Re: Using Zoomer as Note-taker

brian@piano.grot.starconn.com (Brian Smithson)
From: brian@piano.grot.starconn.com (Brian Smithson)
Message-id: <9311162029.ZM11038@piano.grot.starconn.com>
Date: Tue, 16 Nov 1993 20:29:48 -0800
In-Reply-To: starnet!apple!robsho.Auto-trol.COM!robsho (Robert Shock)
        "Using Zoomer as Note-taker" (Nov 16,  3:01pm)
References: <9311162100.AA02205@robsho.YP.attc>
X-Mailer: Z-Mail (2.1.1 01dec92)
To: <zoomer-list-1993@grot.starconn.com>
Subject: Re: Using Zoomer as Note-taker
Status: OR

As it happens, I've spent the last couple of days taking notes on my
Zoomer at ACM Hypertext '93 in Seattle.  Here's what I've found:

(1) The HWR is too slow and error-prone for notetaking speed.  I didn't
    even try using HWR except to title note book pages.

(2) Ink keeps up well enough to be useable.  Whether or not _I'll_ be
    able to do HWR on my own handwriting remains to be seen :-).  There
    are several problems which contribute to this: small screen size
    cramps writing style; the ink is somewhat fat relative to pen and
    paper; the delay between writing and display is a little disorienting;
    getting an appropriate grip on the unit, angled for some kind of view,
    while not resting on the screen, doesn't help my handwriting at all;
    most of the conference sessions are low-light (for computer display
    projector or overhead projectors), rendering the Zoomer display more
    or less invisible; and, the screen somehow lacks tactile feedback
    one gets from pen and paper.

(3) By far the worst thing, IMHO, is that one can't do delayed HWR from
    notebook pages.  Not that my scribblings would be all that HWRable
    (due to stuff listed in (2)), but I'd have tried to be legible if
    I had some opportunity to do HWR later.

(4) Ink is expensive, disk-space-wise.  I'm just about out of space now
    and will need to transcribe the notes onto a laptop so that I can
    purge.  Alas, PalmConnect doesn't run on my 640x200 CGA UltraLite,
    otherwise I'd just upload and delete!

So for the purposes you described, you might be best off to wait for
an uprev of the Palm software _in which they make delayed HWR useful_
(hint, hint) and then get a Sharp PT-9000 with its larger screen.
I'm still happy with the Zoomer for short bursts of notes, but I would
not be happy with it if I were still in graduate school a couple of
nights per week.

-- 
-Brian Smithson
 brian@grot.starconn.com