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AlphaGrip's 3D Keyboard Ready For Pre-Orders
bic2k writes "AlphaGrip has opened their doors to pre-orders this past week. (Previously mentioned here.) Press release can be found here. They look a lot like an xbox controller, but contains 42 buttons and a analog stick. Shows up as a standard USB keyboard and mouse. Has a USB expansion slot, which will possibly be used for wireless connectivity. They claim typing speeds of 50 WPM or better after a month or so. They're waiting for 5000 pre-orders before going to manufacturing, so it may be awhile before they actually ship these."
It's hard to see from the image, but shift-drag looks like it could be a b*tch.
Is 50 words per minute suppose to be good? I can easily double that on a QWERTY keyboard.
Here's a preemptive posting of the press release in case they're slashdotted...
Hello Potential AlphaGrip Customer,
After over seven years of research and development, we have one of the world's largest keyboard companies, Sejin, ready to begin manufacturing our fifth generation AlphaGrip, the AG-5. Our final hurdle to launching our first product is to give Sejin a minimum order for 5,000 units. Sejin has built us great looking prototypes and we are confidant they will produce high quality AlphaGrips. The keys have a nice feel and work well. It took me about a month to reach an average typing speed of 50 wpm. Our ultimate goal is to enable AlphaGrip users to type as fast as they can think, from any location, in any position.
In order to get our first product out the door for under $100, we kept the bells and whistles down to a minimum, though we did include an expansion slot to make it relatively easy and inexpensive to add functionality in the future -- we plan to develop adapters that will plug into this expansion slot for a handheld computer, smart phone, TV remote control, or for wireless connectivity.
But, today we are bootstrapping to get a basic AlphaGrip to market. So, our first product is "simply" a handheld keyboard and mouse that looks like a sleek, futuristic game controller. When you connect the AG-5 to a PC running Windows, it automatically recognizes the AG-5 as a standard USB keyboard and mouse. The AG-5 comes with a detachable USB cable and a desk stand. It's great for typing while leaning away from your desk or when typing on a computer located somewhere other than an office (next to your TV or at the foot of your bed, for example). It's also ideal for typing on a laptop or notebook computer in any location and it's well-suited for video gaming.
I truly enjoy working on the computer while leaning back in my chair with the AG-5 in my lap. I also prefer to use the AlphaGrip on my laptop. The "mouse" is a mini-joystick that is not as fast or as sensitive as a traditional mouse, but it is still very functional and more comfortable to use.
We are not asking you to pay anything up front. We just need you to go to our electronic store and authorize us to send you an AG-5 and charge your credit card for $99 when we ship. You will not be charged anything until an AG-5 is on its way to you. Please consider buying a few as presents - you can be sure your friends and relatives won't already have one. And, if you know anyone who might be interested in purchasing an AG-5, please send them our way. The sooner we can give our manufacturer the minimum order, the sooner we can get you an AG-5.
AlphaGrip has the potential to become the dominant input technology for desk-free computing. It represents a 300-500% increase in text-entry speed relative to a pen stylus with handwriting recognition or a thumb keyboard, and it's much more comfortable than balancing a keyboard on your lap. With an AlphaGrip "anywhere computing" is a reality, not just a slogan. As an original AlphaGripper, you may very well be making history.
Thanks in advance for your support.
Michael Willner, President
AlphaGrip, Inc.
if you can really get the advertized 50wpm, this would be a great for a latop. I hate these damn compact keyboards and touchpads. It would be alot eaiser then carrying around a real keyboard, and it has a mouse joystick to boot.
404
How can I type on something that is shaped like a tooth? Looks like the N-Gage engineers have worked their magic once again!
You aren't free to do anything, until you've lost everything.
- a great design
- very clever shortcuts
- decent to great keying speed after training
- a real potential to help people with RSI
- a manual to teach the user to "key fast in less than xxx weeks without effort"
- an absolutely insane retail price
- zero chance to make any sort of dent in the entrenched PC-104-type keyboard market
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
I guess this is the opposite of the giant XBox controller fiasco then?
Seriously though, this would be great for a hacked XBox or PS2 Linux, but do they honestly think deskbound users will use it because "the AlphaGrip allows you to shift your body position frequently or even constantly without affecting your data input." I meam come on people, take a 5 minute break for gods' sake. Just get up and walk around or stretch. You don't need a $100 device to do it for you.
gadgetophile.com
I'm still looking for a one handed keyboard+mouse+controller where I can type still type 60wpm and keep my other hand free to... umm... (barely audible) fast connection... (mumble) pr0n ftp...
.deviatefromtheabsolute.
