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Mobile PC
Articles filed under Mobile PC
Articles
Showing 1–31 of 31
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Why Your App’s UX is More Important than You Think
Updated
Have you ever found a great app idea but struggled to use it? Q explains some basic steps you can follow to be sure that your creation doesn’t get put in the pile of unused apps.
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Introduction to HTML5
As the bedrock to the web, HTML has evolved in many ways from its birth in 1991. While the markup language has had its share of ups and downs, the advent of what’s being called “HTML5” is a welcome and much anticipated addition of new semantic capabilities and valuable APIs.
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Getting Started with Windows Mobile Development
Updated
In today’s world of fast food, fast cars, and instant gratification, people expect to be in touch at all times.We have become conditioned to staying in touch with businesses, friends, and families. Because of this desire for instant data, we have the Internet, cell phones, Wi-Fi, MP3 players, and DVD players. As the equipment needed to drive this thirst has become smaller and smaller, we find ourselves looking for portable replacements for our bulky desktop computers.
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Adapting Existing Applications to Work on UMPCs
The Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC) presents a new opportunity for existing applications to extend their potential audience. Microsoft® Windows® desktop applications can mobilize onto the UMPC platform, providing users with desktop functionality while on the move. Windows Mobile™ device applications can take advantage of the larger screen size and storage space of the UMPC to extend the application capabilities.
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Basics of Ink in Windows Presentation Foundation
Ink is a first-class citizen in the next generation of Microsoft® Windows® user interfaces.Microsoft built ink functionality into all versions of the Microsoft Windows Vista™ operating system, and the new Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) makes it easy to ink-enable your applications. Even using ink over moving video is easy in WPF!
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Best Practices in Game Design for the Ultra-Mobile PC
Updated
The Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC) expands the market for PC games that run on Microsoft® Windows® XP, as long as developers consider certain design requirements to ensure a good user experience. In most cases, a single version of games can span both the UMPC and traditional PC platforms.
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Developing Windows Vista Applications for the Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC)
Growing up in the 80s, two of the concepts that drew me in to computer science were computers that were small enough to take with you (called “Luggables” then) and displays that were thin enough to hang on a wall.Technology has come a long way in that time-and the Ultra-Mobile class of personal computers that run the Windows Vista™ operating system is a great example of that progress. So what is a UMPC and why would I be interested in writing an application that is optimized for it?
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Exploring Ink Analysis
The Tablet PC SDK makes it easy to incorporate digital ink and handwriting analysis into applications; and now the InkAnalysis API (available in Windows Vista™ as well as downlevel to the Microsoft® Windows® XP operating system through a redistributable) takes it one step further.Actually, the InkAnalysis API exposes some of the lower-level functions that make handwriting recognition possible. It also exposes some functionality that can improve recognition results, support shapes, alternative recognition results, and spatial analysis. In this article, I will take a deeper look into what goes on behind the scenes and how to take advantage of the tablet team’s hard work.
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Exploring Tablet PC Application Deployment
You have decided to take the plunge and create a Microsoft® Windows® XP Tablet PC Edition operating system-aware application. This decision comes with a new set of requirements when it comes to enabling Tablet PC-specific features and deployment of your application. This article will take you through the process of creating a Tablet PC-aware application and deploying it in the enterprise.
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How to Be Where Your Customer Wants to Be
We all know that applications have evolved, and not just towards Web deployment, .NET Framework development, and mash-up functionality.
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Inking in ASP.NET 2.0, AJAX, and IE7
In the past year, new technologies from Microsoft have changed how we can add ink to Web sites and the change is definitely for the better!
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Introduction to Windows Touch Technology in Windows Vista
I think we’re making progress toward the goal of bending computers to conform to human factors rather than bending my human factors to conform to the way computers accept input.Ultimately, our brains will be plugged directly into “the grid,” but until then, users still have to learn how to type, control a mouse, and press buttons in certain sequences. The arrival of the Windows Vista™ operating system with Microsoft® Windows® Tablet and Touch Technology is another step toward really natural computing.
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SideShow Development in Depth
Providing access to information on your PC without having to boot the PC is one of the goals of Windows SideShow™.Windows SideShow device technology consists of a separate screen, CPU, and memory that you can use to view this information. The devices range from displays on the back of laptop lids to remote controls to credit-card sized screens you can put in your pocket. This article will explain how your applications can provide information on a Windows SideShow device.
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Tablet PC Input Panel Programmability
Most applications will require some form of text input. By using the ITextInputPanel API you can optimize the pen text-input experience on Tablet PCs.If you have ever used a Tablet PC, you have most likely used Tablet PC Input Panel. Input Panel is the handwriting input tool that lies on top of your application so that you can insert handwritten text into any non-ink enabled Microsoft® Windows® control. Using Input Panel programmability is a great way to ensure that Input Panel provides the best possible pen input user experience in your application.
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The Proper Developer Environments for Mobile PC, Tablet PC, and Ultra-Mobile PC Applications
When Microsoft® Windows® XP Tablet PC Edition appeared in 2002, developers were sometimes confused about whether to write code on a Tablet PC or if it were possible to develop Tablet PC applications on existing desktop computers.The solution turned out to be fairly straightforward, if less than intuitive. However, with the addition of Ultra-Mobile PCs (UMPCs), multiple releases of the Tablet and Touch Technology API, and now the Windows Vista™ operating system, this question arises again: What do you need to do to set up your developer environment and create applications for these form factors?
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Welcome from the Mobile and Tailored Platforms Group
Welcome to our second CoDe Focus issue on mobile PC development.
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Windows Vista Mobility: Why Should You Care?
