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iTap is a virtual keyboard with mouse app on the iPad that you can use as a replacement for your PC or Mac. When I saw iTap in the App Store, I immediately downloaded it. I wanted to see If I could be more productive with a virtual keyboard and a track pad. I wanted to try it for an entire week, but I was forced to stop using it after a couple of hours…

Installation

First, you need to install additional software whether you are on a PC or Mac. For the sake of this review, I installed it on a Windows XP machine. The installation is easy and I did not have any trouble pairing the iPad with my PC. Below is what the app looks like on the iPad.

Feeling

Some people complaint about virtual keyboards. I must say that I’m very proficient at using it, so my typing speed was not affected as long that I had to type text. Also, I don’t like using a mouse, so the big track pad is really easy to use and can replace an expensive Wacom track pad. Well, the good ends up here. Now let’s have a look at the issues I had. But first, here is how it looks in a real work environment:

Issues

• I’m a software developer and using Control, Alt and other keys, is a must­. There is not way to do that using iTap.
• You cannot drag a window by dragging in the title area.
• The app was not responsive when we had heavy network traffic.
• Scrolling in the Windows Explorer stops working at time for no obvious reason.
• The delete on Windows does not work.
• There is no speed setting adjustment for the track pad.
• The receiver app on windows does not run as a service. That means that If you reboot, you have to logon using the physical keyboard.
• There is no wrist protection option for the track pad.
• Only the mouse works with VMWare, the keyboard is not working.

My Conclusion…

In the end, except for looking cool this app is not a real replacement for a physical keyboard and/or mouse and is still buggy.

I’m a techo-junkie and I love gadgets. The last thing I put my hands on was the Pogo Sketch stylus. I decided to go paper free for a month in the hope of ditching paper for good… but it did not really happened as I expected… Here is my story.

First, let’s begin with a quick analysis of my relationship with paper. I use paper everyday, but not that much. A typical day for me, consists of printing one 8”x11” pomodoro sheet. I use this sheet to write my todos for the day as well as taking notes on it. At the end of the day, I transfer the notes I have taken digitally in my evernote. I keep everything in a digital form, if possible. I also use paper for writing my errands and brainstorm ideas.

Let’s go paper free!

For my experiment, I allowed myself to use the Pogo Sketch style and my iPad. So, for a month I was not to use paper (or so I thought). I was impressed the first time I tried the Pogo Sketch, really. I liked the fact that I could use my iPad as a real digital tablet. I used one application the whole time: Penultimate.

A pain in the rear…

Writing on the iPad, while first being exciting turned out to be a pain. First, you don’t have the kinaesthetic feedback that you get with paper, nor the precision. Here, you can see the end of the Pogo Sketch compared to a regular Bic pencil:

It’s also very hard to write precisely, furthermore you have only a few words per page because of the lack of precision. See a video of me writing a sample sentence.

One thing I missed the first day, was the capability of quickly jot some ideas on paper then go back to what I’m doing without losing my train of thoughts. With the iPad, I had to turn on the iPad, enter my password, open Penultimate, then finally was I able to write something. Many times, by the time I forgot what I wanted to write in the first place. 

It’s not all bad, all things considered…

Well, I must say that the Pogo Sketch is really effective, well at sketching. I started using it to doodle some drawing and I ended up with a whole compilation of sketches. Also, the Pogo Sketch can be used to manipulate things more precisely than using your fingers, for instance photo applications. Furthermore, you can use it for everything on your iPad, thus keeping it clean a bit longer.

Oops… Paper wins!

Well, the month did not really went paper free. I did use some paper for my toastmasters evaluations and on one occasion I did find myself writing my errands on paper. Let’s say it’s hard not to use paper at all. :)

While I still enjoy using the Pogo Sketch, I missed paper the entire month that my experiment lasted. Paper, in the end, still outperforms any of its digital counterpart when it comes to speed and accuracy.

There is a Save Image feature in Safari for iPad, but there is no Save As PDF. What a bummer! Nonetheless, you can save PDF files for offline viewing using Good Reader for iPad. Here is how:

1. Copy the URL in Safari. 

2. Open Good Reader and locate the Enter URL button. 

3. Paste the URL and press OK. 

Voilà, your PDF file is ready for offline viewing. :)