App idea : one-tap switcher between handwriting and keyboard inputs
 

Hi, I'm not sure if anyone else has faced this incovenience, but when inputting email addresses, phone numbers, passwords and the like, I have always found it more accurate to use the virtual keyboard over the handwriting recognition. Likewise, for text-heavy inputs, like email composition, etc, I have found handwriting to be a preferred input method

As such, is there any app in existence that allows for quick switching between the two input methods rather than the existing 3 tap method? How easy/difficult would it be to create an applet that resides in the system tray or in the input panels (virtual keyboard and handwriting recognition)?

On a side note, the handwriting recognition engine reminds me of Rosetta, the same engine used by the Apple Newton (I was a Newton user, from the MP100 to the MP2100, including the eMate). Or am I mistaken?

Re: App idea : one-tap switcher between handwriting and keyboard inputs
 

Oh, now you've gone and woken Karel.

Re: App idea : one-tap switcher between handwriting and keyboard inputs
 

Whuh? Did someone mention Newton?

FWIW, I don't believe the Itablet's HWR is Rosetta-based (for one, it's way too stupid!). I'm still leaning towards a tweaked version of Decuma Alphabetic.

Re: App idea : one-tap switcher between handwriting and keyboard inputs
 

Hey Karel, you're a fellow Newton user, I gather :)

Have you noticed in the control panel applet where you can teach the system to recognize the stokes you use for each character, that it is very similar to the one on the Newton. On a parallel note, I think Calligrapher also has something like that.

What I wouldn't give to have full screen handwriting recognition, along with some ability for the system to autocorrect (such that the user can double tap on the incorrect word to highlight it, tap and hold the highlighted text and a context menu would pop up offering copy/cut/paste plus a list of suggested autocorrect words, or enter a custom word, and the system will autocorrect it the next time around).

Another nice feature to have in this HWR app would be a number button -- tapping on it would set the recognizer to guess the input stroke only from a list of numerals, hence improving input accuracy when inputting numbers. Tapping this button again would call up the symbols dictionary, and tapping it again would call up the alphabet dictionary.

Hell, I would be prepared to pay at least fifty dollars for such an application. :D

Re: App idea : one-tap switcher between handwriting and keyboard inputs
 

Heh.

It's similar, but not identical. And given that Rosetta has been ported to exactly nothing else, I'd say the resemblance is accidental.

I recently sent an email to PhatWare, producers of PenOffice and CalliGrapher, with a request for a port of their program to Linux. They replied that the CalliGrapher engine is already available for Linux, but only as an OEM product that has to be tied to a device. One can only gaze in wonderment at the stupidity of the Nokia researchers who thought it was a good idea to implement the crap we have now instead of PhatWare's offering.

Re: App idea : one-tap switcher between handwriting and keyboard inputs
 

The N800/810's handwriting app is so useless I'm surprised that anyone wants to make it more convenient to access. It's a lot harder and slower than using the stylus, in my experience. I was oriiginally looking forward to handwriting on my N800 till the clunky N800 system showed me the error of my ways.

Re: App idea : one-tap switcher between handwriting and keyboard inputs
 

whoa there, it's not THAT bad.

While it is an exercise in patience and learning to write letters with some space between them, it is possible to do so, especially on a flat surface. I find myself having to write in a deliberate fashion rather than my typically messy script (this is probably a good thing), though in all honesty, I do miss cursive HWR that I had on my MP2100.

HWR has never been perfect, though it was pretty decent on the MP2100 and works best when you have lots of screen real estate to work with, like on the MP2100. Ironic that with all the real estate we have on the N800, we are limited to using that miserable 1/5th bottom part of the screen, and that's one reason I'm seriously considering an N810. And GPS helps too ;)

Re: App idea : one-tap switcher between handwriting and keyboard inputs
 

hmm.. sorry for this question..
i'm a noob you know..
how do you use handwriting? ..like how do u turn it on? where can you use it for? and how do you get qwerty keyboard on the screen?
please explain it to me step by step .. =)

Re: App idea : one-tap switcher between handwriting and keyboard inputs
 

Remember, I am the only other one in the galaxy doing HWR on the tablet, so just remember my name. I have FORCED myself to use HWR as I also believe it is not THAT bad. I have been doing this for 2 months by now and get to the point I am MORE comfortable to do HWR on the tablet than the palm. Some of the discussion is here,
http://www.internettablettalk.com/fo...189#post192189.

Although I been using the HWR for two plus month and I am already comfortable to do it on the tablet, I conceed, OSK is faster. Part of it, HWR does not come up fast enough even I set it to the fastest.

I really like your idea of being able to choose between OSK and HWR, I think that is a good feature. Ok, ghoonk, remember bun, you and I are the only 2 creatures in this milkyway using HWR on the tablet.

bun

Re: App idea : one-tap switcher between handwriting and keyboard inputs
 

Whenever you have to input anything, tap the icon on your Left lower corner, the one looked like a page with a triangle, then click Input method, then you can have a choice of Handwriting (HWR) or Keyboard (OSK). See my signature for shortcut discussions.

bun