A tablet PC is a refined and mechanized version of what the Egyptians used to write on clay tablets with a writing stick. Tablet PC has replaced the clay tablet with a screen and the writing stick with a stylus. The main advantage of using a PC Tablet whose idea was conceived by Alan Kay of Xerox, is of portability, with the size they offer it makes ultra convenient for a person to actually carry with himself!!

First ever tablet PC to hit the market was Newton of Apple Computers. . They come in various sizes like 8.5 inch, 10 inch and 14 inch. As this is compact device the hardware is minimal which consists of a slim touch screen, stylus, optional wireless keyboard and mouse. In this type of computers the data input is not through the traditional mouse and keyboard but through a stylus or a virtual keyboard on the screen. It also has the facility of data input through wireless keyboard and mouse. The stylus which is used to write directly/tap on the screen or fingers are used to input data through the touch screen makes it really very convenient for the user to enter some information to Tablet PC. What makes Tablet PC screen respond to stylus is that there is a magnetic field over the screen which interacts with the stylus electronics, hence the user can rest his hands on the screen without altering the image and only stylus movement affects the screen.

Moreover users who are not comfortable with keyboards find stylus more friendly, they do not butt in line of sight as they are kept on the table and are helpful in meetings and are handheld so can be used in giving presentation while standing up.

Many varieties of Tablet PCs are floating in the market like slates, convertibles and hybrids. Slates are having the minimum of all, just the screen and the stylus. A slate is termed to be convertible when it is attached with a keyboard. The Hybrid version has a detachable keyboard so that it can be used both as a slate or a convertible.

Softwares that are prevalent in Tablet PCs are handwriting recognition software, speech recognition software, shorthand entry software, virtual keyboard etc. Various companies like Acer, Lenovo, Toshiba Fujitsu, HP, Gateway, Compaq, Motion, NEC etc are manufacturing Tablet PCs

Now the question arises, that portability which a major plus point in Tablet PC, then why it was not a success, answer lies in its cost. Due to high initial prices it could not attract huge customer base but with lowered cost and also with the advancement in battery technology, handwriting recognition software, wireless internet access, larger memory, better screen resolution they are being accepted as commercially viable option. Tablet PCs are bound to replace the notebook & pen and future books, magazines, newspapers.

Certainly the tablet PC may be considered the pen and notebook of the future.