Bill points us to this story about IBM notebooks fitted with digital writing/doodling pads. It's designed to capture images rather than OCR text, but I could still see it being a useful tool in a few different situations. Doesn't seem to be any info about this on IBM's site, though.
This has (almost) been done before...
by
Orbix
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· Score: 3
I don't know if too many of you have heard of them, but a moderate number of tablet (pen-based) notebooks have been available for nearly a decade. While they didn't use the pad/digitizer tablet method that IBM is presenting, they were a very usable solution in a large number of circumstances.
In 1992/1993, IBM produced the Thinkpad 730T, an industrial strength tablet notebook designed mainly for applications in real estate (easy access to databases and listing information), medical (convenient access to patient records and other such data), and other purposes. This thing is still impressive today, and was even more amazing back when it was released.
The machine was incredibly well designed, employing a fairly small footprint, pcmcia hard disks (so that your work doesn't require you to use a specific notebook. If your workplace owns a number of 730Ts, just pop your personal hard disk into any of the notebooks and you're set to go), rubberized magnesium-alloy casing (extremely strong, light, and water-resistant), and an extremely cool dual-battery system. Rather than having one massive battery, the 730T used two smaller batteries, set up so that batteries can be hot-swapped by simply replacing one battery, then the other, leading to effectively unlimited uptime without plugging in or shutting down. The average battery life runs into the 3-5 hour range.
The digitizer tablet was integrated with the display, allowing a true point-and-click environment (to use marketing jargon), and wasn't too shabby, especially since the display was a backlit 9.5" greyscale lcd.
The reason I mention this macine at such length is this: Tablet machines have been done before. Even by the same manufacturer. The only thing that has been lacking has been OS support. PenPoint was apparently good, but had limited application support. Windows for Pen Computing is long outdated, and Pen Services has pathetic handwriting recognition, and it doesn't work with Windows 98 (I don't think). IBM seems to be acting as though this machine is a major innovation, even though this isn't a new thing. Even Microsoft is acting like their new version of Windows for use with tablet machines is a big deal. They've already done os work for pen-based systems.
I wish these people wouldn't act like everything they do is so incredibly innovative.
-Orbix
Note: Compaq also made a tablet machine, being the Concerto. The Concerto wasn't ruggedized or anything, but it did have a removable keyboard, making it one of the most versatile machines made, and that it surpasses this new IBM machine by miles.
Re:This has (almost) been done before...
by
alannon
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· Score: 2
Just to add to this, the article says that the IBM machine isn't even designed for handwriting recognition, but rather, images. This seems like a pretty big piece of missing functionality. It seems the least they could do is to exploit more of the potential of a setup like this by simply adding handwriting recognition to it...
Re:IBM stole this from Apple
by
Pete+Brubaker
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· Score: 2
Well if you consider that IBM was the one pushing the CrossPad a couple years ago (which was a joint effort between A.T. Cross & IBM technology) it comes as no suprise that they would integrate the two technologies. Here at Purdue we used the CrossPad in our drawing classes primarily to skip scanning the image.
Two of the biggest complaints from the students were that the recognition was not good and you couldn't see the end result of your sketches in realtime. Many of the problems were due to converting the users pen strokes into a vector based image. I believe this user feedback is more of what influenced IBM's design of this new laptop. I highly doubt IBM "stole" this technology from Apple.
For more information on IBM's handwriting research visit IBM Pen Technologies research page.
That's what i thought of too, I have family that works for cross (me even being a former employee) from what i understand cross has elimiated their pcg(Pen Computing Grop) line, and the only thing their selling off is the last remaing stock. They had a pad which you would write on paper, and a special piece of hardware would save the strokes, then download them to a PC and OCR them. the software, coincedentially, was written by IBM.
-- Why aren't you encrypting your e-mail?
Still waiting for Alan Kay's vision
by
msobkow
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· Score: 2
It's been over 20 years since Alan Kay envisioned a notebook sized computer that did windowing and handwriting/pen support, and we *still* haven't achieved that.
A lot of people have made some disparaging remarks about the usefulness of such a device, but for certain tasks it would be a lot easier to use than a keyboard/mouse combo.
