Graffiti and Alternative Solutions
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What's Graffiti?
Graffiti is a handwriting recognition program to enter data into your PDA. Alpha-numeric characters are written on the left hand side of the silkscreen area. Numbers are written on the right side. There are currently two versions of Graffiti with the Palm operating system (OS). Graffiti 2 is provided with the newer PDAs with the 5.2+ Palm OS. With Graffiti 2 and OS 5.2+, you can write anywhere on the screen and not just in the silkscreen area.
The figures below illustrate the keystrokes required for entering a letter or number with each version.
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Original Graffiti |
Graffiti 2 |
The intent of Graffiti 2 was to make it less cryptic and similar to conventional handwriting. Graffiti 2 is from the commercial program Jot (www.cic.com). Notice that some characters require two keystrokes (in red boxes) for Graffiti 2 in contrast to one keystroke for Graffiti 1.
Learning Graffiti
One of the best programs that I have found that gives the beginner a quick start on how to use/learn the original graffiti is PenJammer. Another alternative is Giraffe which came free on the Palm OS CD and must be installed onto your PDA. Giraffe assumes you already know the letters and involves practicing graffiti and, as a result, is not as useful to beginners as PenJammer from www.ironwheelworks.com.
| Penjammer allows you to learn each shorthand character by first watching the stroke, then tracing over it, and finally by doing it yourself. A great instructional tool for $10 or you can try the limited function free trial version. However, Penjammer only teaches the original Graffiti and not Graffiti 2. |
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| Another useful program in learning Graffiti is TealEcho from www.Tealpoint.com ($12). This program mirrors the user’s actual graffiti strokes on the screen to assist with graffiti handwriting skills. It helps to identify any shortcomings in your cryptic skills. |
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Alternative handwriting recognition programs to Graffiti/Graffiti 2
How to replace Graffiti 2 with the original Graffiti on your PDA
Touch pad alternatives to handwriting recognition programs