“Why should I upgrade to Windows Vista™?” is the single most-asked question I get at work these days. Curiosity is driving a lot of folks towards this latest and greatest operating system from Microsoft. What’s new? What does it do? What’s in it for me? Everyone wants to know what’s so special about it and if it is worth it. “How much time do you have right now?” is usually my first reply, closely followed by, “Do you have a laptop?”
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Programming Windows Mobile 5.0 Applications Using the .NET Compact Framework
Microsoft has recently launched the Windows Mobile 5.0 platform for Pocket PCs and Smartphones. With the proliferation of Windows Mobile-based devices in the marketplace, companies are gradually mobilizing their enterprising applications to let their staff gain the competitive mobile advantage.
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Data Access for Partially Connected Applications
ByMarkus Egger
CODE Focus Magazine · 2005 - Vol. 3 - Issue 1 - Tablet PC and Mobile PC · Markus Egger Talks Tech
Updated
In all but the simplest applications, data is stored in a central location and accessed over a network.However, in many scenarios, distributed applications can not assume a certain kind of network connection, both in terms of performance and reliability. In scenarios where users access their applications on mobile PCs, network connections may not be available at all. This introduces relatively complex data access scenarios with which modern applications need to cope.
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Into the Future
Updated
In "Into the Future," Ellen Whitney and Markus Egger explore the evolving landscape of Tablet and Mobile PC development, highlighting significant advancements in hardware and software, particularly within Windows XP and Vista. They emphasize the integration of Tablet PC features into all Windows Vista editions, the introduction of sophisticated Ink Analysis for enhanced handwriting recognition, and new developer tools like the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) and XAML. The authors convey that these innovations create exciting opportunities and challenges for developers, while signaling a bright future for Tablet and Mobile PC technologies in both user experience and application development.
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Introduction to Tablet PC Development
ByCODE Focus Magazine · 2005 - Vol. 3 - Issue 1 - Tablet PC and Mobile PC · Markus Egger Talks Tech
Updated
If you are familiar with development on PCs using Microsoft’s tools, you know most of what you need to develop for Tablet PCs.The main addition in the Tablet PC development arena is that of Digital Ink and the features that go along with it, such as Ink collection, Ink management, and Ink recognition. There are also a few minor additional things, such as new user interface considerations and screen operation in portrait mode.
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Know Your Networks
The sometimes connected nature of computers means that we need to build software to work smoothly as networks connect and disconnect.This article shows how you can build network-aware software using the Network Location Awareness APIs.
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Power To The People
It’s the responsibility of the developer to ensure the best user experience for the increasing number of mobile PCs being bought and used.Every activity your application carries out can affect the power consumption of any computer. This article will help you understand the critical role your software can play in helping increase battery life and provide some places for you to get started.
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The Modern World of Mobility
Rod Paddock - Editorial for Tablet PC 2006
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Unveiling Windows SideShow
ByCODE Focus Magazine · 2005 - Vol. 3 - Issue 1 - Tablet PC and Mobile PC · Markus Egger Talks Tech
Updated
Windows SideShow enables users to use PCs even when they are turned off.SideShow allows users to remotely control PCs and servers. It allows PCs to create interactive output on devices other than monitors so users can view useful data stored on their PCs when they are away from it. It enables users to interact with their PCs in scenarios that would previously have been very cumbersome, and allows for the creation of secondary display and interaction devices that would previously have been cost-prohibitive.
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Welcome Letter from the Tablet PC Team
Tablet PC Team Welcome Letter Jan 06
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CODE Talks: Steve Ballmer, Chief Executive Officer, Microsoft
ByCODE Magazine · 2004 - November/December · Markus Egger Talks Tech · Publisher's Point
Updated
In his interview with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, Markus Egger explores key topics relevant to the software development industry, including offshore development, global talent acquisition challenges, and Microsoft's strategies to compete with open-source platforms. Ballmer highlights Microsoft's commitment to innovation through integrated solutions, emphasizing the importance of adaptability for developers in a global economy. He discusses the company's efforts to support software development methodologies, the potential of emerging technologies like Tablet PCs and SmartPhones, and initiatives to engage students and educators in the Microsoft ecosystem. The conversation underscores Microsoft's long-term vision to enhance productivity, security, and accessibility across its platforms while addressing industry challenges.
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Creating Tablet PC Applications with VS .NET
In the Fall of 2002, Microsoft introduced Tablet PCs based on the popular Windows XP operating system.By default, this new platform includes applications with special Tablet PC features enabled, such as Ink Input and Pen-based operation. In order for this platform to become truly popular, third-party vendors will also have to ink-enable their applications. Luckily, this is a pretty straightforward task.
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Do You Think In Ink?
Updated
Markus Egger argues that Tablet PC technology, with its native ink support, should be treated as a first-class input modality rather than a fallback to the Input Panel; developers should ink-enable applications by attaching ink collectors to controls and using scalable, unobtrusive pen input that expands the interaction area beyond tiny text boxes. He advocates building a reusable ink-enabled infrastructure (often via subclassed controls and a single ink collector) to unlock Tablet PC opportunities across industries, and he invites readers to explore and prototype such capabilities.
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Find New Meaning In Your Ink With Tablet PC APIs In Windows Vista
Updated
With Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, Microsoft introduced more than just a powerful platform for users. Through the associated SDKs, Microsoft has also empowered developers to create advanced ink-enabled applications.Recognizer objects provide the means to recognize handwriting as text. Similarly, gestures can be recognized and interpreted in any way the developer desires. Other objects allow for the division of digital ink into paragraphs, lines, and segments. The combination of these objects allow for the creation of very advanced applications. However, these options do not cover the complete range of features needed to create next-generation ink-enabled applications.