Yesterday, we saw HTC unveiling their much hyped Android tablet which was being considered unique by many for featuring a stylus and an active digitizer. However, it isn’t alone, there have been speculations of many other prominent companies joining the bandwagon by introducing their own versions of stylus armed tablets, or so says N-Trig, the producers of the technology used in the pen and the screen of HTC’s Flyer. According to Lenny Englehardt, the vice-president of the firm’s Business Development wing, most of the major manufacturers of tablet computers will introduce new Android slates equipped with 7, 9.7 and 10 inch pens next year.
The thing to look out for now is the availability of Android applications that can effectively use the stylus with the tablets and make it a worthwhile addition, both for the users and the producers. In case this trend picks up this year, the availability of apps on the platform shouldn’t be much of an issue as Android is one of the most application rich mobile platform available at the moment, its only competitor being Apple’s iOS which is available only with the iPad. Software giants like Adobe are already on the job of creating such apps which will add new functions such as handwriting conversion to tablets.
The Adobe Journal is one such app which is currently only available for the iPad. However, an Android version is in the making and is expected to come out soon. It is essentially a customizable app where you can sketch using the pen provided with the tablet. The MyScript software from a French software firm called Vision Objects is very popular on all sorts of mobile platforms which use touch screens and converts the users’ handwriting to text and is often used to take quick notes as touchscreen keyboards generally aren’t very fast to use. With a plethora of other apps about to hit the market, users are promised a world of new possibilities by stylus equipped tablets.