For example, scratch diagrams (be they architectural, machine modelling, or data/object modelling.) Right now we have to click the tool. Drag-size the object. Click the entry field. Type text. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Very cumbersome, especially if you're a touch typist who doesn't like to reach for the mouse.
A pad, OTOH, could recognize object shapes and avoid the tool click in the first place. It's easy enough to sketch trapezoids, boxes, squares, etc. on a whiteboard or notepad when doing object design with cohorts. Wouldn't it be handy if those initial notes were directly input as the initial design?
Someone mentioned interviews as one of the situations where you don't want to be tapping at a keyboard. How about meetings? Ever tried to take notes using Palm's stuff in a meeting? Maybe others are quicker at their glyphs, but I just can't write and rewrite in the same spot naturally.
Doing a straight digital capture for the initial data is actually pretty flexible. Once you've got your digital notes, you could use OCR tools on the "image" files, the same as if you'd scanned a document. Even if accuracy isn't too great, you have your raw notes to do corrections from (and no one to blame if you can't read your own writing. *g*)
My bigger concerns are:
Price. $3000 USD is way too much for a PIII600 laptop.
Reduced screen size. Why reduce the screen size? Why not add depth instead and either hinge or clip the notepad portion to the laptop? If clipped, use a reasonable length connector cord or IR -- that way you could leave the laptop on the meeting table and keep the notepad comfortably in your lap.
Special model. Given a clip-on approach, why not just make it a general IR, USB, or PCMCIA device that could clip to any laptop? Use a decent titanium or other durable backing with a more durable surface than the Palm, maybe LCD direct feedback, and you can eliminate the paper completely.
But hey, what do I know? I just work with and program these damn machines, I don't get to make design decisions. That's left up to the sales reps and marketing gurus who couldn't sell great products like OS/2 or the Amiga...
-- I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
Re:Still waiting for Alan Kay's vision
by
psergiu
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· Score: 2
There ARE (almost) such things. Where I work we have those cool large whiteboards with a device that will scan the contents of the board (xerox-like) at a press of a button and reproduce the thing on fax thermal paper.
The nearby one its an Panasonic KX-B530.
Hope this helps.
--
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Re:Still waiting for Alan Kay's vision
by
fudboy
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· Score: 2
I guess I'm only a Fudboy, looking for that real Transmeta
IBM stole this from Apple
by
Chuck+Flynn
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· Score: 2
There was a story on mosr.com a few months ago about how Apple planned to combine certain technologies from its defunct Newton division with its powerbook line, producing a hybrid pda-laptop beast which would behave like a laptop but have a pen and hand-writing recognition. I can't believe IBM would steal such an idea from Apple instead of having its own true innovation, like a touch-controlled built-in laser pointer for lecture presentations or a three-dimensional external talking wordprocessing assistant. The nerve!
Re:IBM stole this from Apple
by
Chuck+Flynn
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· Score: 2
If Apple has been patenting things, it's because they're the latest and greatest and worth patenting (what patents were supposed to be for in the first place -- foremost innovation). If you can't understand this, then you haven't been paying attention. You remind me of this guy:
The only reason that makes PCs better is Cuz of all the Companies Support it.thats it.. if u want to be like that 14 your old handjob saying he could Progam C.. the be like it
i myself am 16 and the only language i ever felt the need to lear is QuakeC But half of u Jackoffs dont even know what the hell your fighting about Makes u wonder how the hell uv lived this long and all these titles . Freak!?!? Loser?? Mac Rules . Shit.. for once can u not be an in Bred Fuck and say what u know . I forn one dont believe that Quake would run so well on a mac not because i dont like macs far from it . i just dont believe in them.. THink.. Quake Was Created with ibm in mind . it would haven been released for Macs if it was intended.. i for one dont know anygame Created for macs besides Some Disney shit . and Asteroids . i dont get it.. Damn teenyboppers always shooting off ther mouths . use what u want . and believe what u like . btw what was the name of that Crap MiniComp made byt mac that Almost cost them there Buisness . Sorry just was trying to remember . ibm AND MICROSOFT have a strong following . Mac . hasnt as much something about the mac interface just doesnt hit my right I mean everyFucking comp i see that is mac has that Shitty Freaking trashcan.. too bad u cant just chukk the entire comp inthere.. i remember my friend was Trying to get me to install Doom on his mac laptop . Stupid Fucking MousePad type shit . i really dont like that windows clone they use . Just looks weird . where was i . oh yeah . Quake is a Great game.intended for reprogramming and that was it . perhaps if they do make it for mac it will still be good but u cant honestly believe it will be the same.. and i dont want to hear anyshit about it being better on the mac Cuz that game if improved which it cant be the way it is.. will just become shit . after all thes4e years the Quake engine still fascinates me . unreal was Crap . and im sure it stayed Crap when it hit macs . If this is was a discussion between Programmers imb and mak . the im sorry for intruding but when that little Retard started mouthing off about his prgramimg skillz . Dont show off about what u know Cuz chances are hell of alot better u dont know it . am i really to believe u were programming at 9 . shit i dont htink u could even make it to the batroom before pissing u pants take a look at your neighbor . yeah the 9 yr old . does he look like he cant program..perhaps Html but not any of what u spoke of .
