Digital Paper pad?

[LandSurveyor]

I know what it says about you.

You've figured him out?

[jigwashere]

You've figured him out?

Just enough to be afraid. Very afraid.

[JRakes]

My work here is done. You're welcome.

[NamelessPlayer]

Am I the only person on the Internet with legible handwriting? (This is why I don't care for instant recognition to plain text. It's redundant for me, and possibly even hindering.)

That said, you guys might-just might-be pleasantly surprised with Windows 7's handwriting recognition. It's said to cope astonishingly well with chickenscratch, especially after training the recognition engine.

My that sounds familiar; wonder if others will quote you on that soon enough regarding their smartphones, tablets, and (soon to come) wearable computing devices?

If they're not quoting your sig, at least.

Besides, it's folks like you and JRakes that have led me to that line of thought, questioning if all these new tools actually work better than the older ones, and how to make them work better.

[questionfear]

Am I the only person on the Internet with legible handwriting? (This is why I don't care for instant recognition to plain text. It's redundant for me, and possibly even hindering.)

Apparently!

I've always had bad handwriting, from well before I was typing everything out. I blame my 1st grade teacher, who made me use that awful triangle over my pencil since I held my pencil funny. If they hadn't tried to manipulate what was comfortable my handwriting would probably be better.

I've learned to get around it. It took me until my junior year of college, but when I started using a keyboard and my palm m100 to take notes instead of a notebook my grades shot up and my productivity improved immensely. I spent so much time trying to concentrate on writing slow enough to understand what was written that I couldn't pay attention to class at the same time. Even if my typed notes were riddled with typos and shorthand they were legible enough to make studying far easier!

[NamelessPlayer]

Here's a sample of my handwriting and some other things. It's meant to sum up my use case of such a device.

That's not exactly the sort of information I would feel capturing with a fat fingertip, and just forget using a keyboard...

This is why I want more note-taking tablets on the market, even though I already have a fairly viable solution.

[LandSurveyor]

Apparently!

I've always had bad handwriting, from well before I was typing everything out. I blame my 1st grade teacher, who made me use that awful triangle over my pencil since I held my pencil funny. If they hadn't tried to manipulate what was comfortable my handwriting would probably be better.

I've learned to get around it. It took me until my junior year of college, but when I started using a keyboard and my palm m100 to take notes instead of a notebook my grades shot up and my productivity improved immensely. I spent so much time trying to concentrate on writing slow enough to understand what was written that I couldn't pay attention to class at the same time. Even if my typed notes were riddled with typos and shorthand they were legible enough to make studying far easier!

Are you kidding? When I was in school, the closest thing to a PC was a manual typewriter. I would have traded a (lower?) limb for an AlphaSmart Dana!

Here's a sample of my handwriting and some other things. It's meant to sum up my use case of such a device.

That's not exactly the sort of information I would feel capturing with a fat fingertip, and just forget using a keyboard...

This is why I want more note-taking tablets on the market, even though I already have a fairly viable solution.

Your handwriting is fine. I would still rather be able to reduce my text to some sort of print format so it could be cut & pasted as necessary as I do when I move stuff to & from AutoCad to Word & such.

The sketches are the hard part. I guess the ideal would be some sort of flexible keyboard input coupled with a stylus for drawing, maybe similar in layout to a Kindle.

[Hook]

Here's a sample of my handwriting and some other things. It's meant to sum up my use case of such a device.

That's not exactly the sort of information I would feel capturing with a fat fingertip, and just forget using a keyboard...

This is why I want more note-taking tablets on the market, even though I already have a fairly viable solution.

I can read the first and last sentence just fine, but you seem to really lose it in the middle there.

[JRakes]

Very good point, NP! It's not common, but some of my notes frequently include small diagrams or illustrations. Additionally, part of my own freehand-cobbled-up-shorthand-personal-notetaking-style includes some symbols that I use to indicate certain things for myself. Basically, there are many types of note-taking that do not lend themselves well to a keyboard.

[ASIDE]
Since many of my notes also include numbers, and since the vast majority of handheld devices are sorely lacking in the number-key department...
[/ASIDE]

Bottom line: Some type of "freehand" notepad device would be quite useful. But I still think the ultimate device for that (for my use) would be a very simple, basic "e-paper" type of device. If I could archive those "pages" electronically for some period of time (not necessarily for all perpetuity,) it could be the, ummm... Cat's meow.

The key for my use, however, is something as simple as a cheap pad of paper. Simpler is, quite often, better. Ironically, I've had a couple of discussions recently with coworkers (including my bosses) about how we tend to over-complicate things - We jump on technology for a particular task, then crumble under the burden of actual use and maintenance.

Technology should never, ever, make anything more difficult. It should never require more time, even if it includes more "features" or "capabilities." It should never reduce the quality of the results of a current, basic task. Ever. (Amen. ) There's a BIG difference between "doing more" and "accomplishing my already overwhelming workload more effectively and efficiently." If any sort of technology doesn't meet the requirements of the latter, I have no interest in it and it will never meet the requirements of the former. Any exceptions simply means somebody doesn't have enough to do / has too much free time on their hands.

[LandSurveyor]

......... Ironically, I've had a couple of discussions recently with coworkers (including my bosses) about how we tend to over-complicate things - We jump on technology for a particular task, then crumble under the burden of actual use and maintenance.

I think it's important to notice that the enterprise is almost as subject to gadget mania as individuals. Witness past articles detailing corporate Blackberry users with "Iphone lust." These things get sold to the bosses as productivity-improving devices but really they can just be a way for somebody to get a new toy.

Of course, some people just can't seem to get a handle on new tech, no matter how good it is. I can remember many people hereabouts who bought a Palm and then discarded it later. I mean, if you can't make use of a Palm III device.......
For another example, I know a gentleman who once owned an earlier WM device which he never learned how to use. I recommended he replace it with a BB and now he's much happier.

......... Any exceptions simply means somebody doesn't have enough to do / has too much free time on their hands.

Peter Principle?