Holiday reflections

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Posted by Hugh
Jan 1, 2015 at 12:35 PM

Thanks for these thoughts, Bill - I’m relatively new to serious use of the iPad eco-system.

Posted by Franz Grieser
Jan 8, 2015 at 05:29 PM

Hi.

Just a quick update on my quest for a mobile notetaking device:

I got a Cooper Kai Skel for my iPad 2. I am returning that tomorrow because it does not fit my needs. Instead I followed Stephen’s recommendation and bought a Clamcase Pro, which I received yesterday and which seems to be the solution I had been looking for.

Why do I return the Cooper Kai Skel?

PRO Cooper Kai Skel:
+ price (50 Euro)

CONTRA:
- The lid only opens up to 60 degrees. That is OK when you write on a table. However, the angle is too small when you balance the keyboard/iPad combo on your legs or when try to write in bed.
- I use the iPad as a Kindle reader. The keyboard makes the iPad unwieldy.
- It’ extremely hard to remove the iPad from the keyboard cover. Only did so 3 times because I was afraid the iPad might break.
- Keyboard layout: The SHIFT key on the left and CAPS LOCK are way too large. So I often hit these keys instead of Z or A. And the rest of the keys is smaller than on the ClamCase. Touch-typing is doable, though. But it feels a bit cramped.

The keys compared:
Left SHIFT: 4cm on the Cooper, 2.9 on the Clamcase Pro
CAPS Lock: 3.2cm on the Cooper, 2 on the Clamcase Pro
Normal keys: 0.75cm on the Cooper, 0.85 on the Clamcase Pro (though the keys feel much wider on the Clamcase, I had to measure twice because I couldn’t believe the difference was only 1mm).

PRO Clamcase Pro:
+ Keyboard: sensible layout, touch-typing is fine (faster and with less errors than on the Cooper)
+ 360 degree hinge so you can adjust the display to whatever angle you find appropriate. And you can fold it completely back. See http://clamcase.com/ipad-air-2-keyboard-case.html
+ Removing the iPad from the keyboard lid is much easier than on the Cooper Kai Skel. Nevertheless, the iPad sits safely in the lid.

CONTRA:
- price (160 Euro)

For me the pros for the Clamcase outweigh the high price: I want to be able to remove the iPad from the keyboard lid; I want to be able to use the iPad in portrait mode and not only in landscape mode; I am willing to spend more money on a decent keyboard.

Franz

Posted by Dr Andus
Jun 13, 2015 at 12:08 AM

Hugh wrote:
>But because I’ve always believed - from experience long ago in churning
>out many thousands of words a week at work - that ideas forming words
>should best pass through the fingers and a pen or pencil in order to
>reach the page, and have this year had that prejudice semi-supported by
>brain research (see, for example, if you haven’t already
>http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/03/science/whats-lost-as-handwriting-fades.html?_r=0),
>I’ve long hoped that handwriting recognition would move forward as
>quickly as voice recognition. But on my recent experience - no such
>luck. (I could - and do - handwrite and then dictate.)
> >Next year perhaps.

Check out the handwriting recognition on the HP Pro Slate 12 (running Android):

https://youtu.be/Q3UtZb1HX-E?t=7m59s

The review is here:
http://www.mobiletechreview.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Number=48161

Hat tip:
http://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=39650.msg383221#msg383221

Posted by Hugh
Jun 13, 2015 at 11:28 AM

Dr Andus wrote:
Hugh wrote:
>>But because I’ve always believed - from experience long ago in churning
>>out many thousands of words a week at work - that ideas forming words
>>should best pass through the fingers and a pen or pencil in order to
>>reach the page, and have this year had that prejudice semi-supported by
>>brain research (see, for example, if you haven’t already
>>http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/03/science/whats-lost-as-handwriting-fades.html?_r=0),
>>I’ve long hoped that handwriting recognition would move forward as
>>quickly as voice recognition. But on my recent experience - no such
>>luck. (I could - and do - handwrite and then dictate.)
>>
>>Next year perhaps.
> >Check out the handwriting recognition on the HP Pro Slate 12 (running
>Android):
> >https://youtu.be/Q3UtZb1HX-E?t=7m59s
> >The review is here:
>http://www.mobiletechreview.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Number=48161
> >Hat tip:
>http://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=39650.msg383221#msg383221

Thank you very much, Dr A. I particularly like the possibilities opened up by the writing-on-paper option: it looks as if handwriting-recognition software and the tools to use it may at last be making progress.

Posted by Dr Andus
Jun 13, 2015 at 08:59 PM

Hugh wrote:
>it looks as if
>handwriting-recognition software and the tools to use it may at last be
>making progress.

Google’s own **Google Handwriting Input** app has also been working quite well on Android in recent months. It’s not quite as natural as the HP Pro Slate’s app, as you need to use a more restrictive input area at the bottom of the screen, but with a reasonably sized tablet it might not be that much of an issue.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.handwriting.ime&hl=en_GB

So it’s now possible to use an Android tablet with handwriting input only, which might make the HP Pro Slate 12 a more justifiable purchase (given it’s hefty price tag - it’s GBP 576.00 in the UK, plus accessories).

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