Palm Fitaly Version 2.0 Release Notes

Fitaly Version 2.0

This final release of Fitaly version 2.0 comes after several months of beta testing. Version 1.0 was already - and by far - the fastest input method on the Palm Organizer. Version 2.0 is even faster! Two major interface changes are responsible for this speed increase.

First, the systematic use of sliding to quickly achieve certain effects, for example to get capital letters and digits. Sliding is done by tapping on a key, holding the key down, and releasing it in another key. Experience has shown this to be very fast, much faster than a tap on a modifier key (such as shift or 123) followed by another tap. So this works very well for addresses and any text with a mixture of letters, capital letters, and numbers.

The second major speed increase comes from not having to do housekeeping actions such as opening/closing dialogs (in other methods) and relocating windows (in version 1.0). This is made possible by the new scrolling feature of this version 2.0.

Essentially, when you are in Scrolling mode, Fitaly repositions the application to take all the remaining screen space and scrolls it as needed. The whole application screen is relocated so that even the application title is relocated. The effect is as if you were lifting a slide projector and the image projected were lifted, the upper part being off-screen

Note that the Move key is marked differently to indicate this scrolling mode. You can still use it to move the Fitaly and you can also position it at the top or anywhere in-between.

Toggling between dodging and scrolling is done by a menu option or by a double-tap on the move key. In any case, you can still use the version 1.0 dodging mode which works very well with applications that have many fields, for example, Datebook. On the other hand, the scrolling mode is likely to become the preferred mode for MemoPad and for heavy text entry.

• All the new panels, with the slightly wider keys and Euro support.
   
• The side bar, with a convenient close button and a toggle between arrows and accents.
   
• Sliding letters produces upper-case letters and sliding punctuation marks produces digits.
   
• Fitaly defaults to an alphabetic state upon start: When you reopen Fitaly after closing it, the state is always alphabetic, not shifted, and without an accent modifier.
   
• Prefix shortcuts have been adjusted to the Palm V.
   
• Fitaly is now disconnected from the Graffiti shift state: Fitaly maintains its own shift state and is now immune to actions of other programs that change the shift state.
   
• The effect of Delete is achieved by sliding the Backspace key.
   

• A menu option allows you to specify the layout used for digits obtained by sliding punctuation keys. Set 12345-67890 for a column arrangement, and Set 12-34-56-78-90 for a row arrangement:
  
  Sliding to produces digits is handled completely at pen up and does not use backspacing (as is done for capital letters). It is therefore compatible with the requirements of numeric fields.
   
• Sliding any of the space bars produces backspaces.
   
• Sliding for accented or umlauted capitals is implemented.
   
• A + key is included on the umlaut punctuation panel at the former place of the degree key, close to the = and * keys. The degree key ° itself is now on the right space key of the acute accent letter panel.
   
• The new implementation of the information menu no longer requires holding the pen down until selection.
   
• Text selection in sliding mode has been made easier
   

You can provide comments and report your impressions on the Forum for the PalmPilot Fitaly. You can also send us an email to info@fitaly.com