Print
Discuss
Send to friend
The SmartPad's concept takes a palm-sized computer, such as the Sony Clie, Handspring Visor or almost any recent Palm device, and straps it into a high-tech case four times larger, in order that paper notes can be instantly captured in electronic form.
Use the SmartPad's A5-size paper pad to scribble notes or doodles and as you scrawl, your pen strokes are conveyed to the attached Palm's display, pantograph-fashion. However, jointed rods are not much in evidence here - so how does the SmartPad conjure up such reprographic magic?
A big clue is hidden beneath the jotter. Removing the paper pad reveals an electromagnetic sensor area. This works in conjunction with a special ballpoint pen that has ink like any other but creates an electromagnetic field at the same time. The force of this is sufficient to pass through the paper pad to the sensor below. A lower portion of the sensor is styled as a QWERTY keyboard.
The pad is powered by two AAA batteries, which slot into a compartment glued to the SmartPad's spine. This is in turn wired to an infrared transmitter arm, which hovers over a Palm device Velcro-fastened to the brief's left-hand side. Its orientation can be altered from horizontal to vertical, allowing the arm's eye to 'see' the infrared window of virtually any Palm machine. In this hotch-potch manner, the SmartPad is able to communicate with the palmtop.
However, before the two can talk, it's necessary to install some software. This is no more tricky than slotting the supplied CD-ROM into a drive and following a couple of on-screen prompts, and takes no longer than 30 seconds from start to finish. The next time you drop your Palm into the cradle and push the HotSync button, the machine's core applications - Address, Memo, DateBook and ToDo - are updated to work with the high-tech portfolio's electronic pad.
From here it's plain sailing. Select an application and then just write or draw. The SmartPad's transcription is genuinely impressive, as it speedily and accurately apes the actions of your writing hand. However, don't be fooled into thinking this is handwriting recognition: the scrawls are stored as graphical 'notes' that can be attached to any of the Palm's main applications. They can be transferred to other Palms or PCs as GIF images or the more flexible but proprietary EDF format, but graphics they remain.
For text entry - an alternative to the Palm's quirky Graffiti system - the paper pad can be flipped up to access the aforementioned keyboard area. Peck at this with the pen and the characters duly appear on the Palm's screen. Sadly, the responsiveness is awful and the (admittedly wipe-clean) surface quickly gets covered in ink. Moreover, your eyes are forced to flit between the keyboard on one side and the handheld PC screen on the other. It's frankly ridiculous.
Closing the book on the SmartPad leaves the impression of an interesting technological demonstration that should never have left the laboratory. It's ingenious, fetching and great fun to use - but is it actually useful? Even if you can find a valid reason for owning one, the price will surely make you guffaw.
Contact
Seiko: 01628 770 988 www.seikosmart.com
ALSO CONSIDER
FILOFAX BUCKINGHAM
Leatherbound paper A4 organiser
£85
See also:
A gamepad which puts each twitch and explosion into the palm of your hand. 15 Jan 2002
All Palm PDAs
del.icio.us
Digg this
reddit!
