My Tablet PC cost the school in the $1500-$1800 range, which was what I was budgeted for a laptop, but had them get me the tablet instead. (It's an HP/Compaq TC1100, but there are several other good brands.) If you are working in an institution where computers are replaced every 3 or 4 years, it could take a while for tablets to become common. (If, indeed, faculty opt for tablets.)
The ideal situation is where the tablet connects to the internet via wi-fi, and also connects to the data projector (etc.) via bluetooth, a short-range wireless protocol. (I swear it take 5-8 minutes to connect all the wires and power things up in the less-modern classroom where I usually teach.)
Jim Lacey
________________________________
From: Morris Coats [mailto:Morris.Coats@nicholls.edu]
Sent: Fri 3/4/2005 6:57 PM
To: Gervas.Huxley@bristol.ac.uk; tch-econ@elon.edu; James Lacey; bjblecha@sfsu.edu
Subject: RE: Visual Aids
Hi all,
I need a little advice on this. All of our classrooms have computer/internet/network/VCR/Projectors in them. We may be getting a grant to upgrade to digital ink (we do have one classroom with a Smart Board, though).
While I would probably want to go the Tablet PC direction if there had been nothing in the room to start with, it seems that an easy way to upgrade from where we are is to go with something like Smart's Sympodium (digital ink screen to write over, just like a Tablet PC) which will have a marginal cost around$1600-$2100 per classroom range. What else can get freehand drawing/handwriting capabilities into our classrooms without having a higher marginal cost?
Morris Coats
>>> Betty Blecha <bjblecha@sfsu.edu> 03/04/05 03:33PM >>>
Here is a link to the WACOM web site for people who are interested:
http://www.wacom.com/productinfo/index.cfm
I hope this does not violate the rules of the list. If so I apologize. The
link does a good job describing the graphics capabilities of tablet PCs and
graphics tablets. Since my other life is photography and I already had a
laptop, it was easy to add a graphics tablet to my course.
At 11:56 AM 3/4/2005, James Lacey wrote:
>Files and diagrams (etc.) created on a Tablet PC can be copied and
>pasted into Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, etc.
>
>A Tablet PC is like a laptop that does not require a keyboard. Rather,
>you draw and write on the screen using a special pen. (It employs
>handwriting recognition software.) Most Tablet PCs come with a
>detatchable keyboard, and I usually use the keyboard for email and Word
>documents.
>
>I don't use animations, but I don't see why not....
>
>I'm not familiar with WACOM/tablets.
>
>
>James Lacey, Ph.D.
>Assistant Professor of Economics
>Franklin Pierce College
>Rindge, NH 03461
>603.899.4158
>laceyj@fpc.edu
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: G Huxley, Economics [mailto:Gervas.Huxley@bristol.ac.uk]
>Sent: Friday, March 04, 2005 2:47 PM
>To: Betty Blecha; tch-econ@elon.edu
>Subject: Re: Visual Aids
>
>Some questions on this subject ...
>
>Is there a difference between a tablet pc and a graphics tablet (WACOM)?
>
>Can diagrams drawn on tablets (or WACOM) be
>
>(i) saved and used in a powerpoint presentation?
>
>(ii) animated in powerpoint?
>
>
>Gervas
>
>
>--On 04 March 2005 11:03 -0800 Betty Blecha <bjblecha@sfsu.edu> wrote:
>
>----------------------
>G Huxley, Economics
>Gervas.Huxley@bristol.ac.uk
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