.KEYWORD transcriber
.FLYINGHEAD PRODUCT REVIEW
.TITLE Microsoft Transcriber: great handwriting recognition for the Pocket PC
.OTHER
.SUMMARY Data entry on Windows CE has traditionally been hard to accomplish. Not so anymore, however, thanks to Microsoft’s new Transcriber application. Jason Carter puts the Soft Input Panel to the test by facing it off against his own psychotic handwriting.
.AUTHOR Jason Carter
Data entry on Windows CE has traditionally been hard to accomplish. Let’s face it, most of us would rather spend some quality time with our friendly neighborhood dentist than attempt to reply to an email on a Palm-sized PC. Much to the chagrin of dental technicians, however, Microsoft has now added a handy little utility known as Transcriber to its collection of SIPs (Soft Input Panel) for the Pocket PC. It joins Character Recognizer (similar to Jot for single character entry) and Pocket PC’s soft Keyboard as an impressive data input option.
Transcriber is a natural handwriting recognition utility that allows you to enter whole words and phrases anywhere on your screen and have them translated into text. It does this by means of fuzzy logic combined with its own integrated dictionary. This allows Transcriber to not only examine characters, but also the context in which they appear. This provides an amazing level of accuracy, allowing for any combination of both print and cursive script.
.H1 Installation
You’ll find Transcriber on the Microsoft Active Sync 3.1 CD. Open the Tscribe folder in the Extras directory (or you can download it for free from http://www.microsoft.com/pocketpc/downloads/transcriber.asp). Simply run the Setup executable and proceed as you would with any other Pocket PC installation. Once the installation completes, restart your Pocket PC.
After the restart, you’ll be able to choose Transcriber at the bottom right of your screen whenever a program is activated that requires text input. Simply choose Transcriber in the same manner you would Character Recognizer or Keyboard (its icon will look like a hand holding a pen). You can now begin entering text in your own handwriting.
.H1 Features
Unlike other input options, Transcriber takes up no additional screen space, allowing you to write anywhere on the screen. This is especially helpful for programs like Pocket Excel where screen real estate is at a premium.
Helpful as well is the Shape Selector Utility, which allows you to customize Transcriber to your personal handwriting style. You do this by examining an alphabet library that lets you to rank how often you use a particular letter shape as Often, Rarely, or Never. For instance, when you choose the letter A, you’re presented with a series of uppercase and lowercase styles in which you could write an A, as shown, appropriately enough, in Figure A. Best of all, the Shape Selector allows you to store a Master profile for yourself and a Guest profile for a secondary user.
.FIGPAIR A The Shape Selector customizes Transcriber to your personal handwriting style.
Another useful feature is the ability to add words to the dictionaries used by Transcriber. The program comes with a main dictionary, but you can also add words to a user-specific dictionary. You do this by highlighting the word and then making a motion similar to a tall and skinny "U", basically down and then straight back up. This action, known as Quick Correct, would normally launch a small keyboard filled with punctuation characters, but with a word selected, it activates a dictionary function instead. This function displays a list of words to choose from for correction, and if the word is not already in the dictionary (ironically enough, "Transcriber" was not) you’ll be given the option to add it to a user-specific dictionary. This improves Transcriber’s ability to recognize the word in the future.
.H1 The tests
The ultimate tests for an SIP are usability and accuracy. To test accuracy, I simply began writing. Understand that descriptions of my handwriting range from illegible to psychotic (my wife’s opinion), mostly due to a bad habit of combining both cursive and printed characters in an inconsistent manner. To my surprise, as difficult as this makes deciphering my writing for most people, Transcriber was both adept and accurate. So, in a bid to totally throw it, I attempted writing completely in cursive. (I gave this up in college, as it became difficult for me to read my own notes.) To my total amazement, not only did Transcriber still recognize my words, but its accuracy actually improved!
To test usability, I did the unthinkable. I spent an afternoon writing the first draft of this review on Pocket Word using Transcriber exclusively. Once again, it delivered. I’ve attempted such writing exercises using previous versions of Windows CE’s Notes. While I was able to outline effectively, I was never able to enter text efficiently enough to write whole sentences. Although not as quick as typing on a full-size keyboard, Transcriber allowed me to effectively write a first draft in fairly decent time. I found that the speed was more than adequate for taking notes in meetings as well.
.H1 Room for improvement
While I was extremely impressed overall, there are a couple of choices I question. One is the choice of motions for both Enter and Quick Correct. The motion for Enter resembles the icon on the Enter key on your keyboard. You move your stylus down a short distance and then to the left. It looks simple enough, but takes some practice (see Helpful Hints below). The Quick Correct motion mentioned earlier gave me similar problems. Half the time I used it, it was interpreted as a character rather than producing the desired result. Understandably, you’ll eventually run out of useful gestures for such things, but the ability to customize the gestures might be helpful.
I also question the fact that Transcriber was not installed in ROM with the Operating System itself. The utility is extremely useful and well done, but takes over 800k of RAM. I think Microsoft or one of the Pocket PC manufacturers should have included it in the basic installation or operating system. Transcriber can give the Pocket PC a built-in advantage over the competition and save RAM space for MP3s at the same time.
.H1 Helpful hints
Here are a few hints to help get you started with Transcriber:
.BEGIN_LIST
.BULLET Remember to write large. Larger letters will increase your accuracy;
.END_LIST
.BEGIN_LIST
.BULLET Use the Letter Shape Selector utility to eliminate character shapes that you never use. After that, go back and start marking others as "Rarely" used. This will increase both speed and accuracy;
.END_LIST
.BEGIN_LIST
.BULLET Remember that everything is interpreted in its context. If you wish to correct a single letter or add punctuation, it’s better to rewrite the letter preceding it as well, in order to provide a frame of reference;
.END_LIST
.BEGIN_LIST
.BULLET If punctuation characters are giving you a hard time, use the "push pin" in the top left corner of the Quick Correct Keyboard to leave it in constant view as you write;
.END_LIST
.BEGIN_LIST
.BULLET When using the gestures for Enter, Space, and Backspace, you may find it useful to overextend the horizontal line used in these gestures. By making the line a little longer, I was able to increase my success rate with these gestures.
.END_LIST
.H1 Conclusion
In reference to Transcriber’s ability to recognize even messy handwriting, Microsoft’s download site states, "Chances are, you’ll be pleasantly surprised." I certainly was. While not quite as effective or error-free as using a full keyboard, Transcriber is still much quicker and easier than either of the other Soft Input Panel options. I’ve found a new friend on my Pocket PC.
.BEGIN_SIDEBAR
.H1 Product availability and resources
For a free download of Transcriber, visit http://www.microsoft.com/pocketpc/downloads/transcriber.asp.
For additional help installing Transcriber, visit http://www.microsoft.com/POCKETPC/stepbystep/transcribe.asp.
For more editing tips, visit http://www.microsoft.com/POCKETPC/tips/transcriber.asp.
.H1 Bulk reprints
Bulk reprints of this article (in quantities of 100 or more) are available for a fee from Reprint Services, a ZATZ business partner. Contact them at reprints@zatz.com or by calling 1-800-217-7874.
.END_SIDEBAR
.BIO Jason Carter is a Senior Systems Analyst with a major Telecommunications OSS Software Provider in Plano, TX.
