Customize Windows XP for Power Tablet Use
Published: May 28, 2003
Editor's Note: Past articles by members of the online community are archived for your use. The information may become outdated as technology changes. For the most current information, please search the Web site or post a question in the newsgroups.
Perhaps more than any other kind of computer, Tablet PCs are very personalized machines. It's obvious when you look at the variety of hardware available. I'm a convertible guy, currently using a Toshiba Portege 3505, but other folks love their slates. Convertible tablets have an integrated keyboard and a more conventional laptop design equipped with rotating screens that allow them to convert into tablet mode. Slate tablets don't have an integrated keyboard and thinner and lighter than the convertible model. Check out the Tablet PC Hardware Showcase on the Windows XP Tablet PC Edition Demos page to see both types of Tablet PC in action.
What isn't as well known is how customizing Windows XP can reap big rewards on a Tablet PC. All the customization options in Windows XP can be applied to the Tablet PC. And they're even more useful on a device like a Tablet PC than they are on a desktop computer. You'll want to make adjustments so you can navigate your tablet computer more efficiently with a pen. Many Options for Customizing Tablet PC lists the ways you can customize the Tablet PC and the tablet pen to suit the way you work.
This article focuses on the kind of customizations that improve your Tablet PC experience. I'll cover making changes to the Start menu, taskbar, icons, visual effects, screen orientation, and digital pen settings. The Windows XP Expert Zone Tips Archive also contains tips that are applicable to your Tablet PC.
Customize the Start Menu
Navigating hierarchical menus such as the Start menu with a pen is a bit slower than navigating with a mouse, because you must lift the pen after each tap to see the next submenu. Customizing the Start menu, using the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box, can help by putting the most common items only two taps away. These settings also control which folders appear in the Start menu and how they open.
To set Start Menu options:
1. | Tap Start, tap Control Panel, tap Appearance and Themes, and then tap Taskbar and Start Menu. |
2. | On the Start Menu tab, tap Customize. |
There are four options to customize:
| • | Large icons vs. Small icons. Switching to small icons lets you put more items in the Start menu without it taking over the entire screen. The text titles do not change size, so readability does not change. The figure below shows how small icons look.  Figure 1 |
| • | Number of Programs on Start menu. Windows XP keeps track of your most recently used programs and keeps them on the first level of the Start menu for quick access. By increasing the number of programs in this list, you don't have to use the All Programs menu as often. |
| • | Show Internet and E-mail on Start menu. Checking these items permanently places your Web browser and e-mail program in the Start menu for easy access. Pinned items appear above the list of recently used items. |
| • | Advanced Options. The Advanced tab lets you specify in detail how items like your My Documents folder appear. Try setting the folders you use regularly to appear as menus rather than links and setting the ones you don't use to not appear at all. |
Pin Items to the Start Menu
You can pin any programs you like to the Start menu. Pinned items are automatically excluded from the recently used list, so if you pin Word to the Start menu it will not appear in the list of recent programs.
To pin a program to your Start menu:
1. | Find the program anywhere on your computer—on the desktop, in the All Programs menu, or in Windows Explorer. |
2. | Drag the icon to the Start menu, and it will automatically appear in the pinned items list. |
or:
1. | Find the program icon. |
2. | Use the right-tap equivalent such as press and hold the icon, and then tap Pin to Start Menu. |
For other examples of how to customize the Start menu, see Personalize Your Computer. For more information on completing the right-click feature with a digital pen, see Right-Clicking with a Pen.
Hide Notification Area Icons
Taskbar customizations for the Tablet PC revolve around two main issues: conserving space and efficient use of the pen. Many people ignore the small icons that sit in the lower right of the screen. Hiding these icons frees up valuable taskbar space—especially in portrait orientation. Most of the icons are set to "hide when inactive," but just because the program was active doesn't mean you want to keep looking at its icon.
To change the Taskbar Properties:
1. | Right-tap equivalent anywhere in the taskbar, tap Properties, and then tap the Taskbar tab. |
2. | Select the Hide inactive icons check box. |
3. | Tap Customize. |
4. | Each icon has three options: Always show, Always hide, and Hide when inactive. For icons you use several times a day, leave them on hide when inactive or always show. Set all the remaining icons to Always hide. |
5. | Tap OK to close both windows. |
Hidden icons are still only one tap away. As shown in the figures below, if you tap the Show icons button, all the icons appear and you can use anyone you want. I only have three icons set for always show: wireless network, volume, and power management. These functions I use several times a day—such as hovering my pen over the power manager to see battery power remaining—so I want them in sight at all times.
Out of control icons
Cleaner taskbar
Use the Quick Launch Bar
Now that you have more space on your taskbar, you can put it to good use. Many people only use the Quick Launch bar icons to start Internet Explorer and Outlook Express, but the Quick Launch bar can provide a one-tap start for all your favorite programs.
To add an item to the Quick Launch bar:
1. | Find the program icon. |
2. | Drag the icon to the Quick Launch bar. |
One caveat, the icons here are small and can be hard to see, especially in bright light or outdoors.