[snip]
If that's the best argument wintel users can put up against Apple, then it's little wonder that Apple is fast becoming the number one consumer-computer manufacturer again. What this debate lacks is maturity on the wintel side. You've tried using actual arguments and have lost, so now you resort to name calling and expletives ("If I took a shit into a can and got IBM to sell it, you'd probaly bitch that I stole this idea from Apple"). Apple invented the personal computer as you and I know it. Show some respect.
Re:IBM stole this from Apple
by
ejbst25
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· Score: 2
I'd add a reply to this...but I am not convinced you know what you are talking about and thus it wouldn't be worth it. The following quote:
Apple invented the personal computer as you and I know it
suggests you either haven't a clue or believe everything you are told. Ever heard of Xerox PARC? history lesson: they were responsible for GUIs, Ethernet, file servers, print servers, routing (RIP), and a whole bunch of other stuff you probably attribute to Apple, Novell, or maybe even Cisco depending on what you have been told. Do your research before you start believing you are high and mighty.
The notebook market must be pretty saturated...
by
Bonker
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· Score: 2
If there are so many different variations on the same theme of hardware. How many times have we seen the stylus to OCR/Image concept since the Newton?
How hard would it be for some enterprising haquers out to build a generic handwriting OCR engine? What are the technical problems involved with this sort of thing?
-- The next Slashdot story will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush and slashdot the links early!
http://www.cross.com/cross/pad-faq.html
been around for a while now... 2 years or so...
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Transition vehicle
by
Anonymous Coward
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· Score: 2
This really isn't intended for the technophile, it is a transition vehicle that enables three different technologies: keyboard, pad and touchscreen, ultimately weaning luddites from their fear of PCs/PDAs. Perhaps this is the logical transition point between laptop and PDA (subnotebooks are a failure IMHO).
The pad is the key component because you can always drop back and scribble if your windows crashes, giving a sense of security. Plus, it's in a nifty package, so you don't have to fumble a laptop AND a pad of paper.
Plust the flexibility of using just the touch screen is what I've been longing for. I used PenWindows and a backlit Wacom pad back in 93 and fell in love with it, then it died a horrible costly death. Hopefully it will be reborn soon by devices like this.
For me, there isn't a program fast enough yet that I can use to go from mind to screen. Even visio isn't fast enough... Sometimes I even drop into notepad or paint, but they still can't compete with pen/paper for rapid thought.
Cool for forms and checklists
by
Anonymous Coward
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· Score: 3
This is great for forms and checklists. A form can be printed that lies over the pad. As it's filled in, the fields are put in the appropriate database. When the task is done, both a traditional paper document and a database exist. The paper can easily be inspected and approved then filed for as long as needed by other inspectors. The electronic copy can be researched easily by those who need to know what happened.
I've been waiting for something like this. Nice work, IBM!
Clicking this (IDG) link gives IDG Money - ad hit
by
Khopesh
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· Score: 2
About 4 years ago I remember an interview with one of the Ultima developers (maybe British himself, I really can't recall).
