Hand Writing Recognition set to grow

[Jason Dunn]

http://news.com.com/1601-2-935763.html

Peter West pointed us to a streaming video of a CNET News.com report on hand writing recognition. Contrary to what Jeff Hawkins thinks, some people are predicting a huge increase in pen-based input methods and note taking. Great video with some compelling examples (http://www.ritemail.net/rm/reg.asp?ProductRq=RMCEClient) of hand writing input in action. Some of this stuff makes Transcriber look like a stone-aged application...

[mlunsford]

Just so people know, the URL for the company featured in this video, Pen&Internet, is www.ritemail.net. This website is currently featuring a free PDA giveaway program and free use of riteMail right from the website or as a download for your PDA

[Brad Adrian]

What is most compelling from the viewpoint of my personal needs is the possibility of scribbling text and diagrams and have them recognized and converted for cleanup and sharing via something like Powerpoint. It's one thing to be able to create a simple bitmap on my Pocket PC, but quite another to have those scribbles recognized for the text, polygons and images they represent. Otherwise, all I end up with is the electronic equivalent of a paper napkin.

I'm looking forward to some great advances in the next few years.

On a related note, though, does anybody else notice that with the increasing availability of electronic input they are actually writing much less than they used to? My handwriting has gone to POT over the course of the past year, because there's always a Pocket PC or notebook computer around to capture notes, phone numbers and to-do items.

[chris234]

Back when I used a Newton pretty heavily, my wife noted my handwriting got a lot better, as I had to be neater for the handwriting recognization to work. Since then, I've used Palms and now Pocket PCs, neither of which I write on nearly as much (I find the form factors too cramped for note taking), and I think I've reverted to my usual chicken scratches....

[adhd-dude]

for the millionth time, NO NO NO,
we dont want to use our hands and write on screens that we paid our hard earned $ for!

Its a stupid idea. keyboards rule. Soft keyboard or preferably REAL thumb keyboards will always do better.

If i want to draw (Scribble) then sure there is no other way.

You gotta look at it my way.
When i had my iPAQ i used to play with Transcriber. Sure it was Fantastic and it did an awesome job recognizing my writing [sarcasm], its just there isnt room and everytime i write two words (that is if i can fit two words on the screen) then i must wait for the device to recognize the words then write another two then wait and so on.

My point is;
1) the device screen is too small
2) it is NOT productive
3) you have to train or learn there is no way around this dont let anyone tell you otherwise there is always things you have to learn
4) its a dawnting task
I think companies like that need to focus on better things and stop wasting time trying to revolutionize something thats already going no-where!

[DREAMWEAVER]

I love handwriting input. I cant get by without my transcriber or now calligrapher. 8)

[peterawest]

It's a good thing that this is an "opinion site" since adhd-dude and DREAMWEAVER have such different opinions.

As for my opinion, I like Transcriber, but I don't use it as much as the Character Recognizer. I find that I write too large when I use Transcriber, so I can't fit enough on the screen before breaking to allow it to convert to text.

Interestingly, I think this is because I still just use the basic stylus that came with my iPAQ. I recently borrowed a nice fat Pen/Stylus combo that a friend of mine bought and I found a good improvement in both my writing and the conversion to text. I may have to go ahead and invest in a good Stylus and then see where it takes me.

[T-Will]

You guys know with Transcriber if you reach the bottom of the screen and don't have anymore room you can just continue writing back at the top of the screen on top of the text you just wrote, this will allow you to write more than two words at a time.

[Ed Hansberry]

You gotta look at it my way.
Uhm... yeah. Nothing like options for people to choose from.

[don996cab]

How do they expect us to write on a table PC without the palm of our hands touching the screen. Anything but the pen touching the screen will screw up the recognition engine.

Tryin writing on a piece of paper, and not rest your palm on the paper. it would be very difficult.

[jdhill]

How do they expect us to write on a table PC without the palm of our hands touching the screen. Anything but the pen touching the screen will screw up the recognition engine.

Tryin writing on a piece of paper, and not rest your palm on the paper. it would be very difficult.
The Tablet PC does not use the same type of digitizer screen that the Pocket PC uses.

A Tablet PC uses an electromagnetic digitizer that must be used with a special stylus. The Tablet PC will not respond to your hand or your finger poke for that matter, you must use the stylus.

A Pocket PC uses a pressure sensitive digitizer that can be used with any blunt object including a stylus or your finger tip.

[st63z]

I wish there's a technology that can somehow combine the best features of both types of touchscreens (the PDA type and the CAD tablet type). Well, I guess they're mutually exlusive, so maybe a technology that can let you toggle back and forth between each "mode".

One conveniently lets you interact with the screen with any object (stylus, finger, whatever). The other needs a dedicated stylus, but detects pressure levels and is more sensitive and durable (FYI, it would be great to be able to draw on the PPC screen with varying pressure levels like a CAD tablet).

I'm spouting all this from memory, so forgive any mistakes...

EDIT: Whoops, I dunno why I'm rehashing what you already wrote, jdhill :)

[don996cab]

Well, that explains it! I guess I've watched too many star trek episodes where their pc tablet can do everything.

I use my laptop everywhere, including in bed. I wonder when handwriting can ever replace keyboard typing.

I've heard that some come with wireless keyboards, which would be kinda difficult to type while you are in bed.

Now if the keyboard could be attached to the screen when needed, that would be pretty cool.