The Tablet PC Input Panel is an accessory included in Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...

 that allows input of text using a pen and digitizing tablet

Graphics tablet

A graphics tablet is a computer input device that enables a user to hand-draw images and graphics, similar to the way a person draws images with a pencil and paper. These tablets may also be used to capture data or handwritten signatures...

, touch screen, an on-screen soft keyboard or mouse. It performs handwriting recognition

Handwriting recognition

Handwriting recognition is the ability of a computer to receive and interpret intelligible handwritten input from sources such as paper documents, photographs, touch-screens and other devices. The image of the written text may be sensed "off line" from a piece of paper by optical scanning or...

 and converts handwriting into text for use in most non-full-screen Windows applications. It was included first in Windows XP Tablet PC Edition and is included in subsequent client versions of Microsoft Windows.

Features

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|Tablet PC Input Panel Handwriting
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• Users can use a writing pad or soft keyboard to convert handwriting to text. The writing pad recognises single characters, entire words and shortcut strokes or gestures. The Tablet PC Input Panel also supports AutoComplete in Windows Vista and later.
• The Tablet PC Input Panel can be docked to the top or bottom of the screen or floating.
• The integrated handwriting recognition features can recognize print, cursive, or mixed writing. Accuracy can be increased by configuring the recognizer to expect left-handed writing or right-handed writing. For Windows XP Tablet PC Edition which does not support all languages out of the box, recognition in a variety of languages is available with the install of a recognizer pack. Windows Vista and Windows 7 users can get additional language support for handwriting recognition by installing the respective MUI pack (also called language pack).
• The soft keyboard supports viewing the keyboard layout of the selected input language chosen from the language bar. Windows XP users need to install the Tablet PC Recognizer Pack to support switching of the soft keyboard to the default input language.
• Handwriting recognition accuracy can be improved by training using the handwriting recognition personalization tool.
• Windows 7 improves the Tablet PC Input Panel to make faster corrections, supports text prediction in the soft keyboard and introduces a new Math Input Panel for inputting math into programs that support MathML
  MathML
  Mathematical Markup Language is an application of XML for describing mathematical notations and capturing both its structure and content. It aims at integrating mathematical formulae into World Wide Web pages and other documents...
  
  . It recognizes handwritten math expressions and formulas.

History

When first introduced, Tablet PC Input Panel was only included with the Windows XP Tablet PC Edition of Windows XP and had limited application text entry support. Windows XP Service Pack 2 for Windows XP Tablet PC Edition, which was incorporated into Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005, brought improved handwriting recognition and allowed the Tablet PC Input Panel to be used in almost every application. The Tablet PC Input Panel was also revised to extend speech recognition services (input and correction) to other applications.

With the release of Windows Vista, the Tablet PC Input Panel is built into all editions of Windows Vista with the exception of Home Basic and Starter editions. The speech recognition features were moved into Windows Speech Recognition

Windows Speech Recognition

Windows Speech Recognition is a speech recognition application included in Windows Vista and more recently, Windows 7.-Features:Windows Speech Recognition allows the user to control the computer by giving specific voice commands...

.