Lenovo brings pen to screen… but there’s a catch

Owners of select Windows 8 tablets from Lenovo might just have a new tool in their arsenal, and they’re likely not even aware of it.

Lenovo has announced that it is bringing a free piece of software called “WriteIt” to some of its pen-supporting devices, allowing you to do your scribbling thing on screen and have that translated, taking notes on the display and even just using apps that normally ask you to type.

Characters and words can apparently be translated in real time using the software, allowing you to write in Twitter, or Facebook, or emails and commands using your hands, which for many might be easier and more comfortable than fast on-screen typing.

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“While touch technology has fundamentally changed the way consumers use their PCs and other devices today, handwriting technology has lagged behind, until now with WriteIt,” said Mark Cohen, Vice President of Lenovo’s Ecosystem and Monetisation Business Group.

“Users told us they wanted a more natural, intuitive and accurate handwriting experience, and that’s exactly what WriteIt delivers.”

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We’re told the technology has taken Lenovo around two years to develop, with WriteIt working only on pen-enabled devices at this time. Unfortunately, that means that Lenovo’s Yoga 3 Pro is out of the loop on this one, with that “catch” we mentioned in the title being device support.

At the moment, Lenovo WriteIt will work on computers that are compatible with its AnyPen technology, making that the ThinkPad Yoga, ThinkPad Helix, ThinkPad 10, and Yoga Tablet 2 8 inch with Windows.

That said, Lenovo did send word that it would like to expand the product support soon, meaning we could see new products or possibly some updates rolled out for other products.

For now, if you have a supported Lenovo device, you’ll find the WriteIt software for free from Lenovo’s website on the matter, while everyone else can just keep the pen and pad handy.