New to X41T - A couple of questions

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vandoc · #1 Post by **vandoc** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 4:22 am

Hi. I am new to this forum. After reviewing the many comments here, I decided to get the X41T. It just arrived today. My initial impressions are very favorable. I am a university professor and plan to give me first lecture using the tablet next week. The two things that attracted me to this laptop were the Tablet PC system and the light weight.

My two questions are:

1. I am a huge fan of the "Windows" key on the standard keyboards. Does anyone know of any work-around or third party software that could assign a key (or series of keys) that would give the same functionality as the "Windows" button?

2. I got the X4 dock, and am quite disappointed with it. It is quite heavy, and I don't think I'm keen on travelling with this--that's for sure. Also, when you anchor it in the dock, the computer doesn't seem to be very secure....it feels very cheap and loosely fitting in the dock. Anyways, I am thinking of returning the dock for a USB multidrive. What are other people's experiences with this dock?

Vandoc

#2 Post by **BillMorrow** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 4:58 am

windows key = Ctrl-Esc

i don't have the X4 dock for mine, i just use a VERY old IBM USB CD..
very slim and does all i need for it to do when travelling..

microchip911 · #3 Post by **microchip911** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 7:26 am

I do not think the X4 is meant to be portable. It's something that sits on your desk.

X4 ULTRABASE for the regular X41 is a different story..

vandoc · #4 Post by **vandoc** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 11:12 am

Thanks. I forgot about that one. One follow up question: I also like using the "Windows" key in combination with other keys (i.e. "Windows" + "E" at the same time=Explore my computer; "Windows" + "D"= Minimize all windows and just show desktop). -- Do you know of a way to accomplish this on X41T?

BillMorrow wrote:windows key = Ctrl-Esc

i don't have the X4 dock for mine, i just use a VERY old IBM USB CD..
very slim and does all i need for it to do when travelling..

DavidNZ · #5 Post by **DavidNZ** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 2:31 pm

Welcome to the forums, vandoc. Nice to see a fellow prof on the boards. If you use the Keyboard Customerizer Utility from IBM (download it through the support pages, along with other software updates, or download the Software Installer, if you haven't already, here: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... OFT-UPDATE). The utility allows you to set a key to act as the Windows key. (The other support page you'll want to be familiar with, again if not already, is here: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-54078)

How will you be using the T for teaching? I have the X40, but generally don't use it for teaching (instead, I usually use the machines in the lecture theatre as I do not need tablet/pen functionality when teaching). I do use the X40 to do virtual lectures: using Camtasia Studio, which records audio and whatever is on your screen, I do 30-40 min shorts on using SPSS for statistical analysis. The students like it because they can go back to review whenever they want.

#6 Post by **JaneL** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 3:18 pm

vandoc wrote:1. I am a huge fan of the "Windows" key on the standard keyboards. Does anyone know of any work-around or third party software that could assign a key (or series of keys) that would give the same functionality as the "Windows" button?

Item #14 in the FAQ.

Also, using the search function to look for the keywords "windows and key and utility" brings up 54 threads where the subject has been discussed previously.

vandoc · #7 Post by **vandoc** » Sun Jan 01, 2006 12:38 pm

Thanks for the feedback.

For teaching, I have one lecture that I have given using an old-fashioned blackboard. I get the students to help me design a classification scheme for materials that they have learned in the previous week. The students usually end up with a pretty sophisticated scheme by the end of the lecture. What I like about the lecture is that it convinces the students of what they've learned in the previous week.

To make a long story short, our department is now expected to deliver all of our lectures by distance education--i.e. my lecture is also being broadcast by videoconferencing technology to two remote sites. So I've had to adapt my "blackboard" lecture to deal with this, and I am hoping that the Tablet PC and X41T will help solve the problem. The new lecture theater that I am using will deliver whatever I put on my tablet to the remote sites in real time.

DavidNZ · #8 Post by **DavidNZ** » Sun Jan 01, 2006 2:04 pm

vandoc - interesting. Sounds like it would be a good session. We've moved toward extramuralisation here as well (not all Departments, but ours has). Since 2004, I've been digitally recording my lectures as mp3s and providing them to students in the class if they want them. Works pretty well, and doesn't seem to negatively affect class attendance (not that I really care - if they can learn without attending class, that's fine by me).

Post back with how well it all works. Sounds like the tablet will be quite useful.

New to X41T - A couple of questions

New to X41T - A couple of questions

Re: New to X41T - A couple of questions

Thanks

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