Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Strange New Keyboards and Mice

Posted by timothy on from the twiddle-my-twiddler dept.

robyn217 writes "Over at ExtremeTech, I just reviewed a few strange new keyboards--and they're pretty "out there". On Monday, we posted a review of a vertical keyboard (imagine a standard keyboard split in half, with both side vertical). Today we posted the review of something that doesn't even resemble a keyboard--it's a whole new system of input. Tomorrow and for the rest of the week, we'll be posting new reviews of strange, but interesting input devices."

27 of 378 comments (clear)

  1. Whoa... by Squidgee · · Score: 1, Funny
    "we used every keyboard for one to three days on our production system without falling back to our old standard model

    Brave, insane souls...

  2. vertical? by ansonyumo · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'd love to see my boss apply his hunt-and-peck approach to typing on that vertical keyboard. He'd probably end up in traction.

    1. Re:vertical? by Blaine+Hilton · · Score: 3, Funny

      The question though should be if that would be a bad thing or a good thing?

  3. "Extreme" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Let me get this straight...

    You post something nerdy to Slashdot, with a site whose articles are multi-paged, with images, running IIS and ASP?

    Jesus, that is extreme!

  4. I will part with my by Zapdos · · Score: 5, Funny

    Unicomp Buckling Spring keyboard when they pry my cold dead hands off of it. New sometimes is not better.

    --
    Get a free ipod.
    1. Re:I will part with my by UnassumingLocalGuy · · Score: 5, Funny

      Bah, you and your "imposter" buckling-spring keyboards. Sure, they may be brand new... but I rescued my IBM Model M (born 4-MAR-94, P/N 82G2383) from a dumpster, next to some old IBM PS/2 486. The poor thing was almost brown when I got it. Take it home, pop all the key caps, throw 'em in a mesh sack and toss them in the dishwasher, one cycle, and it looks almost brand new. I've had this keyboard for 5 years, and it definately got 4 years of heavy office use before I got my hands on it. Not a single key is dead--and it still keeps my poor roommate awake on late-night coding runs.

      --
      "Hu, ho, ho-ah-oh-oh-oh. Hu, ho ho-ah-oh-oh-oh. Mario Paint! Whoaaa!"
    2. Re:I will part with my by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Holy crap dude. I wouldn't be surprised if another killer virus (the next SARS) is cultivating this very moment on your home keys.

      Clean your keyboard, for the children's sake. In your case, I suggest using a blow torch.

    3. Re:I will part with my by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 2, Funny
      I will part with my Unicomp Buckling Spring keyboard when they pry my cold dead hands off of it.

      Man, don't those get in the way when you're trying to type?

    4. Re:I will part with my by zsazsa · · Score: 2, Funny

      10-JUL-86. Came as original equipment with an IBM AT. Has the square metal IBM logo in the upper right hand corner instead of the plastic IBM logo in the upper left.

      Beat that.

    5. Re:I will part with my by Zakabog · · Score: 2, Funny

      Well I got mine with my new IBM PS/2 486DX2 (66 MHz! almost 4 full megs of RAM! 256MB HDD! Only $3,000 at The Wiz) the keyboard was really annoying when I was trying to stay on AOL late into the night (hey I was like 13 and VERY new to computers) paying like $1 an hour or whatever the rate was. My mother would hear the keyboard and wake up to yell at me so I had to type really slow (which didn't help much, although if I typed at the speed I type now, the noise would have driven my mother insane.

  5. Summary of review: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Weird keyboard weird.

    Weird mouse good.

  6. One handed Keyboards by drayzel · · Score: 5, Funny

    The next big thing in Keyboard design will be one handed keyboards optimized for the internet.

    Sure there have been "internet" keyboards for awhile now with little speed buttons to launch your e-mail client or a web address. But a one handed keyboard will be optimzed for the #1 use for the net these days ;)

    A special IRC client could be included with each unit sold... you could call it jIRC :)

    1. Re:One handed Keyboards by lpret · · Score: 1, Funny
      The next big thing in Keyboard design will be one handed keyboards optimized for the internet.