The page is rather slashdotted right now, but I managed to get a glimpse. Looks like this thing is just in time for the Doom 3 mania, with more buttons than you can shake a boomstick at! Looks like quite the excellent Doom 3 controller to me, although an additional toggle joystick would help things more. And there's a Google cache right here. Finally, I also found this prototype design of what looks to be another model -- interesting stuff.
to figure out how to hold it while moving your fingers around enough to get a fast typerate.
Im betting we'll see HL2 before the pre-orders stack high enough for production on this thing.
?SYNTAX ERROR IN LINE 42
Provided we can quickly learn to use this thing, it will be a great space saver. I will buy one after checking it out at my local store when it gets there.
If you lost your job today, don't despair. You may die tomorrow anyway.
Seems like it would be pretty nice if only I had three hands.
"Those with large hands may not achieve the same typing speed as users with small to average sized hands."
Some of us have large hands. Will someone please build a keyboard for us!
"To those who are overly cautious, everything is impossible. "
Now i'll be able to blast my way through level 7 in Word XP!
The "Insert Quote Here" line is almost as predictable as inserting an actual quote.
I doubt this'll do much to make a dent in the consumer market, however, it'd be neat to get ahold of one of those. Just to compare speeds between my QWERTY keyboarding and the AlphaGrip keyboard. I just need moolah now...
I can see this as a viable way for players of emulators or other games with poor or non-existant joystick/gamepad support to use a game pad in their games, other than that it is just a Neat Toy (TM)
Snowden and Manning are heroes.
Yet another word-based typing device? My sector of the target gadget-geek market, the ones who buy things just for the sake of it, don't type many words.
:-)
We type commandline, perl, XML, stuff like that.
My letter frequency counts for the stuff I need to do (i.e. not Slashdot) are way out of line with the letter frequency counts of "Standard English Text". Plus I use a whole load of punctuation, and some that just doesn't exist in that text.
I've used an AgendA microwriter http://www.bellaire.demon.co.uk/cykey.htm and CyKey for many years now, on and off. Great for text. Sucks for coding.
Mind you, it might be a good device for bloggers. They're not in my market segment
Quick wafting zephyrs vex bold Jim
LAZY KEYBOARDERS OF AMERICA UNITE!
Join the IFPMKU today!
(I Finger Pick My Keyboard Union)When I look at the pictures of that thing, I can't help but wonder how you're meant to grip it and type at the same time.
Similar to the problem I have with a mousewheel (I get a sore hand/finger from holding my finger above the wheel), I can imagine holding my fingers above the AlphaGrip's buttons while at the same time trying to grip the whole thing would be tendonitis city.
Anyone actually seen one of these in use and can confirm this for me?
gadgetophile.com
If I can type 50 wpm without taking my hands off the keyboard to get to the mouse i'd be very very happy.
looked all over google- nothing listed anywhere...no images, no froogle, no weburls.. nada...
every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
Blue screen comes up and you cant ctrl-alt-del because its a USB device. Such a good idea with one fatal flaw, its compatible with windows.
Dear aunt, let's set so double the killer delete select all
sounds good..
Not enough buttons! When going to a gamepad I always miss the flexibility that having 104 keys to bind gives me. If only it has dual analog sticks, though.
Make me a friend and I'll mod you up
I guess they figure the combination of hot chicks and little boys in the slideshow on their main page apeals to most internet users...
"Up to 50 WPM!" Wow!
With a standard keyboard, I can type 65+ and some people can go to 100+ WPM. And QWERTY was designed to slow people down!
all i an say is WTF were they somkin when they came up with this
The makers of these keyboard replacements always act like learning an entirely new style of typing is so easy that we should be ashamed for even thinking for a moment that it'll be hard.
In reality, most of us have spent years and years learning to type on a standard keyboard. It's a specialized skill.
Moreover, as it DOES look like an X-Box controller, and as I know how ten hours of marathon gaming can kill my hands, I wonder how they can really be sure it's MORE comfortable. I mean, my keyboard may have little to reccomend it, but, worse comes to worse, I CAN type on it without having to grip anything (Mmmmm Carpal), which would be impossible with their keyboard.
ad logicam Claiming a proposition is false because it was presented as the conclusion of a fallacious argument.
This may be off topic but I ache for the day someone will make a crossplatform (console/computer) FPS so that I can finally prove to my disbeleiving pals (and myself) that a good computer FPS player will always dominate a great console FPS player (each using their respective platforms). Sure you could hook up a gamepad to a computer and just play PC halo but then the console guys always fall back to "it doesn't have the same feel as an Xbox."
but I've had a 3D keyboard for YEARS. Now, 1D, 2D or even 4D would be impressive.. But just 3D?? bah......
