Tuesday, August 12, 2003
Another Text Input Method To Try
Posted by Brad Adrian in "SOFTWARE" @ 01:00 AM
To me, one of the most important ways that Pocket PCs have always surpassed Palm devices is their support for text input. There are SO many different tools for entering text into a Pocket PC that virtually everybody can find a method that suits their needs. Now, Exideas is offering their own cross-platform text entry tool into the arena with MessagEase.
"MessagEase's keyboard has fewer but bigger keys. On a PDA you enter the nine most frequent letters with a single tap and the rest of them with a single drag or slide of your stylus. Since the keys are both bigger and fewer, they are easier to find and hit. The combination of tap/drag on larger and fewer keys added to MessagEase's optimal letter assignment makes it very fast...To enter the bold letters in the center of the top nine keys simply tap anywhere on that key. To enter a letter or character located on the side of any key, bring your stylus down anywhere on its key then slide in the direction of that letter. For example, to enter "v" bring your stylus down anywhere on that button where "v" is marked (it has "A" in the center) then drag down and right (or south-east, or 45 degrees down and right!)."
You can download a free demo or buy the full version for $14.50 from the Handango! site.
I've never been very good at non-traditional text entry tools, such as FITALY, because my tired old brain just can't get used to new key layouts. I know, though, that several Thoughts readers have mentioned in the forums that they really like MessagEase and that it can be very fast. So, go ahead and try the free demo and let me know what you think!
"MessagEase's keyboard has fewer but bigger keys. On a PDA you enter the nine most frequent letters with a single tap and the rest of them with a single drag or slide of your stylus. Since the keys are both bigger and fewer, they are easier to find and hit. The combination of tap/drag on larger and fewer keys added to MessagEase's optimal letter assignment makes it very fast...To enter the bold letters in the center of the top nine keys simply tap anywhere on that key. To enter a letter or character located on the side of any key, bring your stylus down anywhere on its key then slide in the direction of that letter. For example, to enter "v" bring your stylus down anywhere on that button where "v" is marked (it has "A" in the center) then drag down and right (or south-east, or 45 degrees down and right!)."
You can download a free demo or buy the full version for $14.50 from the Handango! site.
I've never been very good at non-traditional text entry tools, such as FITALY, because my tired old brain just can't get used to new key layouts. I know, though, that several Thoughts readers have mentioned in the forums that they really like MessagEase and that it can be very fast. So, go ahead and try the free demo and let me know what you think!