      By that you mean optimized for porn viewing, right?

      --
      This is my digital signature. 10011011001
    2. Re:One handed Keyboards by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Thank you, Captain Obvious.

  7. Re:Sniff Test by ansonyumo · · Score: 4, Funny

    Depends on the vibrator.

    BWARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

  8. anybody remember.. by gl4ss · · Score: 4, Funny

    those ms 'ergo' keyboards that all the cool kids had a while back? with the blink-lights in the midle? (and the first keyboards i remember to have come with a warning-tag that using them might cause your wrists to go bad)

    and a much more further.. anybody got info on some spherical keyboards that were in use in 'ancient' typewriters? i just remember reading about something shaped like a ball that you had your palms around, that got swept away by the qwerty(i don't rember exact years when they were tried even, might have been 1800's, or beginning 1900's)..

    i tell you what i could use though, a keyboard that at the same time was dead silent, yet gave response to my fingers that the button was pushed, be totally flat too.

    come to think of it, screw that. i want one of those "do what i mean to do" devices.

    --
    world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
  9. Re:Sniff Test by glwtta · · Score: 4, Funny
    as a lawn mower has in common with a vibrator. (basically, nothing)

    pft, lightweight.

    --
    sic transit gloria mundi
  10. But where are the PICTURES? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    It's all text. I don't want to READ about the designs of the keyboard. I want to see what the fuck they look like!

  11. Side view mirrors by xRelisH · · Score: 4, Funny

    Those mirrors on the vertical keyboard should have some small fineprint saying:
    "keys in mirror are closer than they appear"

  12. Tomorrow, and for the rest of the week... by aftk2 · · Score: 3, Funny
    Tomorrow and for the rest of the week, we'll be posting new reviews of strange, but interesting input devices.
    Heh, this just means that this same story will be posted four or five times. :)
    --
    concrete5: a cms made for marketing, but strong enough for geeks.
  13. Re:Um ... by Theaetetus · · Score: 4, Funny
    Sorry, your 'exactly' link was more than a year ago... That doesn't count as a dupe. I personally joined up just 6 months ago, and your member number is higher than mine. ;)

    -T

  14. dvorakk by Flunitrazepam · · Score: 5, Funny

    hiollo guys iim usuing aa vdevorak keyborad to typ this ann itts gereaat!

    --
    1) Your analysis is based on bad assumptions so your result is way off. 2) You're a sick bastard for fucking a horse.
  15. Why use an mechanical I/O device... by Q-Hack! · · Score: 5, Funny

    When voice recognition works so wheel.

    --
    Some days I get the sinking feeling Orwell was an optimist.
  16. Press the "Next Page" Key by SEWilco · · Score: 2, Funny
    Turn the page for a better description of the maps.

    I rotated my screen in every direction but couldn't find the map description.

  17. My left hand... by goldfndr · · Score: 4, Funny
    Several years ago, when Microsoft came out with their "Natural Keyboard", my company bought one for evaluation. I arrived somewhat late and the other IT staff were discussing whether the split was in the right location. The letter splits were fine but Jr. High School typing class taught going continually diagonal - BGT5 on left and NHY6 on right - indicating that the 6 key should be on the right instead of the left.

    I went to the keyboard and tried some typing without looking. Then I tried the numeric keys. Hey, the placement of the 6 key actually did match how I typed, unlike how I was supposedly taught. I proudly shouted:

    I use my left hand for six!

    Needless to say, some people misunderstood what I'd said...

    --
    Copyrights, Patents, Trademarks: temporary loans from the Public Domain, not real property ("intellectual" or otherwise)
  18. Re:Kinesis Keyboards by pctainto · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yea, I did that to my F12 key, only I didn't change it to :).... I changed it to "I had sex last night." Still waiting to press that button. sigh...

    --
    I think my principles are reachin' an all time low
  19. Re:Kinesis Keyboards by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    What's the 'LOL' key?