More Entelligence Required

How pen computing is making a comeback—and why Tablet PC isn't

(Even if Michael Gartenberg can't see it.)

Michael Gartenberg, technology strategist at Engadget, writes a puzzlingly short-sighted piece that vacillates between explaining why Tablet PCs have failed to conquer keyboard text entry and opining that Apple have somehow managed to fuel finger-input envy at Microsoft. Surprisingly, Gartenberg's article has all the ingredients, but fails to bake the cake. As a result, he's failed to see that the future of pen computing has arrived.

Here are Gartenberg's main arguments as to why pen computing is stagnant.
Michael Gartenberg's arguments as to why pen computing is stagnant.
I note that some of Engadget's commenters take Gartenberg to task for pronouncing that handwriting recognition cannot live up to its hype. But they've failed to pay attention to the fact that handwriting recognition is an example of a hubristic user interface. Gartenberg is right: Real-time handwriting recognition cannot live up to its hype because it is not a reliable control mechanism. The most useful applications on the Tablet PC have, in fact, emphasised storing handwriting as digital ink. So, Gartenberg's first recommendation seems quite logical.

Gartenberg's first recommendation for overcoming the shortcomings of handwriting recognition.

Note how Gartenberg's recommendation seeks to directly attack an existing shortcoming? That's exactly the way to solve a problem. Good thinking, but …

Alas, he fails to follow the same path when it comes to the hardware issue. Instead, completely ignoring the hardware issue, he focuses on marketing. Marketing? Marketing solves hardware issues? Don't get me wrong—the marketing suggestions are good ones. But marketing applied to the selling-end of the product life cycle will always fail to overcome a lousy product. Especially when that product is computer hardware.

Michael Gartenberg appears to recommend marketing as the solution for overcoming mediocre hardware.
So, let's get to the heart of Michael Gartenberg's analysis. Almost all the ingredients are in place. All we needed to do was to add the formula for a successful piece of hardware. Here's what we get.

The ingredients for a gang-buster pen computing product.
So now we have the ingredients. Indeed, Gartner should have too. But did he bake the cake? Does he open his eyes and see where his argument is leading him?

1. Does he see the pen computing product available in the channel at Target, Best Buy, Costco and Amazon?
2. Does he see the pen computing product aimed directly at the education market?
3. Does he see the pen computing product that emphasizes electronic ink for note taking?
4. Does he see the pen computing product light as a pen with a long-lasting battery?
5. Does he see the pen computing product that has been positively reviewed in more than two-dozen publications?

I'd like to introduce Michael Gartenberg to the first successful form factor for pen computing. The form factor that ticks every one of Gartenberg's boxes. The form factor that's caused the defection of every Tablet PC user I've ever introduced to it.

That form factor is available and shipping today as the Livescribe Pulse.




The Livescribe Pulse Desktop, running on an iMac.

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