Software giant Microsoft Corp. is expected to release a new technology this fall that the company hopes will revolutionize the concept of one-to-one computing in schools.

Not much larger than the spiral notebook found in most students' book bags, the Tablet PC combines the handiness of a handheld computer with the power of a laptop. It's an innovation Microsoft says will make the integration of technology a less daunting experience for teachers and students, many of whom have yet to embrace portable computers and online learning fully.

Several original equipment manufactures (OEMs), including Hewlett-Packard Co., Acer America Corp., and Toshiba Corp., have made plans to roll out the new high-tech, notebook-size devices later this year.

Microsoft will fashion the Windows-based operating system for the devices, creating what it hopes will be an ideal solution for schools, said Mary Cullinane, a former teacher and manager of Microsoft's K-12 business.

"This is a phenomenal device for education," Cullinane said. Unlike traditional laptops, she said, the Tablet PC will incorporate Microsoft's digital ink technology, which includes a digital pen or stylus that lets users take handwritten notes directly on the device's screen. These notes then can be saved and stored in the students' own handwriting, or translated to text and added to other text documents.

Cullinane said the digital ink component is an essential part of the Tablet PC's educational value, because it performs a feat not yet attempted by classroom laptops.

"With a laptop, the screen presents a barrier between student and teacher," Cullinane said. "The Tablet PC is just like using a pad and paper." Instead of integrating a flip-up screen, the tablet machines will more closely resemble large personal digital assistants (PDAs), in that the screens will lay flat or pivot to create more of an ideal writing surface, she said.

Students using the digital ink feature also will have the ability to save their notes and then search these handwritten notes by typing in a keyword or phrase they want to find. The idea is to move toward the evolution of a paperless classroom, Cullinane said.

The Tablet PC will run on Microsoft's Windows XP Professional operating system and carry with it all of the functions and standard programs available on almost any Windows platform. Whether taking notes in Microsoft Word or creating spreadsheets in Excel, students will be able to perform a host of computing tasks in much the same way they could on standard desktop machines, the company said. Plus, wireless internet connections will make it possible for students to go online anywhere, at any time.

Cullinane believes the Tablet PC will be seen as an all-in-one learning tool, where students conceivably could take and store notes for every class, read electronic versions of textbooks, perform online searches, compose documents, trade eMail, and take computerized tests.