Author Topic: Peoples Experience Taking Notes  (Read 3421 times)

AdamD

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Peoples Experience Taking Notes
« on: December 05, 2006, 03:55:07 am »
Hello everyone,

Well I'm wondering about how people take notes on their Z.  

Let me explain.

I've been spoilt in my PDA experience since the only PDA's I've owned have been the fabulous Apple Newtons.  So I could always (at least from the Newton 130 on) take good, swift hand written notes on a large (probably too large) screen.  

So now I'm at the stage where I'm starting a new job working with some really ostricised and disadvantaged people, and the last thing I want to do when I'm trying to get some trust is to whip out a keyboard or tap away two handed on the 3200 keyboard.  I need handwritting (one handed = open posture less of a personal barrier etc etc).

So the question is have you found that you can jot down a couple of hundred words with good (95%) recognition on a 3.7" screen??

Oh I should add that that couple of hundred words is the extrme.  We're talking more like 50 to 100 in about an hour - usually in a dot point style.

Cheers,
AdamD

P.S. I'm not restricted to handwritting conversion to text, as long as it could be filed electronically and printed that would do
« Last Edit: December 05, 2006, 04:33:12 am by AdamD »

ofels

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« Reply #1 on: December 05, 2006, 04:57:24 am »
Quote
Hello everyone,

Well I'm wondering about how people take notes on their Z. 

Being a former Newton addict myself, I have always wanted a decent HWR engine on the Z. But I believe that hope is the last thing dying here

As it comes to notes I usually take handwriting notes with a graphical note pad like the opie-drawpad or xournal for X. Most of those tools allow you to export the notes to a PDF and print it afterwards.

If someone would port an OCR tool to the Z that would enable to scan and transform my writings to a human readable format but that would require that the tool is able to read my handwriting which often proves to be difficult for myself

Not to speak about the lack of performance on the Zaurus for such things.

Oliver
« Last Edit: December 05, 2006, 04:57:55 am by ofels »

lpotter

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Peoples Experience Taking Notes
« Reply #2 on: December 05, 2006, 05:47:27 pm »
Qtopia 4 open source edition will include the full screen input methods.
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BarryW

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« Reply #3 on: December 05, 2006, 10:15:25 pm »
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Qtopia 4 open source edition will include the full screen input methods.

[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=148190\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]


Will that be out before or after we've gone back to the moon??
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AdamD

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« Reply #4 on: December 06, 2006, 03:42:07 am »
Thanks for the input sofar.

Is there a version of Graffitti or Jot that is ported to the Z that could get around the issue.  I've heard of recalibrating the handwriting system to accept Graffitti gestures, but anything else out there??

Cheers,
AdamD

cvmiller

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« Reply #5 on: December 10, 2006, 10:31:11 pm »
Quote
Thanks for the input sofar.

Is there a version of Graffitti or Jot that is ported to the Z that could get around the issue.  I've heard of recalibrating the handwriting system to accept Graffitti gestures, but anything else out there??

Cheers,
AdamD
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=148221\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]
Ahh, another former Newton user. Yes, those days of writing anywhere on the screen were great!

Alas, I have tried several times to go to single handed note taking, and always reverted back to my IR keyboard, because it is so fast, and I can maintain eye contact while touch typing. Something I can't do when doing single handed note taking.

That said, there is the "handwriting" and "pickboard" entry methods built into the Z (standard ROM). They aren't bad. The handwriting does take a little getting used to, because it is actually a multi-stroke entry (rather than the old graphiti single stroke). So characters like K are actually three strokes rather than a funky 1 stroke backwards/sidways cursive e.

I find if I am in a group meeting, and I want to catch everyone's name (single handedly) I use an app called DrawPad, which is kind of like digital ink, without the automatic conversion to text (you have to go back and read your handwriting).

Would have been nice if Apple had spun Newton out. Perhaps it would be kicking butt in the PDA market these days.

Still the Zaurus is pretty nice little note taking machine (with an IR keyboard).

Craig...
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AdamD

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« Reply #6 on: December 24, 2006, 04:42:02 am »
Thanks cvmiller,

I WANT MY NEWTON BACK!!!!!!!!!!!  

That said, I'm NOT going to ruin my pathetically depleted bank balance on a Tablet PC.  The Zaurus sounds good, so I'll just have to learn to "handwrite" or find some type of conversion app or cut and paste app for the DrawPad so I can put my casenotes into a digital or paper file.

Any Ideas on the later ideas (cut and paste to a .doc or convert handwritting to text)

Cheers,
AdamD

Stubear

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« Reply #7 on: December 25, 2006, 08:57:31 am »
There is a program called inkwp that I've been using for about 3 years for taking notes. The site is in Japanese, but the program is really easy to use. Here is the link inkwp

It can export your notes to png, or you can go to the text edit page that allows you to transcribe your notes to text using the keyboard or other input method at a later time.

The elsi page is here: http://www.elsix.org/index.php?w=project&p=inkwp

Hasn't had much development recently, but even in its current stage its quite useable

Stu
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