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Unfortunately I don't have a tablet and I don't know anyone who does so I can't test this out myself; Is it possible to send a particular image from a laptop PC to a tablet?

Here's what I'd like to achieve:

I'm creating a Dungeon Master's Help program which contains modules for rolling dice, making / displaying charater's , DM's notes, maps, sound effects, etc... What I would like to be able to do is give the players a tablet and be able to display particular images as and when, for example an image of a room they've just entered, or what a particular monster looks like, all the while I can be doing other things on the PC while they are looking at this image.

Has anyone done anything like this at all?

The closest thing aside from programming your own app would be to use the Splashtop App for the iPad (and iPhone). It essentially allows you to connect from the device to a PC or Mac and have the screen from the chosen computer streamed to the device, while having the taps that the user makes on the device streamed to the chosen computer.

Seeing as that wouldnt really work since you'd need multiple computers for each device and you still dont have the ability to work in the background on the same computer, you'll likely have to program it into an app for the tablet.

If this is for a commercial venture, I would suggest using a client/server model for the system.

You could either:
1. Write a dedicated app for the tablet device, and write your own protocol to update the clients/send back clicks
2. Use the tablet's inbuilt web browser to act as a client, and send data via HTTP. You could use an external server, or make the PC the server (using Apache, or write your own software to send html).

Sounds like a job for AppGameKit

I'm just starting to look at local network interaction for a couple of projects. It seems quite straight forward at first glance. With AppGameKit you can have the same app communicating between PC and Android / iOS / another netbook.

No, not commercial, just personal.

2 questions for you Batvink;

1/. I'd like to be able to show an image on the tablet while doing other things on the PC 'behind' the image as it where, can AppGameKit do that?

2/. I would like them to be USB connected if possible.

Im pretty sure what Vink is talking about is having two separate programs, one to be run on the tablets for receiving image data or whatever instructional content you wish to show the users, and one to be run on the PC by the "game master" that allows either the user to manually send various images / instructional content to each "signed in" user on a tablet or have the computer automatically send each connected tablet the data itself depending on options the clients select.

Just like a typical client / server relationship, both devices handle the same core data but display and use it differently. Tablets (clients) ask the PC what they need to display, the PC (server) does all of the necessary calculations and sends the clients what they need to display in response.

Vink is suggesting AppGameKit because of it's ability to run on multiple devices, allowing you to stick to one programming language and simplify things. IE If you were not using AppGameKit but instead using something like xCode to develop an iPad application but needed the server application to run on a Windows PC, you'd have to write the two programs with separate languages and ensure they communicate together properly, whereas since AppGameKit can run on an iPad and a Windows PC with the exact same code, you dont run into this issue.