In general terms, tablet PC refers to a slate shaped mobile computer device, equipped with a touchscreen or stylus to operate the computer.
This form factor offers a more mobile way to interact with a computer. Tablet PCs are often used where normal notebooks are impractical or unwieldy, or do not provide the needed functionality.
The term Tablet PC was made popular in a product announced in 2001 by Microsoft, and defined by Microsoft to be a pen-enabled computer conforming to hardware specifications devised by Microsoft and running "Windows XP Tablet PC Edition" operating system or a derivative thereof.