Anyway, he was talking about how they were going to be using a form of OCR for the spell casting in the next Ultima game. Each spell would have a hand-motion associated with it... part of casting a spell would be to actually use your mouse mimic the patterns that your mage would be drawing in the air with his staff (or hands or whatever).
The more accurately you draw the pattern... the more effective the spell would be! I thought that was the COOLEST idea. To me that seems very a) innovative and b) fun.:-) It would be satisfying to draw a spell *just right* at a crucial moment and turn the tide of a battle... heheheh.
What do you guys think about that idea? And have you heard of any other uses of OCR in games? To me this is an area just begging to be exploited.:-)
http://www.bootyproject.org
Re:What makes Wintel better than anything else...
by
Angst+Badger
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· Score: 2
The Mac lost because Apple wasn't a big company. No one in big buisness trusted the two kids from a garage. Apple was first. Apple was better. Apple just didn't matter.
The Mac lost because most of us didn't like them enough to buy one. If you're assuming that most people made that decision on the basis of advertising without ever trying competing machines before purchasing, you're probably wrong.
The Mac was technically nice, but it lacked even the option of a CLI, so I wrote it off as not being a serious machine. I like my machines to have both a CLI and a GUI, but if I have to have only one, I can't do without the CLI. I was an ardent Apple fan until the Mac came out, and it wasn't IBM's advertising that swayed me -- it was Apple's new machines.
This seems like a great idea, usable as a computer in those situations where a full computer just doesn't "feel" right. When I'm taking notes, jotting down a poem, etc, I usually hate to type, rather, I like to scrawl my scribblings on a pad of paper. Don't ask me why, it just feels better to get those emotions down on ground up trees. However, since one can't send a sheet of paper to someone across the country nearly as fast as you can send an email, so I end up having to type it out anyways. This seems like it'll get rid of most of the redundancy of having to put down an idea twice just to get people to be able to read it.
Good Idea it Seems
by
Anonymous Coward
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· Score: 2
On the face of it, you've got to hand it to them. When they designed that butterfly keyboard that unfolded, I wanted one - just so I could open and close the computer again and again.
This is probably appropriate for a very large market - for example I often take notes whilst interviewing people - it's rude to type during a meeting (perhaps that's a culture thing, but then you should be sensitive to it), so I write quick notes and type up minutes afterwards. This would be very very useful in my case, and many others I can think of.
On the other hand, it's not necessary, just useful - the current way works too. And if this thing gets overtaken by something else within 9 months, it's going to miss my company's refresh cycle on PCs, and it will pass us by. Also, it suffers from the fact that it's newness classifies it as a gadget in the minds of those who have budgets, and so maybe it won't sell quite so well as a consequence.
I don't think I'll get one, either personally or through my work, but I like the fact that IBM push the ideas envelope and make things like this - not bad for a monolithic blue-chip.
What makes Wintel better than anything else...
by
verbatim
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· Score: 2
IBM did it with Mainframes to buig buisness before Microsoft and Intel did it to us. Its very simple and yet, at the same time, it can be difficult to pull off. Marketing.
When the Apple first came out, everyone was using IBM. Somehow big buisness was accustomed to getting everything from IBM. Actually they were more than just accustomed to IBM they were clung to the image of professionalism and power. IBM was the largest (and perhaps only?) big manufactuer of Mainframe systems. Companies trusted IBM with making the best systems and, for the most part, they did deliver on that. In time, companies would take the stance of: if it's not IBM it's not coming in here. It could have also been something with IBM's licensing agreements, but I like the romantic idea of an actual relationship between companies.
Along came the personal computer. Woz and Jobs got a great idea from Homebrew that real world people just might be able to benifit from computers. Things like games (well, maybe not yet), personal finance, word processing, etc, without having to wait in line for processing time on some university or company IBM mainframe. Also, you may not be able to do PERSONAL things on an academic or corporate system - something you CAN do with a personal computer. Jobs probably jerked off that night thinking of all the money that they could bring in. Bill Gates was probably failing a test or something and didn't really have a clue... not yet anyway.
