However, decoding words isn't that new either. Optical character recognition programs that can scan in a sheet of printed paper and convert the printout to text that can be manipulated in a word-processor have been around for some time now. The Newton comes loaded with a wide variety of programs and features ranging from automatic telephone dialing, fax transmission, E-Mail processing, scheduling, memo taking, calculator functions, and information database keeping. You can also add other software such as spreadsheet programs, word processors, and games, most of which can be obtained for free over the Internet. But again, these aren't really new capabilities.
Some people draw the curve from the top down, followed by a hook in the middle going left to right.
Others may draw the letter differently. For many people, some of the words that they write are completely unrecognizable to other readers, but the Newton learns them because it does not necessarily have to stick with predefined letter shapes like we do. Technically, I believe that a Newton owner could write their information onto the Message Pad in Greek lettering and, given enough time to learn it, the Newton should be able to automatically convert the letters to English. All this means that your Newton will really only work for you. While there is some effort being made to improve the level of speaker independence in voice recognition technology, the current crop of very accurate recognition software depends highly on word and sound training.