Microsoft solved handwriting recognition over a decade ago with Tablet PC. (Disclaimer: I worked as a vendor on some Tablet PC goodness, and currently work for MS, though in an unrelated area.) My old Windows XP Tablet PC 2003 machine could recognize my chicken scratch with ease, and things have only gotten better since then. Handwriting recognition in Windows has never required a network connection.
As for notes, OneNote is by far the best note taking app out there (IMHO), I went an entire year in college without using a single sheet of paper. Though I understand Evernote's appeal as well. (It has always been a bit too heavyweight for me, I just want a really big piece of lined paper and some tabs for organization)
Can you recommend anywhere to learn about the capabilities of one note? I start to take a look at it and then get overwhelmed and vow to come back when I have more time to figure it out, but keep forgetting.
Can anyone comment on how is it with different languages? Or mixed languages?
For notes I use my native language, sometimes the language of the country I work in, and I mix in a lot of English as well. I think my android keyboard prediction (SwiftKey) hates me.
I haven't played with using different languages alongside handwriting recognition on a Tablet before, sorry. :(
In regards to just note taking though, I can tell you that OneNote doesn't have to auto convert your handwriting into text, rather it allows you to keep everything as Ink. OneNote then allows you to search your ink as if it was text, and that is the amazing part! Diagrams, sketches, math equations, etc, can all be searched as if they are a document. Really cool stuff. Again though, I am not sure how well it works across multiple languages. (Now I wish I had a proper Wacom enabled tablet so I could try it and find out!)
(You can of course choose to have everything auto converted into text, but for pure note taking I find leaving things as ink to be far more useful!)
As for notes, OneNote is by far the best note taking app out there (IMHO), I went an entire year in college without using a single sheet of paper. Though I understand Evernote's appeal as well. (It has always been a bit too heavyweight for me, I just want a really big piece of lined paper and some tabs for organization)