Bug inserts spaces when handwritting in Input Panel [ Edited ]

[tm2user]

I have looked for a solution for this bug for months! TM2s have a bug that causes text handwritten on the Input Panel to be inserted with unwanted leading spaces. This happens regardless of the text's length, that is, the leading spaces appear before words, sentences, single letters or full paragraphs. I have observed this behavior on TM2s of different generations.

Given the fast growth of the tablet market, HP needs to be careful with bugs like this. Especially now that HP is shipping the Slate 500. in a slate tablet, users will easily notice this bug as they will spend a lot more time handwriting (no physical keyboard, remember?). The leading spaces appear on several popular programs -- some of them developed by Microsoft itself! below is a list of applications in which I have observed the bug. this cannot be a problem specific to these 9 applications for two reasons: 

1) Microsoft programs are affected as well; 

2) In WinXP, handwriting works flawlessly in each of the 9 applications!

list of programs affected by the "leading spaces bug":

1. Microsoft Works 9.0
2. Microsoft Visual C# Express 2005 
3. OpenOffice 3.2
4. Firefox 3.6
5. Opera 10.6
6. Safari 5.0
7. Chrome 5.0
8. Thunderbird 3.1
9. Notepad++ 5.1

Here's how to verify the existence of this bug... Follow the instructions below carefully. Do not close the Input Panel till all 5 color names have been handwritten. Try these instructions on any of the 9 applications I have listed above.

HANDWRITE: Blue.
PEN-CLICK: [INSERT] then [ENTER]

HANDWRITE: Green.
PEN-CLICK: [INSERT] then [ENTER]

HANDWRITE: White.
PEN-CLICK: [INSERT] then [ENTER]

HANDWRITE: Red.
PEN-CLICK: [INSERT] then [ENTER]

HANDWRITE: Yellow.
PEN-CLICK: [INSERT] then [ENTER]
PEN-CLICK: [X] to close Input Panel

Here's a screenshot of what happens when you follow the instructions above.

Notice the leading spaces starting at line #2.

 

EDIT: I'm also adding a textual depiction of the bug since the forum might remove the screenshot.

Notice the leading spaces starting at line #2.

Blue.
 Green.
 White.
 Red.
 Yellow.

I hope HP can work together with Microsoft and crush this bug. The Handwriting Recognition mechanism was great on WinXP. However, something got broken during its implementation on Vista/Win7. The HP Slate 500 will suffer immensily if this issue isnt addressed. Leading spaces even appear in the middle of words. For example, trying to insert an L into WORD results in WOR LD.

[Pwnsweet]

I can confirm the problem also exists with the HP 2730p.

I've noticed that the problem is different depending on the application and the scenario. ie, in IE8 I get a space before and a space after the text I want to insert if the text that I want to insert doesn't form a word with the letters preceding the text and the letters following the text. For example, if I insert the word 'xy' between the 's' and the 'i' of the word 'pressing' the result is 'press xy ing'. However if I insert the word 'ure', I get 'pressure ing'. Furthermore, if I insert the word 'lik' I get 'press liking'. Finally, if I insert the word 'ur' I get 'pressuring'.

This suggests to me that when and where a space is introduced is context sensitive and seems to depend on the results of the inbuilt dictionary. If a word can be formed, then it is. If not, a space is introduced. It should be noted that a space is (usually) never introduced when a single letter is inserted mid-word. 

Opera 10.63 behaves the same as IE8, except it also inserts a space after pressing enter to go to a new line and then writing some text. I've noticed this same behavior in any application that doesn't automatically come up with the Tablet Input Panel (TIP) when you go to write in a text box (ie, any application that requires you to gesture with a flick of the stylus or manually open the TIP by selecting it from the edge of the screen).

[Pwnsweet]

My above post is a copy/paste from tabletpcreview forums where several other users are experiencing the same issue.

To address the OP directly, I am currently of the belief that this is not an issue exclusive to HP tablet products as you have implied. I've also performed the 'word' test where you insert a 'l' between 'r' and 'd' and I get 'world' (almost) every single time. I say 'almost' because there are (seemingly) random occasions where inserting a single letter mid-word does produce a leading space, however this usually does not happen (to me anyway).

[tm2user]

Has a solution been found to this very dissapointing probem? The pen is a selling point on TabletPCs. If it doesnt work as it should, it only weakens its appeal.