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New idea. Would you buy it?

appleguy123

appleguy123

macrumors 604
Original poster
Apr 1, 2009
6,873
2,589
15 minutes in the future
Prelude: I made a thread with this idea I had one other time. This thread has a different purpose. So would you buy the idea discussed here?
Even in the 21st century paper is still the primary way assignments are turned in, despite the limitations of the ancient medium. Computer devices somewhat solve this, but the files are immediately stored only in bits and bytes and are not something you can immediately turn in (until you print them). This presents you with one or two solutions:
1. Get your work done one day early and forgo the creative ability that one extra day would allow you.
2. Turn your work in late and take any late deductions your teacher can give you.
Now would you buy this proposed solution to the problem?
It would be ≈12x12in device that would allow paper to stick to it by static electricity or a hinge. You would write on the paper as normal with a special pen with capacitive ink (erasable). While you are writing it device is quietly digitizing your work and alerting you when you make a misspelling. When you are finished with you paper you have a digitized work ( A PDF of your writing and also a TXT file)offering easy storing and editing. Afterwards it would sync back to your computer. It could also do other things that pentop computers do (calculator translator etc). So would you buy it? If not what other features would it have to offer to get you to buy it?
 
WTF? I apparently missed where creating documents on a computer and printing out the result (and intermediate drafts) if desired doesn't work anymore, thus facilitating the need to do it in reverse. :confused:
:p
 
RaceTripper said:
WTF? I apparently missed where creating documents on a computer and printing out the result (and intermediate drafts) if desired doesn't work anymore, thus facilitating the need to do it in reverse. :confused:
:p
Click to expand...

This would deliver both instant gratification and tangibility and also the ability to have digital copies of your work. Where as carrying a printer is superfluous. Often in school you need instant tangibility of work (ie "This assignment is due at the end of the hour") .
 
appleguy123 said:
This would deliver both instant gratification and tangibility and also the ability to have digital copies of your work. Where as carrying a printer is superfluous. Often in school you need instant tangibility of work (ie "This assignment is due at the end of the hour") .
Click to expand...
I don't think that's gonna go anywhere. By the time you get to the college level, you just jump on the network and email your assignment to a prof (or their TA), or go to the nearest lab and print it off a flash drive. Last time I took classes, assignments were handed in digitally via email, by requirement. Not to mention as broadband becomes more ubiquitous, there will be even less reason for your reverse digital gadget.

There's always OCR and a scanner. :p
 
appleguy123 said:
So would you buy it? If not what other features would it have to offer to get you to buy it?
Click to expand...

No. Sounds like an idea that has merit, but I don't see the advantage at this point in time. First of all you're going to need to write some excellent word-recognition software that allows for a huge spread in the quality of human handwriting. You're going to have to package it in something robust and sturdy enough for every day use while at the same time you'll need to make it unobtrusive to the point of not even being there- integration into a desk would seem like the best idea, but then nobody will want to buy a specialized desk.

My biggest problem is that of utility- I don't think I would ever use this. I don't need a hard copy of the emails I send, so I wouldn't use your device for that. I don't need an electronic copy of greeting cards or letters I write out by hand, so I wouldn't use your device for that either. In an academic setting hardly anyone writes out papers by hand anymore, they just type it and then either print or email it. Those who do make a habit of writing out assignments (science majors come to mind) have little use for something that tells them they "misspelled" the time-independent Schrodinger equation just because it's not in your device's library. That's assuming it recognized non-roman characters in the first place.

Conclusion: I don't see what your device does better than all of the established mediums already in use.
 
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