Stylus and OneNote

[jbaylon]

Semi Off-topic question.

I went to my friendly neighborhood Staples (no best buy or Microsoft store within 100 miles of me....) to finally get a chance to play around with the SP3. They had one on display, with the pen and everything, and I got to play around with OneNote and writing with the pen. Seemed like writing worked pretty well overall. I was hoping to test the handwriting recognition, but the store only had the Metro version of OneNote installed... did any of you get a chance to play around with the desktop version with the pen at the stores? Should I whine to the Staples people that they need to add the desktop version?

Secondly, I did notice that the pen was pretty unresponsive when I held the pen at a pretty shallow angle.... it seems like something I could get used to, but it detracted from the otherwise natural-ish feel of the writing experience. Did any of you notice the same issue? And did it take getting used to for you, or was it just not an issue from the get-go?

 

[DrWMJ]

Semi Off-topic question.

I went to my friendly neighborhood Staples (no best buy or Microsoft store within 100 miles of me....) to finally get a chance to play around with the SP3. They had one on display, with the pen and everything, and I got to play around with OneNote and writing with the pen. Seemed like writing worked pretty well overall. I was hoping to test the handwriting recognition, but the store only had the Metro version of OneNote installed... did any of you get a chance to play around with the desktop version with the pen at the stores? Should I whine to the Staples people that they need to add the desktop version?

Secondly, I did notice that the pen was pretty unresponsive when I held the pen at a pretty shallow angle.... it seems like something I could get used to, but it detracted from the otherwise natural-ish feel of the writing experience. Did any of you notice the same issue? And did it take getting used to for you, or was it just not an issue from the get-go?

Units on display in stores have limited function: the primary drawback is these devices have not gotten the proper software updates. With updated N-trig drivers the Surface Pen is a different animal- more responsive, less pressure to write, etc. Also, full Office programs (including OneNote) would require the store to get a subscription, which they are unlikely to do. Too bad, because the handwriting recognition in OneNote is incredible. I have terrible handwriting, but the program rarely makes a mistake with transformation to text.
You know, of course, that OneNote will search even handwritten notes; no need to transform all of your work.
Bottom line; the actual experience of writing on the SP3 is better than what you get at Staples!

 

[anon(7901790)]

Yeah. Even with my chicken scratch handwriting, it did a pretty good job at recognizing it.

 

[ncolacho]

I agree with all your points here - and I absolutely love being able to physically write on my tablet. I use the stylus and One Note to take notes for my class in Mandarin, and it has become an indispensable learning tool to practice such things as character stroke order.

My only critique and, in fact, what I need help with, is that I have frequent issues with my palms triggering the side panels and keyboard while I scribble away my notes in class, or practice my writing exercises. Holding my hand higher so my palm doesn't touch as much of the screen is an unsustainable option over time, as I'm essentially holding my hand in the air for a couple hours, and it feels totally unnatural. I've tried to figure out the screen settings to no avail, and I haven't found the right thread on the forums to help.

Have you experienced this, as you've transitioned to writing more constantly on your SP3, and would you know how to lock the side panels during One Note usage, or something along these lines?

 

[ratsttam]

I wish the SP3 had come out four years ago when I was working on my bachelor's and then Master's degree. I used OneNote extensively in the last year of my bachelor's and all throughout my Master's studies and the SP3 would have made it easier.

I've been using OneNote since I got a Toshiba Portege M200 tablet pc ( Back in 2004! - XP tablet pc edition). Wacom screen. I always looked at OneNote as worthless program when I first saw it. Once I had it on the M200, and then when I upgraded to the M400 and M750 it has been an invaluable tool. Having it available on my cell phone and now on my Surface, It is still the best (imho) solutions to all my note taking. Printing receipt pages and confirmations directly to OneNote pages is another quite underrated feature. The Surface I full believe is what Microsoft was envisioning when they released TabletPc back in 2001. The idea was there, the technology wasn't yet...