[Skim-app-users] Skim Freehand and Inkwell (via a graphics tablet)

[Hydro Meteor]

Greetings all --

Has anyone tried using Skim (with its new freehand note tool) with a
graphics tablet connected to their Mac, which makes use of Apple's Inkwell
system? Inkwell has the option of converting handwriting to text characters
-- which some people might want to try -- but even if one preserves original
hand written notes, it might be nice (such as for writing small equations
requiring greek symbols, or notes with small diagrams, in the margins of the
PDF document).

I kind of winged it with an Apple Mighty Mouse but a mouse is definitely not
a pen :-)

Another reason why a graphics tablet bight be nice is for reducing hand
strain from overuse of a mouse -- I can imagine using the pen to very
swiftly use Skim's awesome magnify glass bubble to sweep over sections of
the PDF document.

Then again, maybe Apple will surprise us with something new along the lines
of multi-touch in January (rumors swirling of a new Mighty Mouse with multi
touch or something like that).

Anyway, if anyone has any experience with graphics tablets and Inkwell and
Skim, it would be nice to share them. If not, then I might have to pioneer
some experimentation.

Cheers,

-hydro

[Bill Mohler]

I have a Modbook, which has a tablet screen. Works great for skim
with Ink pasting captured text directly into note panes.

In freehand, each stroke is a different object, so it's not too
fluid. Writing in cursive works Ok for having whole words as objects.
But otherwise, you need to shift/click to group all the letters (or
parts of letters)

Still, I LOVE note-taking and highlighting with the tablet screen.
Highly recommend it!

Bill

Post by Hydro Meteor
Greetings all --
Has anyone tried using Skim (with its new freehand note tool) with a
graphics tablet connected to their Mac, which makes use of Apple's
Inkwell system? Inkwell has the option of converting handwriting to
text characters -- which some people might want to try -- but even
if one preserves original hand written notes, it might be nice (such
as for writing small equations requiring greek symbols, or notes
with small diagrams, in the margins of the PDF document).
I kind of winged it with an Apple Mighty Mouse but a mouse is
definitely not a pen :-)
Another reason why a graphics tablet bight be nice is for reducing
hand strain from overuse of a mouse -- I can imagine using the pen
to very swiftly use Skim's awesome magnify glass bubble to sweep
over sections of the PDF document.
Then again, maybe Apple will surprise us with something new along
the lines of multi-touch in January (rumors swirling of a new Mighty
Mouse with multi touch or something like that).
Anyway, if anyone has any experience with graphics tablets and
Inkwell and Skim, it would be nice to share them. If not, then I
might have to pioneer some experimentation.
Cheers,
-hydro
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[Hydro Meteor]

Bill,

Thanks for sharing your experiences. I've seen Modbook -- looks very
compelling. I have tried a TabletPC (Lenovo X41) in the past but it was
still too heavy to hold after a while. When I've picked up the MacBook Air
it is so incredibly ideally light weight, I wish there was a way to turn the
Air into tablet (imagine a MacBook Slate Air -- with Skim and a Slate Air
the world would not stand still!).

One of Skim's great features is the magnify glass bubble. I can easily
imagine using a pen with the magnify bubble directly on the screen via
ModBook.

It sounds as if the freehand option with Inkwell / pen input will have
limited use. Nonetheless, your ModBook enthusiasm is tempting! Do you put
the Modbook on a stand on your desk? Due to the research I do and keeping my
eyes from needing to squint too much, I mainly use a MacPro tower with dual
monitor displays but for annotating PDFs (to take the replacement of doing
so on printed paper -- "stop printing start skimming"), so I'd like to
maximize the Mac Pro tower if possible.

You have definitely given some food for thought here, regarding Modbook,
thank you!

