SilkyBoard - Final release version A Graffiti area overlay that protects the writing area and provides a QWERTY layout keyboard
| Author: | Softava Company |
| Price: | $39.95 |
Software type: | |
| Web site: | http://www.silkyboard.com |
Note (4/11/00) Please be aware that SilkyBoard has some compatibilty issues with the TRGPro. Contact SoftAVA for up-to-date information.
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Installation and setup
Installing SilkyBoard consists of 3 files: the control panel, the "extension" and the setup wizard. The extension is not a Hackmaster extension. It's type and creator code is that of a pref panel, just like Shortcuts, so there's a panel that appears under your Preferences application. Total K: about 28 K. The manual explains in detail how to put the protector onto the area.
The setup wizard is excellently done. The first screen asks you to select which model you have: Classic. Slim, or Basic (the box that the software and overlay come in is marked with which model you should select). Next step is calibration. This consists of tapping on three spots of the board, Setup is now done, but both of these functions are available in the preferences panel. Then come some useful tips and FAQs regarding using silkscreen buttons, punctuation shifting. This is information I have been curious about for a while and here it is right in my face. Very cool.
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| From the setup wizard | Calibration screen |
The preference panel is accessible in three ways : through the keyboard by holding the Tab button; the preferences app; and the launcher if you choose to leave it installed.
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| SilkyBoard preferences |
You probably want to know what typing on it is like. I'll get to that but first I'd rather discuss the more complex experience of using it..
Peripheral usage (or "Plays well with others")
The Silkyboard interferes very little with operation of the Graffiti area. The silk button locations are labelled in English, and a modified stroke gives you access to the button's functionality. The built-in keyboard has a button on the right that you must hold down. In order to make a tab character, you have to press tab twice. Finally, to make a punctuation shift (normally a dot), you do a stroke from bottom-right to top-left. This is the extent of Silkyboard's interference with Graffiti area operations. I rarely use the first two, so it doesn't bother me that much. Compatibility with Graffiti (and HackMaster hacks) is SilkyBoard's strength
The great thing about SilkyBoard is that I can use Graffiti while it is fully active. (SilkyBoard can be turned off mostly with a single long leftward stroke at the bottom. You can turn it off completely with two strokes in one second or via the control panel. You have notification by sound of status changes.) If you cross more than two key borders, it knows you are using Graffiti. The other great thing is that it does not interfere with my hacks. Some hacks use strokes in the Graffiti area, such as Swipe and SwitchHack. I can use these hacks without modification to the stroke.
Primary usage
SilkyBoard was written with the novice user in mind, which is why the keys are so big and in the QWERTY layout. Some other products, FitalyHack and FitalyStamp, use a layout that is optimized for one-finger typing by minimizing stylus travel. This makes them faster but it takes time to learn the layout. I've been using FitalyStamp - probably Silkyboard's only direct competition - for a while and it feels faster and more accurate. Also, Silkyboard does not have space or delete keys; you have to do Graffiti strokes for those. I don't particularly mind this, but some people might. In speed, between Graffiti and SilkyBoard, SilkyBoard is a clear winner. I used WPM by DDH Software to measure speed; I averaged the scores of 3 trials each. SilkyBoard averages 29:3 (best 33) wpm, while Graffiti clocks in at 19.3 (best 22).
In closing, SilkyBoard is a good solution for people who find Graffiti too slow and want an alternative method that's easy to set up and deal with. FitalyStamp is SilkyBoard's only real competition, and as of this point, has some quirks that irritate me, but should be ironed out soon (if they haven't been already). If you want ease of use and faster-than-Graffiti speeds, SilkyBoard is for you.
If you want to see my old review, you can