InkSeine video demonstration: GottaBeMobile

I've been derelict in my duties: not trying out the new InkSeine application on my tablets. While I get a day of detention, you can check out what all the growing excitement is about this new program developed by Ken Hinckley by viewing a GottaBeMobile Inkshow. Could this inking app take the place of my beloved Microsoft OneNote? It might based on Rob's description:

"InkSeine is a Tablet PC note-taking application designed and built from ground up around the pen, with the ability to easily search the web or your local computer directly from your ink. The search interface is unlike anything I've ever worked with in the past, with the ability to narrow or expand the results based on file type or date with a simple flick of the pen. It is such a joy to use an application where the box was built around the pen rather than making the pen fit the box"

You'll have to wait until the public release on February 15th to try it yourself, but the video should give you an idea of how InkSeine might work for you.

Comments

[Philip Ferris]

You're there before me again Kev.

I just saw the post along with the 12 Days of InkSeine on Ken's blog, that they refer to in the Gottabemobile post, and you have already got a post up about it.

Good for a "Look see" demonstration of a tablet but it would have to be incredible to drag me away from OneNote 2007 I think.
I'll find out more on Release Day 15 Feb. I guess.

[Rob]

I don't see it replacing OneNote, especially if you mix text and ink in notes. InkSeine doesn't support text notes yet.

Definitely a replacement for Journal, though. To me, InkSeine is Journal on steroids

InkSeine's real strength is in built-in search and pen navigation.

Thanks for the link, Kevin.

[Ken Hinckley]

Ah! I just now discovered this post.

Just to be completely honest and set expectations, InkSeine is definitely NOT a OneNote killer. I still use OneNote myself. OneNote is a feature rich app with a ton of great stuff. For example, Print to OneNote is a fantastic feature that I use frequently for marking up documents. InkSeine has no such feature and thus is not that helpful for document markup.

InkSeine is a stripped-down inking application that is strong in some areas but sometimes lacks features that are useful. It's also not tested like a real product, and there are bugs in it that will come up from time to time if you use it enough.

It's pretty cool, though, for the inking part of the equation, and for me it has completely replaced Journal.

Rob is right though - we don't do anything with text at all right now. We will probably add some limited support for text, but it is unlikely we would add all the outlining, numbering, formatting, etc. controls that are handled very well in OneNote.

I hope this gives some perspective on its strengths and weaknesses.

[Scott_H]

Well, if it's that good, Microsoft will gobble it up and either integrate it into something (OneNote, perhaps) or just siphon off the developers and let the application wither on the vine.

Lookout. Onfolio. Do those ring a bell?