Hardware
Apple Patent Hints at Inking for Mythical Apple Tablet
If you’re a fan of Inking on a Tablet PC, this might (or might not) make you get a little excited about the mythical Apple Tablet. It appears that Apple filed a patent in July 2009 that just became public that talks about using a stylus, digital ink, and handwriting recognition.
Upon the occurrence of an ink phrase termination event, the ink manager notifies the handwriting recognition engine and organizes the preceding ink strokes into an ink phrase data structure…The present invention, in large part, relates to the observation that client applications and handwriting recognition software in pen-based computer systems can make far more accurate ink-related decisions based on entire ink phrases, rather than individual ink strokes.
I will find it more than ironic if the mythical Tablet appears out of Cupertino with some form of Inking that works well, and everyone who has poo-pooed Inking on a Tablet PC has a miraculous conversion and starts hailing it as the next big thing.
Via Engadget
Wevenhuis
11/12/2009 at 8:49 am
It would an interesting development. Inking Renaissance Part Deux (IR2).
The scheme does look quite complicated though. Possibly several engines. Hopefully it will also work smooth and with little lag.
Great for writing shopping lists and medical recipes.
Bryce
11/13/2009 at 1:52 am
I’d add that Inkwell Wasn’t such a bad attempt for Apple as people seem to insist. I Use it daily w/ my Macbook and a Bamboo tablet. So maybe there’s hope for a “Real” tablet!
Response written using Inkwell.
Nathaniel
11/14/2009 at 12:49 pm
I just know when this comes out EVERYONE is going to want a tablet and rave about how incredible this new technology is when it has been around for years.. *sigh*
But at least it will put some downward pressure on prices for tablet devices. Oh wait, it’s Apple prices. Nevermind.
Nameless
11/15/2009 at 12:40 pm
The device diagram reminds me of the old Newton MessagePads.
Perhaps we’ll see a 21st-century re-imagining of those devices after all?