Vacation with your Tablet PC
Published: September 12, 2005
I'm a bit of a geek, so the idea of going on vacation without a computer is downright frightening to me. For a long time, my wife didn't see it the same way. Instead of seeing a computer as something that would improve our vacation, she thought I'd be using it to do work and that it would prevent us from relaxing.
But computers aren't just for work. These days, home computers are used primarily as communication tools for surfing the Web, exchanging e-mail messages, and instant messaging. Communication is important while on vacation, too, because your family and friends want to know that you're safe and having a good time. You might want to connect to the Internet to read the news at home, verify automatic payments, and check flight schedules. For those reasons, a computer can really make your vacation much more relaxing.
People often ask me what type of notebook computer they should buy for personal use at home and on vacation. However, they may be asking the wrong question, because notebooks aren't ideal for personal travel. They're bulky and heavy, and every ounce counts when you're lugging four or five bags through the airport. You usually don't have room to fully open a notebook in a crowded airplane. Additionally, you have to sit down to use a notebook—not ideal when you quickly want to look up the phone number of a taxi service while walking.
Whereas notebook computers are ideal for business travel, Tablet PCs are perfect for vacations. Most Tablet PCs have wireless networking built in, so you can quickly connect to the Internet at a wireless hotspot. For more information, read Jeff Van West's column, Using Your Tablet PC for Networking and Working Remotely While Traveling. You can use them without the keyboard, so they're perfect in crowded airplanes. Plug in a pair of noise-canceling headphones, and they make a perfect portable audio player.
Use your Tablet PC as a portable audio player while traveling.
Vacationing in an unfamiliar place? Use your Tablet PC for navigation while driving or walking, as I described in my April 2005 column titled, Navigate with Tablet PC and Microsoft Streets & Trips 2005 with GPS Locator. Sunburned from spending too much time at the beach? Copy your digital pictures from your camera to your Tablet PC, and then spend a few minutes editing them while you recover. Tablet PCs are great for editing pictures, because you can use the pen to draw and select objects directly on the screen.
If you're traveling to a foreign country, save room in your bag by leaving your translation dictionary at home. Instead, install translation software on your Tablet PC, and then use it whenever you need to look something up. The small size of a Tablet PC makes it easy to use anywhere, including translating menu items while sitting in a restaurant. (Trust me: Take the time to translate the menu, especially if you're visiting France.)
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Tablet PC vacation checklist
When taking your Tablet PC on vacation, be sure to take the following items:
| • | External power supply. Tablet PC batteries last longer than typical notebook computer batteries, but you may still need to recharge your Tablet PC battery. |
| • | Mobile phone USB cable. If you plan to connect to the Internet wirelessly using your mobile phone, be sure to bring the phone's USB cable. |
| • | Digital camera USB cable or memory card reader. Use the USB cable that came with your digital camera or a memory card reader to copy pictures from your camera to your Tablet PC. This is a great way to back-up your pictures and allows you to put on an impromptu slideshow for your family and friends. |
| • | Global Positioning System (GPS). If you plan to use your Tablet PC for navigation, be sure to bring the GPS receiver and any cables necessary. If you don't have a GPS receiver yet, check out Microsoft Streets & Trips 2005 with GPS Locator. |
| • | A carrying case. Unlike most notebook computers, Tablet PCs are light enough to carry with you throughout the day. I use a small messenger bag to carry my Tablet PC. |
Create a vacation journal with a Tablet PC
Only Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 includes Microsoft Windows Journal, which is a great tool for taking notes. When you're on vacation, you can use Windows Journal to keep a handwritten log of your daily activities (after all, touching a keyboard is too much like work). You can then send the log through e-mail to your friends so that they know exactly what you did, or you refer to the log the next time you visit that vacation spot so you can remember the activities and places you liked most. For more information about Windows Journal, read Charlie Russel's column, Getting to Know Windows Journal for Tablet PC.
To create a journal entry
1. | On your Tablet PC, tap Start, tap All Programs, and then tap Windows Journal. Journal opens with a blank page. Some Tablet PCs, like my Compaq TC1000, have a dedicated button for launching Windows Journal. If you have Microsoft Office OneNote, you can use that program instead of Windows Journal. |
2. | Create a separate page for each day of your vacation. In the title section of your page, write the location and day of your vacation, such as St. Thomas Vacation Day 1. |
3. | Below the title, write your notes from that day. Be sure to include where you're staying, where you ate, what you did that day, and a description of the weather. |
4. | To add pictures from your digital camera, copy the pictures from your camera to your Tablet PC. Then, in Windows Journal, tap Insert, and then tap Picture. Tap your picture, and then tap Insert. Windows Journal adds the picture directly to your note.  Mixing pictures and handwriting is perfect for a vacation journal. Note: You can draw on your pictures, too. If you meet someone interesting on your travels, take a picture of them, add the picture to your journal, and write their name on their picture. Don't worry: Doing so doesn't change your original picture. |
5. | Tap File, and then tap Save. Windows Journal reads your handwriting and automatically assigns a file name based on the title you wrote. Tap Save. |
Now that you've saved your Windows Journal note for future reference, you can easily send it to your friends.
To send a Journal note
1. | Tap the Edit menu, and then tap Select All. |
2. | Tap the Action menu, and then tap Convert Selection to E-mail. Windows Journal attempts to translate your handwriting, as shown in the figure below. To make a correction, tap the mistranslated word, tap the correct alternative, and then tap Change.  Windows Journal can automatically translate your notes. |
3. | After you've corrected any errors, tap Convert. Windows Journal attaches your original, hand-written notes and pictures. |
4. | Add your recipients to the To box, write a subject, and tap Send. The next time you connect to the Internet, your e-mail client will send your message. |
You can also use e-mail to send people your journal entries directly. If a recipient doesn't have a Tablet PC, he or she can use the Microsoft Windows Journal Viewer—a free download from Microsoft.com—to view your journal entries. Bon voyage!
 | Tony Northrup is a writer, an Internet engineer, and a digital photography enthusiast. Tony has a decade of experience making networks and servers connected to the Internet run smoothly. He has authored and co-authored eight books about using Windows and written dozens of articles about Internet technologies. When he’s not on his deck writing, he toys with home automation technologies and takes pictures for display in a Web photo album. He lives in the Boston area with his wife, Erica, and cat, Sammy. You can learn more about Tony by visiting his Web site at http://www.northrup.org.
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