Use Handwriting Recognition


If you have any history with Palm devices, you're probably familiar with the popular Graffiti input system used on most Palm/palmOne devices other than the Treo. The Graffiti input system is a handwriting-recognition system that translates strokes made with the stylus into characters, effectively allowing you to type via handwriting. Treo devices don't include the Graffiti software, presumably because they have full QWERTY keyboards that are considerably more efficient than writing characters by hand. This feature is great if you've never used a Palm device before, but it could be a serious downer if you're already a Graffiti master from years of Palm usage. For this reason, you might want to consider adding Graffiti as a third-party application.

The third-party application to which I'm referring is Jot, published by Communication Intelligence Corporation (CIC). Jot is actually the same software known as Graffiti 2 in other Palm devices, such as the Zire and Tungsten series of devices. You can download Jot from MyTreo.net via the following link: http://mytreo.net/downloads/author-CIC.html.

Note

The original Graffiti input system was originally replaced on Palm devices because of a lawsuit between Palm and Xerox related to a Xerox patent on handwriting-recognition software. This led to Graffiti 2, which was a licensed version of Jot from Communication Intelligence Corporation (CIC). Although some original Graffiti keystrokes were maintained, Graffiti 2 required Palm users to relearn many commonly used input techniques. However, in 2004 a judge ruled in favor of palmOne, saying that Xerox's patent wasn't valid after all.


After downloading, installing, and launching Jot on your Treo, a welcome screen offers some options for the Jot experience (see Figure 15.1).

Figure 15.1. The welcome screen in the Jot application includes options you can set to control handwriting recognition.


The first option is the most important one: Enable Jot. Make sure this check box is selected if you want handwriting recognition to be enabled on your device. You can quickly turn off handwriting recognition at any time by clearing this option. You use the second option to choose between the Jot and Graffiti 2 input systems. There are subtle differences between the two systems, and if you're coming from an older Palm device, you'll probably want to stick with Graffiti 2. The main differences have to do with how the letters i, k, and t are writtenJot enables you to write them with one stroke, while Graffiti 2 relies on the original Palm two-stroke technique.

The remaining options have to do with how you actually enter handwriting strokes. The Show Mode Mark option determines whether a mode mark is displayed at the top of the screen to show how the screen is divided vertically into two halves. The idea is that you write letters on the left side of the screen and numbers on the right side; the mode mark just helps remind you of the two writing areas. The Show Ink option determines whether you can see the strokes onscreen as you draw them. This option is important, and I can't imagine disabling it unless you're a Graffiti wizard and find the ink distracting. You use the final option to choose between thin and thick ink line widths.

When you're finished with the Jot options, you might want to tap Tutorial and run through the tutorial, and then tap Tuner to tune up the recognition system. If you've selected the Graffiti 2 system instead of the Jot system, tap Graffiti2Help for some Graffiti 2 tips. When you're ready to try out Jot, launch an application that requires text entry, such as Memo, and try writing some text. Figure 15.2 shows a memo as I enter it a letter at a time using Jot.

Figure 15.2. Entering a memo via Jot requires writing each letter with the stylus, which is admittedly a bit more tedious than using the Treo keyboard.


Although Jot represents a nice throwback to earlier Palm devices, I find the keyboard to be much more efficient at entering text. Even so, I know some Palm purists who still swear by their Graffiti skills and insist on communicating via stylus. To each his own!



    TREO essentials
    Treo Essentials
    ISBN: 0789733285
    EAN: 2147483647
    Year: 2005
    Pages: 189

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