I am having some great fun this week modding up one of my slate Tablet PC's. I have a nutty little idea that I am working towards, but mums the word on that for now... Either it will take the Tablet PC world by storm, or I will prove once and for all that I am a complete kook. Perhaps even both!

While I was thinking about this top-secret project, I rediscovered a great Channel 9 video. In the video Bert Keely shows how he has modded up his slate, delivered with his typical firehose of enthusiasm. Bert is an architect on the Tablet PC team and has been there since the very start. Even though this video is a few years old now, his advice is still bang-on, and his enthusiasm gets me excited about the Tablet PC all over again.

I could find nary a mention of this video, save to ask about it, in any the forums, haunts, or other dark corners of the blogosphere frequented by Tablet PC Illuminati. So I've uploaded the video to MSN Video and now you can play it right here in your browser (or get the Channel 9 MSDN Video download).

The video player that I am able to embed in this blog is a little lame. Apologies for that. Click on the link immediately below if you'd rather view it in MSN Video instead - that offers a better experience in my humble opinion. 

Format: wmv
Duration: 03:35

Video: Bert Keely on Souping Up the Tablet PC (2004)

Bert is only just scratching the surface of tablet PC mods that are possible. Cestfiu has been posting about his quest to find the ultimate combination of buttons'n'stuff for his Lenovo, while e-gadgetjunkie seeks the ultimate stealth pen button settings. FeralBoy had the stroke of genius to throw small rubber door wedges in his travel bag, to prop up his tablet as needed.

Tablet stands are another popular "mod," but I have two really big beefs with those:

(1) Most importantly, they don't involve cutting, epoxying, melting, dremel-tooling, or otherwise risk bodily harm, carcinogenic vapors, or fatal impacts to your tablet; and

(2) They typically aren't suitable for my mobile kit. But here's a recent stand that looks useful, if not mobile.

If you're not just mobile but ultra-mobile, be sure to deck out your UMPC with a cool case and stuff.

While you're at it, don't forget to mod up your pen with felt-tip nibs and spring-loaded stroke nibs. Ordering these from Wacom is only slightly more difficult than gnawing your own foot off. But at least Mobile Maestro Steve S over in the GottaBeMobile forums has kindly posted the magic link.

I hope you have great fun with these ideas. Be sure to report back on your most clever, useful, or downright extravagant tablet mods!

Maybe you'll even soup up your tablet with something hotter than what I've got cooking on the back burner here at Microsoft Research...

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