Seiko Instruments Introduces new SmartPad for Pocket PCs

[Jason Dunn]

<a href="http://www.handytel.com/news/viewstory.asp?id=0&prid=7665">http://www.handytel.com/news/viewstory.asp?id=0&prid=7665</a><br /><br />I've heard people who had these for their Palm rave about them - I wouldn't personally have use for one, but it's a nice feat of engineering!<br /><br />"Seiko Instruments USA Inc., a developer and marketer of advanced business and home/office products, today announced the introduction of SmartPad2e for Pocket PCs. <br /><br />This addition to the SmartPad2e family, makes it easy to transfer handwritten notes and drawings from paper to the Compaq iPAQäand HP Jornadaä, as well as Casio, Toshiba and NEC PDA's that utilize the Pocket PC Operating System exclusively." Source: Christopher Coulter

[JohnnyFlash]

it's a nice feat of engineering!


1 advice, Jason: could you please try to add picture to ALL your news items? 1 picture is worth 1000 words...


8)

[Jason Dunn]

1 advice, Jason: could you please try to add picture to ALL your news items? 1 picture is worth 1000 words...


Did you click on the link? When images are part of the link, I'll always use one if I can find an appropriate image. In this case, it's simply a press release with no images, so there's not much I could do short of scouring the web for an image which I don't really have time for. If people want to add images as comments after I've done the main post, they're more than welcome to. 8)

[JohnnyFlash]

If people want to add images as comments after I've done the main post, they're more than welcome to. 8)


you mean like this:

http://www.wirelesssoftware.info/archives/2002.3.3_16039/photo1.jpg

?

8)

[spg]

Now you've got it jpzr! ;)

I have never used one of these, but from all I have heard they are great products. Glad to see they have come out with one for Pocket PCs!

[dochall]

Ok but:

1) I want Bluetooth. Fair enough few of us are using it as yet but it makes things a lot simpler. I would prefer to be able to keep my ipaq in my pocket if I want to.

2) What I really want is for my handwritten notes to be converted to text either in realtime (not really bothered) or as a batch so I could for example leave a meeting and then hit a button on my ipaq to recognise text while leaving drawings as graphics.

I think that I will wait to see what Anoto (or their Oem's) come out with but I really want functionality to support point 2 which I haven't seen anybody mentioning yet.

[GUNSTEELE]

dochall,

I think you will wait a long time for your second wish, but I could do quite nicely with a SmartPad 2 for the iPaq. I just want that functionality and a handy carrier for both my Nokia and PPC. Anyone know if the 2 version is forthcoming for our units?

[lsbeller]

I own the Seiko SmartPad.

I used to write directly on my iPaq but found after extensive use that 1) it was often disconcerting to my clients (I am in sales) and 2) it was difficult to manage because either the instant recognition by Transcriber didn't catch something and after the meeting I couldn't remember what I wrote down or due to the amount of notes I take during client interviews, it was too cumbersome and time consuming to go back and correctly convert all of my writing.

So, as soon as Seiko introduced their Pocket PC version, I picked one up. Interestingly enough, I am pretty sure (I have not seen this reported anywhere) that the SmartPad is the next version of the previous CrossPad. I also have one of those and the Cross pen works with the SmartPad, the ink replacements have the Cross name on them and the software is also named the same.

The best thing about the Pocket PC version is that it uses Transcriber to recognize your handwriting. It is only limited to key words (for searching purposes) or word strings that are directly transfered to the Outlook task lists but it is as accurate as Transcriber normally is. This is out of the box recognition with no training required unlike the old Cross solution which required significant training.

I lost my desktop Cross install when I re imaged my HDD with W2000, but am curious to reinstall it and see if the Cross version will accept the Seiko inknotes. If it does, then I should be able to use the Cross software to recognize the full pages of handwriting like I did before. The inknotes are sync'ed to the desktop when you connect the Pocket PC.

So far, I can say that the SmartPad has improved my productivity. Now, all I want is for it to sync with Outlook either throught the journal program or at least with contact association. You can associate Outlook categories right now.

Steve

[Jason Dunn]

you mean like this


Yup, although I could do without the advertising for your site...

[JohnnyFlash]

Yup, although I could do without the advertising for your site...


the image is physically located on my site, so you should not wonder about advertising.

could you maybe make upload possibility of images to your site?

[nwarren]

Any ideas where to get one of these in the UK? Can't find anything at the moment.

Nick

[GLDav]

PC World sell them for a bout £40

[Jon Westfall]

I think this takes the cake as "most disturbing resurrection of a posting"...

Awesome product, BTW.