Jot- Reevaluation- Not as Good as TealScript
Written: Feb 26 '00 (Updated May 10 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: symbols, echo
Cons: OVERPRICED!!!, I writes as L, lack of customization, have to reactivate Jot after resets
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| drdavec1's Full Review: Jot for Palm OS |
In my original copy of this opinion, I gave Jot 5 stars. Then I tried TealScript. Jot is overpriced at $39.00 and lacks the power that Tealscript possesses. For those unfamiliar with either program, they are both programs designed to improve handwriting recognition for the Palm OS. Jot provides an alphabet slightly different from Palm's Graffiti. Tealscript is customizble and learns how the user writes letters.
INSTALLATION-
This was a breeze. The program is a little bit large (about 120 KB). When the product is installed, the first thing to do is activate it from the preferences menu. On this menu are some nice features. You can write text on the entire screen (and not have to use the small graffiti area.) In addition, a great feature is the echo, whereby you can see the letters you write. This is useful because it allows you to look at the form of the letters you draw and analyze why you make errors (although errors are much less frequent!) to learn how to draw letters, click on "tutorial". Here you see the letters drawn on the screen before you. You can then practice from the same screen to master it.
LOWERCASE LETTERS-
Jot is better than the default Graffiti. For example, to draw a "V" in Jot you draw it as you would write on a piece of paper. In addition, the letter k looks like it should and not the Greek letter alpha. For many letters, you can write them in several ways. For example, e can be drawn like a lowercase "e" or like "E". Either way works. You may ask are all letters easy? Well...no. The worst letter is "i". To draw an I, you must draw a line down and then dot it. If you don't dot it, you draw a "L". It must be stated however, that although Jot is improved over Graffiti, it pales in comparison to TealScript. Tealscript has many alterate strokes as well, but also allows the user to add their own strokes- something that Jot doesn't allow you to do!
UPPERCASE LETTERS-
These letters are drawn the same. The big bonus here is that to write a capital, you simply write in the center of he grafitti area. (It works the same as "MiddleCapsHack" for those who have used this hack). No longer will you have to "shift" to write a capital. This feature expedites things greatly! This feature is also in Tealscript.
NUMBERS-
Written in the number area, these are very simple and similar to the Grafitti numerals.
SYMBOLS-
This is perhaps the best feature of Jot! grafitti's symbols are hard to remember, as they often have no similarity with their handwritten counterparts. In Jot, the symbols look as you would write them. For example, to draw a @, you draw a line up and then draw @ exactly as you intuitively would write it (and since you have the intuition to read my review, I assume you are pretty savvy!) Many symbols don't require the upstroke to write them. Example- tapping on the screen draws a period, a comma looks like a comma, etc. Again, symbols are also easier in Tealscript and Teal gives the user the ability to create their own keystroke for each letter.
SHORTCUTS-
Again easy...draw the line up on the screen and then enter in the letters of the shortcut! Example- dts- date time stamp.... However, this program does not have macros like tealscript does. Tealscript's macros allow the user to assign a particular keystroke to represent a word (eg- you can use a triangle for myocardial infarction)
CONS-
•The biggest con I haven't mentioned is that after every reset, you have to reactivate Jot! This is annoying and somebody should make a hack to fix it.
•To bring up the Jot Tutorial, you have to either go back to the launcher and open Jot, or preprogram a button or keystroke (using a hack such as Fast Hack).
•The way you have to write an i is horrible. Given how common the letter "i" is, this letter should be made much easier to write.
you can't customize letters, like you can in TealScript.
•There is no way to customize letters! For $40 I would think the program should let you do this.
VERDICT-
Initially I loved Jot. However, i became frustrated with the letter I which slowed me down a lot and dumped it. I now use Tealscript which I think is far far superior. Jot is way overpriced at $40. Tealscript, which is far better is only $17. A very very easy decision- go with Teal. I recommend checking out my Tealscript review to learn more about that product. The easiest way to get there is perhapos through my epinions profile page.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
drdavec1
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Member: dave
Location: New Jersey
Reviews written: 44
Trusted by: 96 members
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