HWPen Bought By Apple For Chinese Input Technology?

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

Apple is reportedly using the technology behind HWPen (http://www.iphoneatlas.com/2008/05/27/apple-reportedly-buys-handwriting-code-for-iphone-os-20/) to build its Chinese character recognition, according to a report from iPhone Atlas.


http://images.macrumors.com/article/2008/04/16/022755-hwr_150.jpghttp://images.macrumors.com/article/2008/05/05/121045-chinese_150.jpg

HWPen (western character mode) and Apple's beta implementation of Chinese input

Apple's betas have shown Chinese character input (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/05/05/apple-includes-chinese-handwriting-recognition-in-iphone-2-0-beta/) as well as Japanese character input (http://www.macrumors.com/iphone/2008/05/05/japanese-input-keyboards-on-iphone-2-0/). The general assumption has previously been that Apple has been developing the technology in-house based off of its experience with Newton handwriting recognition technology.

See Also: HWPen (http://www.macrumors.com/iphone/2008/04/16/hwpen-iphone-handwriting-application/), DioPen (http://www.macrumors.com/iphone/2008/05/06/diopen-handwriting-recognition-for-iphone/) (third party applications)

Article Link (http://www.macrumors.com/iphone/2008/05/28/hwpen-bought-by-apple-for-chinese-input-technology/)

[speakerwizard]

great for chinese, pointless for english, 'click A v's swipe, swipe, swipe, confirm A'

[abrooks]

great for chinese, pointless for english, 'click A v's swipe, swipe, swipe, confirm A'

Well there are more Chinese than English speakers so seems all good to me :D

[Elsewhere]

Maybe showing a Chinese keyboard on an iPhone is not practical. Writing out the Chinese characters is probably much easier.

Here is what Chinese looks like on a "mini" keyboard:
http://libai.math.ncu.edu.tw/bcc16/pool/image/mini-keyboard.jpg

[soundsgoodtome]

great for chinese, pointless for english, 'click A v's swipe, swipe, swipe, confirm A'

Pointless for you and me, perhaps, but I have a friend who refuses to give up his old phone that uses a stylus for input. He loves the iphone -- except for the keypad. I've tried to explain that he'd get used to the keyboard within a few days, but he refuses. He said that if Apple would add handwriting recognition to the iphone, he'd buy it in a heartbeat.

Remember, not everyone does things, sees things, experiences things, the way you do -- even if you believe your way is superior. Some people have a difficult time changing.

If the English functionality already exists, Apple would be smart to leave it available -- at least as an option -- because, bottom line: it would sell more iphones. And isn't that ultimately what Apple wants?

[shigzeo]

i for one hope it is well implemented and natural to input the characters. however, the glass screen gets silly to swipe across with a finger: too much friction

[icecone]

looks like apple doesn't know how the majority of the Chinese type :rolleyes: