e-reuter@UIUC.EDU (Erik Reuter) (05/04/91)
For the next few years, pen based interfaces will be used primarily in niche markets, such as some people have described. However, in the near future (perhaps 10 to 15 years), they will begin to become more mainstream. The Dynabook concept of a computer is a pretty good one. I envision such a computer with mainly three input methods, speech, touch screen, and pen based. When dashing off a lot of text while in a relatively quiet environment, this e-mail for example, would call for the speech input, with an occasional pen or finger to the screen to accomplish something which would be inefficient to describe in words. Certain tasks, such as editing, would be perfect for an interplay between speech and pen based input, and this would be more efficient than either paper or conventional word processor. In fact, the only thing more efficient would be brain input. There are, however, many situations where speech input is impractical. Obviously, drawing a picture. Also, taking notes at a meeting or lecture, in a noisy office, or where privacy is required. In this case, there are a few alternatives. The notebook computer could have a keyboard, but this is undesirable since keyboards take up a good deal of space, are heavy, are easy to damage, and require two hands. The solution is a pen based interface. It would be able to recognize most printing and writing, and the touch screen could even emulate a keyboard for those so inclined, when absolutely necessary. But the really efficient input method would be some sort of shorthand, designed especially for a computer and pen based interface. This is not as scary as it sounds. (I have to learn shorthand??). There could be many enhancements to conventional short hand if it were implemented on a computer. For instance, a user changeable palette of common strokes, translation of written words into shorthand (to help you learn, or when you forget), and allowing you to write at whatever size is convenient while translating all the characters to a common size. And as this input method is explored, many other enhancements as well. Learning this special shorthand would slowly replace learning to type. Technology has a long way to go before it can accept complex neural input. In the meantime, a replacement for the keyboard is needed. Pen based interfaces, in combination with speech input, will slowly fill that need. Erik Reuter e-reuter@uiuc.edu
) (05/07/91)
e-reuter@UIUC.EDU (Erik Reuter) writes: > The notebook computer could have a keyboard, but this is > undesirable since keyboards take up a good deal of space, are heavy, are > easy to damage, and require two hands. You mean "QWERTY keyboards take up..." The keyboard on my Microwriter AgendA is very compact, lightweight, hard to damage, requires only one hand, and is fine for touch-typing. And it only takes a few hours to learn. > The solution is a pen based > interface. "The" solution? Don't be silly. You're assuming that there is a problem. mathew