Try Out Different Positions for the Taskbar
A taskbar at the bottom of the screen is great—for a mouse. For right-handed pen users, however, reaching down to the bottom left of the screen for the Start button is awkward. Then you must lift your hand to see the menu items and then tap again. When drilling down through several folders, you must do this several times.
For left-handed users, the menu is visible, but the motion is even more awkward since it is so close to their body. Moving the taskbar to the top or side of the screen puts the Start button close to your resting hand and keeps the menus in view at all times. Although it might take a little getting used to, it's one of the most useful configuration changes you can make when using your Tablet PC.
To move the taskbar to the top of the screen:
| • | Use the right-tap equivalent in an area on that does not contain any icons, and look at the shortcut menu. If there is a check next to Lock the Taskbar, tap it to unlock the taskbar. If there is no check, tap anywhere to close the shortcut menu. |
| • | Press an area of the taskbar that does not contain any icons and drag the taskbar to the top of the screen. (Note: Nothing happens until the cursor gets close to the top or side of the screen, and then the taskbar will jump to the new position.) |
| • | Lift the pen.  Start menu and taskbar at top of screen |
A top of screen taskbar helps with the menu issue, is more ergonomic for pen use, and keeps the full screen width available for your applications. It doesn't help with the limited width of the taskbar itself however.
To move the taskbar to the side of the screen:
1. | Press an area of the taskbar that does not contain any icons and drag the taskbar to the same side as your dominant hand. |
2. | Hover your pen near the border between the taskbar and the rest of the desktop and adjust the position until you see a double-headed arrow. |
3. | Drag the border of the taskbar towards the edge of the screen until word "Start" disappears from the Start button.  Figure 5 |
Losing precious horizontal space in portrait orientation is the big drawback of the side taskbar, but the length of it allows you to see many Quick Launch bar icons and many open documents all at once. Try top and side taskbars for a few days and see how well they work for you.
Another potential drawback of a custom taskbar is that in landscape view, as will happen when you work in laptop mode or when connected to an external monitor and keyboard, the taskbar will still be on the top or side. You can either move the taskbar back to the bottom of the screen when you switch to landscape mode or keep it in the new position and see what you think. I like the side taskbar in landscape mode because the documents I work on are longer than they are wide, so I have lots of unused real estate on the sides of my monitor.
Note: The buttons for running programs are especially handy on a Tablet PC. Just as tapping a minimized program on the taskbar will maximize it, tapping the taskbar button for a maximized program will minimize it. This is perfect for switching back and forth between two running programs.
Adjust Visual Effects
Turning off the Windows XP shadow and transparency effects will often boost performance of your tablet without significantly diminishing your viewing experience.
To turn off selected visual effects:
1. | Right-tap My Computer, and then tap Properties. |
2. | In the System Properties dialog box, tap the Advanced tab. |
3. | Under Performance, tap Settings. |
4. | Clear all the fade, slide, animate, and shadow effects. |
5. | Tap OK to close all windows. |
See how the new settings work for you. You may want to keep the Show shadows under mouse pointer option turned on because it makes the mouse easier to see in bright light and outdoors.
Bigger Icons, Buttons, and Text
On small tablet computer screens, you may have trouble seeing the icons and on-screen buttons. Changing the dots per inch (DPI) setting will increase the size of most of your icons and on-screen text.
To change your DPI setting, first close any running programs, and then follow these steps:
1. | Switch your tablet to landscape screen orientation. |
2. | Tap Start, tap Control Panel, tap Appearance and Themes, and then tap Display. |
3. | In the Display Properties dialog box, on the Settings tab, tap Advanced. |
4. | On the General tab, change the DPI setting from 96 DPI to 120 DPI. The General tab of my Toshiba Portege Tablet PC is shown below. Other manufacturers may look slightly different.  Figure 6 |
5. | Tap OK to close all windows, and restart your Tablet PC. |
The increase in size is only 20%, but it can make a big difference. The downside is that the screen will seem a bit more crowded.
Just for Lefties
Most tablet computer manufacturers put their hardware buttons on the right of the tablet when it is in the primary portrait position. This can be annoying for the left-handed. Using the Tablet and Pen settings in Control Panel, you can disable the primary portrait orientation and use the secondary landscape orientation instead. The same Tablet and Pen Settings dialog box lets you remap your hardware buttons to make sense in the new orientation. Remapping hardware buttons is also very helpful for using PowerPoint on your tablet.
These are just a few options for optimizing your Tablet PC workspace. Another good customization is adjusting the two ways to right-click with your pen: pen buttons and press-and-hold. Each has its benefits and drawbacks and getting them set the way you want is part of maximizing your tablet computer experience. Find out more in Right Clicking with a Pen.
 | Jeff Van West is the author of over a dozen books, CDs, and training curricula about computers, technology, and aviation.
Titles include Microsoft Tablet PC Quick Reference (Microsoft Press, 2002) and
Illustrator CS Hands-On-Training (Peachpit Press, 2004).
His multimedia training programs are used in North America, Europe, Australia, and Japan. An advocate of what he terms "appropriate technology," Jeff focuses on applying the best solution to accomplish the task, rather than using cool features just because they're there. He can be reached at Van West Communications.
|
