Mindfield
07-14-2008, 10:07 PM
App Name: Shape Writing Pad
Developer: ShapeWriter Inc.
iTunes Category: Productivity
Price: Free
http://static-cache.ipodtouchfans.com/imgcache/655.png
Come over to the iPhone from the Palm did you? Or maybe you were a Windows Mobile user who preferred the character/word recognition tool over the virtual keyboard, yeah? Miss that good ol’ Graffiti handwriting system, do you? Keep missing it, because this isn’t what I expected. ShapeWriter is essentially an alternative to the built-in notepad app that looks remarkably like it, but without the smooth scrolling or rubberbanding, and with a special keyboard that works in kind of the opposite way to the built-in Apple one. Whereas the latter will let you slide your fingers along the keyboard until you get the key you want, and only then register a keypress when you lift your finger, Shape Writing Pad deliberately registers the keys you drag your fingers to, supposedly as a means to speed typing by allowing you to just “draw” your words.
http://static-cache.ipodtouchfans.com/imgcache/656.png http://static-cache.ipodtouchfans.com/imgcache/657.png
It works like this: Let’s say you wanted to write “sausage.” You simply mash on “s”, then drag your way through a, u, s, a, g, and land on e. A blue line will follow your path like some crazed stalker, and when you lift your finger — and assuming it understood your intent — your word will appear.
http://static-cache.ipodtouchfans.com/imgcache/658.png http://static-cache.ipodtouchfans.com/imgcache/659.png
Or at least a word that resembles something entirely unlike the word you were aiming at. Fortunately a list of suggested words appears in a panel just above the keyboard which you can pick your word from.
http://static-cache.ipodtouchfans.com/imgcache/660.png http://static-cache.ipodtouchfans.com/imgcache/661.png
http://static-cache.ipodtouchfans.com/imgcache/662.png
Capitals work a bit funny; after you spell your word, the CASE key will cycle the entire word through all lower-case, first letter up, or all upper-case.
http://static-cache.ipodtouchfans.com/imgcache/663.png http://static-cache.ipodtouchfans.com/imgcache/664.png
It comes with an alternate keyboard called Atomik, accessible through the MENU key, which is a completely different and rather strange layout that I can only assume was designed to piss John Dvorak off. Or maybe one is more proficient with it when stoned. I don't know.
You handle double letters by simply ignoring them and picking them out later from the list of suggestions. It is also capable of learning new words, and if you’re one o’ them erudite wordsmiths you’ll probably be doing a lot of training — assuming you find this app to your liking.
Overall Shape Writing Pad is an interesting concept, and with practise it might even be better than the virtual keyboard. I’m just not particularly inclined to prove that out. It's certainly different, I just don't know that it's particularly effective.
Rating: 3/5
Developer: ShapeWriter Inc.
iTunes Category: Productivity
Price: Free
http://static-cache.ipodtouchfans.com/imgcache/655.png
Come over to the iPhone from the Palm did you? Or maybe you were a Windows Mobile user who preferred the character/word recognition tool over the virtual keyboard, yeah? Miss that good ol’ Graffiti handwriting system, do you? Keep missing it, because this isn’t what I expected. ShapeWriter is essentially an alternative to the built-in notepad app that looks remarkably like it, but without the smooth scrolling or rubberbanding, and with a special keyboard that works in kind of the opposite way to the built-in Apple one. Whereas the latter will let you slide your fingers along the keyboard until you get the key you want, and only then register a keypress when you lift your finger, Shape Writing Pad deliberately registers the keys you drag your fingers to, supposedly as a means to speed typing by allowing you to just “draw” your words.
http://static-cache.ipodtouchfans.com/imgcache/656.png http://static-cache.ipodtouchfans.com/imgcache/657.png
It works like this: Let’s say you wanted to write “sausage.” You simply mash on “s”, then drag your way through a, u, s, a, g, and land on e. A blue line will follow your path like some crazed stalker, and when you lift your finger — and assuming it understood your intent — your word will appear.
http://static-cache.ipodtouchfans.com/imgcache/658.png http://static-cache.ipodtouchfans.com/imgcache/659.png
Or at least a word that resembles something entirely unlike the word you were aiming at. Fortunately a list of suggested words appears in a panel just above the keyboard which you can pick your word from.
http://static-cache.ipodtouchfans.com/imgcache/660.png http://static-cache.ipodtouchfans.com/imgcache/661.png
http://static-cache.ipodtouchfans.com/imgcache/662.png
Capitals work a bit funny; after you spell your word, the CASE key will cycle the entire word through all lower-case, first letter up, or all upper-case.
http://static-cache.ipodtouchfans.com/imgcache/663.png http://static-cache.ipodtouchfans.com/imgcache/664.png
It comes with an alternate keyboard called Atomik, accessible through the MENU key, which is a completely different and rather strange layout that I can only assume was designed to piss John Dvorak off. Or maybe one is more proficient with it when stoned. I don't know.
You handle double letters by simply ignoring them and picking them out later from the list of suggestions. It is also capable of learning new words, and if you’re one o’ them erudite wordsmiths you’ll probably be doing a lot of training — assuming you find this app to your liking.
Overall Shape Writing Pad is an interesting concept, and with practise it might even be better than the virtual keyboard. I’m just not particularly inclined to prove that out. It's certainly different, I just don't know that it's particularly effective.
Rating: 3/5
