Does anybody use Inkwell?

[bluebomberman]

Hi,

I've been looking into handwriting with my iMac G5 to alleviate some wrist strain. Does Inkwell work well? I can't seem to find too many reviews on the web, positive or negative. Obviously, I would need to buy a graphics tablet first (Wacom seems to be the standard).

I nearly bought a Tablet PC, but I thought that handwriting support was too expensive a reason to justify not switching.

Thanks,
bluebomberman

 

[Daveway]

My neighbor as well as I both own the new iMacs and I've used his Wacom tablet on more than one occasion. Inkwell is surprisingly accurate and tends to learn your writing style. I would recommend it.

 

[atari1356]

Do you do a lot of typing? or is the wrist strain mostly from using a mouse?

If it's from using a mouse, then a Wacom tablet may be a good solution - I have one and find it to be a lot less straining on my wrist than a mouse.

However, using Inkwell and a tablet may not be the best solution for inputting text... it works well, but unless you can write clearly as fast as you type, it's going to be slow going.

If you do need to input a lot of text, then some kind of voice recognition software may be a better option for you: http://www-306.ibm.com/software/voice/viavoice/

(of course, I've never tried voice recognition software and can't vouch for it's accuracy - but have heard it works pretty well)

 

[H&Kie]

Do you do a lot of typing? or is the wrist strain mostly from using a mouse?

If it's from using a mouse, then a Wacom tablet may be a good solution - I have one and find it to be a lot less straining on my wrist than a mouse.

If "mousing" causes the problem, a trackball might be an option, too. I use a Logitech "marble mouse" trackball myself and it works pretty comfortable.

 

[annk]

I was having some pretty severe trouble with this for a while, until I did three things:

1) Got a desk shaped correctly - with the cut-out area for my body, and "wings" for my arms, so I always can rest my arms on the desk while typing.

2) Started alternating using the mouse on the left and right sides. A little irritating to begin with, but you'd be surprised how quickly you get used to it.

3) Learned as many keyboard short cuts as I could! (Only helps if it's the mouse that's the problem, of course.)

And if you're using a separate keyboard, make sure it's as flat as possible. Don't use the little legs that prop up the back.

Good luck, it's a drag when you have to limit your computer use because of physical issues.

 

[johnnyjibbs]

Personally I don't think Inkwell is that good. I only have Graphire2 A6-sized consumer tablet but it works well enough in Photoshop. However, Inkwell tends to misinterpret anything I write (maybe it's my handwriting!) and, while novel to use, ends up being frustrating in my opinion.

Couple that with the fact that I can type far quicker and accurately than I can hand-write, especially when you can't see what you're writing [on the tablet].

I'd just suggest getting a better keyboard or positioning it and your seat better. Having said that, I use my 12" PowerBook and its default keyboard and screen as my main computer (against all recommendations) and I don't have any problems.

 

[Angelus]

I've an intuos3 and i have to say that while inkwell is kinda fun at first, it ultimately becomes a bit frustrating because i can type much quicker than i can hand write. Still when i am using it for photoshop and painter i find the pen based input system far more relaxing and less strenuos on my wrist.

 

[atari1356]

2) Started alternating using the mouse on the left and right sides. A little irritating to begin with, but you'd be surprised how quickly you get used to it..

I used to do that too... I'd use a mouse with my right hand at home, but my left hand at work.

 

[mrgreen4242]

I used to do that too... I'd use a mouse with my right hand at home, but my left hand at work.

That's a very interesting idea... I have alot of soreness in my right hand/wrist from mouse use, and I would imagine that the single button Apple mouse would be pretty easy to use lefty...

My question is can I plug two mice in at once? I'd like to have the Apple mouse on the left and a 3button/scroll mouse on the right. The idea would be that for 'normal' tasks, like web browsing, etc, I could use the single button mouse, but if I am doing any gaming, image editing, etc, where I would want the second button I could use the other mouse...

I just don't want to have to unplug and reconnect a different mouse all the time, y'know?

Rob

 

[bluebomberman]

Most of my strain comes from the mouse. I've become even more reliant on the mouse than I ever was while using Windows, because I still have a hard time learning Mac keyboard shortcuts. (I keep on trying to use Control in Word when I should be using Alt, for instance.)

I used to use a trackball years ago; it just transferred all the strain to my thumb.

David Pogue of The New York Times claims that voice recognition for the Mac stinks. He actually recommends setting up an el cheapo Windows box solely for the purpose of installing the latest version of Dragon Naturally Speaking. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/09/t...tml?ex=1106542800&en=00e4278a8da4d77f&ei=5070
(Note: registration probably required.)

The two-mouse setup might be a stopgap measure until I spring the cash for a tablet. I got the Apple mouse on the left, and it's a bit awkward because the Logitech mouse on the right has the wheel and one-button Expose and right-clicking. I'll have to see if this helps.

Thanks for the help, ladies and gents.

bluebomberman

 

[cleo]

If you want to try Inkwell without spending a fortune on a tablet, Macally makes one, called the Icecad, that's a great value. The writing surface is small (slightly bigger than a business card) but for the price ($37) it's a good deal. I use mine a few hours a day, when I'm tired of typing, and am able to write email, blog posts, etc, with no problem. It's also great for Photoshop.

 

[bluebomberman]

A decent graphics tablet for less than $40? I'll have to think about it...the writing area seems awfully small...

bluebomberman

 

[cleo]

A decent graphics tablet for less than $40? I'll have to think about it...the writing area seems awfully small...

bluebomberman

I guess it depends on the size of your handwriting... my handwriting isn't terribly large, so I find it quite workable. Also, you essentially can write each letter over the preceding one if you print instead of write in cursive. When I first got it, I was like, um, this thing is going to be useless, but I very quickly got the hang of it and found it to be just fine for my needs. And for graphics stuff, I just magnify my canvas to get a workable resolution. The pen tip is pressure-sensitive and works really well, which lets you do some neat stuff in Photoshop, too. Anyway, I like it.

 

[bluebomberman]

Ah, well, my handwriting is gargantuan, so I need more space than what the little pad that could can do for me. Unless I just decide to use it as a mouse...

I think I'm just going to have to accept that whatever I decide to do is not going to be perfect.

bluebomberman