(Q) Where is the text recognizer button and how do you tell if it is on?
(A) The text recognizer button is the one at the bottom-left side of Newton's screen, marked with an A. When it is on, it appears as a white A on a black background. The shapes recognizer button is beside it, marked with a curlicue and a triangle. Generally, you should only have one recognizer on at a time. If you need to use both text and graphics at the same time, turn on the text recognizer when you are writing, and turn it off when you are drawing. Keeping both recognizers on will slow Newton, and make it interpret more items incorrectly. If either or both recognizers are turned off, you will still be able to see any text or graphics on the screen.
(Q) When I write a sentence with a period at the end or a comma in the middle, Newton interprets the punctuation mark as the letter "l" or as an accent mark or hyphen. How can I make it differentiate between these marks?
(A) To help Newton understand your punctuation marks better, particularly commas and periods, make certain you have placed them close to the word they follows. If Newton interprets them incorrectly, you are probably leaving too much space between punctuation and the words associated with it.
(Q) When I write numbers, Newton converts them into words. How can I change this?
(A) Make sure you have the "numbers," "telephone numbers," "dates," and "times of day" options checked in the Recognizers Preferences area. To get there, tap the Extras button, tap Preferences, then tap Recognizers.
(Q) Can Newton change recognized text back to handwriting?
(A) Yes. Make sure the text recognizer button on the bottom left of the screen is darkened. Then, double-tap the word you want changed, and tap the handwritten version in the menu. Once you change text back into handwriting, it cannot be changed back into text again.
Note: With the original Newton MessagePad, you can only convert your handwriting to text if the text recognizer button is darkened while you write. Whatever you write while the button is turned off cannot be converted into text later.
The Newton MessagePad 100 and 110 can convert handwriting to text at any time with a feature called Deferred Recognition. To utilize this feature, simply tap twice on each word you wish to convert. You may also convert several words at once by first highlighting them and then tapping twice on the words.
(Q) My Newton begins interpreting what I have written while I'm still writing. Is there a way to slow this feature down so I can finish a thought before Newton starts converting it to text?
(A) If Newton is interpreting your handwriting too quickly, here's how to slow it down:
1) Tap the Extras button, then tap Prefs.
2) Tap Handwriting Styles in the Preferences Menu.
3) Select one of two ways to slow down handwriting interpretation.
Either:
* Slide the diamond on the second gauge to the left toward "slowly, more accurately."
or
* Slide the diamond on the third gauge to the right toward "after a delay."
The longer you give Newton to think about what you write, the more accurate its interpretation will be.