My first thought was the rodent, until I read the second paragraph. Seemed a bit premature to announce that extinction.
After reading the article, I have to say that the digital pen is a step down from the mouse. The mouse is easier to aim, since it can be held steady much more easily.
I hate, hate, hate pens, and writing, and I hate all these efforts to force us back to them. The keyboard was a device of liberation for me. I can’t imagine how my life would have turned out without it.
It takes a skill to use a keyboard. So those without are always going to want to see it die.
I have wondered, in all this time, why we haven’t gone to a better keyboard. It would use all ten fingers (if you have less, too bad, although you may still use it) over ten keys so your fingers don’t have to reach for any key. One thumb is a shift key, the other a mouse. 255 characters are typed as chords giving 510 different possibilities which is comparable to a 101 key, keyboard. The shift key could be a rocker with more than two positions giving more combinations if needed.
I don’t think it would be any harder to learn than a dvorak or qwerty keyboard and might cost less for having fewer switches.
I also wish more programmable keyboards were available, but apparently there isn’t much demand for them.
A long, long time ago I saw a keyball–it used the five fingers in different combinations (each finger would control multiple contacts) and could get all 128 ascii characters (some were easier to type than others). Supposedly after a bit of training it was nearly as fast as a keyboard. You could use the keyball with one hand and the mouse with the other.
I have wondered, in all this time, why we haven’t gone to a better keyboard.
Because of the cost of replacing literally tens of millions of keyboards in the US alone.
Even given a superior design, you’ll need investors, a plant, train employees, then sell them. You’ll have to convince people your keyboard is worth buying and spend the money. You’ll need to convince a large-enough number of them to switch in order to a)make a profit, and b)establish a user footprint large enough to get other hardware & software companies to adopt the new standard. Remember Zip drives? Betamax? HD-DVD?
Businesses would resist because not only would they have to pay for new keyboards, but re-train everyone to use them. Not to mention the cost of rewriting all the software out there.
The latter applies to consumer software as well.
I’ll also point out that -despite its recognized ergonomic superiority- the dvorak keyboard is still an incredibly tiny niche item. And it uses the same keys as a qwerty keyboard.
One of the other flaws in your suggestion is the inherent need to memorize all those chords to produce characters. With current keyboards, if you press the “D” key, you get (surprisingly enough) a “D.” The only thing you have to remember is pressing SHIFT for upper case.
P.S. Querty keyboards do use all ten fingers. Just learn to touch-type. 🙂
I’ve been touch typing for almost forty years. Of course, diabetes has ruined my fingers, but I still type well enough. I did once have the head of engineering think it odd that I could type when he saw me doing it at a company I once worked at. Those engineers didn’t know how to type.
Because of the cost of replacing literally tens of millions of keyboards in the US alone.
No, that’s not it because you don’t replace all those keyboards at one time. Keyboards are constantly being replaced. It would just be a matter of changing the preference of some people. I told you what it was…
It takes a skill to use a keyboard. So those without are always going to want to see it die.
A different type of keyboard just requires a different set of skills. Actually, every keyboard requires different skills because keyboards aren’t totally standard. That’s why it’s a good idea to try any you may buy before you do.
Not to mention the cost of rewriting all the software out there.
Not required. The keyboard could generate exactly the same scan codes as a regular keyboard.
One of the other flaws in your suggestion is the inherent need to memorize all those chords to produce characters.
The keyboard itself could include training software at no cost (well, with so little memory to be the equivalent of no cost.) That’s one of the many advantages of the USB interface.
One of the other flaws in your suggestion is the inherent need to memorize all those chords…
Actually, that’s one of the benefits. You’re not supposed to look at the keyboard as you type. This way you can’t really, forcing you to learn the proper way.
You’ll have to convince people your keyboard is worth buying and spend the money.
Now you’ve hit the target.
Businesses would resist because not only would they have to pay for new keyboards, but re-train everyone to use them.
Also a valid point, but if it turns out this keyboard increases productivity, early adopters might go for it. Then it’s just a matter of it becoming popular enough for others to join the bandwagon. That never happened beyond a few with dvorak. I’d guess the same for this idea. Still I often wonder…
Gosh darn it, we’ve gone too deep in replies! I’ll put it here.
