I’ve just learnt something new about using touch on a ultra mobile PC thanks to Hugo Ortegas excellent two-part introduction videos for people (like me) who are introduced to touch extensions on Windows XP through the purchase of a UMPC.
Keyboards are nice and I’m very pro-keyboard due to my technical background, left handedness and very bad handwriting. I believe that there is never a point in my mobile computing day at which taking the pen out of the dock and handwriting on the screen is faster than pecking at an on-screen keyboard with my finger. I can’t seem to reach the required accuracy with handwriting recognition where it becomes worth it.
Hugo has done a very nice job of introducing me to some features of the TIP (Text Input Panel) which might make my use of handwriting more efficient than pecking and he’s also introduced me to Windows Journal and the Sniping tool. Regular readers will know that I’m pretty happy with the internals of a ultra mobile PC but I’ll be honest, I’ve never really spent a lot of time learning about advanced use of the TIP, Journal and Sniping tool.
What was really nice about the video was that I was sitting at my desk with the extended screen and I was able to watch the video on the main screen and test things out on the ultra mobile PC at the same time!
What did I learn? Well, I think I’ll now go away and spend more time with the TIP and I’ll probably start to use Windows Journal for writing short emails while I’m without a keyboard. After 25 years on PCs, changing my working methods on a PC will be hard work but now that I hear that text recognition on Vista is much improved I think it will be worth it. For the last 4 years I’ve used SUSE Linux on my notebook PC but when you put mobility and touchscreens into the equation, there’s no other choice than Microsoft Windows
View the video here: (Tip: copy the URL of the WMV file and open it within Media player for instant streaming.)
- View Part One: High Resolution – 9.42 minutes/40.3MB
- (download Part One here)
- View Part Two: High Resolution – 11.40 minutes/48MB
- (download Part Two here)
- View Both Parts: Low Resolution – 20.82 minutes/87MB
- (download Both Parts here)
Thanks very much Hugo.
Steve
Cheers Chippy!
If I can move a man of 25yrs experience to new learnings then I must have done something OK! Keep up the great work, you rock!
Hi Steve and Hugo.
Steve, did you get a chance to try out the R2H yet? I saw on the origmaportal forum that the 768mb model was kind of slow. Can you verify if that is the case and do you know a general price range for the non-included keyboard for it?
The waiting game for all these new model umpcs is excruciating. :)
I’m torn between the Q1p, Q1b, i7xxx series, and the vega.
(I want them all!!!)
Which do you believe is the best overall model to go with?
Thanks in advance. Jerry.
Jerry.
I will be testing out an R2H briefly tommorrow or Friday evening. I should get a test device for a longer time soon after. I’ll report back.
As for ‘Chippys Choice’ – Best UMPC award. This is one of those questions that has a different answer for each customer.
I’m going to start a series of posts soon on this topic.
Steve.
Hey Steve,
In reference to Hugo’s video.I havn’t got the snipping tool in the ms touch pack.Any suggestions?Thank you :)