If you have ever tried to help a mathematics student on the internet and tried to solve his/her mathematical problem, then you know how difficult it is to copy paste all those mathematical symbols. Math Input Panel which comes with Windows 7 makes your typing mathematical equations and expressions a breeze. You can use the Math Input Panel to write any mathematical expression and then copy paste it into any word processor which supports MathML (like Microsoft Word or OpenOffice Writer). Here is how :
- Start Math Input Panel from Start Menu → All Programs → Accessaries → Math Input Panel. Alternatively, you can type mip.exe in the Start Menu search field and press Enter.
- You will see the Math Input Panel window. If you do not see the window, check the Math Input Panel icon in the system tray and double click on it.
- You can use your pointing device (tablet pen or mouse) to write in the Math Input Panel. If you have a touchscreen enabled monitor, then you can use your fingers to write on your screen.
- On the right side you have tools to erase or correct the written material. You can also undo and redo your steps. If you want to clear the whole written material then you can click on Clear button.
- When you are done writing the mathematical equation, formula or expression, then click on the Insert button on the bottom to insert this equation in the document editor (its window should be in focus).
- You can see all your typed equations under the History menu of the Math Input Panel.
The Math Input Panel is designed to be used with a tablet pen on a tablet PC, but you can use it with any input device, such as a touchscreen, external digitizer, or even a mouse. But a mouse is not the best choice and you can make many mistakes. Instead you can buy a cheap computer writing tablet.