Registered: Jun 2001
Location: Maine
Posts: 6

Is Graffiti dead too...?

I have had my PDA for quite awhile now, and have found it a great addition to my everyday life. As a college student going for a BS in Computer Science while also holding down a job as webmaster of an e-commerce webstore, I find that the visor has become my only way to remember everything and has also become my notebook during class..

However, most of these new devices (such as the Treo and this new rumored PDA) have qwerty keyboards built it.. I WANT the Graffiti... I mean, I spent the time perfecting the use of it, and I need it to quietly and quickly enter information into my pda.. (Think Lectures...)

What is your opinion on Graffiti? Like it or Hate it? Is Handspring ever going to use it again? In fact, is Handspring going to be around long enough to ever use it again...?

-KnightM

Registered: Apr 2001
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 708

Personally, I love Graffiti. I use for my primary input method throughout the day. I switch to my Stowaway for meetings and large documents.

I really have no desire to see the Thumb Boards added on all devices. If they feel they have to be there, then I like the approach Sharp took on the Zaurus.

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In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. JOHN 14:2

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Plant City, FL
Posts: 385

Re: Is Graffiti dead too...?

quote:

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Originally posted by KnightM
What is your opinion on Graffiti? Like it or Hate it? Is Handspring ever going to use it again? In fact, is Handspring going to be around long enough to ever use it again...?

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<ul><li>Dave Kessler<br>President - Kopsis, Inc.</li></ul>

Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Nebraska- the Good life
Posts: 695

I think that pen entry using pre-defined characters (Grafitti or Jot, for example) is a lot better for most of our PDA use than a keyboard- unless doing an e-mail, longish memo, etc.

Keyboards HAVE to be a certain size to be functional. Micro-keyboards on hundreds of products has already taught us this- if it is too small, it is hard to type on- even using two-finger hunt and peck.

I am not willing to have a PDA that is bigger (thicker, heavier, etc.) and more expensive because of the addition of a keyboard- even added the cool way Zarius does it.

I DO think there is a real market for a better keyboard, however. I look forward to the day there is an adaptor made to allow us to plug any computer keyboard into our PDA. Once you buy the adaptor and software, theoretically, any keyboard would work, and manufacturers could focus on innovation rather than compatibility.

If I could make it work, I would use a small folding board like the Royal DaVinci uses- small and light enough for pocket carry. A bit small for too much typing, but OK for what I would do!

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Do what you can, with what you have, where you are at!

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 501

I have no problems with Graffiti, but do have problems with the way Graffiti performs. I have gotten to be a pretty fast Graffiti writer, and I have to slow down (both on my old VDX, and now with my Clie T615) or the PDA doesn't recognize characters.

This could be that, in my speed, I'm writing deformed characters -- but I don't think so. I think it's more a problem of the hardware (digitizer or processor speed) or the Graffiti.

If performance was increased, I think I'd prefer Graffiti over a decent thumbpad -- my experience with typing tiny keys with my fingers hasn't been pleasant. (Particularly if I have a Stowaway as backup). With the current Graffiti processing problems, however, I could see a thumbpad as an acceptable alternative.

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Jeff Meyer

"And he died like he lived: with his mouth wide open."