I generally try to avoid writing words as long as the words "understand" or "generally" when using Graffiti, but with WordComplete, I have little reason to avoid writing most words. Although I have not done a words-per-minute comparison, WordComplete definitely gives me a BIG speed increase. This article, by the way, was entirely written using WordComplete in the Palm MemoPad application. There is simply no way I could have written something this long in Graffiti if I had to write each letter individually.

WordComplete, in a few short days, has earned a permanent place on my Palm Connected Organizer. I do, however, have a couple of minor gripes. My first complaint is that two-letter words don't appear at all in the pop-up window. Since there are so many common two-letter words, I think I could save a lot of time by saving one letter each time I used one of these. I also wish that WordComplete could learn as I write. If I have just used a word, it should bring it up at the top of the pop-up box after the first letter. The ease with which new words are added to a custom dictionary by double tapping on them partially makes up for this, though.

RecoEcho
A companion product released at that same time as WordComplete (and available with special bundle pricing) is RecoEcho, shown in Figure B.

FIGURE B

RecoEcho lets you use the Graffiti recognizer while writing letters anywhere on the screen.

RecoEcho lets you use the Graffiti recognizer while writing letters anywhere on the screen. As you write, digital ink feedback appears on the screen. RecoEcho will be useful for new users or those who want to improve their Graffiti accuracy; longtime users will probably not use it on a regular basis. If you are a fan of Tealpoint's TealEcho, you will also like RecoEcho. If you do not care for TealEcho, RecoEcho will not do much for you. Demos of both products are available on CIC's Web site.

Pricing and memory
Adding WordComplete to your Palm device will take about 118K. For some users, this may be a concern, but most anyone with 2MB or more of RAM will not find this a problem. Pricing is reasonable. At $24.99, WordComplete gives my Graffiti input a real speed increase.

Conclusion
Here are some parting thoughts: RecoEcho is nice for newbies. For making Graffiti input truly effective, WordComplete, gets my vote as a candidate for Palm software product of the year (and it's only August as I write this). Bravo CIC!

Bob Freud is an active PalmPilot enthusiast and the Coordinator for the Center for Instructional Technology at Bergen Community College. He can be reached via email at rfreud@mailhost.bergen.cc.nj.us.