Computer designers have long understood that handwriting and drawing with a pen offer a fluidity and expressiveness that shames stodgy—though efficient—typing and mousing. In the early years of tablets and handheld computers, digital pens or styli were seen as a democratizing way to minimize the need to type. They also helped reduce the size of gadgets by removing keyboards. And they sought to naturalize note-taking by mimicking the way it had been done before the PC came on the scene. But, from the obscure AT&T EO to the notorious Apple Newton, stylus-based devices struggled. Even the Palm personal digital assistants, the most successful of the lot, never moved far beyond schedule-obsessed enthusiasts.
In the past few years, however, pen input has not only exceeded the wildest ambitions of those early designs but has become available on a wide range of device types that cater to those who value different trade-offs along the analog-digital spectrum. Product designers have…
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Source : fastcompany.com
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