Anyhow, Woz and Jobs sell these personal computers and they take off very well. Except for one big problem. Those little Apples didn't have the three most important things at that time to be accepted into buisness. Those three things were the letters I.B.M. on the cover. Woz and Jobs proved one thing: there was _money_ to be made, and IBM eventually wanted a part of it.
Buisness turned to IBM and said "Hey, those Apples might be useful... we'd like some way to sucker people into working at the office and at home... what do you have for us?" IBM quickly ran out and (quite literally) overnight built what has become known as the Personal Computer (or IBM PC).
So why this long boring history lesson that's probably half wrong? Well, the part that's right is the big buisness acceptance. Buisnesses standardized on the PC not because it was better, but because it came from the bigger company.
In time, Apple has proven to lead the way to innovation - the GUI for example. But buisness was always oriented around the PC. Once IBM had that engrained into their corporate culture then the war was over.
Think of it this way. IE vs Netscape. Who won? IE. Not because it was necessarily better than Netscape, but simply because the company that owned it had more market share and more money to throw at it. Who cares if Netscape was there first or was better (better is an opinion), IE had the BIG company behind it to back it in the minds of the average consumer.
Since most people used PCs at work, they eventually wanted to use them at home too. The Apple got sidelined as everyone got the PC. Incedently, the PC is cheeper than the Mac, simply because there is competiton on the hardware side of things.
The Mac lost because Apple wasn't a big company. No one in big buisness trusted the two kids from a garage. Apple was first. Apple was better. Apple just didn't matter.
The problem is that with more users on the PC, more developers came along for it. More developers means more applications and more applications means more choice for the end user.
Sadly Microsoft found a way to monopolize the basic software component of the IBM PC and bilked IBM and the rest of us for over 10 years. Sigh.
Again, the Mac may be better technologically speaking, but the PC has more application and more support. It's more widely used and accepted and, for the present time, the tide isn't changing. I respect Apple for starting the PC industry in the same way I respect Netscape for starting the WWW. Unfortunatly I'm typing this note on Internet Explorer running on Windows 98 on my IBM latpop. Sad really. Just plain sad.
Maybe they'll get back on their feet. Maybe they'll find a way to destory the PC market. Maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow... Blah, this is getting stupid.. L8r.
-- Price, Quality, Time. Pick none. What, you thought you had a choice?
I thought I had seen this some where...
by
aztektum
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· Score: 2
Hm how about here and there was something mentioned from that on ZDNet Bizaar.
Slashdot Mirror
I don't know if too many of you have heard of them, but a moderate number of tablet (pen-based) notebooks have been available for nearly a decade. While they didn't use the pad/digitizer tablet method that IBM is presenting, they were a very usable solution in a large number of circumstances.
In 1992/1993, IBM produced the Thinkpad 730T, an industrial strength tablet notebook designed mainly for applications in real estate (easy access to databases and listing information), medical (convenient access to patient records and other such data), and other purposes. This thing is still impressive today, and was even more amazing back when it was released.
The machine was incredibly well designed, employing a fairly small footprint, pcmcia hard disks (so that your work doesn't require you to use a specific notebook. If your workplace owns a number of 730Ts, just pop your personal hard disk into any of the notebooks and you're set to go), rubberized magnesium-alloy casing (extremely strong, light, and water-resistant), and an extremely cool dual-battery system. Rather than having one massive battery, the 730T used two smaller batteries, set up so that batteries can be hot-swapped by simply replacing one battery, then the other, leading to effectively unlimited uptime without plugging in or shutting down. The average battery life runs into the 3-5 hour range.
The digitizer tablet was integrated with the display, allowing a true point-and-click environment (to use marketing jargon), and wasn't too shabby, especially since the display was a backlit 9.5" greyscale lcd.
The reason I mention this macine at such length is this: Tablet machines have been done before. Even by the same manufacturer. The only thing that has been lacking has been OS support. PenPoint was apparently good, but had limited application support. Windows for Pen Computing is long outdated, and Pen Services has pathetic handwriting recognition, and it doesn't work with Windows 98 (I don't think). IBM seems to be acting as though this machine is a major innovation, even though this isn't a new thing. Even Microsoft is acting like their new version of Windows for use with tablet machines is a big deal. They've already done os work for pen-based systems.
