Virginia Tech is often in the vanguard by adopting new, innovative technologies in the area of personal computing. In 1984, the college was the first public institution in the U.S. to require its entering engineering freshmen to own a personal computer. In 2002, the college moved to a laptop requirement and many of its academic buildings were outfitted to offer wireless communication capabilities. Then, in 2006, VT became the largest and first public college of engineering to require Tablet PCs for its engineering freshmen. 

In 2006, the Virginia Tech College of Engineering announced an industry alliance with Fujitsu Computer Systems Corporation and Microsoft Corporation to support its new Tablet PC computing initiative for incoming freshmen. The alliance between Fujitsu, Microsoft, and Virginia Tech offers engineering students high levels of hardware and software purchasing power and support, and provides students, faculty, and staff with training and assistance throughout the development and implementation of new models of teaching and learning. 

The Fujitsu LifeBook® T4000 Series convertible Tablet PC combines the convenience and familiarity of a notebook with the powerful and versatile functionality of a slate Tablet PC. In conventional notebook mode, the Tablet PC offers a keyboard for typing. By rotating and folding the screen, it transforms into a tablet configuration. Using a stylus, students can make handwritten notes and drawings in a manner comparable to the way in which pen and paper are used. 

“We selected the Fujitsu LifeBook T4000 Series convertible Tablet PC based on its reliability and flexibility, as well as the company’s ability to support learning experiences in or outside of the classroom,” said Glenda Scales, associate dean for computing and distance learning, College of Engineering at Virginia Tech. “In our deliberations, we also balanced price, weight, service, screen size and years of corporate experience with Tablet PCs. While several vendors met our minimum computer requirements and were strong in a particular area, by selecting Fujitsu hardware we were able to meet the majority of our educational requirements for a Tablet PC.” 

Virginia Tech recently posted a video on its web site documenting the implementation and success of the Tablet PC Initiative. To view it, go to the College of Engineering web site Virginia Tech web site and click on the Virginia Tech College of Engineering Tablet PC Initiative image in the top of the right pane.