the eeeNote - it’s a serious threat to...everything

[pbarrette]

Hi RockdaMan,

I can assure you that I do not work for ASUS, have never owned an ASUS product previously and have zero association with ASUS.

As some form of proof, I suggest you have a look at my posts here regarding the Samsung E60. I cracked the firmware file format for that device because I had been looking for a Wacom enabled note taking device previously.

I also suggest you have a look at my posts on tabletpcreview.com where I have cracked the firmware file format, discovered how to convert the Chinese firmware into English and maintain an installer script to gain root access to the device, install the missing phonebook application found in a previous firmware on the ASUS ftp site, add additional dictionaries, etc. I have also disassembled the ASUS sync software to create a recovery application to restore the firmware from the emergency bootloader.

If I worked for ASUS in any way, why would I have to perform all these hacks, and why would I give a crap about furthering the development on the E60?

I suspect you are a troll.

pb

[lotrfan]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

I'd hardly expect OCR in any case. Remember, OCR works by examining an image and looking for shapes it can relate to letter forms. It works pretty well if you have good OCR software, horsepower to run it, and a good quality image of a printed or typed page to start from. Given the wide variety of differences in handwriting, I'd expect any current OCR software to fall flat on it's face trying to recognize it.

(There are times I can't read my own handwriting. I'd hardly expect software to manage it.)
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Dennis

True. But an OCR meant to recognize standard alphabetical characters would be great. It would force people to write a specific way but would be very useful. Still I like it a lot so I am not trying to put it down.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by lotrfan

True. But an OCR meant to recognize standard alphabetical characters would be great. It would force people to write a specific way but would be very useful. Still I like it a lot so I am not trying to put it down.

That doesn't require OCR. Palm OS PDAs used Graffitti to recognize input in the Data Input Area and convert to letters and numbers. You had to write characters a particular way, and it took some practice. It was also not intended for any substantial data entry, and the expected use was something like adding a name and contact info to the built in address book.

(Palm offered a Notepad app in later models you could take handwritten notes in, but there was no attempt to recognize it as text. It simply stored it as an image.)

For something like the device discussed, I'd want a folding Bluetooth keyboard, similar to the IR model I use with my PDA, if I needed to take any volume of notes.
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Dennis

[jehane]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

That doesn't require OCR. Palm OS PDAs used Graffitti to recognize input in the Data Input Area and convert to letters and numbers. You had to write characters a particular way, and it took some practice. It was also not intended for any substantial data entry, and the expected use was something like adding a name and contact info to the built in address book.

Yes, I loved my Palm and have been looking for something like it, but bigger, ever since. This eee Note could be what I've been waiting for. Can't find any specific reference to handwriting recognition software - that would be an essential. Though if it's Android, there's every chance of a third-party app if it's not native. For the price, it's very tempting.

For something like the device discussed, I'd want a folding Bluetooth keyboard, similar to the IR model I use with my PDA, if I needed to take any volume of notes.
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Dennis

Hmmm...wonder if there's any chance this will work with my now obsolete folding keyboard from Palm...

[lotrfan]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

That doesn't require OCR. Palm OS PDAs used Graffitti to recognize input in the Data Input Area and convert to letters and numbers. You had to write characters a particular way, and it took some practice. It was also not intended for any substantial data entry, and the expected use was something like adding a name and contact info to the built in address book.

(Palm offered a Notepad app in later models you could take handwritten notes in, but there was no attempt to recognize it as text. It simply stored it as an image.)

For something like the device discussed, I'd want a folding Bluetooth keyboard, similar to the IR model I use with my PDA, if I needed to take any volume of notes.
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Dennis

Yeah I know about Graffiti and have used it before but that is not what I was talking about. Your second example is what I would like, a device that can read your handwritten text (within reason). Not cursive by the way. I am sure we will get their one day.

[Hellmark]

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

I want to see it in action myself before making any judgments. It looks cute but how functional is it, really? A pen tablet with no color?

It would be great for making notes, going through PDF manuals, etc.

[Dulin's Books]

Originally Posted by pbarrette

the Chinese version of the keyboard has a handwriting recognition input panel that can also recognize English characters.


pb

it does have handwriting recognition

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by jehane

Yes, I loved my Palm and have been looking for something like it, but bigger, ever since.

I feel the same way, and still use my PalmOS device daily. Mostly it's my ebook viewer now, but the other functions still work fine. The biggest wish I have is a larger screen. I could no longer carry it in a pocket, but I don't do that now.

This eee Note could be what I've been waiting for. Can't find any specific reference to handwriting recognition software - that would be an essential. Though if it's Android, there's every chance of a third-party app if it's not native. For the price, it's very tempting.

