Re: [Tuxpaint-devel] An experimental tablet for TuxPaint

[Shih-Chin Y. <sya...@gm...>]

Hi, Bill:
Many thanks for your  comments.

As a matter of fact, I would like to make the tablet as simple as possible,
but with features like large drawing area, transparent. The tablet would
still require a tethered stylus, but not pressure sensitive.

Even though the prototype work for windows only for now, but with proper
drivers, it could also support Linux, Mac OS etc. And it could work with any
software other than TuxPaint.

What hardware features(buttons) do you think might help to put on the
tablet? Other than a plain transparent board?

Best regards,
Shih-Chin



On Tue, Jun 3, 2008 at 1:25 PM, Bill Kendrick <nb...@so...> wrote:

> On Tue, Jun 03, 2008 at 10:27:36AM +0800, Shih-Chin Yang wrote:
> >    Dear all:
> >    I found Tuxpaint to be a very good software for kids, but it might be
> a
> >    bit difficult for kids to use mouse to draw on TuxPaint,
> >
> >    I have been working on a technology to offer an economic tablet for
> kids.
> >    For the prototype, you could see the video demo at
> >
> >    http://www.imareader.com/coopaint.html
>
> WOW!  So I've thought about this a bit, lately.  I'm not sure if you're
> familiar with the Koala Pad touchpad for 8-bit computers back in the early
> 1980s, but after looking at:
>
>  * Wacom drawing tablets
>  * Digital Arts & Crafts Studio drawing tablet [a recent product, for
> Windows]
>  * My son's Manga-Doodle magnetic drawing toy
>
> ... I started thinking that a much simpler, much cheaper drawing pad should
> exist for kids.
>
> It would not need pressure sensitivity, tilt, or multiple inputs.  I
> figured
> that the technology behind the Koala pad (a pressure-sensitive pad that
> provided X/Y coordinates -- which you could use with your fingers, and not
> just with a stylus -- and a button for 'clicking') would be sufficient.
>
> I'm very curious to learn more about your tablet's features.
> Does it do pressure?  Is a stylus required, or can you use your fingers?
> What platforms does it (or will it / can it) support?  (Linux?  OS X?)
>
> $39 is a little steep, compared to the $50 or 55 we paid for the
> Digital Arts & Crafts Studio (that included software).  But on the
> other hand, it looks like you've got an enormous surface area for
> drawing compared to the lowest-end Wacom tablets (and your device is
> not 'kid-oriented' and goofy, and sounds like it would work with any
> software -- the DACS device is meant only for DACS software, though I
> hope to change that, some day :^) )
>
>
> <snip>
> >    I plan to make a product using the technology, but think I had better
> to
> >    do some market research before doing. Do you think if parents would
> buy a
> >    $39.99 tablet for kids to explore their creativity using TuxPaint?
>
> Feel free to pose this same question to our 'tuxpaint-users' mailing list.
> Also, I assume you don't mind if I share the link to your site, since
> you've
> already posted it here, to a public forum. :)
>
> Thanks, and good luck, and keep in touch!
>
> PS - Have you tested using your device on top of an LCD screen or laptop?
> (Since it's transparent, I can see it acting as an alternative to
> tablet PCs or 'touchscreens'.)
>
> --
> -bill!
> bi...@ne...
> http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/
>
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