<strong>Apple has finally show inkwheel, but, wher is the tablet?
Mac geek's buying Watcom tablets?</strong><hr></blockquote>
------------
Good Question!
I see very few Wacom type input devices in users hands. Most are with high end art and design. This s a very small part of the whole Mac user base.
I would guess that Apple will be introducing new hardware that takes advantage of inkwell on Macintosh hardware. A new input device? New touch active power book screens? Use of trackpads on current power and ibooks? Who knows! May be one of the best things to come out of 10.2.
Look at the "ink" entry. Perhaps a "inkpad"? Is that a design for a stylus?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Applications have to be specially coded in order to take advantage of tablet/pen input, it seems. As I understand it, "InkPad" is the little app/utility you can open so that *any* application can use pen input.
It would be really cool if you could "write" on the touch pad of a powerbook/ibook ... that'd be kind of neat. Put it in a special 'mode' and switch to text recognition, and then switch out of it to move the mouse ...
<strong>It would be really cool if you could "write" on the touch pad of a powerbook/ibook ... that'd be kind of neat. Put it in a special 'mode' and switch to text recognition, and then switch out of it to move the mouse ...</strong><hr></blockquote>
As someone who has used a wacom graphire for the last 2 years exclusively (there is NO mouse pluged into my mac at work or home) i must admit that ther is little to no use for ( I haven't see the tech displayed so i will leave myself an out) entering text via my tablet. However is sound great on a marketing write up, and covers the fact that come this summer (since i perdicted this -to my friends-last summer) we will be able to by a wireless display that we can sit on the couch and browse the web and send short e-mails/chat and when we need to get some serious work done we just plug it into the base station/hub.
All the tech is (will be) in place, Quartz that is compact for wireless trasmission, net booting, and now ink. all we need is the combination of the hardware to suppot this.
[quote] Applications have to be specially coded in order to take advantage of tablet/pen input, it seems. As I understand it, "InkPad" is the little app/utility you can open so that *any* application can use pen input. <hr></blockquote>
My guess is that it works more like the foreign language input. If I switch to Japanese in the language menu, I can type Japanese into any program (even if they later display ASCII jibberish), and the only thing they have to do is use Unicode to avoid that... they don't know what's Japanese and what isn't. I imagine that the pen would work the same--if you click inside a text area (generally you're probably not dragging an object), and drag your stylus around in awkward patterns (which would be letters to you but awkward to the computer), it would probably recognize that and match it up to letters and realize what you're typing, the latter portion of that like a Palm. Then the InkPad could be used to do quick little sketches, kinda like MSPaint or the SketchPad function on Palms, only vector maybe, and then you can transfer that into any program that handles RTF or similar text capabilities (like iChat hopefully!).
Keep in mind this is sheer conjecture and I don't know either way... but my way would be easier for the end user. The only issue I can think of is if you're in a text area, but just want to select or drag text around, how it knows right from the start whether you're gonna drag or write. Maybe when you write you click, then lift up, but continue to draw with the stylus...
Well, all will be explained. Currently, my stylus is too irritating to use outside of Photoshop/Illustrator, but if it replaced my mouse and keyboard, that might be useful. Plus, it would be cheaper to make too (though with Apple, that doesn't really mean anything )
It seems odd they would bring this out now just for the few people who would find it convenient to scrawl text rather than reach over and type it. It sure seems that this is the basis for a future widget not yet announced.
<strong>It seems odd they would bring this out now just for the few people who would find it convenient to scrawl text rather than reach over and type it. It sure seems that this is the basis for a future widget not yet announced.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I wholeheartedly agree, neutrino23. The inclusion of Inkwell in Jaguar is a sign of new hardware to come later this year. I'm still hoping for a subnotebook, but now with on screen HWR.
I'm now remembering all the freewheeling speculation in the old Kormac threads - in one of them I posited that Apple couldn't release any really novel hardware until OS X was out, because Mac OS made too many assumptions and it was too hard to change. Then OS X came out, and, uh, it wasn't finished.
Now, finally, it looks like it's reached a place where Apple can start tapping its potential. Now, after seeing what their software engineers have been up to all this time, we'll see what the hardware guys have been cooking all this time.
I wholeheartedly agree, neutrino23. The inclusion of Inkwell in Jaguar is a sign of new hardware to come later this year. I'm still hoping for a subnotebook, but now with on screen HWR.
Escher</strong><hr></blockquote>
Could the introduction of Ink be part of Apple's answer to Microsoft's Mira/Tablet PC-concepts?
I was thinking about this last night as I was trying to fall asleep (insomnia's a bitch). It would be really cool if apple (or someone) release a keyboard with bluetooth that would allow the included tablet device to be disconnected from it, yet still be connected to the computer.
Think of it like this: you have a 'normal' keyboard with a tablet that slides out from underneath (to either side for righties ) This tablet can be removed from its holding place so you could write while on your couch or someplace else. You could see what you were writing on the the tablet using some of that e-paper tech that xerox has been cooking up. You also have place in the corner of the table where you could turn 'pages' (think the old notepad in OS 9). When you turn the page, you have a new blank sheet. Scribble to your heart's content and have it delay recognition until you get back to your computer to input it to a program.
Taking it a step further, you could detach the tablet from the computer and (with the help of onboard memory) take notes all day, flipping pages, etc until you get home and have it input. There are devices like this now, but none of them have the AWESOME HWR of a newton. I'm looking forward to seeing what Apple and 3rd party companies think up for this. A completely new input technology. Good stuff
It will be a cold day... when I enter text with a stylus instead of a keyboard. But maybe Apple is thinking of this as a part of their education plan. Input for kids who haven't learned how to type. Or a way to help kids learn how to write even.
