Electronic Capture of Handwriting
There are quite a few options that allow you to write such that your strokes are
stored electronically and the handwriting recognized and converted into computer
text. These options have improved (and continue to improve) with time.
I’ve worked with some of these technologies in the past, so it’s an area that I
have some familiarity with.
All options have caveats, and individual preferences that vary from person to
person mean that there is no single “best” solution. Ideally, one should
“test drive” any interesting option(s), but this is of course not possible in
some/most cases.
Below, I’ve listed the current options that I found (I’ve grouped them by
technology type). Where Amazon links and pricing are provided, it’s
generally worth reading Amazon’s end-user reviews of the product.
Generally speaking, the technical process behind handwriting recognition is
successful and often adequate, given that each system stores the motion that
goes into forming each letter of the writing, rather than just a picture/image
of the finished writing. The “motion” data makes it much easier to deduce
the characters being written.
PEN + SPECIAL PAPER:
- LeapFrog Enterprises offers the “Fly Pentop Computer” ($47.29
at Amazon) and the newer (better) “Fly Fusion” ($79.99
at Amazon). Note the
differences. Both require special “FLY Paper”
digital paper, which
has special markings on its surface so that the pen knows where it is on the
page. Reviews:
PC Magazine
- There are other, less-prominent players, such as Maxell’s “Penit” digital pen (which apparently offers Apple Macintosh support*) and the Magicomm G303.
*The Maxell "Penit" apparently has Mac support. See their web site at: http://pen-it.com/Pen-it/home.html. They have another web site: http://www.maxell.co.jp/e/products/industrial/digitalpen/index.html. A news release: http://www.macobserver.com/article/2007/01/10.11.shtml. It can be bought here: http://www.pen-it.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1&zenid=ab93a298ff5511f5d39c8a90918f7520. Note that it is quite a bit pricier than the PC version.
- Anoto provides the underlying paper
technology for many of these solutions.
SPATIAL RECOGNITION:
- Adesso offers the
Cyberpad ($129.29
at Amazon). It uses regular paper. It is basically a digitizing
tablet that can track the location of the special pen at all times. The
end-user reviews at Amazon recommend upgrading the included “EverNote” software
for about $30 extra, in order to gain adequate handwriting recognition. I
had an opportunity to try the Cyberpad; it looked well-designed and I could see
it meeting the needs of some individuals. Reviews:
TecKmagazine;
NewEgg
- The
SolidTek DigiMemo L2
8-1/2"X11" Digital Notepad ($140.87
at Amazon). Uses regular paper.
- The smaller
SolidTek DigiMemo 692
Digital Notepad ($91.99
at Amazon), which uses regular paper up to 6.0” x 9.1”.
- The
Digital Scribe (GPEN100C) Digital Pen & USB Receiver by
Iogear ($68.99
at Amazon). It uses regular paper, but it must be used with a
computer. Reviews:
Digital Trends;
Engadget
TABLET PC:
- Microsoft has their
Tablet PC initiative, which has been
improved with Windows Vista.
These fully-functional laptops allow users to “write” directly onto the
laptop’s screen (the screen displays the text as it is being “written” by the
stylus). Options include the
HP Compaq tc4400 and the
Lenovo ThinkPad X61 Tablet; Fujitsu is also a major, longstanding player in
this space (even in the pre- Tablet PC days). I have tried Tablet PCs in
the past. In general, they are well designed and perfectly fine laptop
substitutes. My only lingering concern is the limited resolution of these
screens (e.g. 1024x768), though I see that at least the Lenovo product is now
being offered with a high-resolution
1400x1050 12” display. A low screen resolution can make it difficult to
write small. Also, the experience of writing onto a screen is different
than traditional pen+paper writing; so it might feel awkward (at least until you
get used to it … if you get used to it). Reviews:
Tablet PC Review;
Laptoping