Unfortunately, color is a requirement here, so I'm less tempted. But I think there's a market niche for devices like this, and I expect it will do okay.

I suspect it's not Android - ASUS has their own embedded Linux environment called Xandros. But if it's open to third party development, we might see an app that can recognize handwriting and convert to text issued for it.

Hmmm...wonder if there's any chance this will work with my now obsolete folding keyboard from Palm...

Good question. Is it Bluetooth? (I got an IR model, as it appeared I could only use one BT device at a time, and I expected to want to type on a keyboard and be connected via BT to something else.)
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Dennis

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by lotrfan

Yeah I know about Graffiti and have used it before but that is not what I was talking about. Your second example is what I would like, a device that can read your handwritten text (within reason). Not cursive by the way. I am sure we will get their one day.

I understand, but don't see that pressing a need. Exactly how much handwritten stuff would you expect to enter and need to have converted to text? As mentioned, if it's that much, it's the sort of thing I'd use a folding keyboard for. My longhand is illegible. My printing is fairly good, but degenerates rapidly if I have to do any significant amount. I've simply spent too many years on a keyboard, and lost any proficiency for writing with pen and paper.
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Dennis

[5thWiggle]

Graffiti for android
http://www.access-company.com/cgi/nflife.cgi?a=full

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by 5thWiggle

Graffiti for android
http://www.access-company.com/cgi/nflife.cgi?a=full

Hmmm, Interesting.

Japan's Access Corp. is largely known for the NetFront mobile device browser, intended for embedded usage. A version of NetFront used to be bundled with Sony Clie PDAs running Palm OS. (I believe a version of NetFront is the basis for the bundled browser used in Amazon's Kindle.)

Back when, Palm spun off the Palm OS development operations as PalmSource (largely to placate Sony, who were uncomfortable with the OS used in their Clie line being developed by the outfit the Clie competed with.) Sony then dropped the Clie lina and got out of the PDA business. PalmSource revenues plummeted, and they put themselves up for sale. Palm tried to buy them back, but Access Corp. offered a higher price, and go them.

Access announced plans to use the completed but never shipped Palm OS Cobalt (which would have been Palm OS 6) as the UI layer for a Linux based based OS targeting the Asian smartphone market, to provide compatibility with thousands of existing Palm apps. What they wound up actually doing in their Access Linux Platform was implementing Palm OS 5 (Garnet) as a virtual machine running under Linux. Free beta versions of the VM are available for the Nokia Internet Tablet line under their Maemo Linux environment.

So essentially, these days, Access owns what used to be Palm OS, and they've done a port of Palm's Grafitti handwriting recognition to Android.

There are other interesting things there, too, like an Android port of NetFront.
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Dennis

[lotrfan]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

I understand, but don't see that pressing a need. Exactly how much handwritten stuff would you expect to enter and need to have converted to text? As mentioned, if it's that much, it's the sort of thing I'd use a folding keyboard for. My longhand is illegible. My printing is fairly good, but degenerates rapidly if I have to do any significant amount. I've simply spent too many years on a keyboard, and lost any proficiency for writing with pen and paper.
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Dennis

Well I used to do all my drafts on paper before typing them into word (easier for me at the time and still think it is). I also am pretty slow at typing though much better than in my school days. So in my case, having OCR, would have saved some time on passing it into Word. My wife on the other hand knows how to type pretty fast so she would need it less.

[wodin]

There are many cloud based as well as PC based OCR solutions, here is just one.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by lotrfan

Well I used to do all my drafts on paper before typing them into word (easier for me at the time and still think it is). I also am pretty slow at typing though much better than in my school days. So in my case, having OCR, would have saved some time on passing it into Word. My wife on the other hand knows how to type pretty fast so she would need it less.

Okay, makes sense. I stopped doing drafts on paper when I got a typewriter. My handwriting was never that good, and got worse the longer I continued. These days, I'm tied to a keyboard for anything extensive.

You aren't the only one who works like that. SF writer Jack Vance used to first draft in longhand on legal tablets, with occasional interruptions from his cats. He's legally blind now, so I'm not sure what his current practice is. (His last book came out in 2006, but I believe he's still writing at 94.)
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Dennis

[Hellmark]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

I suspect it's not Android - ASUS has their own embedded Linux environment called Xandros. But if it's open to third party development, we might see an app that can recognize handwriting and convert to text issued for it.

Xandros is NOT owned by ASUS. Xandros is a separate entity, and has been around for a lot longer than the Eeepc. ASUS merely chose to work with Xandros, because Xandros is open to working with corporations.