Sometimes a technical concept sounds good on paper but, by the time it evolves into a product, turns out to have been a colossal waste of the developer's time.
Handwriting recognition has been one such technology.
In OS 10.2, Apple introduced Ink, a system-wide service that allowed handwriting entered on a pen tablet in any application to be translated by Ink into readable/editable text.
The idea was that you could whip out your PowerBook and Wacom tablet at a meeting and start taking notes just like you would with a pad and paper. Then, when you were done, the notes would be translated into text for distribution or future retrieval.
Suffice it to say, it is still a way off from fulfilling the promise of handwriting recognition. If you would be happy just to have handwritten notes stored in your computer without being accurately translated, it is just the ticket.