I gave alphatap a try. It looks like a solid solution. Compared with a
similar alternative, I found these advantages:

1. It lives well with RitePen. It manages to neutralize the latter's
recognition function when the pen gets to the keyboard. (I guess the
same goes for Calligrapher.) Good news for users of full-screen
handwriting recognition!

2. Easy to access keys.

3. Large, easy to access special signs and function keys (collapsible).

4. Single tap special function keys, such as go to start/end of line.

5. Sticky shift/control/alt that works in the obvious way.

5. Auto collapse when not in use.

6. It has not crashed so far.

These features appeal to me, as a user of mainly handwriting
recognition, needing the keyboard for symbols, function keys, occasional
correction and inputting non-English.

I recall reading, in a bicycle magazine, in praise of the Brompton
folding bicycle, that it is the only machine of its type whose owners
tend to fold it even when they don't have to (i.e. so easy and intuitive
the folding process). The same goes for this on-screen keyboard: I am
finding myself tapping it even when I don't strictly have to! for
example, I enjoyed tapping control-C and control-V for cut and paste, in
spite of the icons waiting in the window above and the availability of
pen shortcuts from StrokeIt. I have been waiting so long to do this...

Avner.


AlphaTap News wrote:
> Just Released: AlphaTap is a pen-based typing tool for Tablet PC. It
> leverages the natural motion of handwriting to let you type far faster
> and with less fatigue than possible with either handwriting or the
> on-screen QWERTY keyboard.
>
> The Tablet PC's handwriting recognition is remarkably good and very
> useful, but when you need to write more than a few words handwriting
> just gets slow and tiring. AlphaTap is especially effective for
> note-taking and outlining, where abbreviations and jargon are common;