All that may be true, Ken, but answer me this: if it’s so easy, and such a great idea, how come the Dvorak keyboard didn’t take over the marketplace 20 years ago?
Thank you! 🙂
Have you looked at the iGrip?
If those were cheaper, I’d probably get one just to play around with it.
That looks interesting.
I haven’t hooked a mouse up to my MacBook Pro and I hate using the mousepad. I really prefer using the rodent.
I will be more than ready to change over when I can use it from Linux.
I don’t mind a trackpad for normal web surfing, e-mailing, etc. on a laptop, but if I’m doing anything with a spreadsheet or anything that requires a lot of clicking, dragging, etc., it’s a mouse all the way.
The switch to “natural scrolling” (reverse of traditional scroll-wheel behaviour) on OS X is a bit much, IMO. It makes sense to “natural scroll” when you’re dragging things around on a touchpad and/or touchscreen, it makes less sense with a scroll wheel.
When one of my old jobs went from a text-based terminal-esque interface to a mouse-based interface, it just about killed productivity. There are some repetitive tasks for which a mouse and/or stylus are ill-suited, for sure.
I am trying to remember the last time I used a mouse. Probably in the old days when I still had a desktop.
As Herodotus said, “Custom is King.” Learning to do without the mouse for us old folk will be something like trying to learn how to ride a bicycle for the first time.
Speaking of complaints about changing conventions, I’ll tell you what was really unnecessary and nonsensical: Changing chess notation from stuff like “knight to queen’s rook 6” to that pure row/column indicator. Probably it’s just my own age showing, but I always thought the former was much more intuitive since it is based on building upon relative positions rather than memorizing a grid.
And I like the old idea of maps, too, rather than _only_ GPS telling you just what to do now. This is why people using GPS get lost without a clue.
My Nexus 7 tablet has the ability to pair a bluetooth mouse to it and a little mouse pointer appears on the screen. You can interact with the tablet using the pointer like its a single finger swiping the screen. For web browsing it’s far more efficient with the mouse clicking between links and scrolling up and down pages. And it’s far easier to play Angry Birds with the mouse. But when it comes to looking at picture galleries or cropping a picture down the touch screen is nice. And when I get on a commenting tear I usually get flustered by the touch keyboard and bust out a bluetooth keyboard. The voice interaction is nice but it only works in a quiet room. you have to mute the TV or step out of a room full of people having a conversation to use it effectively.
I carry a mouse in my laptop bag when I travel, and use it. Trackpads are a poor substitute IMO.
Can’t say I would think to use a mouse with a touchscreen device though.
The mouse is one of the greatest inventions of all time. A friend of mine worked at Xerox when they were evaluation human interface devices. This they did by passing individual prototypes around to the staff, who would use each one for a a couple of days before passing it along. The mouse was the only one repeatedly stolen from later users from earlier ones. In its infinite wisdom, Xerox rejected it — along with the GUI. That’s why they’re the computer powerhouse of today.
I can’t use the touch pads on laptops nearly always want a mouse though on my old think pad was pretty good with the nub/pointing stick. Got away with not carrying a mouse.
Mice and touch screens are complementary technologies. One will not replace the other. And typing on a touch screen sucks.
I still like trackballs, and damn glad Logitech still makes them.
Seconded. The Trackman is IMHO the best trackball ever made. I do wish they’d make a version with more buttons on it, though.
The idea behind chords is to have less buttons that don’t require you to change position or reach with your fingers. The iGrip has too many buttons (especially all those rockers on the back) defeating the idea.
I envision two small devices that are almost hidden in both gripped hands. Or perhaps just one five button device where motion gives you a mouse and you squeeze it for different shifts? Hmm… five button gives you 31 combinations times the shift levels.
It’s probably a bad idea, but I wish the option were out there… especially if it was programmable.
Then of course, you could go the other way, the hands free eyeType…
I am and always have been a track ball guy. And because I keep my laptop next to me on my right side, next to my chair in the den / TV room, I type better one handed. [no jokes please…]
I also prefer the small size of the lap top keyboard as it makes it easier for my arthritic hand to type. Having said ALL that, I just don’t see the mouse going away. I don’t know of anyone who has entirely moved away from their desk top or lap top to use JUST a pad. And until they hold or get near holding all their data I don’t see the mouse going away.
My first thought was the rodent, until I read the second paragraph. Seemed a bit premature to announce that extinction.
