iPen?
I hope this hasn't been mentioned before, but I have been thinking about recent technologies coming together, and how Apple might react to them.
There is a new technology called the digital pen, which incorporates Bluetooth, digital imaging, and paper technology, that enables one to write notes on paper, and have them transmitted to a phone for e-mail or chat.
It just so happens that the first people to make these are SonyEricsson, Apple's new bosom buddy.
You can read about the technology here:
<a href="http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.04/anoto.html"; target="_blank">Digital Pen</a>
And the pen, called the "Chatpen" here:
<a href="http://www.cooltown.com/mpulse/0402-consumer.asp"; target="_blank">Chatpen</a>
Let's consider that Apple would be very much interested in such a device.
Microsoft is propping up the Pad PC or whatever they are calling it, where you write on a screen, or press a virtual keyboard with the pen.
I think Apple wants nothing to do with this Pad approach. The smarter thing to do is embrace a technology where you don't need an LCD screen, battery, ports, etc. to write text on a screen. All you will have to do is have a Bluetooth enabled digital pen, and write on a piece of paper, which can then be transferred to the mac as handwritten text, or (better) translated through Inkwell into text.
This fits perfectly in their digital strategy, and they have the technology to be the first to incorporate it into OS X without much effort. Did anyone else notice how Steve glossed over Inkwell in his keynote? "Oh, that's just a little technology, don't pay much attention to it. It's just for fun." (Will people actually be writing on Wacom tablets?)
Also, in the Analyst meeting, Steve said that the PDA will "go away." Repalced by "a new generation of cell phone." So what is missing from the phone? Text input. Imagine being able to change your contact information, add a new appointment, etc all with a jot of a pen. It can be translated into text, and when you re-iSync, all of your information is there on the computer. Is iSync just goign to put adresses on a iPod? No, it's going to go both ways.
Imagine being able to take class notes, sketches, and letters, sending them as a personal handwritten e-mail, translating notes to text, and sending email from the check of a box from a notepad. The possibilities are amazing to think about. .mac could be a text translating service, and so on.
Will Apple, though, come out with their own pen, or just support the technology with OS X?
Die iPad, Applepalm, and NewtonX. Long live iPen!
[ 08-06-2002: Message edited by: sunoxen ]</p>
There is a new technology called the digital pen, which incorporates Bluetooth, digital imaging, and paper technology, that enables one to write notes on paper, and have them transmitted to a phone for e-mail or chat.
It just so happens that the first people to make these are SonyEricsson, Apple's new bosom buddy.
You can read about the technology here:
<a href="http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.04/anoto.html"; target="_blank">Digital Pen</a>
And the pen, called the "Chatpen" here:
<a href="http://www.cooltown.com/mpulse/0402-consumer.asp"; target="_blank">Chatpen</a>
Let's consider that Apple would be very much interested in such a device.
Microsoft is propping up the Pad PC or whatever they are calling it, where you write on a screen, or press a virtual keyboard with the pen.
I think Apple wants nothing to do with this Pad approach. The smarter thing to do is embrace a technology where you don't need an LCD screen, battery, ports, etc. to write text on a screen. All you will have to do is have a Bluetooth enabled digital pen, and write on a piece of paper, which can then be transferred to the mac as handwritten text, or (better) translated through Inkwell into text.
This fits perfectly in their digital strategy, and they have the technology to be the first to incorporate it into OS X without much effort. Did anyone else notice how Steve glossed over Inkwell in his keynote? "Oh, that's just a little technology, don't pay much attention to it. It's just for fun." (Will people actually be writing on Wacom tablets?)
Also, in the Analyst meeting, Steve said that the PDA will "go away." Repalced by "a new generation of cell phone." So what is missing from the phone? Text input. Imagine being able to change your contact information, add a new appointment, etc all with a jot of a pen. It can be translated into text, and when you re-iSync, all of your information is there on the computer. Is iSync just goign to put adresses on a iPod? No, it's going to go both ways.
Imagine being able to take class notes, sketches, and letters, sending them as a personal handwritten e-mail, translating notes to text, and sending email from the check of a box from a notepad. The possibilities are amazing to think about. .mac could be a text translating service, and so on.
Will Apple, though, come out with their own pen, or just support the technology with OS X?
Die iPad, Applepalm, and NewtonX. Long live iPen!
[ 08-06-2002: Message edited by: sunoxen ]</p>
Comments
[ 08-06-2002: Message edited by: Atomic Media Fonts ]</p>
They are very small, and do add a slight gray shade to the paper.
You can also print your own Anoto-styled paper on a printer.
You an check it out here:
<a href="http://www.anotofunctionality.com/navigate.asp?PageID=73"; target="_blank">Anoto Paper</a>
<strong>It just so happens that the first people to make these are SonyEricsson, Apple's new bosom buddy.</strong><hr></blockquote>
These pens are made by Anoto (more or less owned by Ericsson and C-pen) and then sold under the Sony Ericsson brand...
My opinion: cool idea but to become usable it will have to be really widespread, which it won't. Who in their right minds will buy a $200 pen?
<strong>
These pens are made by Anoto (more or less owned by Ericsson and C-pen) and then sold under the Sony Ericsson brand...
My opinion: cool idea but to become usable it will have to be really widespread, which it won't. Who in their right minds will buy a $200 pen?</strong><hr></blockquote>
actually i know a lot of people who have spent over $500 on a en... granted they are fountain pens... but still... and i think a bluetooth pen would be a whole lot more functional... plus i dont think it will be that expensive in the firstplace... i mean how much electronics are we talking about that will fit into a pen?
<strong>
actually i know a lot of people who have spent over $500 on a en... granted they are fountain pens... but still... and i think a bluetooth pen would be a whole lot more functional... plus i dont think it will be that expensive in the firstplace... i mean how much electronics are we talking about that will fit into a pen?</strong><hr></blockquote>
We are talking about a camera, a digital image processing unit to enable dynamic information about pen position and handling. Then there has to be something that stores and packages the information for transmission through a communication unit.
This pen will be expensive, no doubt.