Microsoft works to improve handwriting recognition

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t269-s2122919,00.html?rtag=zdnetukhompage">http://news.zdnet.co.uk/story/0,,t269-s2122919,00.html?rtag=zdnetukhompage</a><br /><br />Occasionally I use Transcriber when I am tired of pecking out stuff on FITALY. While Transcriber is nice, it is far from perfect and my chicken scratch doesn't help. MS is trying to improve the handwriting experience in the Tablet PC. "The current version of its Tablet PC operating system, which lets computer users control their machines with a pen-like device instead of just a mouse and keyboard, matches people's scrawls against the company's own database of handwriting samples. The idea is to ensure that the unlimited variety of Ts that human hands can produce will, in fact, be recognised as Ts."<br /><br />It doesn't matter how good handwriting recognition gets for me. I'll never use it as my primary method of input on a Pocket PC or Tablet PC. FITALY or a keyboard is much faster. However, the more natural it is to use an electronic device, the better it is for most people, and it is nice to just write things out sometimes.

[rlobrecht]

I like using Transcriber, even though it doesn't like me using it. I have the same problem with it trying to understand what I'm trying to write. I'f I'm writing a lot, I find it much faster to write it with Transcriber, and then fix it.

People really see the WOW factor when they see me just writing on the screen, comapred to a Palm user scratching graphitti in a little square.

[farnold]

It doesn't matter how good handwriting recognition gets for me. I'll never use it as my primary method of input on a Pocket PC or Tablet PC. FITALY or a keyboard is much faster. However, the more natural it is to use an electronic device, the better it is for most people, and it is nice to just write things out sometimes.

Hm, but somehow I hope that we see the real natural way to tell a device what it should do one day - to use our voice. After more than 20 years of PCs and already 5 years of WindowsCE, I think it's about time that these solutions get somewhere...

I doubt that solutions like FITALY will have a big future. Who is really willing to learn a new way of typing after school anymore?

[BrianCooksey]

I can appreciate your point. I used to type and hand print... my cursive was terrible. Years ago, in 6th grade I got a "D" in writing, the only thing worse would've been a failing "F".... it was bad.

After I got my PPC and transcriber, I tried to take notes during teachings using Transcriber and/or the keyboard... The throughput wasn't enough. Graffiti and I never got along...

So, I decided to make an effort to put into practice all the rules of writing I'd learned as a kid. Like re-learning basic ball handling skills for sports, doing the basics of the standard letter strokes (couple with imagining where the lines on the paper were) has dramatically improved my input rate.

I still revert and get sloppy, but the more I practice good penmanship, the more natural it becomes again and the better my writing input rate becomes.

I've also used the shape selector to eliminate strokes I never make.... It's still not typing and the pauses to wait for it to interpret can seem long, but it's the best option going for me at the moment (when I can't use a keyboard...)

[Ravenswing]

Hm, but somehow I hope that we see the real natural way to tell a device what it should do one day - to use our voice.

Here we differ, I don't find talking to a computer natural. (Well, I talk to them all the time, but not so that I expect them to follow my suggestion. :lol: ) I can't see voice control being a desirable feature for most people, though it has its uses in environments where handsfree control are an advantage.

[farnold]

(Well, I talk to them all the time, but not so that I expect them to follow my suggestion. :lol: )

I bet we all do in one way or the other - and the day will come when we hear contradictory answers :lol: - another end of a nice love story 8O

But really, right now PocketPC OS comes with a hand full of input methods and besides that we see innovative ideas for some more. My only conclusion here is: none of them is really delivering what we want. They are all just another compromise, until we get one that actually works naturally

[possmann]

No matter how good the handwriting program is, it won't really be totally great until the user gets the chance to associate their own handwriting with the letters/symbols. Now that would be perfect - user specific and customized to your unique style - for those of us who should have been doctors :)

[cpoole]

I really hope that we see an improved Transcriber. I guess I also need to practice my hand writting skills so that it gets a better chance of recognition.

