Pen input for taking handwritten notes on iPad
I'd like to see the iPad with a pen accessory and an proper note taking application.
Just to be clear, I'm not referring to a stylus for navigation purposes or for typing on the keyboard - i'm referring to a pen like device (call it a stylus if you want) so I can take hand written notes.
I have purchased a good stylus and a 3 popular note taking apps and they all just suck to be honest. They're not really a replacement for pen and paper, and they just take more effort.
I dont want hand writing recognition - thats a useless feature - i want to be able to write on my ipad draw diagrams, and later refer back to my hand written notes ... instead of using pen and paper.
There are many uses for a proper note taking pen device and application out there. For business consultants who go out to see clients, for lawyers taking notes, for students, even artists who want to draw on their ipad etc.
At the moment, using a stylus *****. The tips are way to thick. I understand why they are thick, because the iPad is calibrated to accept input from fingers. A proper pen like device will be much more desirable and easier to use.
Also, the problem with using the iPad as a note taking device is that as soon as your palm touches the screen it draws scribbles in areas you never intended. So you're constantly erasing these unwanted lines from the notes. Once agin I understand why this is happening, just pointing out the down side.
The note taking apps out there all have methods to address the palm resting on the ipad screen, but really they are pretty much useless.
So ideally, in a note taking app, the ipad should only be able to accept strokes from the pen device and not the hand. I know is not currently possible, but I think improvements to the ipad for this sort of thing will be great.
Maybe a bluetooth pen that sends the stroke signals back to the app could work. This way if you touch the screen it doesn't matter it wont draw unwanted lines all over place. Also, if its a bluetooth device you wouldn't need such a fat tip like the current styli out there, it could have a fine tip like a proper pen, which will make it much easier to write with.
There are pen devices out there that use cameras and special paper with dots on it to record what your writing, this sort of idea is what Im referring to. Then the signals will be sent to the iPad via bluetooth and the pen stokes will be seen on the screen.
I'm hoping that one day, the iPad will be a replacement for pen and paper. The possibilities are endless.
When I go out to see clients, I'd like to bring up their specific notepad and write notes, then when I go see my next client, I open a different notepad specific to that client. This way I can carry hundreds of different notepads with me all on my iPad. This will be great for students as well.
I'll be much better organised. I wont have one notepad like I currently do, which is shared for all clients I see.
There are many things you can do with an electronic note pad that you cant with pen and a notepad. You can move one page from one note pad to another, you can easily delete a page, duplicate a page, email a page, email a note pad, have the date and time stamp automatically on the page, record voice on the page etc.
This is why I look forward to one day seeing the iPad replace pen and paper.
Oh, and one for the Greenies ... it will save the trees!
Just to be clear, I'm not referring to a stylus for navigation purposes or for typing on the keyboard - i'm referring to a pen like device (call it a stylus if you want) so I can take hand written notes.
I have purchased a good stylus and a 3 popular note taking apps and they all just suck to be honest. They're not really a replacement for pen and paper, and they just take more effort.
I dont want hand writing recognition - thats a useless feature - i want to be able to write on my ipad draw diagrams, and later refer back to my hand written notes ... instead of using pen and paper.
There are many uses for a proper note taking pen device and application out there. For business consultants who go out to see clients, for lawyers taking notes, for students, even artists who want to draw on their ipad etc.
At the moment, using a stylus *****. The tips are way to thick. I understand why they are thick, because the iPad is calibrated to accept input from fingers. A proper pen like device will be much more desirable and easier to use.
Also, the problem with using the iPad as a note taking device is that as soon as your palm touches the screen it draws scribbles in areas you never intended. So you're constantly erasing these unwanted lines from the notes. Once agin I understand why this is happening, just pointing out the down side.
The note taking apps out there all have methods to address the palm resting on the ipad screen, but really they are pretty much useless.
So ideally, in a note taking app, the ipad should only be able to accept strokes from the pen device and not the hand. I know is not currently possible, but I think improvements to the ipad for this sort of thing will be great.
Maybe a bluetooth pen that sends the stroke signals back to the app could work. This way if you touch the screen it doesn't matter it wont draw unwanted lines all over place. Also, if its a bluetooth device you wouldn't need such a fat tip like the current styli out there, it could have a fine tip like a proper pen, which will make it much easier to write with.
There are pen devices out there that use cameras and special paper with dots on it to record what your writing, this sort of idea is what Im referring to. Then the signals will be sent to the iPad via bluetooth and the pen stokes will be seen on the screen.
I'm hoping that one day, the iPad will be a replacement for pen and paper. The possibilities are endless.
When I go out to see clients, I'd like to bring up their specific notepad and write notes, then when I go see my next client, I open a different notepad specific to that client. This way I can carry hundreds of different notepads with me all on my iPad. This will be great for students as well.
I'll be much better organised. I wont have one notepad like I currently do, which is shared for all clients I see.
There are many things you can do with an electronic note pad that you cant with pen and a notepad. You can move one page from one note pad to another, you can easily delete a page, duplicate a page, email a page, email a note pad, have the date and time stamp automatically on the page, record voice on the page etc.
This is why I look forward to one day seeing the iPad replace pen and paper.
Oh, and one for the Greenies ... it will save the trees!
iPad, iOS 4
