don't already have pen support on your computer but would like to add it, the easiest and least expensive solution is to connect an external tablet. External tablets are available from major online, electronics, and office supply retailers worldwide. Street prices start at less than $60 in the US.
External tablets provide a separate writing surface for handwritten input and typically connect to your laptop or desktop computer through a USB interface. Many models also work like a mouse, tracking your pen as you move it above the tablet surface.
Enventra's products have been tested and verified on Wacom tablets, including the recent Wacom Bamboo models. Many other choices are also available, depending on the tablet size and feature set you prefer. In addition to Enventra's products, tablets can also be used for annotation, drawing, and photo editing in a variety of other popular applications.
Tablet PCs
If you are thinking of buying a new laptop, you may want to look for one with pen support. Tablet computers are available from a variety of major manufacturers, including HP, Toshiba, Lenovo, Fujitsu, Dell, Asus, Motion Computing, and many others. In general, prices for tablet PCs are only slightly higher than for comparable models without tablet support.
On a tablet PC, you write directly on the screen using a digital pen or stylus. The feeling is much like writing on paper, and digital ink appears directly below your pen as you write. Many people find this easier than writing on an external tablet, where your input appears not on the tablet but on your computer's display, requiring more hand-eye coordination.
Tablet PCs are either convertible – meaning the screen can rotate and fold down over the keyboard to create a writing surface as shown above – or slate models with no keyboard. Some tablet PCs may also be called touch-screen laptops. If the laptop you are considering includes a pen or stylus and has an appropriate version of Windows, it can usually function as a tablet PC.
