This episode of Tablet Tips covered several tips on going to class prepared.

1) Bring your computer to class in standby.

A typical Windows takes several minutes to turn on. Using standby under Windows Vista allows for your Tablet PC to turn in in just a few seconds. This means you are up and ready to take notes in under a minute. While standby will use some of your battery, if you have only have 10 minutes or a half hour between classes, this is not significant.

2) Bring your power charger.

You never know when you might have a random study session with a group of students, or have to use your computer for a longer amount of time than expected. In this situation, it is better to be safe than sorry. Since you are using your Tablet to take notes and do homework, you don't want your battery keeping you from doing your work.

3) Plug your computer in during class.

In some classrooms there may be power outlets directly on the desk. In these cases there is no reason not to plug your computer in. Plugging in also allows you to switch to High performance mode which can increase your wireless signal strength when connecting to the Internet. However, it is still best to stay in Power saver mode or a custom mode when running on battery.

4) Reset your wireless to fix connection problems.

There are several tricks to getting your wireless to work if it is giving you problems.
Wireless Tip 1) Flip the physical switch on your computer on and off.
Wireless Tip 2) Use the keyboard combination or software switch to turn your wireless on and off. This is useful for those computer that do not have a physical switch.
Wireless Tip 3) Disable then enable your wireless connection under the networking control panel.

5) Don't forget your tablet PC pen.

This goes without explanation.

And yes, the numbering of the tips on this episode was slightly messed up. :D

5a) Close unnecessary applications.

Closing your instant messing clients and web browsers while in class not only reduce distractions during class, but can make your battery last longer. In addition, closing those unnecessary applications will decrease the possibilities of computer crashes.

5b) Don't freak out if your computer crashes.

If your computer crashes during class while you are taking notes, there is no reason to freak out. It typically takes a few minutes to restart, but when your computer comes back up just continue where the class currently is. You can get the notes you missed from another student in the class.

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