As I teased earlier (http://sumocat.blogspot.com/2010/05/ink-blogging-from-phl-parking-lot.html), I'm currently evaluating a Fujitsu Lifebook T900 Tablet PC (http://store.shopfujitsu.com/fpc/Ecommerce/buildseriesbean.do?series=T900) on loan from Fujitsu. I'll be shooting some video of the pen + multi-touch system in action as well as of the general hardware. But since I have some quiet time now, I thought I'd spill some thoughts about the inking.
I'm writing this in Windows Journal on a desk surface using a page template similar to my usual one. Still tweaking The width a little bit. The screen resolution and dimensions are lower than my Toshiba. 1280x800 on 13.3" vs. 1440×900 on 14.1" respectively.
You may notice the ink is a bit sloppier than it normally is. While I am trying to maintain my usual pace, I find that the slicker screen makes the pen guide faster. Also, the cursor does not align with the pen tip in the same way as on my usual tablet. There's always a bit of parallax but I'm not adjusted to the angle on this one yet. There's also noticeable wobbling along the edges of the screen. Doesn't impede my inking too much except for the left edges on these pages.
Palm rejection on this touch screen is better than I've experienced on others but still not perfect. In the course of normal inking, lines and dots will appear on the bottom half of the page. Currently I am testing a SmudgeGuard (http://www.smudgeguard.com/) glove to avoid that. I'll post separate thoughts on that product later, but suffice to say, it's keeping the page clean.
The inking feature that's really hooked me, however, is the two-finger scrolling. Pen or single touch on the screen only activates inking. Two fingers allow the screen to be pushed up and down. Such a convenience compared to using the scrollbars. I only wish I didn't still need that tiny button in the corner to add a new page.
Hey people! I'm in the cell phone waiting lot at Philadelphia International Airport waiting for my friend to arrive. Thought I'd spill some ink and share the tools I'll be testing while here: the T-Mobile Web Connect Rocket USB modem (http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/phones/Cell-Phone-Detail.aspx?cell-phone=T-Mobile-webConnect-Rocket-USB-Laptop-Stick) and the Fujitsu Lifebook T900 Tablet PC (http://store.shopfujitsu.com/fpc/Ecommerce/buildseriesbean.do?series=T900).
Already ran some download tests and checked my friend's flight info. Should be meeting him shortly. Both items are on loan. Just coincidence that they arrived simultaneously, just in time for my trip to Philly. [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
Well, if you've been following my other feeds, you know I've been covering the Consumer Electronics Show for GottaBeMobile. Sorry for not spilling any ink on the subject beforehand. Aside from trip prep, I was also busy putting out a New Year letter. During the trip, I tried tossing out a note a couple of times, but I'm still not done with my GBM reporting on the event, let alone my personal blogging. Instant mobile blogging from my iPhone was all I could squeeze out.
Of course, being back doesn't mean my time is once again my own. I have a week of work to catch up with and only a couple days to do it; I will be away for a less festive event on Thursday and Friday. I should be able to scribble down my thoughts then and that's followed by a three-day weekend. Hope to use it to get back on track. [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
I told you those guys were trying to increase their attractiveness factor (http://sumocat.blogspot.com/2009/03/whos-that-new-good-looking-guy-at-gbm.html). Or rather, I should now say "we guys." Yep, I've officially joined GottaBeMobile as a blogger (http://www.gottabemobile.com/2009/05/24/who-is-sumocat-why-is-he-blogging-here/).
It means I'll be delivering most of my tech commentary there, but Sumocat's Scribbles will keep on keeping on as my ink blogging outlet. GBM, despite being a vital Tablet PC resource, is not equipped for ink entries (but that might have to change).
It also means I'll be typing full blog entries on a regular basis. That will be odd, but I've now had practice on Rambles, so I should be okay. And nothing stops me from inking them ahead of time in Journal or handwriting everything via the TIP or ritePen (http://sumocat.blogspot.com/search?q=ritePen) (which I've used for the first few).
Actually, it'll be interesting to see how prolific I become once I'm "unleashed." Little publicized fact: I'm a published writer and former copywriter who can hammer out up to 85 wpm. All the ink and micro-blogging is just to force myself to be more concise. Not that I have a problem being concise; I just prefer it that way.
Anyway, my goal is to keep the ink flowing, my Rambles (http://sumocats.blogspot.com/) rambling, and Notes to Self (http://www.evernote.com/pub/sumocat/notes), uh, selfish, while producing addition content for GBM. Being "unleashed" should go a long way toward making it less of an added load than it would be otherwise. And if I get the okay, I'll be implementing my usual unique solution for maintaining a single "thoughtstream." (http://sumocat.blogspot.com/2009/02/surf-my-thoughtstream.html) I'll let you know. [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