A tablet-- I just don't see that being successful.
Anyway. Apple once said that they're planning to put the iBook as a product to succed the eMate product line (when the Newton division was dismantled). Perharps that the next revision of the iBook will feature somekind of input through the use of a stylus? Perharps the screen would be turnable, so that instead of facing down when it's closed, it will faced up so that the user can write stuff like a writing pad.
As for the possible application for Ink.
Well... Like it once said, it could be used to enter non-english alphabet, like kanji characters.
Another possible application can also be used as a security feature. Just write your signature, and then you will be able to log-in.
Comments
[ 05-06-2002: Message edited by: nx7oe ]</p>
How about using it on the new HD display, similar to Wacom's writable LCD screens. I'd love to scribble all over one of those.
<strong>Apple has finally show inkwheel, but, wher is the tablet?
Mac geek's buying Watcom tablets?</strong><hr></blockquote>
------------
Good Question!
I see very few Wacom type input devices in users hands. Most are with high end art and design. This s a very small part of the whole Mac user base.
I would guess that Apple will be introducing new hardware that takes advantage of inkwell on Macintosh hardware. A new input device? New touch active power book screens? Use of trackpads on current power and ibooks? Who knows! May be one of the best things to come out of 10.2.
Later Steve
I'm sure we'll see an iPad or whatever around Macworld NY, or in and around OSX 10.2's shipping date.
Look at the "ink" entry. Perhaps a "inkpad"? Is that a design for a stylus?
<strong><a href="http://www.apple.com/macosx/newversion/"; target="_blank">http://www.apple.com/macosx/newversion/</a>;
Look at the "ink" entry. Perhaps a "inkpad"? Is that a design for a stylus?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Applications have to be specially coded in order to take advantage of tablet/pen input, it seems. As I understand it, "InkPad" is the little app/utility you can open so that *any* application can use pen input.
<strong>It would be really cool if you could "write" on the touch pad of a powerbook/ibook ... that'd be kind of neat. Put it in a special 'mode' and switch to text recognition, and then switch out of it to move the mouse ...</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yeah, I thought that too...
I often do that by mistake with my tablet pen...
All the tech is (will be) in place, Quartz that is compact for wireless trasmission, net booting, and now ink. all we need is the combination of the hardware to suppot this.
I can not wait for this to happen!
-ray
[ 05-06-2002: Message edited by: 27ray ]</p>
My guess is that it works more like the foreign language input. If I switch to Japanese in the language menu, I can type Japanese into any program (even if they later display ASCII jibberish), and the only thing they have to do is use Unicode to avoid that... they don't know what's Japanese and what isn't. I imagine that the pen would work the same--if you click inside a text area (generally you're probably not dragging an object), and drag your stylus around in awkward patterns (which would be letters to you but awkward to the computer), it would probably recognize that and match it up to letters and realize what you're typing, the latter portion of that like a Palm. Then the InkPad could be used to do quick little sketches, kinda like MSPaint or the SketchPad function on Palms, only vector maybe, and then you can transfer that into any program that handles RTF or similar text capabilities (like iChat hopefully!).
Keep in mind this is sheer conjecture and I don't know either way... but my way would be easier for the end user. The only issue I can think of is if you're in a text area, but just want to select or drag text around, how it knows right from the start whether you're gonna drag or write. Maybe when you write you click, then lift up, but continue to draw with the stylus...
Well, all will be explained. Currently, my stylus is too irritating to use outside of Photoshop/Illustrator, but if it replaced my mouse and keyboard, that might be useful. Plus, it would be cheaper to make too (though with Apple, that doesn't really mean anything
<strong>It seems odd they would bring this out now just for the few people who would find it convenient to scrawl text rather than reach over and type it. It sure seems that this is the basis for a future widget not yet announced.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I wholeheartedly agree, neutrino23. The inclusion of Inkwell in Jaguar is a sign of new hardware to come later this year. I'm still hoping for a subnotebook, but now with on screen HWR.
Escher
Now, finally, it looks like it's reached a place where Apple can start tapping its potential. Now, after seeing what their software engineers have been up to all this time, we'll see what the hardware guys have been cooking all this time.
The next twelve months should be interesting.
<strong>
I wholeheartedly agree, neutrino23. The inclusion of Inkwell in Jaguar is a sign of new hardware to come later this year. I'm still hoping for a subnotebook, but now with on screen HWR.
Escher</strong><hr></blockquote>
Could the introduction of Ink be part of Apple's answer to Microsoft's Mira/Tablet PC-concepts?
For the sub-notebook: Never give up hope... ;-)
Think of it like this: you have a 'normal' keyboard with a tablet that slides out from underneath (to either side for righties
Taking it a step further, you could detach the tablet from the computer and (with the help of onboard memory) take notes all day, flipping pages, etc until you get home and have it input. There are devices like this now, but none of them have the AWESOME HWR of a newton. I'm looking forward to seeing what Apple and 3rd party companies think up for this. A completely new input technology. Good stuff
A tablet-- I just don't see that being successful.
<img src="http://www.geocities.com/~compcloset/PippinKeyboard.jpg">
Anyway. Apple once said that they're planning to put the iBook as a product to succed the eMate product line (when the Newton division was dismantled). Perharps that the next revision of the iBook will feature somekind of input through the use of a stylus? Perharps the screen would be turnable, so that instead of facing down when it's closed, it will faced up so that the user can write stuff like a writing pad.
As for the possible application for Ink.
Well... Like it once said, it could be used to enter non-english alphabet, like kanji characters.
Another possible application can also be used as a security feature. Just write your signature, and then you will be able to log-in.
<img src="http://www.apple.com/hotnews/articles/2001/09/badging/images/badges589.jpg">