Writing Notes

[MikeKing]

My question to the all of the PRS-700 owners is.. Can you write notes with the stylus on fresh pages? Similar to that of the iRex Iliad note taking feature.

[Wetdogeared]

You can add comments at a bookmark or hightlighted word/phrase by using the comment editor. If you tap the bookmark or highlighted word/phrase the comment editor will appear.

The comment inset screen is approximatedly 4.0 X 5.5 cm (approximately 36 characters accross and 8 rows down) with a QWERTY touchscreen keyboard below it which works with a finger but works even better with the stylus. Entry can be very quick if you know your keyboard.

The comments can be scrolled if your comments are more than will fit on one inset screen. There is a maximum of 2048 characters allowed per comment. (This may be a limit for some but, as of yet, I have never reached the max.)

You also have access to input special symbols, those similar on a regular keyboard.

I'm not familiar with the iRex Illad but I hope this helps.

[MikeKing]

So I guess it doesn't do what I want it to. I'm thinking more along the lines as almost using it as a pad of paper to write notes on as well. iLiad has that feature, but the way Sony described the reader on their website it almost appeared theirs had that functionality as well. =/

[Wetdogeared]

Then I guess the answer is no. As far as I'm aware, comments have to be attached to a bookmark or highlighted note and are limited to 2048 characters.

No place to keep a separate "note pad" that is not associated with one of the above.

-----

This might be way out there, but you could create a document on your computer containing text that you could highlight and then add notes to. i.e.

Notes 1
Notes 2
Notes 3 ...

..or

Notes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ...
Reminder 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ...
ToDo List 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ...

Call this document "Notebook" and copy to reader as a book (and possibly create separate "Books" for Reminders and ToDo list).

Go to read your new "Notebook".
Comments could then be attached to each line or number in the book.
System keeps tracks of all notes and their dates.
Notes would have the title "Notes 1", "Notes 2", "Notes 3" etc., you couldn't change the note title, but the date it was written is displayed and might be enough of a clue to your note.

Not very pretty, but a possible work-around?

[ewiplayer]

Not to mention the (possibly) more critical point that you cannot write with the pen as you would with the Iliad. The notes are created with a keyboard-like interface, not by writing as if you were working on a pad of paper.

[Wetdogeared]

You're right, you must use the soft keyboard, and no way to handle anything handwritten or a signature.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by Wetdogeared

This might be way out there, but you could create a document on your computer containing text that you could highlight and then add notes to. i.e.

Notes 1
Notes 2
Notes 3 ...

..or

Notes 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ...
Reminder 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ...
ToDo List 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ...

Call this document "Notebook" and copy to reader as a book (and possibly create separate "Books" for Reminders and ToDo list).

Go to read your new "Notebook".
Comments could then be attached to each line or number in the book.
System keeps tracks of all notes and their dates.
Notes would have the title "Notes 1", "Notes 2", "Notes 3" etc., you couldn't change the note title, but the date it was written is displayed and might be enough of a clue to your note.

Not very pretty, but a possible work-around?

that is a very good idea !

[Wetdogeared]

An afterthought

If you prefixed your booknames, i.e.

AA Notes, AA Reminders, AA Todo...

All of your private "notepads" would be at the top of your booklist, or an alternative:

My Notes:Notes
My Notes:Reminders
My Notes:To do list

Or any other previx to your liking, would also group your "notepads" together in the alphabetical book listing.

[MikeKing]

Its to bad they don't have an SDK. I'm sure it wouldn't be to hard to implement

[Wetdogeared]

Originally Posted by MikeKing

Its to bad they don't have an SDK. I'm sure it wouldn't be to hard to implement

An SDK from SONY is not very likely if you know their history.

[ewiplayer]

Not to mention that it's always harder than you think to design/build such a thing... looks simple... it's not I'm a software developer/architect and, well... I never say "it's simple" anymore. Too many times have I been burned after saying that

[MikeKing]

Originally Posted by ewiplayer

Not to mention that it's always harder than you think to design/build such a thing... looks simple... it's not I'm a software developer/architect and, well... I never say "it's simple" anymore. Too many times have I been burned after saying that

As am I, but to the best of my knowledge about the device it uses a standard Linux O/S. Seriously, how hard could it be to implement something as simple as a paintbrush utility. It appears the reader already has the capability of write abilities onto the storage medium.

[ewiplayer]

Originally Posted by MikeKing

As am I, but to the best of my knowledge about the device it uses a standard Linux O/S. Seriously, how hard could it be to implement something as simple as a paintbrush utility. It appears the reader already has the capability of write abilities onto the storage medium.

How do you raster the written stuff to an image format? How do you store it? Where do you store it? How is it retrieved? Displayed? Do you get to modify the file itself (i.e. write notes on the doc)? If so, then how does the existing rendering engine manage to deal with the new data? How does it integrate with the offline software? Can you edit it outside? How do you sync those changes back and forth? Is it a new filetype that must be supported? Does it integrate with the notes application or can it be its own beast? What are the file size requirements on the device? How do you optimize for input and display? Are files that are too big too difficult to display? That's a stream of consciousness... I haven't even thought about it yet. This could go on for a while...

I don't want to get into a design discussion at all (as it would be even further off topic than this post is already), I'm just making my point... and I'm going to sum up with my original statement... "It's always harder than you think".

[Wetdogeared]

I was a systems programmer/analyst for 25 years and I never want to see another line of code again. That's for the nextgen.

I want to read in my retirement, where my dreams won't be taken over by operations research mode trying to solve logic problems.

[MikeKing]

Originally Posted by ewiplayer

How do you raster the written stuff to an image format? How do you store it? Where do you store it? How is it retrieved? Displayed? Do you get to modify the file itself (i.e. write notes on the doc)? If so, then how does the existing rendering engine manage to deal with the new data? How does it integrate with the offline software? Can you edit it outside? How do you sync those changes back and forth? Is it a new filetype that must be supported? Does it integrate with the notes application or can it be its own beast? What are the file size requirements on the device? How do you optimize for input and display? Are files that are too big too difficult to display? That's a stream of consciousness... I haven't even thought about it yet. This could go on for a while...

I don't want to get into a design discussion at all (as it would be even further off topic than this post is already), I'm just making my point... and I'm going to sum up with my original statement... "It's always harder than you think".

Well I'm defiantly not saying your wrong because your probably right. But I'm looking around at some the applications produced for the 505 and 500. I'm certain its possible to implement. How hard it would be is another discussion on its own. Anyways, thanks for the response. =)