PhatPad has been around for a while on Android and iOS and it let’s you use a stylus or your finger to write on your tablet screen and it will convert your scribble into real words. This will really add a useful and practical use for Windows tablets in the real world, it will also be handy for scribbling out notes quickly in meetings.
The Windows Store description sums up what the app is about:
We are proud to announces today the immediate availability of the PhatPad
note-taking and collaboration app for Microsoft Windows 8/RT. The new
version of PhatPad not only leverages the new Windows Metro interface, but
also offers even better handwriting recognition quality and a range of
advanced features optimized for the Microsoft Surface tablet and other
Windows-based computers.
PhatPad’s key features are as follows.
* Smooth-flowing digital ink technology which lets Tablet users
scribble notes as if they are writing on real paper
* The ability to combine drawing, handwritten text, images, and digital text
on the same document page as well as voice notes to create media-rich
content
* A powerful handwriting recognition engine, which automatically converts
handwritten notes into text;
* Voice notes – record, play, and use in presentation mode;
* An advanced Presentation mode, which allows recording and playing
unattended presentations by synchronizing document pages and voice;
* PhatPad Document sharing using Dropbox synchronization (PhatPad for
Windows supports old .pmi file format and is compatible with iOS and Android
versions of PhatPad).
At the moment PhatPad costs £3.49 and is available for either Windows 8 or Windows RT devices, personally I quite like the idea of this for my Surface RT, being able to draw and make notes seems like a useful tool to have.
Windows Store Link – PhatPad
First, have to agree that this is a great addition to store apps.
However… if you’ve got RT then you’ve already got this capability in the desktop version of OneNote. Sadly OneNote MX doesn’t do this (or at least not on the Surface RT – may on something with a proper digitiser).
Also worth noting that Windows 8 has a very nice handwriting recognition option as a “keyboard” – works well for me with a capacitive stylus (MS have spent a lot of time working on hwr).
Still trying to find note-taking nirvana (the Newton was almost there (!) but synching to a PC worked incredibly badly!) I suspect something with a proper digitiser will be the answer – but I have no toy budget for 2013!
I remember reviewing Phatpad back in early 2012 I think it was…was a good App then too.