Pennovate has recently released version 1.2 of their doodle pad program, Notes v1.2. Its main features are a button activated zoom out and a button activated quick pan that lets the user drag the screen to expose more writing space. However, these features remained inoperable on the Zodiac, owing to the hard-coding of the zoom and pan functions to the conventional PalmOS buttons. No option menu exists that allows remapping of the buttons.
The other functions worked, and I will focus on these features. Notes are organized into individual bitmap files, stored on either storage card or main memory. I only have one SD card, so I couldn’t test if one could select which expansion card to use for storing bitmaps. However, swapping one SD card on the Zodiac, between the two SD slots, still allowed for the saving of bitmaps without problems. A toggle button in the file manager in Notes allows for viewing doodles stored in the two locations. One can re-order notes in this view, although one cannot delete them without opening the scribbles. Once a bitmap is opened, there are options to save, save under a different file name, delete, and exit without saving. There is no integration with information management software, so one cannot use Notes to jot reminders set to alarms.
Each bitmap can take one of four resolutions: 1080×1440, 936×1238, 850×1100, and 540×720. The default magnification is at a 100%. Once a note has been created, a conventional doodle pad appears. The program supports half-VGA screens dynamic input area with rotation, adjusting without problem. The usual controls are available for drawing: 4 pen ink widths, an eraser, a pen drag option, and gridlines. A quick save and file delete icons are available on the tool bar. Users seeking to use such a pad to draw may be disappointed; there are only two colors available - white and a user-selected one. Changing the user-selectable color results in the entire drawing repainted with the new color. As I tried filling the screen with a large number of scribbles over the entire workspace, I did not notice any slow down.
Navigation ought to work extremely well, if panning and zooming are linked to hardware buttons, but I could not test on the Zodiac. Scrollbars are present, and incremental scrolling is fine, i.e. slow. Enabling pen-drag mode seems to be hypersensitive, i.e. fast. A useful orientation tool is in the ever present inset showing the placement of the working window relative to the entire document. The zoom out feature is not software activated, but a software enabled zoom-lock feature is in the menu.
I think this program stands on its own as a quick doodle program. My drawing needs are simple. Since I read a fair amount of scientific papers and attend a weekly science seminar, having Notes would allow me to jot data-figures quickly (if I could find a written-note program to link to these bitmaps!). Having individual notes (bitmaps) stored on the handheld or storage card allows for easy access from a desktop or laptop. Until the hardware buttons can be remapped on the Zodiac, other PalmOS-based machines would benefit the most.
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