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Introduction
Some
applications look powerful. They have great number of buttons and
menus, and are so deep in features that you need to use a spade to
get at them. Phatware's Calligrapher does not look powerful at all-
at most, there is perhaps one small menubar on the screen, but, most
of the time, there is nothing visibly powerful at all. However, looks
can be misleading. Just as dynamite appears like a small red toilet
roll, Calligrapher actually has more than enough power to completely
blow your current handheld usage out the window- I kid you not. Since
switching to “true” VGA mode on my LOOX, I found it
impossible to
use Transcriber for text entry, and moved to using a virtual keyboard
(Resco's Keyboard Plus (review here)) instead- now, thanks to
Calligrapher, I am scrawling away on my screen once again. For
Calligrapher is an advanced handwriting recognition application,
which can turn chicken-scratch into beautiful typeface, and a hundred
other things as well.
Calligrapher
 
When I moved
the PocketPC, I used Transcriber for the first time, and was
impressed- I found it considerably easier to use than the PalmOS
equivalent, Graffiti (1 or 2, depend on OS). However, I struggled to
get it to recognise my handwriting at times- most notably, when I was
sitting on a train. My guess is that there was too much wobbling
about to make for a successful recognition. Also, Transcriber had
problems if I were to write in anything but printed script- cursive
writing was sometimes recognised, but, more often than not, would
result in a meaningless array of letters. Calligrapher, however,
suffered from no such problems- provided I could read what I had
written, so could Calligrapher. If you are used to writing in perfect
handwriting, then this point might be lost on you, but, for those of
us with handwriting like chicken scratch, seeing your scrawls (quite
literally) convert into typeface instantly is like magic. I had no
learning curve at all with Calligrapher, which impressed me greatly-
it seamlessly integrated into the SIP, and just did what it was
supposed to do. I was familiar already with the gesture-based editing
features which is uses, but there is a splash-screen showing the most
common functions for those who might be less happy. Selecting words /
letters is very easy; you simply tap on the start of the word, drag
to the end, and hold for a second- and the word becomes highlighted.
Similarly, you can select individual letters, or whole sentences-
just start at the beginning, and drag to the end of your selection.
Other quick functions include “undo” (a tall inverted
“V”
shape), and an “all to capitals” stroke (bottom to top- I
said it
was easy!), which converts a lowercase word (or letter) into
uppercase.
 
If you make
a mistake whilst writing something, but find it a bit fiddly to
select the correct place in the sentence on a small screen, then you
will benefit from the “correction” function, which,
interesting,
is accessed through a “tick” function. Going into
“correction”
mode increases the display size, making it simple to tap in the right
place. You can see where you have tapped by means of a small blue
caret (a “hat-like” symbol, not a common garden vegetable),
and,
if you are in the right place, then you just enter the amendment- in
the case of the example here, I would draw a “backspace”
symbol,
to delete the “p”. Similarly, if I wanted the sentence to
read
“I've made another mistake”, I would draw the backspace
symbol,
and then enter “nother”. The advantage of editing in
“correction”
mode, other than the increased font size, is the requirement of
“accepting” your changes- once you have made all the
changes you
want, you need tap on the green tick in the right hand corner, and
the changes are made to the main document. This means that, if you
make a mess of your alterations, you do not need to worry about
messing up the actual text- just do not tap the tick until everything
is correct. Similarly, if you decide that you do not need to make a
correction, tapping the red cross will return to your text without
making any alterations at all, or ignoring any alterations you might
have made. Thus, there is an excellent way to make corrections
easily, coupled with a system for preventing you making more mistakes
in the process.
Correction
mode also incorporates the spelling checker, helping you check your
document is error-free before e-mailing or uploading. The spell
checker underlines incorrectly-spelt words, and then brings up a list
of possible alternatives, from which you simply select the one you
want. If you consistently spell a word incorrectly (assuming that it
is not a valid word in itself), you can set up an autocorrect
function for it. Like most good word-based applications, if there is
a word which you use on a regular basis, but which is a
non-dictionary word, you have the option of “Adding to
Dictionary”,
to help personalise your PDA even more, making it more useful to you.
 
There is a
fully-customisable task bar which appears at the bottom of your
screen when you tap the “Calligrapher” button, giving you
ten
selectable options. Inside the main Calligrapher options menu, you
are able to choose which buttons you wish to appear, and in which
order- options include Cut, Paste, Copy, Correction mode, Orientation
(changing to allow you to write horizontally on the screen, although,
switching to landscape mode in WM2003SE automatically aligns
Calligrapher), PeCommander (more on this later) and Configuration
modes. As the bar is completely user-definable, it means that you can
have your choice of tools available at a tap- I found this very
useful at first, but, as I learnt some of the more advanced
shortcuts, I used the bar less and less. However, it is certainly
handy for the starting period with the application, or for options
which you do not need on a very regular basis, or cannot be launched
via a PenCommander command.
  