Hydro

Post by Bill Mohler
I have a Modbook, which has a tablet screen. Works great for skim
with Ink pasting captured text directly into note panes.
In freehand, each stroke is a different object, so it's not too
fluid. Writing in cursive works Ok for having whole words as objects.
But otherwise, you need to shift/click to group all the letters (or
parts of letters)
Still, I LOVE note-taking and highlighting with the tablet screen.
Highly recommend it!
Bill

Post by Hydro Meteor
Greetings all --
Has anyone tried using Skim (with its new freehand note tool) with a
graphics tablet connected to their Mac, which makes use of Apple's
Inkwell system? Inkwell has the option of converting handwriting to
text characters -- which some people might want to try -- but even
if one preserves original hand written notes, it might be nice (such
as for writing small equations requiring greek symbols, or notes
with small diagrams, in the margins of the PDF document).
I kind of winged it with an Apple Mighty Mouse but a mouse is
definitely not a pen :-)
Another reason why a graphics tablet bight be nice is for reducing
hand strain from overuse of a mouse -- I can imagine using the pen
to very swiftly use Skim's awesome magnify glass bubble to sweep
over sections of the PDF document.
Then again, maybe Apple will surprise us with something new along
the lines of multi-touch in January (rumors swirling of a new Mighty
Mouse with multi touch or something like that).
Anyway, if anyone has any experience with graphics tablets and
Inkwell and Skim, it would be nice to share them. If not, then I
might have to pioneer some experimentation.
Cheers,
-hydro
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[Bill Mohler]

The Modbook spends a lot of time in my lap, and I have pretty big
hands and arms, so I don't suffer when holding it standing. When I
prop it on my desk, I always hook up a keyboard and mouse. I've also
come up with a couple of homemade rigs for reading (Modbook or real
book) in standing or supine position. Helps keep my tricky back
happier.

Post by Hydro Meteor
Bill,
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I've seen Modbook -- looks very
compelling. I have tried a TabletPC (Lenovo X41) in the past but it
was still too heavy to hold after a while. When I've picked up the
MacBook Air it is so incredibly ideally light weight, I wish there
was a way to turn the Air into tablet (imagine a MacBook Slate Air
-- with Skim and a Slate Air the world would not stand still!).
One of Skim's great features is the magnify glass bubble. I can
easily imagine using a pen with the magnify bubble directly on the
screen via ModBook.
It sounds as if the freehand option with Inkwell / pen input will
have limited use. Nonetheless, your ModBook enthusiasm is tempting!
Do you put the Modbook on a stand on your desk? Due to the research
I do and keeping my eyes from needing to squint too much, I mainly
use a MacPro tower with dual monitor displays but for annotating
PDFs (to take the replacement of doing so on printed paper -- "stop
printing start skimming"), so I'd like to maximize the Mac Pro tower
if possible.
You have definitely given some food for thought here, regarding
Modbook, thank you!
Hydro
On Thu, Dec 25, 2008 at 4:30 AM, Bill Mohler
I have a Modbook, which has a tablet screen. Works great for skim
with Ink pasting captured text directly into note panes.
In freehand, each stroke is a different object, so it's not too
fluid. Writing in cursive works Ok for having whole words as objects.
But otherwise, you need to shift/click to group all the letters (or
parts of letters)
Still, I LOVE note-taking and highlighting with the tablet screen.
Highly recommend it!
Bill

Post by Hydro Meteor
Greetings all --
Has anyone tried using Skim (with its new freehand note tool) with a
graphics tablet connected to their Mac, which makes use of Apple's
Inkwell system? Inkwell has the option of converting handwriting to
text characters -- which some people might want to try -- but even
if one preserves original hand written notes, it might be nice (such
as for writing small equations requiring greek symbols, or notes
with small diagrams, in the margins of the PDF document).
I kind of winged it with an Apple Mighty Mouse but a mouse is
definitely not a pen :-)
Another reason why a graphics tablet bight be nice is for reducing
hand strain from overuse of a mouse -- I can imagine using the pen
to very swiftly use Skim's awesome magnify glass bubble to sweep
over sections of the PDF document.
Then again, maybe Apple will surprise us with something new along
the lines of multi-touch in January (rumors swirling of a new Mighty
Mouse with multi touch or something like that).
Anyway, if anyone has any experience with graphics tablets and
Inkwell and Skim, it would be nice to share them. If not, then I
might have to pioneer some experimentation.
Cheers,
-hydro
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--
-----------------
William A. Mohler
Associate Professor
Dept. of Genetics and Developmental Biology
University of Connecticut Health Center
MC-3301
263 Farmington Ave.
Farmington, CT 06030-3301

***@neuron.uchc.edu
Mobile: [phone]

Office: [phone], room E2056
Lab: [phone], room E2052
Fax: [phone]

G&DB dept. ofc.: [phone]
G&DB dept. fax : [phone]
http://genetics.uchc.edu/Faculty/Mohler/Mohler.html