on 7/11/02 12:16 AM, Jim Witte at jswitte_at_bloomington.in.us wrote:
> The only thing that could change that in a big way that I can see is either if
> HWR got MUCH better (recognize ANYTHING, and include a full language model - I
> wonder if InkWell incorproates a language-model?), or if voice regonition got
> MUCH better (able to take dictation in a noisy room, when you're speaking
> fast, and cut out you'r Uumms and Uhhs from the stream, and detect when you
> want to delete the last word without you having to say it explicitly.)
I don't know about HWR. I timed myself with my wife's help one day, and
timed her. Neither of us could get beyond 30 wpm writing on a piece of
paper. If I tried, I was no longer writing, but drawing squiggley lines.
There's not a computer on the face of this earth that could recognize what I
wrote, because I couldn't because there were no real letters. I can type at
my worst at 50 wpm, and at my best well over 60. HWR just doesn't cut it for
normal data entry. It is great, however, for standing, or sitting on a
crowded bus or even an airplane (I was on a flight to Pittsburgh in a 737
once, next to a man so large that I could barely even use my Newton to read
a book--a laptop would have been impossible!)
Voice recognition, were it as flawless as you describe would be good for at
least data entry. I wonder how it would work for navigating the OS? In that
case, I can suspect it would get more awkward than either the mouse or the
keyboard. I can see it: "Computer, grab that little icon on the top left of
the screen. No, not that one, the one under it. Thanks. Now, move that to
the folder named 'my letters' inside the folder 'documents' inside 'my hard
drive'." or "Computer, choose 'Edit' menu. Choose 'Paste special'. Choose
'text only'." Muh faster with either the keyboard or the mouse. Somehow, the
keyboard and pointing device are quite a match. Personally, I would like to
see a touch screen so you could tap or touch items, but even that would
probably be only secondary. Incidentally, my first laptop, a Duo 230 had pen
marks all over the screen because I kept forgetting it wasn't my newton!
-- -Jon Glass Krakow, Poland <mailto:jonglass_at_usa.net> <mailto:glasshaus5_at_aol.com> "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." --Benjamin Franklin-- Read the List FAQ/Etiquette: http://www.newtontalk.net/faq.html Read the Newton FAQ: http://www.guns-media.com/mirrors/newton/faq/ This is the NewtonTalk mailing list - http://www.newtontalk.net
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