Some items
of punctuation are difficult to write accurately every time, even in
Calligrapher, and so PhatWare have included a pop-up keyboard, to
help with any problems. Whilst the keyboard does not render well on a
VGA machine (it looks rather flat and dull, although this may be
unsurprising, given that I am used to a “true” VGA
keyboard), it
is more than suitable for adding apostrophes and the like, which I
perceive its main function to be. For sure, there would be little
point in using the keyboard as the primary method of text entry, when
the application focuses so strongly on the use of stylus strokes
(both writing and gestures) as the method of input. There is a QWERTY
keyboard, as well as a dedicated punctuation pad- if the default size
is too small, you can tap the magnifying glass icon, to bring the
whole keyboard to a more usable size. Adding tabs to paragraphs is
most easily done by way of the keyboard, and for this function alone
I think that the setup is worthwhile. In any case, I believe that the
keyboard is worthy of a place on the task bar.
Configuration
mode is a godsend to me, as it switches between lower and uppercase,
as well as entering text, numbers. The button is, for want of a
better description, context-sensitive. By default, you are able to
write words with capital letters, but not in all uppercase. Tapping
on the “Configuration” button switches you into uppercase
mode,
where you can write consistently in uppercase, and tapping the button
again brings you back to lowercase mode. However, if you tap the
button twice, you get Numeric mode, in which everything is recognised
as a number. If you are working in Excel, for example, this is
excellent. (As a small aside, Calligrapher works as a calculator for
basic equations as well- if you were to write “2+2=” on
your
screen, it would print “2+2=4” in the selected area- great
for
quick calculations). Once you've finished in number mode, tapping the
buttons reverts back to normal text mode. Tapping on the button three
times in quick succession triggers “Internet” mode, which
basically means that you can write without any spaces being
automatically inserted at the end of each word- ideal for e-mail
addresses and URLs.
I've saved
one of the best features until the very end- and that is the
ingenious system which is PenCommander. Essentially, PenCommander is
a customisable launcher, controlled solely by writing a set word, and
then drawing a circle around it. For example, if you were in
PocketWord, and wrote “all”, and then circled it, it would
select
everything. In a similar manner, writing “www” and circling
it
brings up “http://www.”, ready
for you
to insert the rest of your link. The Calligrapher manual details
around 50 different commands, ranging from smileys (“smile”
to
produce “:-)”) to application shortcuts (“mail”
to launch
Messaging, for example); far more than I will ever remember. The
application shortcuts work whenever the Calligrapher icon is present
at the bottom of the screen, so, eliminating the need to switch to
the Today screen to launch non-hardware linked applications. Of
particular benefit is the ability to designate your own PenCommander
commands, triggered by words of your choosing. For example, writing
your name, and drawing a circle, could be used to trigger a
signature, or “home” might print your address. If there are
phrases which you use on a regular basis (e-mail addresses, being a
prime example for myself), then setting a short trigger word, brought
into effect by the circle, could provide a simple and efficient way
of doing things. Certainly, I was very impressed with this function,
and have found it incredibly useful. Used in conjunction with the
excellent handwriting recognition, PenCommandermakes inserting
repetitious phrases easy, and reduces the risk of error.
If you are
feeling adventurous, you might benefit from reading the manual on
PenCommander scripting, which allows you to program your own macros.
The manual has several pages dedicated to explaining syntax, as well
as examples of keywords and parameters, and, either with a bit of
prior knowledge, or with a little dedication, you could be writing
your own scripts in a short space of time. Examples of possible
projects include printing a signature for an e-mail, complete with
current date and time, or even launching applications and pressing
buttons. Some of the more advanced features went completely over my
head, but, I do not necessarily regard this as being a bad thing- it
means that there should be plenty of scope for experienced users to
make the application ever more versatile and valuable for their
needs, whilst the defaults (or basic additions) should be suitable
for most people.
Calligrapher works according to the dictionaries installed on
the device- and US English is supplied by default. Additional
dictionaries are available, for $14.95, which makes the purchase
significantly more expensive if you are not looking to use English at
all. UK English, however, is free- so British users are able to
purchase the main application with no additional linguistic expense.
Calligrapher does not all instantaneous changing between languages- you
have to toggle the relevant dictionary on the taskbar. This is not much
of a chore, but it does prevent you from writing entirely "on
whim". You do not need to have each language linked to the taskbar
button- for example, I do not have US English mapped, as I do not use
it; rather, I use the UK English dictionary alone..
Conversion
“on the fly” may not be suitable for everyone, as there is
a
half-second wait at the end of each screen-width of writing before it
appears on your screen. PhatWare, however, have a solution, which
comes in the form of PhatPad, working in conjunction with
Calligrapher. PhatPad lets you scribble down all your notes in
handwriting, and saves them like this- as such, you can write pages
of notes freehand, and not worry about time delay. PhatPad is a
powerful solution for
people who need to take notes in a hurry, when used in conjunction with
Calligrapher- you can read my review of PhatPad here.
Conclusion
Calligrapher
is power-packed, of that there can be no argument. It takes
text-recognition to another level, converting scrawl into script
without problem. PenCommander is phenomenally useful, and could well
be an application on its own, such is its power. The keyboard may
look a little flat, but, really, that is my only criticism of the
whole application- and it is not one which will cause me any loss of
sleep at all. At about 2mb, it is not insignificant in terms of
footprint, but, it more than justifies this space, in my opinion, due
to its sheer versatility. Writing on the screen has once again become
my default entry method, thanks to Calligrapher, and seeing my
cursive writing change to text before my eyes still amazes me every
time. Some applications need to look powerful to succeed- think of
Calligrapher as a charging rhino in a mouse's clothing, and you'd be
pretty close to the truth, in my opinion.
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