I wish these people wouldn't act like everything they do is so incredibly innovative.
-Orbix
Note: Compaq also made a tablet machine, being the Concerto. The Concerto wasn't ruggedized or anything, but it did have a removable keyboard, making it one of the most versatile machines made, and that it surpasses this new IBM machine by miles.
Well if you consider that IBM was the one pushing the CrossPad a couple years ago (which was a joint effort between A.T. Cross & IBM technology) it comes as no suprise that they would integrate the two technologies. Here at Purdue we used the CrossPad in our drawing classes primarily to skip scanning the image.
Two of the biggest complaints from the students were that the recognition was not good and you couldn't see the end result of your sketches in realtime. Many of the problems were due to converting the users pen strokes into a vector based image. I believe this user feedback is more of what influenced IBM's design of this new laptop. I highly doubt IBM "stole" this technology from Apple.
For more information on IBM's handwriting research visit IBM Pen Technologies research page.
Pete
What's a sig? Pete Brubaker
That's what i thought of too, I have family that works for cross (me even being a former employee) from what i understand cross has elimiated their pcg(Pen Computing Grop) line, and the only thing their selling off is the last remaing stock. They had a pad which you would write on paper, and a special piece of hardware would save the strokes, then download them to a PC and OCR them. the software, coincedentially, was written by IBM.
Why aren't you encrypting your e-mail?
A lot of people have made some disparaging remarks about the usefulness of such a device, but for certain tasks it would be a lot easier to use than a keyboard/mouse combo.
For example, scratch diagrams (be they architectural, machine modelling, or data/object modelling.) Right now we have to click the tool. Drag-size the object. Click the entry field. Type text. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Very cumbersome, especially if you're a touch typist who doesn't like to reach for the mouse.
A pad, OTOH, could recognize object shapes and avoid the tool click in the first place. It's easy enough to sketch trapezoids, boxes, squares, etc. on a whiteboard or notepad when doing object design with cohorts. Wouldn't it be handy if those initial notes were directly input as the initial design?
Someone mentioned interviews as one of the situations where you don't want to be tapping at a keyboard. How about meetings? Ever tried to take notes using Palm's stuff in a meeting? Maybe others are quicker at their glyphs, but I just can't write and rewrite in the same spot naturally.
Doing a straight digital capture for the initial data is actually pretty flexible. Once you've got your digital notes, you could use OCR tools on the "image" files, the same as if you'd scanned a document. Even if accuracy isn't too great, you have your raw notes to do corrections from (and no one to blame if you can't read your own writing. *g*)
My bigger concerns are:
- Price. $3000 USD is way too much for a PIII600 laptop.
- Reduced screen size. Why reduce the screen size? Why not add depth instead and either hinge or clip the notepad portion to the laptop? If clipped, use a reasonable length connector cord or IR -- that way you could leave the laptop on the meeting table and keep the notepad comfortably in your lap.
- Special model. Given a clip-on approach, why not just make it a general IR, USB, or PCMCIA device that could clip to any laptop? Use a decent titanium or other durable backing with a more durable surface than the Palm, maybe LCD direct feedback, and you can eliminate the paper completely.
But hey, what do I know? I just work with and program these damn machines, I don't get to make design decisions. That's left up to the sales reps and marketing gurus who couldn't sell great products like OS/2 or the Amiga...I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
There was a story on mosr.com a few months ago about how Apple planned to combine certain technologies from its defunct Newton division with its powerbook line, producing a hybrid pda-laptop beast which would behave like a laptop but have a pen and hand-writing recognition. I can't believe IBM would steal such an idea from Apple instead of having its own true innovation, like a touch-controlled built-in laser pointer for lecture presentations or a three-dimensional external talking wordprocessing assistant. The nerve!
Read the rest of this comment...
How does this relate to this story I wonder?
If there are so many different variations on the same theme of hardware. How many times have we seen the stylus to OCR/Image concept since the Newton?
How hard would it be for some enterprising haquers out to build a generic handwriting OCR engine? What are the technical problems involved with this sort of thing?
The next Slashdot story will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush and slashdot the links early!