Have you actually played Doom 3? Yes, there are separate keys for each of the (different?) weapons, and the flashlight, but from what I've played, Doom 3 has a much simpler control system than games like Unreal and Battlefield. They certainly succeded in making a simple, old-school shooter.
For Doom 3 the only buttons I use (other than the arrow keys and mouse) are (F)lashlight and (R)eload.
for great justice, this sig has been moved
The good thing about the standard keyboards: you can type one-handed or even one-fingered. 50wpm is fine, but I could care less. I want a keyboard that lets me do my work while I'm drinking coffee and eating my donut. With these other keyboards, I must use both hands. Worse, this one makes me use the mouse with my right hand only, sometimes I like to switch to my left hand, to relieve some stress.
Iv'e been uisng a prtoypote of tihs for a wilhe now. I lkie it a lot. I can tpye sxity wrods a mintue wtih aobut one precnte acucrcay. Im' tihknnig aobut getitng rid of my QEWTRY kyebarod atlogehter.
it looks like a pair of saggy tribal boobs.
i type over 120.. why downgrade
The keyboard looks spiffy, but that 50WPM isn't impressive. I already type at over 100.. Well, as fast as I think. :) If I have to stop and think about something, I stop typing. I wonder what my WPM could be on this. I blame my typing speed on years of playing the piano and sax. Oh ya, and writing on FidoNet. :)
Is FidoNet even still alive?
Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
http://freecache.org/http://alphagrip.com/features .html
footmouse.com
I believe using the feet to mouse around while typing with ones hands is the ultimate solution.
Meh.
1.Replace that joystick with a trackball. Maybe keep the joystick if you can fit it, dont fret if you dont.
2.Make a big version, if your going for a niche market, go for the niche consumer.
3.Get the hell off your high horse. Yea $100 sounds reasonable if you have seen the device in person, felt it, and felt confident you could control it. Frankly I would still wait 3 months for something so new and read alot of reviews. You expect me to spend $100 on a new joystick without even feeling it?
Does anyone think it would be good for coding?
500 dollar reward for tip(s) leading to the arrest of the person(s) who stole my sig.
Do other people see joysticks as an actual alternative to a mouse?
I haven't spent any time getting used to something like that but I imagine some people have. I can point the cursor from one side of my screen to the other with a flick of my wrist and that kind of speed makes me dislike slower (at least initially) forms of movement, like a joystick. The question is if I hold the joystick slightly off-center, will it keep moving in that direction or stop slightly off center of the screen? Traditionally, I'm used to seeing the former but has anyone used a joystick with the latter form of movement?
Really?
I didn't see any demonstration of their qwerty keyboard!. If they are trying to sell this "revolutionary" gadget they should atleast put a video demonstration on their site.
It's also ironic that this page(http://alphagrip.com/why.html), which says their technology is for 21st century, looks like something that was made in 1990.
How are we supposed to use this with one hand?
LK
"Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
this has got to be the stupidest shit i have ever seen on slashdot since john katz (i'm a serial acount-maker). i don't think i'd ever be able to work it, and i'm not sure that anyone else would (well, maybe some, but not many).
The More Laws, the less Justice --Marcus Tullius Cicero
...and normally upon seeing some lame attempt at a keyboard replacement, such as this, I'd ask, "Gee, pre-orders? How much is shipping to Fantasyland?"
But then I realized, shipping would cost a dime, because they're already in Fantasyland.
blog |
The claim that QWERTY was designed to slow typists down to avoid jamming typewriters is misleading.
What the QWERTY system tries to maximize is alternating keystrokes with the left hand and the right hand - most common words alternate between right and left hands when typing. This stopped most jamming because jams most frequently occured when there were repetitive keystrokes on one side/one row/one column of the typewriter's keys.
This actually increased typing speed - many people are capable of speeds in great excess of 50 wpm. Also, though a lot of people hunt and peck, almost everyone who uses a computer in their job (whether it be a programmer or not) does touchtype, from sheer necessity. The amount of time it would take a slow typist to learn how to type 50 wpm on this device could easily be spent increasing their current typing speed to well over that on a regular keyboard.
Hmm. The keyboard is cool, but I was more thrilled at enjoying the green. If that cool view is his backyard, I don't think he needs to sell this stuff for a living. Or, maybe he does. That grass withg the lake is really cool. Then again, maybe he filmed this in a national park.
104 keys? The only true keyboad doesn't have 104 keys, it has 101.
It's the IBM Model M keyboad that doubles as a self defense weapon. Mine was made in 1986/09/06 and still works great.
Never speak of this 104 key bs again.
...it helps you pick up chics. (as evidenced by all the hot chicas using it on their front page)
Nothing disturbs me more than blind loyalism towards some unrealistic and over-idealistic notion of one's nationality.
