Reviewed by Tom Anderson
If you've used a Palm handheld for any amount of time, you know one of the hardest things to get used to is entering text and data.
Sure, the Graffiti system used in the Palm OS is better than Apple's old Newton, but it still takes getting used to. And if you like Graffiti for its speed, but have a couple letters or symbols that always give you trouble, a lot of keystrokes are required to bring up the built-in keyboard, type the ones you want, then return to Graffiti.
I've tried a number of solutions to this problem, most of which try different algorithms to read your writing on the screen, or give you a larger area to write on.
But what finally satisfied me is the Silkyboard II from Novasib. This is a really brilliant idea and implementation.
Silkyboard combines a screen protector and keyboard into an instant data entry system that doesn't even disable Graffiti.
The system consists of a screen overlay and software to run the program. The overlay is at once a screen protector for the Graffiti area, and a keyboard printed on long-lasting plastic-coated material.
The overlay is easy to apply, and the software installs like any Palm software. When you start up your Palm again, the calibration process is launched. You tap a couple places on the screen to calibrate it, and it's done.
Once installed, the Silkyboard system is a sheer delight to use. You can still use Graffiti: if a stroke is longer than one cell (see photo), it's interpreted as Graffiti. A tap or short stroke is interpreted as the character in the box where you mark. Lower-case letters are selected by tapping; capitals and other "upper-case" symbols are selected by holding the stylus down momentarily.
I'm pretty fast with Graffiti, but I've found I'm even faster using this system. It takes far less practice to learn to use this efficiently than to use Graffiti. And it's much harder to make a mistake.
If you're like most Palm users, there are certain letters or characters you have trouble with. Silkyboard eliminates those problems. And because you can use the keyboard and Graffiti characters simultaneously, you can really build up your speed and accuracy.
I've used different styli and other attachments; I've even bought a prettier case to house my Palm. But nothing has made the Palm more useful to me than Silkyboard.
This is the second iteration of Silkyboard, adding a number of helpful features. Spaces, menu buttons, and other keys are now included on the overlay, instead of requiring special strokes for entry.
There are buttons for cut, copy, and paste, which work with applications that support those functions.
And you can even create macros for common series of keystrokes, saving yourself a lot of work.
Data entry is the most important and most problematic area for new Palm users; this is the perfect tool to resolve that issue.
There are several different models, depending on the Palm model you have. A free trial copy is downloadable from NOVASIB.
Each package contains four of the screen protectors and a floppy disk with the software.
Silkyboard II
$39.95, ($29.95 on the Web site)
NOVASIB, LLC