Would this really be that helpful?
I usually find that it's much easier to take notes on paper, so that if I screw up I can easily erase it or move on.
With this you wouldn't have the ability to scroll as you take notes, and unless it interprets your handwriting into text, what good would it be?
Or is all digital always better to some of you?
I am the root bridge.
An old sig
a bit drops in
An old sig
a bit drops in
Sound of ascii
This really isn't intended for the technophile, it is a transition vehicle that enables three different technologies: keyboard, pad and touchscreen, ultimately weaning luddites from their fear of PCs/PDAs. Perhaps this is the logical transition point between laptop and PDA (subnotebooks are a failure IMHO).
The pad is the key component because you can always drop back and scribble if your windows crashes, giving a sense of security. Plus, it's in a nifty package, so you don't have to fumble a laptop AND a pad of paper.
Plust the flexibility of using just the touch screen is what I've been longing for. I used PenWindows and a backlit Wacom pad back in 93 and fell in love with it, then it died a horrible costly death. Hopefully it will be reborn soon by devices like this.
For me, there isn't a program fast enough yet that I can use to go from mind to screen. Even visio isn't fast enough... Sometimes I even drop into notepad or paint, but they still can't compete with pen/paper for rapid thought.
This is great for forms and checklists. A form can be printed that lies over the pad. As it's filled in, the fields are put in the appropriate database. When the task is done, both a traditional paper document and a database exist. The paper can easily be inspected and approved then filed for as long as needed by other inspectors. The electronic copy can be researched easily by those who need to know what happened.
I've been waiting for something like this. Nice work, IBM!
The page linked to here on slashdot is actually just an IDG frame with an ad on it and another frame that goes through ad.doubleclick.net at this address:t tp://www.infoworld.com/articles/hn/xml/01/01/12/01 0112hnwriting.xml?p=br&s=5
.
http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;1511675;4485524;j?h
To go there without viewing the IDG banner and without generating clickthrough $$$ for IDG, go HERE.
This article is actually an infoworld.com article.
--------
Use my userscript to add story images to Slashdot. There's no going back.
About 4 years ago I remember an interview with one of the Ultima developers (maybe British himself, I really can't recall).
:-) It would be satisfying to draw a spell *just right* at a crucial moment and turn the tide of a battle... heheheh.
:-)
Anyway, he was talking about how they were going to be using a form of OCR for the spell casting in the next Ultima game. Each spell would have a hand-motion associated with it... part of casting a spell would be to actually use your mouse mimic the patterns that your mage would be drawing in the air with his staff (or hands or whatever).
The more accurately you draw the pattern... the more effective the spell would be! I thought that was the COOLEST idea. To me that seems very a) innovative and b) fun.
What do you guys think about that idea? And have you heard of any other uses of OCR in games? To me this is an area just begging to be exploited.
http://www.bootyproject.org
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The Mac lost because most of us didn't like them enough to buy one. If you're assuming that most people made that decision on the basis of advertising without ever trying competing machines before purchasing, you're probably wrong.
The Mac was technically nice, but it lacked even the option of a CLI, so I wrote it off as not being a serious machine. I like my machines to have both a CLI and a GUI, but if I have to have only one, I can't do without the CLI. I was an ardent Apple fan until the Mac came out, and it wasn't IBM's advertising that swayed me -- it was Apple's new machines.
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This seems like a great idea, usable as a computer in those situations where a full computer just doesn't "feel" right. When I'm taking notes, jotting down a poem, etc, I usually hate to type, rather, I like to scrawl my scribblings on a pad of paper. Don't ask me why, it just feels better to get those emotions down on ground up trees. However, since one can't send a sheet of paper to someone across the country nearly as fast as you can send an email, so I end up having to type it out anyways. This seems like it'll get rid of most of the redundancy of having to put down an idea twice just to get people to be able to read it.
On the face of it, you've got to hand it to them. When they designed that butterfly keyboard that unfolded, I wanted one - just so I could open and close the computer again and again.
This is probably appropriate for a very large market - for example I often take notes whilst interviewing people - it's rude to type during a meeting (perhaps that's a culture thing, but then you should be sensitive to it), so I write quick notes and type up minutes afterwards. This would be very very useful in my case, and many others I can think of.