Arrow keys and mouse are the ONLY way to really play a first person shooter. Playing with only buttons or a joystick is difficult... you simply can't get the super-quick turns and targetting that a mouse provides!
Meh.
hey, why the site is so slow?...
I had a hard enough time when I used to type on an "ergonomic" keyboard - not in the typing, which was great, but when it came to moving across the office and keying stuff in on random people's keyboards. Although it did keep 'em off mine for the most part. Still, these days I just use conventional (even laptop most of the time) keyboards and keep my wrists angled - using a curve rather than a strict home-row approach. Works fine.
But that's the point. Just like Norton Desktop, weird keyboards may or may not be better. Heck, my ideal would be a "natural" keyboard folded in two so that I could keep my wrists upright instead of bent over at all. But I don't want to lose the ability to type well on arbitrary keyboards either - something that's often underrated by the users' (or at least sellers) of replacement keyboards/mice/desktops/etc.
Just like a car. Sure, with drive-by-wire you could remap all the controls, but there's a certain comfort, safety and familiarity in using the standard pattern, no matter how "good" or "bad" it is.
You're special forces then? That's great! I just love your olympics!
I already type over 50wpm on a QWERTY keyboard. Why would I want to switch? My desk is already equipped with an under-surface keyboard try to prevent RSI problems. For /. readers and techies, the best keyboard change would be returning the CONTROL key where it belongs: next to the A key. How many people use the CAPS LOCK key more than the CONTROL key? At least DEC got that right with the VT-100. I'm still using an old Keytronic keyboard because nobody manufactures keyboards with a DIP switch to swap the CAPS and CONTROL keys. It still drives people nuts when they use my keyboard.
signature pending slashdot approval
This reminds me of the SpaceOrb. I tried one, hated it, and returned it. Why? It just didn't have the precision of a mouse or joystick.
Likewise, I learned to type on a dvorak keyboard. I don't anymore. Why? Let's see.
1. Finding a programmable keyboard can be expensive or irritating. Fortunately I found some old Gateway Anykeys that still worked for $10 each.
2. Relearning to type. This took me about a month to get past 1/4 of my existing typing speed (30wpm vs 120wpm).
3. Lack of portability. This was the real killer. It wasn't typing on MY keyboard that became irritating, it was typing on OTHER PEOPLE'S keyboards that did. Because I'd have to switch back over to qwerty again to do any work on any other system at a job or at a friend's house or for my parents etc.
I did find my hands were much less tired, so I assume were I a chronic RSI sufferer, I'd consider putting up with the inconvenience. But short of hauling my own custom keyboard around, there's no solution to the pain of having to re-adapt every time you go somewhere else. Are people going to carry this thing with them and hook it up to friends/coworkers/bosses/clients computers to do work? I doubt it.
Introducing the new Occam Fusion! Now with sqrt(-1) fewer blades!
This "3D" keyboard looks like it would be pretty uncomfortable after a typical 8 hour workday. How much does that sucker weigh? I don't have to hold my QWERTY keyboard...
"Obviously, I'm not an IBM computer any more than I'm an ashtray" (Bob Dylan)
Looks intriguing. If they ever come out with a bluetooth version, I may buy it. Just think how this might revolutionize the laptop computer.
If I can type 50 wpm without taking my hands off the keyboard to get to the mouse i'd be very very happy.
There's no way you can type and move a mouse at the same time. Anyone with a trackpad on a laptop can attest. My right thumb doesn't do anything when typing, but I cannot possibly use it to move the mouse while typing.. even though I can reach it just fine.
Just curious, but how exactly does one ctrl-click (suppose you want to drag a copy of a file in MS Windows) without getting a friend or a foot involved??
Many folks here are commenting (jokingly) about how this device can be used one-handed. I think what people need to accept is that this is actually a serious question: "How can I use this device while masturbating?" Loser jokes aside, many geek masturbate while in front of a keyboard, be it in some sexy chat (lucky) or thumbing through porn (typical).
I think this device could be improved by having a Penis Slot(TM). It would be a dimple (or Trench Option(TM), for the well-endowed nerd) on the device that, with the flick of a switch, would fire up the Force Feedback on "Unrelenting Vibrate " mode. Thus, at the user's command, the user can just move the whole unit onto his excited member and never take his hands off the keys.
Now, with *that* option, perhaps $100 doesn't seem so steep!
I don't make the rules. I just make fun of them.
Imagine the WPM you could get if you had a keyboard not designed to slow you down (the QWERTY).
