Nokia probably think the full-screen keyboard is a nice thing. However, I'd much rather had them put all the effort and money into a more sofisticated HWR solution.

They might e.g. have tried to get PhatWare port their ParaGraph HWR engine from Windows, or pour some money into the open-source X-Stroke application; I know for a fact that the latter recently had a new contributor who was willing to integrate his own HWR algorithms into it.

I mean, I use the 770 daily, but not one session goes by when I don't fondly reminisce the Newton MessagePad and its near-flawless full-screen HWR. Everybody can buy a keyboard, but you can't buy a decent HWR engine for Linux. For shame...

See if you can dig up the posts about 'hex input'. Looks like a sweet way to input text, but because the onscreen KB is so inbred with the OS, there doesn't look like there's a way to circumvent it.

I'm perfectly comfortable using my fingers to operate all my touch screen devices (with no screen protectors or nothin', either). I do, however, try to avoid using my "assed fingers."

I save that one for WindowsCE devices

Another thing is that you do not HAVE TO use your fingers.. you can still tap with the stylus too, and even for that the new bigger letters will be welcomed by me at least (the old keyboard is so damned small that I often make typos).

Looks great overall, the whole new look etc.

Looks like the guy holding the tablet in the picture needs to trim his nails.

Frankly, I would like the following:

1) Ability to remove (or a flash where it isn't there) the HWR software since I never use it. I had a Newton and one of the "stupid Newton tricks" that was lampooned by Doonesbury was to write something and then laugh at what it thought you wrote. The only workable HWR is Graffitti and that system cheats since it constrains how you write.

2) Ability to define the keyboard and it's mappings.

The above may be there already.

Be prepared to carry a screen cleaning cloth around with you at all times. Major dirty screen when you start putting your grimy fingers on it to type.

Do this - change the sensitivity to the thumbkeys, and you can lightly touch it - it works better that way. I can almost touch-type on it now. I have to, because my dang ThinkOutside BT keyboard no longer works with OS 2006. They need to fix that.

There is a place to adjust this sensity with a scroller bar, in the 'Control Panel->Text input settings->Thumb board'. Makes a difference.

Oh, and I also 'taught' the handwriting, and practiced, and it seems better - I don't know if they changed anything, but it does seem better.

Odin:
I agree that the HWR in the Nokia leaves a lot to be desired. But I am curious if the Apple Message Pad that you tried was one of the first ones. I had one and I agree that it was horrible. However, that being said, the Newton MP-2100 has the best HWR that I have used, and I think if Nokia had something as good, it would be the best device that I have used. My Newton MP2100 is still with me, and still works great. . . . a little dated but it still has a place.
Robert