I tried Fitaly and was quite glad when the evaluation period expired. Mini keyboards, no matter what the format are still mini keyboards. They take up valuable space on the screen and require lots of tapping. I appreciate the speed that some people get using Fitaly... but most of my needs are related more to 8-12 words at a time... basically where the appointment is or perhaps a quick comment. If I was taking notes at a lecture, I can see the need for something better than Transcriber.

Voice recognition is fine for some things but I think that 10 people at a meeting all talking to the pocket computer would be pretty disruptive.

[kfluet]

I used to use nothing but Transcriber. I still use it a lot, but I still miss the old Newton's handwriting recognition. I don't mean the nasty original recognition (which was an early, primitive version of Paragraph Calligrapher/Transcriber and the butt of many jokes). I mean the software Apple developed and that they are now integrating into OS X as "Inkwell". It learned, through neural network technology, how to recognize any horrible chicken scrawl you threw at it. You had to teach it, correcting it whenever it got recognition wrong, but after a few days it was _amazing_ and after a month it was _perfect_. The only problem would be if you shared your device with others, because you had to change the recognition profiles all the time, but that was a non issue for most people.

As for fast input, don't forget that you can put apps like Pocket Word into writing mode (electronic ink) and recognize it later when you have time to do minor corrections. I find it very useful in meetings, etc.

I now use a combination of Transcriber and WordLogic. If you haven't played with WordLogic, give it a try. At first it just looks like a keyboard, but most input actually involves working with the word prediction software after pecking at from 1-3 letters. It learns your usual vocabulary for faster input. Very cool stuff.

-- kevin

[sullivanpt]

I'm with Brian's line of thinking. After reteaching myself what I forgot from kindergarten -- namely how to write legibly -- transcriber is lightening fast and very intuitive.

Bonus, even I can read handwritten notes to myself now! :D

[Brad Adrian]

No matter how good the handwriting program is, it won't really be totally great until the user gets the chance to associate their own handwriting with the letters/symbols...
But isn't that what's already possible - to quite an extent - with Transcriber and Calligrapher? I've been using Calligrapher for a long time and have found it to be pretty accurate. My biggest issue these days is that my handwriting feels so slow after typing on a full-size keyboard all day long.

[Ed Hansberry]

My biggest issue these days is that my handwriting feels so slow after typing on a full-size keyboard all day long.
That's why I'll never use it as my primary method. A keyboard or FITALY are both far far faster than I can write.

[KH]

I have been an IPAQ user from the beginning and Calligrapher is my single most important application. I used both Transcriber and Calligrapher in earlier versions on my Aero, but the 206MHz boost finally made the technology workable. I use Pen Comander to boost my handwriting performance for longer words or symbols that just don't get picked up too well by Handwriting recognition tools (the tilde for example). The most attractive thing about it is that I have electronic versions of almost all of the notes I have taken for over two years. I did have to make changes to a couple of my characters, but by no stretch of the imagination did I have to change my writing technique. I played with the Tablet PC, and the recognition speed is notably better, but the form factor just isn't suitable. I will be happy when the software is available to exploit higher speeds in the Pocket PCs, but for me the technology has already become practical.

[KH]

One other great thing about notetaking on a Pocket PC: it works quite well in a darkened conference room - MUCH better than a laptop or external keyboard.

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

My biggest issue these days is that my handwriting feels so slow after typing on a full-size keyboard all day long.
That's why I'll never use it as my primary method. A keyboard or FITALY are both far far faster than I can write.

Input on either FITALY or Stowaway is much faster than my regular handwriting on paper (let alone transcriber on PPC) which is why I could never rely on handwriting as my primary mode of input. I could never handwrite 30 wpm (which is my speed on FITALY).

I don't prescribe to the "voice recognition" theory either (at least not for myself). It might be helpful in private, but in public or with other people... I don't know. Most of my notetaking / input is done in meetings and I would never speak into my PPC as a method of notetaking... too disruptive...

Now if my PPC could read my brainwaves as a method, then we'd be talking :D :D