If only people switched to something such as a Dvorak layout . You could easily double your WPM with only a little training (unless you were a great typist anyway).
get a trackball. I would love to get a Dvorak split with a trackball where my thumbs are (use one thumb to move the pointer, the other to click buttons).
ahem I was careful with my words "taking my hands off the keyboard to get to the mouse" is not the same as "type and move a mouse at the same time".
The quadruple bucky strikes back!
English is easier said than done.
Damn, best Idea from an AC ever. I'm using a microsoft ergonomic, and that wristpad has enough room to drill a hole and put a trackball in there... The hardest part would be finding some nice buttons to use for the mouse buttons. All in all, doesn't sound very hard. Super glue and duct tape, Ohhh yeaaaahh!
hahahahahahahahahahaha.... 50wpm... Why in the hell would I want to CUT my speed by more than half? I regularly type 90-120WPM on a QWERTY... In fact, I usually type so fast that people will stand up in the labs and look at me strangely (it really does sound like rapid gun fire)...
50... what a crock... Make it so I can type 200+ wpm, and we'll talk...
What the hell is that supposed to be? It looks like an xbox controller that was born with slight retardation.
What about shifted numerals? It looks like the user would have to chord both the shift and numeral key with their thumb whilst hitting the appropiate number with a finger. Not exactly programmer-friendly. And what of {}[]`~|\/?,.;:'" ? If they aren't all available then it's useless.
As for the word and email crowd, I couldn't see a windows key so they'd be screwed too.
Wouldn't it make more sense that if you are encouraging people learn to use a new input device that you would use keyboard mappings that are more efficient at the same time? QWERTY keyboard layout is not as efficient as the DVORAK layout. If you are learning to use a hand held device you may as welll learn a more efficient style.
Also, one handed typing would be near impossible with this device would it not? No more sipping coffee and typing!
I couldn't think of a sig.
Where's the key? What am I supposed to when I need to SysReq, or Print Screen? To say nothing of Pause, or Break...
--
make install -not war
Tablet owner's perspective:
The problem is that I could buy a Happy Hacking Lite2 USB and a good optical mouse for the same price as this thing. Yes, I have to take my hands off the keyboard to use my mouse, but then again, I don't have to learn a new typing method, either. The HH keyboard and mouse take more room, too, but then again, if they fit in a laptop case, that's enough for me.
The AlphaGrip seemed appealing for about 10 seconds, until reality kicked in. I can't think of a situation where I'd want the AlphaGrip instead of the keyboard+mouse. The mini-joystick is cute, but I doubt it'll make for an enjoyable mouse.
The USB hub at the top is next to useless, too. Don't they realize that having a memory stick is going to unbalance the thing, and that a cable is going to just get in the way?
I hate to get all down on them, because this was a pretty smart plan in theory: leverage joypad familiarity into a mouse/keyboard solution. But the execution seems to be lacking. Honestly, I have no idea how I would improve on the concept.
-Erwos
Plausible conjecture should not be misrepresented as proof positive.
*Phone tone*
The fingers you have used to dial are too fat. To obtain a special dialing wand, please mash the key pad with your palm now.
"Software is like sex: it's better when it's free."
It seems like with this "keyboard" you'd have to have your fingers curved and somewhat tensed to hold the controller at all times. This would seem to me to cause more discomfort than a regular keyboard where for the most of the time, most of your fingers are relaxed.
This seems to be a recurring problem with many "alternative" keyboards like chording keyboards and such. Particularly it seems to be a problem with keyboards intended to be more "mobile". So a tip to you keyboard tinkerers out there: design your keybaord so that your fingers are lax and fully extended while no keys are being pressed.
I was careful with my words "taking my hands off the keyboard to get to the mouse" is not the same as "type and move a mouse at the same time".
At first I thought that's what you meant, but then I thought of the laptop/touchpad thing and thought I must be wrong since that seemed to easy a solution.
I wonder if anyone sells a keyboard with a wristrest with an integrated touchpad.
Reading the page it says (and looks like) it is designed to be held by the pressure of two palms (or rest on the edges of the inner hand), not your fingers. Like the difference between gripping a coconut by the husk, and a basketball by the uhhh basketball.
My Suburban burns less gasoline than your Prius.
I don't quite get these odd keyboard configurations. They seem like more trouble (learning) than they are worth (a bit of comfort and speed).
I use a Typematrix. It's not significantly different from a regular keyboard, but it makes minor improvements that are very nice. I can go back to regular ones with no problem, which I don't believe you could do if you used this thing for an extended period of time.
Typematrix removes a few annoying features of regular keyboards. The keys are in a grid instead of staggered, shift is larger taking the place of the usual shift position and the caps lock, the enter and backspace keys are in the middle, and those are the major differences. No time spent learning to use a "futuristic design". But it is much nicer than a regular QWERTY. (Plus it has hardware dvorak support!)
