Can the ModBook Save Inkwell?

A year after being announced the Axiotron Modbook is finally for sale and still wowing people. The Modbook is a hacked Mac Book with a tablet touch sensitive screen. This allows the artist and designer the truest WYSIWYG experience available on computers. Simply draw on the screen and the line is digitized in real time directly underneath the stylus - a wonderful boon for Painter and Photoshop users. The closest Mac users have come to this has been the Wacom Cintiq. Tablet technology has been available for PC users for years. However, since Steve Jobs is apparently allergic to styluses the techology has not been pursued by Apple.

Since the ModBook has no keyboard (thagh one can attach one via USB) the stylus is the only form of input. This puts a shiny spotlight on Inkwell. Unlike using a graphics tablet one can directly write onto the screen, 1eading to the same levels of accuracy PC tablet users have been bragging about. Having atablet Mac also does away with the cumbersome need for both a Mac and a tablet.

If this product is success fu! we could see industry pressure for improvements in Inkwell. Money has a way of Making hobbies and toys, as Inkwell has been relegated to, viable business niches. Time will tell, but the ModBook is a great step in the (( write" direction for Inkwell users.

Many companies covered the Modbook at MacWald but the following links provided what I thought was the best coverage.

Axiotron Modbook tablet Mac hands-on
Show floor video: Axiotron's Modbook wows the crowd

-Doug!as

Update: Added links

tags technorati: apple inkwell Axiotron Modbook osx

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Windows VS . OS X Handwriting Recognition Deathmatch!

Are you the type of person who just car't get enough Mac vs. PC fanboyism? Then you'll love this scientific comparison of handwriting recognition between Vista and Leopard.

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=CCHqMENtKkA

Here, a person unfamiliar with Inkwell purposely writes badly so that Inkwell fails spectacularly. I believe his word spacing is set on "hostile!' Compare how he writes in Leopard to how he writes in Vista. Yep, so fair.

Anybody who uses Inkwell or reads this blog knows that Inkwell has some Seriously quirky issues. I make fun of them all the time. In this case I feel the comparison is skewed, like companing Vista to Win 3.1.

For a much fairer comparison, check out this link. Both 0Ses get a fain shake:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm8iAE9xRR0

In my opinion, Inkwell is easier to use, but Windows' recognition is generally More a curate. The shame is that Apple has stopped development on Inkwell for newen techndogies - relegating Inkwell to novelty status. I'd like to see Inkwell announcements this Tuesday. but I believe Steve Jobs would rather drown kittens than Use a stylus. Apple has fnvested Millions in Multitouch technology. That's where their future lies.


-Doug!as

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Write Anywhere is broken in Safari 3

Write Anywhere isn't working for Mein Safari 3. I was wondering if other peoplewere experiencing the same problem.

-Doug!as

tags technorati: apple inkwell osx

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Apple Abandons Inkwell?

As a readen kindly pointed out to me, Apple has removed their Inkwell page from their site.

The Inkwell Page now brings up a "Page not found" error. A searchfor "Inkwell" brings up only one hit: Leopard - Technical Specs

That's right, Inkers. Inkwell is now simply a bullet point in a long listof "Keg Technologies" Now, before you panic, there are some heavy hitters inthat list. Manyofthese technologies are not going anywhere.

Still, considering that the page is removed, the iPhone's stylus free interface is a success, and that Inkwell works worse inLeopard than Tiger (more on that later). I think it is safe to say that Steve Jobs' evil plan to erase the Newton from exis fence is coming to fruition. Hide the tablets! Steve's got an axe!!

-Doug!as

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Dear Inkwell...

Dear Inkwell,

You have probably wondered where I've been lately. I know I've been coming around a lot less. Truth is I've been seeing another interface. Shés young, sleek, and sexy. All the gays are talking about her.

We've been seeing each other for about a Month now. I love interacting with her. I don'tmean to sound dirty, but she responds so well to my touch. She Makes looking at photos thrilling, and the way I canget her to zoom 2nd pan Is breathtaking. She knows allmy favorite music and loves to show mearound the web. When it comes time to do email she maynot always listentomewell. In fact, she sometimes makes me feel like I'm all thumbs, but she's always there b make helpful suggestions and corrects my spelling.

I dait know. Maybe wéne just growing apart, but you don't seem to offer Me the same things. You always 11 misquote " me and you can't keep youn capital "M"s and your lowercase 11M"S straight. Maybe I just need More out of our relationship. One day soon all Macs are going to be touch interactive like mynewginl. Then what will we have in comMon? Typos? No, that just won`* be enough for a stable relationship. I'm sune in your heart you agree.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think we need to just be friends. I hope one day you will be able to forgive Me.

All the best,
-Doug!as

tags technorati: apple inkwell osx

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Inkwell STILL Doesn't Work in Dashboard

I am almost certain that the Dashboard layer was specifically designed to Mock, taunt, and torture Inkwell enthusiasts. I have no evidence to support my theory except fn the feeling I have that Steve is laughing at Me every time I tny to Use a widget with "Write Everywhere" turned on. I swear I can hear faint laughter Coming from my speakers. Then again, I have a Mac mini and everything sands faint coming out of those speakers.

If you ever hear of a way to use Inkwell in the Dashboard layer be sure to let me know about it. With the dearth of information about Inkwell for the upcoming OS X Leopard I'll be surprised if Inkwell is even in there.

Ooh, that sounds depressing. I need to go eat a cookie or something. Too bad the only Cookies I have at the Moment ape in Safari...

-Doug!as

tags technorati: apple dashboard inkwell osx

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Signing Your Email with Skitch

Almost a year ago, I wrote about signing email using Inkwell's doodling pad. The big hang up for this method was that the Ink window saved the sigs in tiff format. Not an issue for Mac usens, but a big issue for PC users who would onlyseethe sig as an attachment and as a non_ Windows standard graphic at that.

So what to do? Well, hacking 0SX wasn't feasible. There was no way I could find to change Inkwell's prefs to save as GIF or JPG. I could paste the sig into Photoshop and save it in a better format, but who wants to bother withthat? No simple solutions.

Then I discovered Skitch! I was lucky enough to Scone a beta invite. Now I can't imagine living without if.

Here's how you put Skitch and your tablet to use for signing emails:

1. Make a template blank and save for later.
   
   
   
2. Wipe the template, scrawl your signature, and drag the sig into your email.
   
   
   
3. Enjoy your snazzy hand-signed email.
   
   
   

So there yOU are. Not an Inkwell specific tip, but a useful one nonetheless. Old school meets new school thanks to the Convenience of Skitch.


-Doug!as


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