Re: [NTLK] Does this look familiar -- Microsoft does a Newton

From: Sunder (sunder_at_sunder.net)
Date: Fri Nov 01 2002 - 13:53:35 EST


Erm, to expand on that - should have said, it does REALTIME recognition as
I write, and it takes whatever I write and types it as if it were
keystrokes. Probably just posts key-up/down events to win32's api since
it doesn't always work too well in DOS programs. I have to turn on Pen
mode from the task tray (yet another ui abomination), after which I can
write on the screen - it shows up as bright red, and it recognizes as I go
along.

To use the pen as a mouse, I have to hold it down on the first tap for a
second or two, then I can drag or move or whatever you'd do with a mouse.

It can't and doesn't attempt to store ink, so all text has to be instantly
recognized and fed to the top application.

There's also a pop up on screen keyboard which works well too...

On Fri, 1 Nov 2002, Sunder wrote:

>
> That's rather lame considering my Casio Fiva MPC501 (what an ugly name!)
> does very nice handwriting recognition (much faster than the newt's and
> better at recognizing my chicken scratch) and runs Windows 98se.
>
> Of course not having an OS that integrates the pen capability fully leaves
> much to be desired. Lack of a full set of gestures for one.
>
> The worse UI blunder is having to be able to right click in an OS that
> requires it with a pen that can't. This means that I have to click on a
> very small icon of a microsoft mouse that has a yellow R written on it
> before I can right click where I have to.
>
> Squeezing a desktop OS into a tablet is possible, the fiva's got a nice
> color 800x600 screen, but it's too small. Making it friendly and usable,
> that's another story.
>
> They don't call WinCE wince for nothing, but while at least 98 has all the
> apps and doesn't need special versions, it's not as nice as the newt to
> use. I would have rather had 2000 or better yet Linux on it as 98 tends
> to crash too often for my taste.
>
>
> On Fri, 1 Nov 2002, Ed Kummel wrote:
>
> >
> > Two points bothered me about this article.
> > 1) "Handwritten notes can also be highlighted,
> > formatted and converted to text"
> > This means that it doesn't convert handwriting on the
> > fly...forget about it...I'll never use it...

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