[NTLK] Alignment--call for programmers

> On the subject of a new tool for alignment. My initial thought is that
> programmatically is not that easy to find out the offset in the
> alignment across the screen. And that trial and error is faster than a
> making from scratch a new alignment tool. I will look up the relevant
> section of reference guide tomorrow.

Here's my $0.02:

When the center of the second X is tapped during alignment,
the entire square X XORs. Until now, I've assumed that I'd
been tapping and identifying an x,y coordinate that was
physically at the center of the X, but on those Newts with
alignment problems, this isn't true--it's erroneously identifying
a *nearby point* as the point which the OS needs to be
registering as the center of the X--even though it's not at
the center of the X.

Thus the ongoing alignment problem, because from that
moment on, the OS scales all stylus contact by an amount
which logically places the slightly-off point to the center of
the X.

Writing an alignment tool may not even be an option. Does anyone
know the OS well enough to know where the scaling factors
determined from the alignment procedure are stored?

> For now I am happy that I fixed the alignment! At the same time I am
> worried as this kind of problem would mean that a very bad problem
> will plague all newts eventually. Is it the point that the hardware is
> finally beginning to failing? As the newest Newt is 10 years old it is
> something to worry about. I hope I am wrong to worry though.

I asked my optometrist friend, "What is it that happens in one's
40's that makes one's vision go?" He replied, "Oh, you mean
what is it that started happening *the day you were _born_* that
makes one's vision start to go in their 40s!"

I'm saddened to think my Newt is one step closer to extinction, but
it's been happening all along. On the positive side, dinking with the
alignment tool just restored it to as close to it's full functionality as
it can possibly be...eleven years after its plug was pulled.

Doug

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Received on Sun Jul 6 23:03:17 2008