... the virtual sex machine (http://www.vrinnovations.com/index2.htm).
And actually, it's even better than what you suggested! Or, uh... so I would IMAGINE... er, uh...
I see absolutely no reason to get this for a PC-keyboard replacement. I guess in extreme ergonomic cases, but something you have to set down and pick up, and CAN'T use one handed if you need to, and have you ever actually tried using a thumb controlled mouse...and...
Anyway, how I see this as a godsend is as a console controller. Plug this into your Xbox or PS/2, and you can switch instantly and seemlessly from kicking someone's butt in Mortal Kombat to taunting them in some sort of in-game chat.
Better yet, for games like FFXI, you have all the power of a keyboard, with all the compactness and 'lap friendliness' of a console controller.
And finally, as consoles become more and more 'internet appliances' you can take one of these and crash on the couch as you chat with your friends in Xbox Live. (I've never seen Xbox live..I don't know if there's a chat.)
Make a PS2 or Xbox version where I toggle between keyboard mode and 'controller' mode. Have it be PC programmable via the convienent USB port...and you've got a sale.
(Guess what, I didn't read the article. I don't know if it has Xbox support.)
--Welcome to the Realm of the Hawke--
I mean, I could see the possible uses in gaming, where the programmable combinations are endless. But excellent gamepads and joysticks are already available for a lot less. It might also be interesting if worked into the design of a handheld computer (but as for laptops, I'll take a laptop keyboard over one of these any day).
And for those who think these kind of gadgets are supposed to help prevent RSI, think again. To prevent RSI, it's much more important to focus on things like hand/wrist positioning, posture, and the like. Even something like the amount of pressure you apply to keys is a factor. Breaks help a lot too. I was developing symptoms of RSI 6 years ago but, realizing it, I made changes in my wrist placement and got a much better chair. Now I feel no discomfort, and I do a LOT of work at a keyboard every day. Hell, you could develop RSI using one of these AlphaGrips, if you used it improperly.
Yes. They do, in fact. We have several of them out on the floor at work.
It's been my experience that users actually hate this concept very much, and rather prefer a seperate mouse and keyboard.
Hence why they are on the floor.
Kensington makes a keyboard similar, but it's not DVORAK or Ergonomic.
I'm not sure you guys realize just what the implications of this device are.
1. You can tell your employer you need it because it reduces CT.
2. It's a GAME PAD.
Think about it. You can play games, VIDEO GAMES, with a GAME PAD, at WORK. You can then use THE SAME PAD, the EXACT same pad, to switch to your word processor/IDE... and then you can CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT without changing ANYTHING about your hand movements or position. Imagine how QUICKLY you'll be able to get back to productivity when your boss peeks into your cubicle and how quickly you can go back to gaming when he leaves! OMFG.
This.... this is the end-it-all slacker solution.
Because how will I be able to type with just one hand?
doh, I thought that was a great idea, damn yea now I renember them.
I'm out.
This whole thing stinks, I belive now that this will only work for a fraction of the people who buy it. Which means it sucks by user standards.
... is a very cleverly designed keyboard. Looks just like a nice generous pair of boobs. With that look, it can't help but succeed. Must be designed especially for dotty slashers. Be in quick or they'll all be sold out before you can turn it on.
How in the world does this get modded insightful? Did you even read the post you're replying too? He doesn't want to type and move the mouse at the same time. He just wants to be able to move his mouse without having to move his hand a foot to the left than a foot back to the keyboard.
Senior year in high school, everyone was required to take at least three classes. The three classes I took were: English, T.A., and just for shits and giggles, computer basics (typing class with a glorified name). This typing teacher demanded that everyone use home row, yada, yada. To be honest, I was cranking out usually ~80 WPM (faster than the teacher at 73) using my little version of hunt and peck. The people using home row? 20 WPM. I finished every lesson in just under a week and played games for the rest of the semester. How nice: English, T.A. for the English teacher, play games, go to Arbys, then go home. God I miss that.
Point is: People shouldn't stress stuff. If I can type better using my version of hunt and peck, leave me alone.
Who makes these keyboards? I've long been interested in one (or something similar) because I type with the keyboard on my lap and reaching for the mouse often means moving my entire body or chair to get it. While most users may hate such an idea, I'd be quite happy with one.
Where is the 'space' key?
DoIhavetotypelikethis?
Oh, so you are stuck on only using your thumb, eh?
What? Too good to use your nose like the rest of us?
Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
Have you seen the touchstream by fingerworks? I got one of these right after I first saw it for that same reason. Expensive, but cool.