After reading the article, I have to say that the digital pen is a step down from the mouse. The mouse is easier to aim, since it can be held steady much more easily.
I hate, hate, hate pens, and writing, and I hate all these efforts to force us back to them. The keyboard was a device of liberation for me. I can’t imagine how my life would have turned out without it.
It takes a skill to use a keyboard. So those without are always going to want to see it die.
I have wondered, in all this time, why we haven’t gone to a better keyboard. It would use all ten fingers (if you have less, too bad, although you may still use it) over ten keys so your fingers don’t have to reach for any key. One thumb is a shift key, the other a mouse. 255 characters are typed as chords giving 510 different possibilities which is comparable to a 101 key, keyboard. The shift key could be a rocker with more than two positions giving more combinations if needed.
I don’t think it would be any harder to learn than a dvorak or qwerty keyboard and might cost less for having fewer switches.
I also wish more programmable keyboards were available, but apparently there isn’t much demand for them.
A long, long time ago I saw a keyball–it used the five fingers in different combinations (each finger would control multiple contacts) and could get all 128 ascii characters (some were easier to type than others). Supposedly after a bit of training it was nearly as fast as a keyboard. You could use the keyball with one hand and the mouse with the other.
Here’s one and two that are not your keyball.
BTW, I’ve got one of these wireless controllers with a USB connector. Does anybody know where I can get PC s/w to use it?
Because of the cost of replacing literally tens of millions of keyboards in the US alone.
Even given a superior design, you’ll need investors, a plant, train employees, then sell them. You’ll have to convince people your keyboard is worth buying and spend the money. You’ll need to convince a large-enough number of them to switch in order to a)make a profit, and b)establish a user footprint large enough to get other hardware & software companies to adopt the new standard. Remember Zip drives? Betamax? HD-DVD?
Businesses would resist because not only would they have to pay for new keyboards, but re-train everyone to use them. Not to mention the cost of rewriting all the software out there.
The latter applies to consumer software as well.
I’ll also point out that -despite its recognized ergonomic superiority- the dvorak keyboard is still an incredibly tiny niche item. And it uses the same keys as a qwerty keyboard.
One of the other flaws in your suggestion is the inherent need to memorize all those chords to produce characters. With current keyboards, if you press the “D” key, you get (surprisingly enough) a “D.” The only thing you have to remember is pressing SHIFT for upper case.
P.S. Querty keyboards do use all ten fingers. Just learn to touch-type. 🙂
I’ve been touch typing for almost forty years. Of course, diabetes has ruined my fingers, but I still type well enough. I did once have the head of engineering think it odd that I could type when he saw me doing it at a company I once worked at. Those engineers didn’t know how to type.
Because of the cost of replacing literally tens of millions of keyboards in the US alone.
No, that’s not it because you don’t replace all those keyboards at one time. Keyboards are constantly being replaced. It would just be a matter of changing the preference of some people. I told you what it was…
It takes a skill to use a keyboard. So those without are always going to want to see it die.
A different type of keyboard just requires a different set of skills. Actually, every keyboard requires different skills because keyboards aren’t totally standard. That’s why it’s a good idea to try any you may buy before you do.
Not to mention the cost of rewriting all the software out there.
Not required. The keyboard could generate exactly the same scan codes as a regular keyboard.
One of the other flaws in your suggestion is the inherent need to memorize all those chords to produce characters.
The keyboard itself could include training software at no cost (well, with so little memory to be the equivalent of no cost.) That’s one of the many advantages of the USB interface.
One of the other flaws in your suggestion is the inherent need to memorize all those chords…
Actually, that’s one of the benefits. You’re not supposed to look at the keyboard as you type. This way you can’t really, forcing you to learn the proper way.
You’ll have to convince people your keyboard is worth buying and spend the money.
Now you’ve hit the target.
Businesses would resist because not only would they have to pay for new keyboards, but re-train everyone to use them.
Also a valid point, but if it turns out this keyboard increases productivity, early adopters might go for it. Then it’s just a matter of it becoming popular enough for others to join the bandwagon. That never happened beyond a few with dvorak. I’d guess the same for this idea. Still I often wonder…
Gosh darn it, we’ve gone too deep in replies! I’ll put it here.
