Make the pen cursor something users can see.

[Tim]

The reason there is a small dot is because if you are using a tablet pc
stylus you don't want a cursor blocking your view since you know where the
cursor is anyways. However the computer can tell the difference if you are
using a stylus or a mouse so there is no reason that they don't have a cursor
for mouse input and a dot for stylus.

If you are sitting beside a colleague or student discussing a document it is
natural to point to an item on the page with a pen to clarify precisely which
item you are referring to, or some particular aspect of the item.
I suggest this low-tech capability would be extremely useful in OneNote when
giving class lessons or a presentation.
This could be done by simply offering an option that the pen cursor be a
small pen icon the audience can see, instead of a small dot which is
practically invisible.
This occurred to me during a lesson in which I often had to stop and point
to the screen to show where I am up to. A visible pen cursor is a quick and
natural way to draw attention to a relevant part of a notebook in a lesson or
presentation.
I have since used this in the SmartBoard software which offers the pen icon
and it is great, but I prefer OneNote for a range of reasons.
OneNote is incredibly useful. This visible pen cursor and my other recent
suggestion, made in this discussion group, are the only additional features I
can think of to make OneNote truly superb for lessons.
Cheers,
Ad Astra
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[dmm5702]

I agree. It appears the MS Onenote people have replied to this question by
saying the not a request they are interested in implementing.


However, if they want there tool to be used in classrooms, webinars, or
other collaborative environment then people need a way to point at what they
are talking about.

How about some combination of the the stylus tip and a keyboard button being
depressed give use a visible cursor when in ink/pen mode.

Come, MS, this isn't asking too much

I completely agree with Ad Astra. I am a middle school math teacher and I hook my tablet up to an LCD projector. One Note is the perfect place to manage lesson plans. I can do demonstrations, print copies of word documents and pdf files to OneNote where than can be marked up.
But the dot cursor is nearly invisible to my students in the classroom!
The pen ico described by Ad Astra would be perfect.
Greg
EggHeadCafe.com - .NET Developer Portal of Choice
http://www.eggheadcafe.com

[Jim Ellis (Post Grad Student)]

I agree totally with the use of a different pen cursor.

I use a WACOM writing pad with One Note for some of my math classes and
drawing diagrams for some of my system design courses. Trying to find where
the small dot on the screen is located can be a real nuisance. It would be
nice to have the option of turning it into a pencil, like the pencil icon in
the "Paint" program that comes with most XP systems.

Sincerely,

Jim Ellis

If you are sitting beside a colleague or student discussing a document it is
natural to point to an item on the page with a pen to clarify precisely which
item you are referring to, or some particular aspect of the item.
I suggest this low-tech capability would be extremely useful in OneNote when
giving class lessons or a presentation.
This could be done by simply offering an option that the pen cursor be a
small pen icon the audience can see, instead of a small dot which is
practically invisible.
This occurred to me during a lesson in which I often had to stop and point
to the screen to show where I am up to. A visible pen cursor is a quick and
natural way to draw attention to a relevant part of a notebook in a lesson or
presentation.
I have since used this in the SmartBoard software which offers the pen icon
and it is great, but I prefer OneNote for a range of reasons.
OneNote is incredibly useful. This visible pen cursor and my other recent
suggestion, made in this discussion group, are the only additional features I
can think of to make OneNote truly superb for lessons.
Cheers,
Ad Astra
----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
click "I Agree" in the message pane.
http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx?mid=b760120f-f1dd-4e8b-ab73-817ca76407f7&dg=microsoft.public.onenote

[Kenrick]

I have the exact same problem, so I wrote a program that highlights the
location of the pen tip with either a circle highlight, pen, or pointer. It
does this for any program, not just OneNote, so you could also be in
PowerPoint or Journal or whatever.

So far it's only been tested/used on my computers, but you're welcome to try
it:
http://www.math.uaa.alaska.edu/~afkjm/techteach/?q=node/52

I've used it in a few of my classes, and my students seem to like it so far!