New Tablet PC Users Going Around The Same Block Again

There are lots of new Tablet PC users popping up on forums, in the blogosphere (inkernet?) and, I'm sure, just lurking around trying to gather information. On Tablet PC Buzz you see lots of new folks, all with the same questions. Of course the number one questions is always, "Which Tablet PC is right for me?" As tough to answer as it is ubiquitous.

This morning I noticed blog entries from WNewquay and MiniMage addressing two of the other most popular(?) questions.

Can I run regular windows programs on a Tablet PC?

The answer is yes. The Tablet OS is a superset of Windows XP and can run anything that you can throw at Windows. That said, a few folks have had some difficulties with some programs. Check out MiniMage's post. Great insight and great info on why this may be.

Can I delete all of these processes that load at start up?

WNewquay provides his take on this, which is very similar to mine. Here's a link to his post. Here's my $.02:

Set aside the real hideous inclusions of AOL, Napster and all of that stuff. I'm not referring to those intrusions, which shouldn't be there and should be wiped off, if they are not your preference. What makes folks eyes pop is the number of running processes on a Tablet PC at startup. Yes, there are more than on a desktop or regular laptop. Most of those are needed to make a Tablet PC a Tablet. The TIP requires several. Rotation, Tablet buttons, zooming functions, all require something running in the background to make them available.

I've seen a number of new Tablet PC Owners, used to working with new and newly reconditioned machines, wipe the hard disk, try to install their new image of choice and then post that they've lost Tablet functionality. Ooops!

Tablet's require these extra processes to be a Tablet. I like WN's advice. Live with it until you get to know the Tablet before you go pruning out what you think you don't need. Also take a look at this post from Jonathan Hardwick, where he posted about some of the processes he could or could not remove from his Toshiba 3505. While you won't find much to delete, you'll learn a bit about what function they serve. You can also Google the process name and get some info on what's up.

Now, a common thread between the two blog posts (WN and MiniMage) I'm referencing points to an interesting issue.While the Tablet OS is Windows XP, and some companies are introducing multiple lines of Tablets (Toshiba), Tablet PCs are somewhat different and require a different way of looking at the hardware/software combo that drives the system. For those used to wiping it clean and starting over, this isn't the best approach with Tablets. That info needs to get out there, to keep expectations real.