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Robb · Jun 28, 2000, 12:45 PM

How is the PalmOS on reading a user's hand writing? I'd love to be able to trade in my day planner and take meeting notes on a Palm or Visor instead.

Jun 28, 2000, 12:59 PM

I've tried the graffiti on the Palm, admittedly it wasn't long enough to learn it completely, but I have tried it. I was all set to buy one until my officemate told me he had a Newton 130 that he never used. He gave it to me and the handwriting recognition is absolutely amazing. There's nothing like being able to write in your usual handwriting and have it translated without error. I've used it for over a year now and I might have one typo per 8 hours of use.

If you don't mind the size and you're really mainly interested in hw recognition, try out a Newton if you can find someone with one.

bigwalton

sine -''-..- · Jun 28, 2000, 09:42 PM

Bigwalton is right,
The handwriting recognition on NewtonOS 2.x is the best available. If you only need planning and notes, the 130 is the way to go. If you need web-browsing, emailing, and other high-end tasks... the 2000/2100 is perfect.
The 2x00 models (OS 2.1) are very speedy with the recognition and even have extra features like accent and special character recognition, (if you write in french, german, etc.) but the extra size of the 2000/2100 makes it less suitable for organizer functions.

JoshFofer · Jun 29, 2000, 04:10 AM

Then again, you could also get Jot! for the Palm -- which offers the same kind of handwriting recognition as the Newton, not Graffitti.

Then you'd have the best of both worlds, and you would be stuck reverting to a dead-end product.

sine -''-..- · Jun 29, 2000, 10:02 AM

Just because Newton is not new and trendy, does not make it useless and a dead-end product.
There is still repair service offered by Apple and DOD (Dr.Newton). Software is still being developed and improved such as Newtscape, Simplemail, NCQ, Backtalk and others. It is compatible with all major desktop OSs such as Mac, win, Unix, RiscOS etc.
NewtonOS has the power and features like WinCE, and a simple, easy to use GUI like PalmOS, and handwriting recognition that is superior to all.

seanyepez · Jun 30, 2000, 02:19 PM

"Sine" is right.

I would love to have a Newton 2100 over this Palm IIIc. The Newton is an awesome platform, and though it's not available and trendy anymore, it is by far my favorite PDA of all-time.

I wish they were a little smaller, and that's all...

squareman · Jun 30, 2000, 06:12 PM

You could also get a Palm or Visor and get the Palm Expandable keyboard. I've used it for taking notes at meetings and it's been great. The keyboard is as big as a Powerbook's keyboard and the whole thing fits in an oversized shirt pocket.

The advantage of this over a whole laptop (aside from saving $2K) is that you don't have to take the keyboard everywhere. If you just want the Palm for an appointment book, address book or any other use aside from notes, that's all you have to carry - one little pocket-sized computer (which is much smaller and lighter than the Newton).

sine -''-..- · Jun 30, 2000, 08:32 PM

Originally posted by squareman:
You could also get a Palm or Visor and get the Palm Expandable keyboard. I've used it for taking notes at meetings and it's been great. The keyboard is as big as a Powerbook's keyboard and the whole thing fits in an oversized shirt pocket.

The advantage of this over a whole laptop (aside from saving $2K) is that you don't have to take the keyboard everywhere. If you just want the Palm for an appointment book, address book or any other use aside from notes, that's all you have to carry - one little pocket-sized computer (which is much smaller and lighter than the Newton).

The way I see it is the Palm is a great unit, its small, its *cough* cheap, and its useful for taking notes (with a keyboard), appointments, names, etc. etc. I could also do that with my 64k Casio organizer that I had 5 years ago (and the rubber-button keyboard was about as fast as graffiti

).
I can do with my Newton, all that I needed to do with my laptop. Sure the Newton is huge compared to Palm, but its a lot smaller than my Powerbook.
Anyhow, with my 2100, I have a full featured word processor, drawing program, spreadsheet for school. I have a full featured web browser that can do frames, cgi, etc. (I even keep track of this fourm with it). I have simple expansion options such as using a standard PCMCIA modem, or ethernet card, or pager card, and flash ram, etc etc.(its got two slots BTW). It supports REAL networking thru appletalk/localtalk serial, or appletalk thru PCMCIA ethernet card, and soon will support Airport(!) as one great individual is making a driver for the lucent Wavelan card. I can even connect to cable internet. And the most important feature is that NewtonOS is self-sufficient; I can program and compile directly on the unit, I cant print to any Apple printer, PC printer with a cable, and some HPs thru IRDA. Printing is very important to me because I use a portable Cannon BJ printer at school to print out the the work I have been doing in class on the Newton, and it prints with proper formatting (ie graphs etc are full page etc,) and theres even a print preview. Plus Newton has a simple, usable GUI. It has basically 5 main parts, a window close button (box with an X), a routing button, a file button, an info button, and a window moving grip (to drag the window around). And with Tap-bar, theres a control strip (with lots of plugins available).

Well... anyhow I could continue on with other traits of Newton, but I'll give it a rest for now.

Jun 30, 2000, 08:35 PM

Getting back to the original post, Hand writing on a Palm is fine. Using the built-in grafitti takes about a day of getting used to, but you'll be fine. And I would also throw in my vote for CIC's excellent Jot for Palms. It is much more natural than Grafiitti, and has other niceities, like showing the mark as your pen goes over the screen, and letting you write anywhere you want, not just on the little writing area. So the verdict: Grafitti is good, you'll get used to it quickly. Jot is better still, one of the best $40 dollars I've spent.

seanyepez · Jun 30, 2000, 09:54 PM

I still write faster than I can input data into my Palm, if that's what you're asking.

But then again, the Palm is a much easier way of organizing my notes. I always end up throwing away those sheets, and am left with nothing to study from.

WL2100 · Jul 3, 2000, 01:36 AM

Geezzzzzzz, _WHEN was 'shorthand'(Graffiti) 'EVER'={Handwriting} <g>... {Handwriting} is an art-form, not a bunch of scribbles that 'represent' a character...
_Graffiti_ is a 'non-linear' form of communication...but not 'Writing'...__<turning off rant>...

SupahCoolX · Jul 3, 2000, 04:57 AM

I remember seeing a java-based demo of Graffiti at www.palm.com (just do a little searching around the site to find it.. i think it was in a small menu thingy on the site).. you use the mouse like a stylus and you can write all you want to see how graffiti works.. the web site demo's recognition is not as good as writing on an actual PalmOS device (especially on the "y" for me), but it will give you a basic idea

Robb · Jul 3, 2000, 08:26 AM

Wow! Seems like there's still a lot of life left in the Newton. Too bad it was ahead of it's time, I'd love to have had one.

But I digress... sounds like Jot! is probably the way to go if I want to be able to take notes in thje PalmOS. I don't need to be able to write the next great American novel, just be able to scribble down random thoughts. Thanks for all the info people!