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Taking handwritten notes on digital devices
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Posted by Hugh
Nov 20, 2018 at 01:12 PM
Dr Andus wrote:
>
>... I think my problem with Nebo was that it actually distracted me from
>the process of thinking, as I focused too much on the tool and getting
>the words spelled right etc. So it’s a bit similar to the dictation
>problem, in the sense that it might be better suited for transforming a
>previously composed text into typed format, rather than writing from
>scratch.
Yes, I agree. One of the pieces of advice I give to colleagues who say that they find dictating longer pieces difficult is to “write it out first” (even when dictating to a second human being). I’m always dubious of the quality of the output of those who say they can successfully dictate longer pieces ad lib.
Similarly, it would be terrific if handwriting recognition could be successfully applied “post-hoc” like OCR, so that one could consider what one was writing before one converted it to text. At least as far as my own handwriting is concerned, OCR does not work. But maybe one day…
Posted by Franz Grieser
Nov 20, 2018 at 01:54 PM
I am writing several thousand words per day. Without a decent keyboard and touch-typing I’d be lost. Handwriting and dictating mean that the sentence has to be finished in my head before I start writing or dictating. Using my keyboard I can jump around at will in the words and sentences I type and add text, delete text or move it around. This way I can polish the text till I am satisfied. Imagine doing that with handwritten text. Dictation software such as DragonDictate allows me to mimick my typing method but jumping around in the text is cumbersome.
So: Three cheers for a decent keyboard.
Posted by Dr Andus
Nov 20, 2018 at 03:02 PM
Franz Grieser wrote:
>Imagine doing that with handwritten text.
Franz, you sound like a proper millennial, if you don’t mind me saying so :-)
Unfortunately I’m old enough that I don’t have to imagine that, I can actually remember how that used to work.
First you write a rough copy by hand that looks like a mess because of the scratched-out words and sentences and handdrawn arrows connecting different sentences and paragraphs, and then you create a clean copy by effectively rewriting the whole text by hand, before you can pass it on to someone who can type it up for you on a mechanical typewriter.
School children still do this actually, where they haven’t been forced to use a computer or tablet.
Posted by Franz Grieser
Nov 20, 2018 at 03:34 PM
Dr Andus wrote:
>Franz, you sound like a proper millennial, if you don’t mind me saying
>so :-)
ROFL
My son’s a millennial.
>Unfortunately I’m old enough that I don’t have to imagine that, I can
>actually remember how that used to work.
>
>First you write a rough copy by hand that looks like a mess because of
>the scratched-out words and sentences and handdrawn arrows connecting
>different sentences and paragraphs, and then you create a clean copy by
>effectively rewriting the whole text by hand, before you can pass it on
>to someone who can type it up for you on a mechanical typewriter.
When I started working as a freelance translator, the first thing I bought from my first translation’s fee was a computer (Amstrad Joyce, anyone remember?). No more electrical typewriters and tipp-ex.
Posted by Dr Andus
May 27, 2020 at 11:49 PM
Dr Andus wrote:
>“2018 iPad vs. Acer Chromebook Tab 10: education showdown”
https://www.slashgear.com/2018-ipad-vs-acer-chromebook-tab-10-education-showdown-03525812/
>Have we passed the gimmicky stage and arrived at usable handwritten
>notetaking and stylus use that can be used as the primary way of
>interacting with a device in real-life situations?
I didn’t realise that this thread was prompted by the release of the Acer Chromebook Tab 10… So I’ve just come a full circle, as I took delivery of a refurbished one last week, almost exactly 2 years later.
My experiment with Samsung Chromebook Pro didn’t work out, as it was too heavy for a tablet.
In any case, the apps are the same (Google Keep and Squid for handwritten notes) and Kami for reading PDFs. In fact I end up using the Tab more for the latter.
I was contemplating getting Boyue Likebook Muses, but there were just too many negative reviews around about it breaking down and it cost the same as the Tab.
So it looks like I answered my own question then - the Tab is the first device that actually now works as a decent handwritten note-taking device, though still not for everything. But even the Chrome OS keyboard’s handwriting recognition has improved a great deal these last 2 years.
In hindsight I should have just gone for the Tab 2 years ago and would have saved myself some money and would have used it for the purpose that I needed it for.
Though I still enjoy using the Samsung for annotating academic PDF articles, where the Tab’s screen is too small for the small print and detailed annotations.