All that may be true, Ken, but answer me this: if it’s so easy, and such a great idea, how come the Dvorak keyboard didn’t take over the marketplace 20 years ago?
Thank you! 🙂
Have you looked at the iGrip?
If those were cheaper, I’d probably get one just to play around with it.
That looks interesting.
I haven’t hooked a mouse up to my MacBook Pro and I hate using the mousepad. I really prefer using the rodent.
I will be more than ready to change over when I can use it from Linux.
I don’t mind a trackpad for normal web surfing, e-mailing, etc. on a laptop, but if I’m doing anything with a spreadsheet or anything that requires a lot of clicking, dragging, etc., it’s a mouse all the way.
The switch to “natural scrolling” (reverse of traditional scroll-wheel behaviour) on OS X is a bit much, IMO. It makes sense to “natural scroll” when you’re dragging things around on a touchpad and/or touchscreen, it makes less sense with a scroll wheel.
When one of my old jobs went from a text-based terminal-esque interface to a mouse-based interface, it just about killed productivity. There are some repetitive tasks for which a mouse and/or stylus are ill-suited, for sure.
I am trying to remember the last time I used a mouse. Probably in the old days when I still had a desktop.
As Herodotus said, “Custom is King.” Learning to do without the mouse for us old folk will be something like trying to learn how to ride a bicycle for the first time.
Speaking of complaints about changing conventions, I’ll tell you what was really unnecessary and nonsensical: Changing chess notation from stuff like “knight to queen’s rook 6” to that pure row/column indicator. Probably it’s just my own age showing, but I always thought the former was much more intuitive since it is based on building upon relative positions rather than memorizing a grid.
And I like the old idea of maps, too, rather than _only_ GPS telling you just what to do now. This is why people using GPS get lost without a clue.
My Nexus 7 tablet has the ability to pair a bluetooth mouse to it and a little mouse pointer appears on the screen. You can interact with the tablet using the pointer like its a single finger swiping the screen. For web browsing it’s far more efficient with the mouse clicking between links and scrolling up and down pages. And it’s far easier to play Angry Birds with the mouse. But when it comes to looking at picture galleries or cropping a picture down the touch screen is nice. And when I get on a commenting tear I usually get flustered by the touch keyboard and bust out a bluetooth keyboard. The voice interaction is nice but it only works in a quiet room. you have to mute the TV or step out of a room full of people having a conversation to use it effectively.
I carry a mouse in my laptop bag when I travel, and use it. Trackpads are a poor substitute IMO.
Can’t say I would think to use a mouse with a touchscreen device though.
The mouse is one of the greatest inventions of all time. A friend of mine worked at Xerox when they were evaluation human interface devices. This they did by passing individual prototypes around to the staff, who would use each one for a a couple of days before passing it along. The mouse was the only one repeatedly stolen from later users from earlier ones. In its infinite wisdom, Xerox rejected it — along with the GUI. That’s why they’re the computer powerhouse of today.
Actually, I was wrong. This is the greatest computer interface invention of all time.
I can’t use the touch pads on laptops nearly always want a mouse though on my old think pad was pretty good with the nub/pointing stick. Got away with not carrying a mouse.
Mice and touch screens are complementary technologies. One will not replace the other. And typing on a touch screen sucks.
I still like trackballs, and damn glad Logitech still makes them.
Seconded. The Trackman is IMHO the best trackball ever made. I do wish they’d make a version with more buttons on it, though.
The idea behind chords is to have less buttons that don’t require you to change position or reach with your fingers. The iGrip has too many buttons (especially all those rockers on the back) defeating the idea.
I envision two small devices that are almost hidden in both gripped hands. Or perhaps just one five button device where motion gives you a mouse and you squeeze it for different shifts? Hmm… five button gives you 31 combinations times the shift levels.
It’s probably a bad idea, but I wish the option were out there… especially if it was programmable.
Then of course, you could go the other way, the hands free eyeType…
I am and always have been a track ball guy. And because I keep my laptop next to me on my right side, next to my chair in the den / TV room, I type better one handed. [no jokes please…]
I also prefer the small size of the lap top keyboard as it makes it easier for my arthritic hand to type. Having said ALL that, I just don’t see the mouse going away. I don’t know of anyone who has entirely moved away from their desk top or lap top to use JUST a pad. And until they hold or get near holding all their data I don’t see the mouse going away.