GBM Grab Bag contest

[Rob Bushway]

We've got quite the assortment of prizes to giveaway in this contest. There has to be something here to please any Tablet PC or Ultra-Mobile PC enthusiast:


Here are the prizes
<UL>
<LI>1 - Linksys 8 port switch - brand new, unopened
<LI>7 - Microsoft Mobile PC Development styluses
<UL>
<LI>Watch my InkShow on Pens and Styluses, where I demo the Mobile PC development stylus</LI>[/list]<LI>5 - The Impact of Tablet PCs and Pen-Based Technology on Education books, which is the collection of papers presented at WIPTE in April 2006.
<LI>2 - Channel 9 guys
<LI>5 - yet unannounced special GBM swag that will only be available at CES! Look for a special announcement on this piece of swag soon.</LI>[/list]

So, we have 20 prizes to give away, so chances are good on winning something!


What do you have to do to win one of these prizes? Post an entry at this contest thread with an idea for a Tablet PC or UMPC software application that you would love to see developed. It could be a Vista Sidebar Gadget, a SlideShow gadget, an inkable web app, a business productivity add-in, etc. Think outside the box and post your ideas!


Thanks to the Microsoft Mobile PC team for the donating additional pens and Mark Payton of the Vermont Academy and WIPTE Conference for donating the WIPTE books.


Entries accepted through Sunday,January 7at 9:00pm ET. Winners will be announced on Monday, January 8. One prize per winner, winners chosen at random. Because of shipping issues, this contest is open to U.S. residents only.
We'll allow up to two entries per person....Edited by: Rob Bushway

[Phil M]

I would like to see the inking software on my tablet open automatically when I touch an inkable area. Rather than the opaque yellow pad, I would like to see a largertransparent one that links to wherever I first began to write and shows the text being entered simultaneously in whatever program I am inkin to. Hope this makes sense.


Phil M

[ryan52]

This is my first timeI've posted something like this so I don't know how long (or short) this needs to be. I just purchased my first tablet a month ago and I am enjoying it as much as I thought I would. I am a teacher and a football coach, and while I know of the applications in the classroom, I am most excited to seehow I can use it for football purposes. My idea for a software program would be to develop a playbook and video software that ispenabled for coaches. I have coached in college and spent time with NFL coaches and know that this is the next step in the progression of technology being incorporated into the game. The applications and uses are endless, and college and professional teams pay a lot of money (million dollar business) for these programs. One example, imagine Peyton Manning and coach on sideline looking at digital stills on tablet marking them in between series and sharing thenwith other teammates. Someone is going to develop this one day andmake a lot of money.


Ihave the football knowledge to do it myself but lack the computer knowledge. Anyone interested in a business venture? Also, you could develop programs for other sports such as basketball and hockey.

[helmutk]

I would like to seeMedia Center Extender software developed fora Tablet PC and a UMPC.
It would connect to a Media Center PC remotely through WiFi. You should be able to connect through the internet to your home Media Center PC.
It would let you control the full functionality of the Media Center Interface optimized for touch screen.
You could review and schedule TV recordings,view video, view photos, listen to music andradio, streamed from your Media Center PC.
Utilizing VGA out or a TV out adapter, on your Tablet PC or UMPC,you could display the Media Center contentto any external TV or monitor.
I think a Tablet PC or UMPC would provide an excellent unit to interface witha Media Center PC.

[Yonatan]

I mentioned this in a previous post:

I would love to see a plugin for OneNote that allowed you to have layers on each page. This way, you can use a OneNote page as a study tool where you can toggle on and off certain layers as a means to quiz yourself. You could even use it to ink over a template (think about how useful this would be when teaching in front of a classroom and using your tablet).

[davedoc]

I'd love to see someone develop an application that will allow me to login to my computer by touching a precise point of a picture.

I'm too much of a security freak to use a simple password. Strong passwords are really a pain to type on a software keyboard.

[K0LO]

I'm posting here not in the hopes of winning a prize, but rather in the hopes of attracting the attention of a developer to this idea.

I would like to see a tablet application developed to let you freehand sketch electronic schematic diagrams. The application would then convert your sketch into nice-looking schematic diagrams much like some tablet applications convert freehand writing into text elements or math equations.

The application is for those who teach electronics and students who study electronics. We often express our craft in the form of circuit diagrams and would very much like to be able to do this on a tablet PC. Since similar concepts exist for Chemistry and Math, I would hope that some developer would be able to extend the concept to electronic schematics like this:Edited by: K0LO

[Tablet]

I'd like to see a good penabled image organizer. Scratch out an image to delete it. Draw a line from an image to a folder to move/copy it. All prompts could be turned off by setting default values to avoid a lot of extra tapping (i.e. does a line to a folder mean move, copy, or prompt for the answer).

[mpolino]

I'll second the Media Center Extender idea but I would also like to see a Media Center like interface for local media on a UMPC. The big Media Center buttons are begging to be used on a touch screen. The TouchPack on a UMPC just doesn't go far enough. Once you launch an app, you're stuck. Give me a local Media Center interface so I don't have pull out the stylus in the car or on a plane.

[mpolino]

You said we could only win once but you didn't say how many times we could enter. If I'm breaking the rules with a second entry, mea culpa.

I'd love to see someone hack the mushroom button on the Q1 and let us use it as mouse without having to hold down the menu button onthe right. While they're at it, how about a quick change app to let us quick reassign the 4 programmable buttons?

I have about 5 profiles for my programmable buttons (IE,Win Media,iTunes, etc.)but it's tough to change profiles with you're finger!

Mark