On the other hand, it's not necessary, just useful - the current way works too. And if this thing gets overtaken by something else within 9 months, it's going to miss my company's refresh cycle on PCs, and it will pass us by. Also, it suffers from the fact that it's newness classifies it as a gadget in the minds of those who have budgets, and so maybe it won't sell quite so well as a consequence.
I don't think I'll get one, either personally or through my work, but I like the fact that IBM push the ideas envelope and make things like this - not bad for a monolithic blue-chip.
IBM did it with Mainframes to buig buisness before Microsoft and Intel did it to us. Its very simple and yet, at the same time, it can be difficult to pull off. Marketing.
When the Apple first came out, everyone was using IBM. Somehow big buisness was accustomed to getting everything from IBM. Actually they were more than just accustomed to IBM they were clung to the image of professionalism and power. IBM was the largest (and perhaps only?) big manufactuer of Mainframe systems. Companies trusted IBM with making the best systems and, for the most part, they did deliver on that. In time, companies would take the stance of: if it's not IBM it's not coming in here. It could have also been something with IBM's licensing agreements, but I like the romantic idea of an actual relationship between companies.
Along came the personal computer. Woz and Jobs got a great idea from Homebrew that real world people just might be able to benifit from computers. Things like games (well, maybe not yet), personal finance, word processing, etc, without having to wait in line for processing time on some university or company IBM mainframe. Also, you may not be able to do PERSONAL things on an academic or corporate system - something you CAN do with a personal computer. Jobs probably jerked off that night thinking of all the money that they could bring in. Bill Gates was probably failing a test or something and didn't really have a clue... not yet anyway.
Anyhow, Woz and Jobs sell these personal computers and they take off very well. Except for one big problem. Those little Apples didn't have the three most important things at that time to be accepted into buisness. Those three things were the letters I.B.M. on the cover. Woz and Jobs proved one thing: there was _money_ to be made, and IBM eventually wanted a part of it.
Buisness turned to IBM and said "Hey, those Apples might be useful... we'd like some way to sucker people into working at the office and at home... what do you have for us?" IBM quickly ran out and (quite literally) overnight built what has become known as the Personal Computer (or IBM PC).
So why this long boring history lesson that's probably half wrong? Well, the part that's right is the big buisness acceptance. Buisnesses standardized on the PC not because it was better, but because it came from the bigger company.
In time, Apple has proven to lead the way to innovation - the GUI for example. But buisness was always oriented around the PC. Once IBM had that engrained into their corporate culture then the war was over.
Think of it this way. IE vs Netscape. Who won? IE. Not because it was necessarily better than Netscape, but simply because the company that owned it had more market share and more money to throw at it. Who cares if Netscape was there first or was better (better is an opinion), IE had the BIG company behind it to back it in the minds of the average consumer.
Since most people used PCs at work, they eventually wanted to use them at home too. The Apple got sidelined as everyone got the PC. Incedently, the PC is cheeper than the Mac, simply because there is competiton on the hardware side of things.
The Mac lost because Apple wasn't a big company. No one in big buisness trusted the two kids from a garage. Apple was first. Apple was better. Apple just didn't matter.
The problem is that with more users on the PC, more developers came along for it. More developers means more applications and more applications means more choice for the end user.
Sadly Microsoft found a way to monopolize the basic software component of the IBM PC and bilked IBM and the rest of us for over 10 years. Sigh.
Again, the Mac may be better technologically speaking, but the PC has more application and more support. It's more widely used and accepted and, for the present time, the tide isn't changing. I respect Apple for starting the PC industry in the same way I respect Netscape for starting the WWW. Unfortunatly I'm typing this note on Internet Explorer running on Windows 98 on my IBM latpop. Sad really. Just plain sad.
Maybe they'll get back on their feet. Maybe they'll find a way to destory the PC market. Maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow... Blah, this is getting stupid.. L8r.
Price, Quality, Time. Pick none. What, you thought you had a choice?
Hm how about here and there was something mentioned from that on ZDNet Bizaar.
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