Continuing the conversation about gesture-based editing

From a teacher about students typing in class:

“I’m really excited about this! So many teachers don’t even use the computers in their rooms because their students can’t type so using the computer for writing takes excruciatingly long. Unfortunately, many teachers can’t get over the idea that computers aren’t glorified word processors so they don’t even use other software expect for the occasional teachers who’ll use PPT. But,

I can imagine a day in which students draft a piece on their tablet pcs using a stylus, easily revise and edit, possibly with “gesture based editing,” and develop their ideas further by seamlessly adding diagrams, labels, illustrations–even pictures they’ve annotated, all with the use of a pen/stylus–just like paper and pencil!”

I need to get back to this app. Sounds like there’s a person enthusiastically waiting for it. Hmm. I wonder what minimal set of features would be useful enough to get them started? Would it be OK if I bypass the issues of compatible file formats and/or large files? Or would this make the application too brain dead?

My guess is that I could start out with a limited feature set, but eventually everything that would be expected and required in a normal keyboard-only app would be required in it too. That being said, the real value-added here is on the stroke-based editing so a trimmed down word-processing app would probably be fine. Ugh, I know I’ve gone down this road before :-).

(Sorry I lost the link to the blog I go this from…I’ll try to fix the link to it tomorrow.)