One more thing I'll get phone calls about: "Hey, whats up, nothin man, just can't find the 'K' on my keyboard, you know where it is?"
Right now I am typing with both hands on my laptop, in the dark. I cannot see the keys. Sometimes I choose to type with one hand, albeit slowly, but it works when your other hand is holding a kid, or eating ice cream. Other times I stand up and key in letters one at a time using a single finger.
This keyboard offers none of this flexability. Obviously someone thought this to be a good idea, but didn't realize that it should be left at that. They need to meet up with the No Hands Mouse people. http://www.footmouse.com/
Why would I want to go from xx WPM down to 0 when my only option is to use both hands.
Good security is based upon reality and common sense. Common sense is a function of having common knowledge.
Is the design based on a living organism?
At last the hardware vendors realize that roguelikes are the future of gaming.
Do you think that this would be worth anyting for first person shooters? It looks like it might be awsome for RPGS... ???
http://www.DaveNet.biz/
XBox MMORPG's now that we can type in them?
I've experiments to run, there is research to be done on the people who are still alive.
This is a sign of impending doom. Someone has suceeded at creating something more retarded than the X-Box controller.
"The Problem: Limited Productivity of Desk-Free Computing"
"The Solution: A Patented Handheld Touch Typing Device" (Emphasis mine.)
"Lean Back, Relax, and Type as Fast as You Think -- Maybe Faster" (Is this a statement on how fast I could type, or on how slowly I think, or on how slowly this company thinks I think?)
This, followed by a timeline of input devices: chisel, quill, keyboard, AlphaGrip.
Am I too sensitive?
Raj Against the Machine! http://social-butterfly.appspot.com/
If I can type 50 wpm without taking my hands off the keyboard to get to the mouse i'd be very very happy.
Sure. No problem. There are different solutions.
Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
Over here in Holland it's actually required for you to take a 10 minute break if you've been working with a pc (actually any type of computer that uses a monitor) for 2 hours.
They look a lot like an xbox controller, but contains 42 buttons and a analog stick.
Oh, so more like a simplified X-Box controller.
Listen to the rabbit.
StoneCypher is Full of BS
What about keyboard layouts from different countries? How easy, if at all, can I adapt this alpha thing to cope with the different layout itself and also additional keys? How convenient are shortcuts to hit with this thing? control-c as an example I expect to be supported, but there are a ton of more involved shortcuts being used by applications.
We've got several halves of the story.
*Yes, QWERTY spreads the letters out.
*No, it wasn't because the close letters jammed. It was because _any_ letters typed quickly enough caused a jam.
*Yes, in the end it sped people up because of fewer malfunctions, but the goal was to be easy on the machine.
Sorry for the nitpicking, but I just wanted to get it straight (thanks to Cecil Adams' Straight Dope http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_248.html -- good bit on Dvorak, too)
Sony ha
It seems silly to have a chord keyboard that takes two hands. I found http://www.handykey.com/site/twiddler2.html more helpful. Means you can use a tablet pen in one hand and a keyboard in the other.
--
New thinking, old games
for my wearable computer! Using a pair of powergloves for the keyboard doesn't work as well as it does in the movies.
If You're using a Microsoft ergo keyboard, I suggest trying out the keyboard I've been using for over a year now; The Goldtouch Ergonomic Keyboard, It's pretty darn adjustable. Heres the website for you that want to check it out( 200$ on there.. 30$ on ebay );
:p
click Me
They recently changed their name from Goldtouch to Key ovation,sooo dunno how that'll work out.
"Comedy's a dead art form. Now tragedy, that's funny."
- Only able to type English.
Sindri Traustason.
Only 4 patents since 2001? These guys have got to get with it - everyone knows you're not a successful business with less than 1000 patents per year! /sarcasm
... a console controller for playing 'nethack'.
Vintage computer adverts: http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/computers-and-software-ads
Cool design, hands seem more relaxed then on the twiddler2 someone mentioned.
Mayor bonus is QWERTY compatibility, this helps when you are back at a normal keyboard. It also keeps first time users from being scared shitless. It's like QWERTY blind typing on the back of a gamepad.
I would love to use a binary velo type system on this thing: where a is one button b is another button and c is those buttons combined, then you would have zero finger displacement just push to type, no other movement. If you bother to learn the alphabet like that (coding the abc into finger-combos) you could do live subtitling, reach amazing speeds just like the velo type users.
To bad they didn't put such a mode into the ROM, easy to learn for QWERTY users and amazingly fast for those who bother to do some training. Maybe they have firmware so you can upgrade later.
--
Dennis SCP
Actually, while QWERTY wasn't designed to slow people down, it _is_ designed to avoid jams.
