Dasher Available For Mac OS X

Fluffy the Cat writes "Dasher is an innovative predictive text input system that can be driven entirely by the mouse. It's been around for Windows and Linux for a while now, but a beta version for Mac OS X has just been released. Check it out, and take a look at that transparency option in the preferences! Next on the feature list is entering text directly into other applications ..."

Comments

utility of dasher on mac os x?

[firebat162]

Back when it was first announced on the PC/pocket pc, I remember it was designed for text input on a palm... something with cheap pointing (using the stylus) but relatively difficult text input.

Why would desktop/laptop users with full keyboards need to use this? It seems difficult for people with disabilities to use such a system.

Also, the need to constantly put your attention to the Dasher interface seems like a pain. With typing (or graffiti), text can be entered without looking at the the keyboard or graffiti area, so one can concentrate on what they are typing... but with Dasher, one will always need to concentrate on the input... just by the nature of it.

Re:utility of dasher on mac os x?

[Fluffy the Cat]

Why would desktop/laptop users with full keyboards need to use this? It seems difficult for people with disabilities to use such a system.

You'd be surprised - large numbers of disabled users do use standard hardware with additional input devices. There's other potential advantages, too - we've had RSI sufferers tell us that it's preferable to a keyboard (though this is going to depend on mouse setup, I guess).

One other thing is that kids tend to find it significantly more entertaining than a typing tutor, and it's fairly good at encouraging correct spellings...

but with Dasher, one will always need to concentrate on the input... just by the nature of it

The transparency feature of the OS X version actually helps here. Make it sufficiently see-through and put it on top of the text that you're writing, and you ought to be able to flick your attention between the two without getting lost. It helps if you make the text window font a fairly thick bold one.

Fun, but definitely a specialty app

[Anonymous Coward]

It is targetted to keyboard-free environments (eye-tracking, palms), or for disabled people.

It is a lot slower than typing, though if you are good with the alphabet and get the hang of the interface, you can probably get pretty good speed (if you accelarate the default zooming speed). I found that about 1/4 the time, I was searching for a letter that was hard to find, in an obscure part of the alphabet (I get confused about the order of mnopqrs when some are too small to see), and it slowed down my "Cruising" speed of mouse full right a little bit too often. Though, with practise, I think it can easily be conquered at full speed.

A fun thing to do is leave the cursor alone in the full right position and see what Dasher writes for you by itself:

"the pool will disturbed at his iebert ueous and there bstattle gold responday ends were areas arvedanger number how constant uttering to ops as growth of r arting up from erbejrrymen exhibition but not seems toynbake very spacetime ike you were"

ahhh.... dasherbabble(tm)

Re:Fun, but definitely a specialty app

[Fluffy the Cat]

if you are good with the alphabet and get the hang of the interface, you can probably get pretty good speed

The best we've measured is about 40WPM, so it's pretty close to a moderately fast non-touch typist

delightful concept, some rough edges

[aminorex]

the speed is difficult to control. i'm using a 450 mhz g4, which probably isn't fast enough, as it is frustratingly jerky -- i think the distribution of speed with respect to distance from the center is unsuitable, perhaps linear -- it really should be customizable. i find it quite difficult to select low-probability choices. i think this is due to an interaction between the unwanted square corners and the scaling of the character areas -- it would be nice to be able to customize the function mapping probabilities to areas. the square regions are deceptive at first -- expanding wedges might have been more intuitive.

overall, it's a great demo.

Re:psychiatrolmussagingornamezesewhat!

[udecker]

reminds me of the old HWR joke,

"How many Newton users does it take to screw in a lightbulb?"

"Foul - There to eat lemons, on rabid chain pudding."

Re:psychiatrolmussagingornamezesewhat!

[commodoresloat]

It can be controlled to a certain extent orsowevels since count of shill combinators were you fly in looked face on the oscillation for the most of the plates seexam question and advice ngelesnepublic cramn, but other than that ik seamstress to work pretty weel.

Re:Personal Experience?

[HotButteredHampster]

I am using Dasher to write this, after having never heard of it before today. I think that it is the most interesting piece of software I have seen in the last year.

It works better than any software has the right to. The interface works really well, and today marks the first day in a while that I have not worried if my job is giving me carpal-tunnel, because I know that even if I lose my ability to type, I will still be able to be productive as a software developer!!!

Plus, it's fun!

Anybody want to discuss developing something like a Dasher version of Inkwell for OS X? The only part of Dasher that I don't like is the need to copy-and-paste your text.