The VaioPad - it works!

2006-01-18

Warnng - this may get a little nerdy. Eighteen months ago I wrote an article for The Register about voice recognition, in which I questioned why there wasn't such a thing as a handheld voice recognition computer. It wouldn't need new technology, I argued, just the clever use of existing components. I even speculated that even my trusty old Vaio PictureBook, despite losing several keys and being virtually unusable as a portable computer, might suffice as a voicepad.

Ever since then I've wanted to find out if it were possible. Over the New Year I finally decided to give it a go, taking apart said PictureBook and re-assembling it. And guess what - it works! There's no reason why it shouldn't of course, but its still good to test these things out. That's what I'm sticking to, anyway.

There are some pictures here. I remain slightly bemused why the oh-so-innovative computer industry can't create something like this - I'm sure the market is there, and lets face it there's little to do other than package things up. I had high hopes for computer companies like Oqo selling a voicepad, but they don't seem to be interested either - now the Oqo ships with Tablet PC, all they have to do is ship a mike! Oh well, if and when it comes, you heard it here first.