The problem with achieving this ideal of replacing the paper in your life with your Palm organizer is the fact that you have to first master inputting text into that device. This is what stops many people in their tracks. If there's one reason people don't use their Palm organizers as true paper substitutes, it's because they can't input text as fast or as accurately as they want. They become frustrated and go back to the old stand-by, pen and paper. They probably had a fair amount of improvement when they were first learning to input text into their Palm devices, but they've since hit a brick wall and now can't go much faster.

This article is designed for those people who've hit or will soon hit that brick wall that everyone encounters. You've improved as much as you're going to improve by "just doing it." Now you need to try new approaches to becoming a Graffiti master. That's the purpose of this article. I've compiled the best advice I have to give you about how to improve the speed with which you input text into your Palm computer.

Yes, I know there are alternatives to using Graffiti, such as Jot and TealScript. These have been reviewed in previous PalmPower articles and you can find links to them at the end of this article. However, for the purposes of today's article I'm going to assume you're using Graffiti, the default text recognition system that came with the Palm device. Much of what I'll say, however, applies to most handwriting recognition programs.

Use a real stylus, not a stick stylus
I'm not going to say that it's the size of your stick that matters, but if you're using the default stick stylus that came with your Palm device, then you just plain aren't serious about becoming a Graffiti master. You certainly wouldn't write with a pen or a pencil as scrawny as the default stylus, so why would you use this little twig to enter text into your Palm device?

The stylus I use and love is the PalmPoint Dual Action Stylus for the Palm V from Palm, Inc, available at http://palmorder.modusmedia.com/P5/P5-10147U.htm. This stylus is much more substantial in weight and girth than the stylus that comes with the Palm V, meaning that it feels like a regular pen when you're using it. What's also great about this stylus is that the clip side of it fits perfectly into the stylus slot and the pen length matches the length of the Palm V exactly. This allows you to keep a more substantial stylus handy at all times for entering text into your Palm V. Oh yeah, it also turns into a regular ballpoint pen with a twist of the shaft. The only real drawback to the PalmPoint Dual-Action Stylus is that it costs $39.95. However, now that I've used it for over six months, I know it's worth every penny. Check out this great tool in Figure A.