"mini-Writer's Keyboard" is a Newton 2.0 Package which replaces the standard Typewriter Keyboard with one which is meant to be called upon while you are composing lengthy notes/emails.
This is a "mini" version of the original Writer's Keyboard with no option for a vertical orientation.
Instructions
------------
Just Install this package and it will automatically be placed in your
Extensions folder. To call up the keyboard, double tap in a text entry field (such as the Notepad).
To access the FULL QWERTY Keyboard, tap on the mini-keyboard icon on the
top left.
Keys
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- Carriage Return
- Tab
- Comma
- Period
- Up Arrow
- Down Arrow
- Left Arrow
- Right Arrow
- Custom Key #1
- Custom Key #2
Preferences
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Info -> Prefs...
- Define Custom Keys
Press this to set the 2 custom key slots available. They can be
distinguished by their heavier borders. The default custom keys are
"\" and "'". You can also enter more than 1 character. In those
cases, the entire word is written when you tap on the corresponding
key.
How I use it
------------
The way I use the Writer's Keyboard is this: When I know I'm about to
write a fair amount of text, such as an email or a long notepad entry, I open
up the Writer's Keyboard by double tapping in the writing area. This brings up
the keyboard. Position the keyboard to one side (above, left, right, below)
where you do your main writing. Due to the way the Newton HWR works by
inserting new text after the previous text, you can write and rewrite on the
same area. By doing this, the Writer's Keyboard is always in the same relative
position, and you don't have to keep moving your hand position as you write
more. As text reaches the bottom of a "page", you may have to manually hit the
"Down Scroll" arrow to move the text upward, so you have more room to write.
Registration
------------
The Writer's Keyboard is NOT Crippled in any way. Just install it and forget about it until you need it. I'm not going to call it shareware, however, as I've discovered I don't have enough time, as a medstudent, to properly support software products. So, if you do find this software useful, I would very much appreciate $5 as a show of support. However, there is a lot of crappy shareware out there... so I'll leave it to you to decide if it's worth that much.
(Personally, I would have paid a lot for it when I first got my Newton - which, of course, is why I wrote it :)
Make checks payable to "ARNOLD KIM":
Send to the following address which should always be correct:
Arnold Kim
Nemesis Productions
118 Selden Rd.
Newport News, Va 23606
USA
Contact Info
------------
Web Page:
http://users.visi.net/~arn/
Email address:
akim@iname.com
Writing Tips
------------
The built-in Newton HWR has many shortcuts that make writing a whole lot
easier. Here, I'll hilight those I use often, and point out where the Writer's
Keyboard may help. (This may have a lot of information you already know, but
at least skim through it, because it may help.)
Joining Words Together
If you write a "V" underneath and connecting two seperate words/characters,
the words will be joined.
Seperating Words
Draw an caret in between two letters, and a space will be added.
Write over a letter
You are allowed to write over a single letter and it will replace it with
the letter you wrote. If you write more than a single letter, however, it
will think you are writing a new word.
Scrub Out One Letter
Theoretically, you should be able to scrub out a single letter by
repeatedly drawing a vertical line (a really narrow "scrub") over the
offending letter. However, for me, this usually results in an undesired
character or scrubbing the wrong letter. An easier way could be to tap to
move the cursor directly to the right of the offending letter, hitting
"delete" on the Writer's Keyboard and then tapping back to your original
location. While this may sound like a lot of work... it's just 3 quick
taps.
Expansions
Undoubtedly, if you are a long time Newton owner, you already have word
expansions for things such as "Return" and "Tab". Well, while these are
useful, if you can "train" yourself to use the Writer's Keyboard, I think
you will find it to be quicker, and easier. However, word expansions for
other things can still be very useful. As well, however - now, you can
add in letters/words to the 2 available "custom" keys in the Writer's
Keyboard.
Scrubbing
Sometimes, you only have to scrub a very specific piece of text. In email
replys, for example. A quick way to do this is to hilight the text you
wish to delete and then do a quick, small scrub over part of it. This
should scrub the entire selected selection and is a bit more precise than
