Google Handwrite: More than meets the eye

BANGALORE, INDIA: Unlike searching on a desktop or laptop computer, when you're searching on a touch-screen mobile device it's often inconvenient to type. So we strive to give you a variety of ways to interact with Google, be it by speaking your queries, getting results before you finish typing, or searching by image. Now there’s a new way for you to interact with Google: Handwrite for web search on mobile phones and tablets.

Say you're standing on a busy street corner, in a bumpy taxi ride, talking with a friend, or sitting on the couch with your tablet. Handwrite enables you to search by just writing letters with your finger most anywhere on your device's screen — there's no keyboard that covers half of the screen and no need for hunt-and-peck typing.

Well, this is what an entry on Google's Official Blog (http://bit.ly/M3kRO6) claims.

When we tried out the feature on a Samsung Galaxy Note, the results weren't exactly the same as promised. In fact, they were far, far away from it.

Instead of standing on a crammed corner, not opting for a bumpy taxi ride or while talking to a friend, we chose to be seated on a comfy chair. Then, we tried our best to 'write', with the Google: Handwrite feature activated. First, with a finger. Fail. Next, with a stylus. Same outcome.

The result: What we wrote was not what we saw. Even a simple 'O', written with a simple, circular motion, appeared like a twisted stick with a stem. Not as simple as it is being promoted as.

Going by the kind of ease the popular search engine talks about, it can't be an issue with the brand-new smartphone as well.

Only Google can explain what's with the new feature.