It's a long story, but Microsoft is not the only company that owns the rights to the "recognition engine" on which the Transcriber handwriting program is based. Transcriber comes bundled on CD with all Pocket PCs. The good news for Transcriber users is that there is now a commercial upgrade, CalliGrapher 6.0.

Actually, CalliGrapher 6.0 is the long-awaited upgrade of the popular program that adds cursive, print, or mixed handwriting recognition capability to your Microsoft Windows Powered Palm-size PC, Handheld PC Pro, and now the Pocket PC and H/PC 2000. CalliGrapher 6.0 is built upon the "recognition engine" used in CalliGrapher 5.3 and in Microsoft's Transcriber. At the time I finished this article, it was in its third beta release, with the developer promising to release the final version before this issue hit the newsstands in August.

The upgraded version, from PhatWare, Inc. (www.phatware.com), has a number of new features. In addition to these, PhatWare has also increased the accuracy of the recognition engine.

Features new to CalliGrapher 6.0:

•  Pocket PC and Handheld PC 2000 support.
•  New user interface features—including Pocket PC-style dialog boxes and an enhanced correction interface.
•  Improved recognition quality.
•  An improved setup utility.
•  PenCommander—lets you create your own custom scripts (macros) to add personalized text and customized edit functions. You can start programs by simply drawing a circle around a command word you've created.
•  Updated documentation and help files.
•  Enhanced tool bar—provides direct access to the Spell Check, PenCommander, and Full Keyboard options described below, as well as Help menus. (On Handheld PCs, you can add customized CalliGrapher icons to the Windows taskbar instead of adding a separate toolbar.) Transcriber has the same tool bar, but with only four icons. CalliGrapher 6.0 has added new icons, including ones to access Spell Check and PenCommander.

Should Transcriber users upgrade?

The following features are carried over from CalliGrapher 5.3, but not found in Transcriber:

•  Spell Checker—lets you check the spelling of a single word or an entire document. Add new words to your own custom dictionary.
•  Full Keyboard—an optional on-screen keyboard similar to the Soft Keyboard that comes with the Pocket PCs (see Screen 1). Ends the need to switch back and forth between CalliGrapher and the soft keyboard when entering text manually.
•  Scratch Pad—lets you make full-color drawings and text notes.

Pocket PC users must uninstall Transcriber or previous versions of CalliGrapher before installing CalliGrapher 6.0.

Screen 1: CalliGrapher 6.0's "soft keyboard" is shown here, displayed at the top of Pocket Word screen. The new tool bar at the bottom of the screen provides direct access to many features and options.

CalliGrapher 6.0 will be available for Pocket PCs, Palm-size PCs, and Handheld PCs powered by Microsoft Windows CE 2.11 or later. Price will be $39.95 and it will be available through Phatware's site (www.phatware.com). A free upgrade will be available to users of CalliGrapher 5.3, PenOffice SuperPack, or HPC Notes SuperPack who had purchased one of these programs after April 19, 2000, and users who purchased CalliGrapher before that date are entitled to a reduced upgrade price of $19.95. More information about the free upgrade can be found on the following Web page: (www.paragraph.com/products/internetink/calligrapher/CalliGrapher_PocketPC.html). For some useful tips on how to better use these programs see page 66.