Microsoft's new InkSeine technology
Finally a reason to have a Tablet PC
In personal computing, one of the most exciting developments in recent years is the arrival of touch screen technology for home computers. A touch screen for PC allows the user a completely different parameter of options for interaction. It is notable that until fairly recently, touch screens were not terribly useful.
This lead the consumer to think why on earth would I need a Tablet PC? It does not really have anything special to offer. This kind of attitude is completely understandable, but is highly likely to turn full circle in the near future.
Why is this? New InkSeine technology has been developed for the Tablet PC. Finally, Tablet PC owners have been offered something special in touch screen technology.
This technology is still in the research phase, but a public edition of the software is available, and many users have tested it. They will tell you that InkSeine is truly a remarkable innovation.
With ongoing development it is not too difficult to see InkSeine or comparable software making a mouse optional for Tablet PC users, and for others who make use of touch screen technology.
Currently this technology is only maintained by a few Microsoft researchers, but once the word of InkSeine technology gets out to the public, you will definitely expect to be seeing some or other version of the software released commercially.
What exactly can InkSeine do? What is it that makes it so remarkable? For beginners on a PC, InkSeine will allow a distinct way of thinking about the interactivity between your Tablet PC and you. There is no doubt that there is a learning curve, but think about this for a minute, how are you able to put the features of InkSeine to good use?
1) Note taking or drawing - With InkSeine technology, your stylus may be used to both write notes as well as draw. Word recognition is improving for Tablet PC operating systems. One reputed example is Vista for Tablet PC and used in conjunction with InkSeine software, allows an able assist to these systems with their own built in capabilities.
This software enables your writing to be recognized, even if your scribble is not the very best, handwriting recognition has evolved dynamically since its inception, and is improving continually.
In this respect InkSeine software can allow your PC to double up as a virtual notepad. Words may also be used as search commands and this is considered to be a great technological leap forward.
2) Pen gestures. By use of wrist movements, actions such as web searches may be performed. This may be used in combination with the writing function in InkSeine software technology. For example, write a word or phrase you want to search online, circle it, then use the suitable wrist movement and voila, Google is at your fingertips!
3) Create and embed clippings. - Just circle the items you want to place on the clipboard. This feature is incredibly useful and one could find a entire panoply of applications where this would be useful, for instance, selecting any part of a website page, or image.
4) As you write, drag and drop links into notes. This provides the user with the potential to save a great deal of time; even today many of us draw faster with a pen than with a mouse.
5) Create icons and in-line links in seconds by taking a picture of a web page or part thereof, even a document. This picture could be of the actual page or document you want to link to the icon!
I think many of you would agree that these are a very attractive set of features and possibilities made available by new InkSeine technology. I am sure that those of you who own Tablet PCs would almost certainly agree, and have probably already tried InkSeine or plan to try it in the future. As some of InkSeine's features are difficult to explain, there is a demo video on line
InkSeine Video click here. Even if you do not own a Tablet PC, InkSeine is fascinating to see in action.
Although InkSeine is still a work in progress, regardless of how promising (and cool!) the various features are. It is not quite time for Tablet PC owners to stop using their mice. Many important items have yet to be put in place within InkSeine. Importing text from other programs and resizing windows is not yet available.
Windows Vista and Office 2003 or 2007 are required for many features of InkSeine to work correctly. Support for languages other than English has to be engineered, but for technology that is essentially still in its infancy, it appears there are many good things foreseen for the future.
One other feature that should be mentioned, I was saving the best for last, is the ability that InkSeine technology has to save running searches. For example open you email using InkSeine and conduct a search for a term in the mail. Save your search term and you will be alerted as soon as a match comes into your inbox.
If you receive great deal of mail, you will appreciate how practical this feature could be. If you don't have a Tablet PC or InkSeine software, by now you are probably questioning how you will get along without it. Never fear, just like InkSeine technology, any idea as good as this will be incapable of staying undercover in the testing lab for very long.
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