Windows on Tablet PCs

[nordloewelabs]

i've been thinking about buying a used Tablet PC from eBay. i dont know much about those devices so i decided to come here first and try to get some information about them. btw, i would be using the Tablet only for light tasks like web, email and coding, so i plan to get a simple and cheap machine. any help will be highly appreciated. thanx in advance! here are my questions:


1) some used Tablets are auctioned without the "Windows XP Tablet PC" disc or even a "Restore" CD. i'd like to know if Windows 2000 Professional and/or Windows XP Home could also be installed on such Tablets without losing the Stylus capabilities? would i be able to use the Stylus (maybe through some tweaks) with either of those OSs ?

2) i read somewhere that Windows XP Tablet can be freely downloaded by subscribers of the MSDN website. is it true? if so, is the MSDN version crippled or limited in any way?

3) which Linux distributions are known to play nicely on Tablet PCs? i'd like to have a dual-boot setup. preferably with a light Linux distro.

 

[soydios]

Does it have the sticker on the back with the Activation Key?

 

[nordloewelabs]

Originally posted by: soydios
Does it have the sticker on the back with the Activation Key?

i didnt have any particular Tablet PC in mind when i posted my msg. i'm just trying to gather as much info about it as i can so that i can make a well-thought decision when i eventually start bidding on something.

which kind of clue/help would such sticker provide? what could i do with an Activation Key but without an installation disc?

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: nordloewelabs

Originally posted by: soydios
Does it have the sticker on the back with the Activation Key?

i didnt have any particular Tablet PC in mind when i posted my msg. i'm just trying to gather as much info about it as i can so that i can make a well-thought decision when i eventually start bidding on something.

which kind of clue/help would such sticker provide? what could i do with an Activation Key but without an installation disc?

You could get an install disc off of a friend or something, the key is what is important. Then, when Windows throws a fit that you have an already activated version on your machine, call up Microsoft and tell em whats what. They are usually pretty good about that sort of thing. I had to do it a few years ago on my desktop.

Also, to the best of my knowledge, Win2K didn't have much of any tablet support.

 

[nordloewelabs]

Then, when Windows throws a fit that you have an already activated version on your machine, call up Microsoft and tell em whats what. They are usually pretty good about that sort of thing. I had to do it a few years ago on my desktop.

so they usually dont mind if you borrow a Windows disc and use it on a "disc-less" second-hand machine?

Also, to the best of my knowledge, Win2K didn't have much of any tablet support.

what about WinXP? would that suffice? as long as i got basic tablet functionality (writing with the Stylus), i wouldnt mind miss any extras.

 

[Fraggable]

MS will give you an activation code, even if you use a different CD to install on a system that came with one. As long as you have the product key on the system, you own a license to that version of Windows. Having the media for it is not required. If the system does not have the product key sticker on it, factor that into what you're willing to pay for the system. Win XP Tablet costs $159 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?Item=N82E16837102094) alone. I do not think you'll get any tablet features using XP Home or Pro or 2K.

 

[nordloewelabs]

i talked to some people on an IRC channel today.... they said that is possible to get "some" of the Tablet functionality to work under 2K or XP if the Tablet's manufacturer happens to provide (on its webste) drivers for those OSs. can anyone here comfirm this? i'm gonna do some research about it now. let's see if i can clear this up. thanx for all the info so far, guys!

 

[nordloewelabs]

i forgot to ask something.... if a Tablet is missing its Stylus pen, what can i do? (pardon my ignorance) is that just some piece of plastic or there's technology inside of it?

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: nordloewelabs
i forgot to ask something.... if a Tablet is missing its Stylus pen, what can i do? (pardon my ignorance) is that just some piece of plastic or there's technology inside of it?

There isn't so much 'technology' inside it as just special measures. Much like how you cannot use a stylus on a trackpad, you cannot use just anything on most tablets. I used an HP tablet for a while at school and it used what we determined to be a magnetic tip on its stylus that way your arm didn't cause accidental input.