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From: andrew@trlamct.trl.oz.au (Andrew Jennings)
Newsgroups: comp.society.futures
Subject: Re: the interface for the rest of us?
Message-ID: <3461@trlluna.trl.oz>
Date: 5 May 91 22:54:22 GMT
References: <9105021606.AA26962@lti2.lti.uucp>
Sender: news@trlluna.trl.oz
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> 
> So what's the win?  After reading the article, I concluded that PenPoint
> will be good for a limited set of applications, usually revolving around
> filling out forms in a non-time-critical environment.  I can not see how
> PenPoint would ever provide a comfortable environment for a "power" user,
> or even for the everyday user.
> 
> How do others feel?
>


You should get hold of a video from the Human Factors Worshop of ACM, I think
it was the 1989 or 1990 conference. Some people from IBM Yorktown Heights
demonstrated a pen type interface. Mostly its useful for drawing diagrams.
You might like to compare how long it takes to draw a rough diagram with a pen
(around 5 minutes) with how long it takes even with a high end desktop publishing
system (around 45 minutes). With the pen you can rough draw and then snap to a
clear line. You can outline a character then snap it to a printed character in
the font of your choice.

See also a recent special issue of Byte on pens and laptops. You can't use a
laptop in a car with a mouse.

As per the cursive script, I think this may take a few more years yet, but it
is by no means impossible. Especially if we train the system only to recognise
<your> handwriting.

a.jennings@trl.oz.au  phone  : 61 3 541 6241 fax : 61 3 543 8863
Andrew Jennings   AI Systems            Telecom Australia Research Labs