Tablet PC Presentation Woes

In the July 30 edition of Networking UPDATE: Mobile & Wireless Edition (http://www.mobile-and-wireless.com/articles/index.cfm?articleid=39733), I mentioned that I would be taking my Motion Computing M1200 Tablet PC with me on my annual excursion to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for the Experimental Aviation Association's AirVenture show. While I was there, I used the M1200 to give two presentations, and unfortunately I ran into problems. Like most notebook computers, Tablet PCs provide VGA connectors for an external video display. On the two "convertible" notebook/tablet units I've tested (Acer's Travelmate C-102 and Toshiba's Protege 3500), the external video worked just as I expected, duplicating the built-in LCD's image. I had used the Acer device in this manner a few months ago, so I anticipated no problems with the M1200. Wrong! Using a feature called Dual-View, which is similar to the multi-monitor feature on desktop computers that have multiple display adapters, pure-slate Tablet PCs such as the M1200 treat external video as a completely separate display surface. In some respects, this feature is beneficial: For example, using Microsoft PowerPoint XP, you can simultaneously view your speaker's notes on the built-in LCD and your slides on the external video. Unfortunately, I wasn't using PowerPoint. For one presentation, I wanted to use the Slide Show feature that Microsoft Office XP adds to Windows Explorer to simply show a collection of pictures. For the other presentation, I needed to demonstrate some aviation software running on the Tablet PC. When I realized that I had two completely separate display surfaces, I was briefly stumped. However, after some experimentation, I found that I could drag a window from the LCD display to the external display (which Windows XP for Tablet PC treats as an extended desktop). However, the Tablet PC stylus worked only on the built-in LCD display. One workaround for the stylus glitch is to plug in a USB mouse (or the M1200's external keyboard, which includes a touchpad). By pushing the mouse to the right, you can roll the pointer off the built-in display and onto the external display. Unfortunately, I didn't have a mouse or external keyboard with me in Oshkosh. The crowd was small, so I simply had people gather around the M1200 while I performed the demonstration. When I returned home, I began searching for a better solution, and I found one, although it's not perfect: Microsoft has developed the Extended Desktop for Tablet PC PowerToy. The tool places a window, initially containing a grid, on the LCD. When you move the stylus over the grid, you get a mouse pointer on the external display. Any application that's using the external display interprets stylus taps within the grid as mouse clicks. You can also configure the tool to show a scaled version of the external display's image on the built-in LCD, although this functionality noticeably slows performance. The Extended Desktop for Tablet PC PowerToy is a step in the right direction, and I'll use it the next time I use the M1200 for a presentation. However, what I really want is a way to display the same image simultaneously on both the internal and external display. If any readers know a solution, please write and let me know. In the meantime, if you've experienced similar frustrations, go to http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/tabletpc/downloads/powertoys.asp to download the Extended Desktop for Tablet PC PowerToy (as well as other PowerToys, including one that lets you modify the Tablet PC's built-in handwriting-recognition dictionary).