Tablet PCs for Dummies

Power Up Your Tablet PC with PowerToys

Manufacturer: Leszynski Group, distributed by Microsoft

Web site: www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp

Estimated price: Free download

Okay, I saved the best till last. PowerToys are executive timewasters — my kind of program! PowerToys are actually developed by Leszynski Group, but you can get them for free on Microsoft’s Web site. (Note that Microsoft doesn’t provide any support for these products.) These are kind of like little add-on treats from developers who had nothing better to do.

Here are a few of my favorite PowerToys:

• Tablet Pool is a pool game that works with your Tablet PC pen. When you hold your pen above your Tablet PC screen, the pen becomes the pool cue, which is cool. You can play alone, with others huddled around your Tablet PC, or on your computer network. (Your boss will hate this game.)

• Puzzle Game (as shown in Figure 14-12) is for those addicted to jigsaw puzzles. Use your pen to drag pieces of the puzzle into place. You can change the difficulty level: Level 1 breaks your picture into about four big pieces, Level 5 blows it into dozens of pieces. You tap and drag pieces and spin them around 360 degrees with a push of your pen.

  Figure 14-12: Do not try this at work — it will eat up your afternoon faster than a staff meeting.

  One really neat feature: You can take your own picture and turn it into a custom electronic jigsaw puzzle by using this fun PowerToy.

• Writing Recognition Game (as shown in Figure 14-13) has a double advantage: It’s fun to play, and you improve your on-screen handwriting as you rack up points. As letters fall to the ground, you have to write them on your screen before they land. The trick is to write them neatly enough that Tablet PC recognizes them!

  Figure 14-13: If you have to learn to write on-screen, you may as well have fun doing it!

• Tic Tac Toe is pretty self-explanatory! You can write your Xs and Os with your pen. You can play against the computer (which is, of course, humiliating if it keeps winning this children’s game). But this one can be fun in those moments when you need a quick game fix.