The thing is, the contraption consisted of (more or less) a semi-circle of thin levers, each with a little hammer with an embossed letter on it. All were aimed at the same position on the paper. You press a key, and purely mechanically the lever would swing the hammer at the paper. (Well, actually, at the ribbon.)
Also, because it was a purely mechanical contraption, the cheapest and most reliable way to build one was: keys that are close on the keyboard, would also activate levers which were close to each other.
Jams would happen when two close enough levers would be activated at the same time. Or close enough. The closer the levers were, the more likely you'd get a jam. (Again, purely coincidentally, this also meant "the closer two keys were".)
E.g., pressing "Q" and "P" at (almost) the same time would never jam. They swung from opposite directions, and it was pretty much guaranteed that one hammer would simply hit on top of the other. E.g., "A" and "S" at the same time (e.g., while typing "ASSASSIN") would pretty much always jam.
So basically, QWERTY:
1. was just supposed to prevent jams. (Which cost more in typing speed than a couple ms worth of more finger movement.)
2. was not designed to do anything to typing speed as such. Neither maximize it, nor minimize it. Whatever typing speed difference it produced, it was "side effect", rather than "goal". (And, again, a lot of it came from jam prevention rather than anything else.)
3. the _only_ typing speed consideration it received at all, was a rigged tech demo. Ever wondered why the "QWERTYUIOP" row? Because the rigged tech demo was basically "Look! I can type 'TYPEWRITER' quickly! It must be an optimal layout!" Hence all the letters in the word TYPEWRITER had to be on a single row.
(Hardly a scientific study, but PHBs bought it anyway.)
Furthermore, I'd point out that:
A. It did a piss-poor job even at spacing common letter combinations apart. E.g., even in their tech-demo "TYPEWRITER" they have letters which are near each other: "TY", "EW", "ER", and thus prone to jamming. "W" and "R" aren't that far apart to be jam-proof either.
B. if you've ever used one of those purely mechanical typewriters (no, some electronic thing doesn't count), you'll notice that typing was a different exercise on those. It involved keeping your hands above the keyboard and hitting the keys pretty hard. At the very least it's _not_ the same RSI prone position you'd use on a normal PC keyboard.
C. a PC keyboard doesn't jam.
D. Even if you do type the wrong letters on the PC, the cost of errors is next to nil. Correcting a mistake was a _very_ time consuming operation on a mechanical typewriter, since it involved physically erasing or covering printed stuff with white paint. By comparison, hitting backspace on the keyboard costs a small fraction of a second.
Etc.
So basically I'm saying that the considerations from which QWERTY was born, not only were imperfect to start with, they bear exactly _zero_ relevance to a computer keyboard. That QWERTY still works well, is more of a testimony to the fact that people can learn _any_ keyboard layout well enough, than some inherent advantage.
QWERTY, Dvorak, even alphabetical order, IMHO you probably just type faster on whatever you have more exercise. That's all.
A polar bear is a cartesian bear after a coordinate transform.
For RTS games, there were a few devices out. Out the top of my head there was the N-50 Speedpad which involved a one-hand control with 10 buttons, a directional pad, and the usual ability to map macros and the like. There was at least one other I saw advertised... looked vaguely like the Atari Jaguar controller complete with 50+ buttons.
Honestly, I have never seen either of the devices in use, but the people who reviewed them always seemed to find them handy. I suspect it's like buying an X-Arcade stick for playing MAME games, something that you do if you're hardcore, but probably not worth the cost for a casual gamer.
This sig has absolutely no significance and serves only to take up screen space and waste the time of the reader.
Other have already mentioned how hard special key combinations will be.
So it is more of a straight text input device rather then something to use for say browsing, launching an app or two and doing "computer" work. More something a typist would use for writing straight text.
Mmmm, many have tried to replace the standard old keyboard and so far the only change I have seen in the real world is the split keyboard and the ones in use in court rooms by clerks. Those devices I believe don't work with a regular alphabet at all.
So the only use I can see for such a device is for providing transcripts. Nice but there already exists stuff for that.
Oh well nice idea. Another replacement keyboard, file it in our cabinet with all the other wannabe replacements? Yeah I know it looks like the dumpster.
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
Guess you don't use your feet for the mouse?
* In my experience, joystick/joybutton mouse is almost as bad as a touch pad for doing CAD.
* In practice, my hands are not constantly on the keyboard. I'm referring to documentation, looking things up, drinking my coffee, etc. This looks like I'd have to carefully put it back in its stand everytime or else wind up hitting unwanted keys.
It's a good try, but I don't think it suits my needs. Keep trying though, I still want something I can use on an airplane.
A goal is a dream with a deadline
I do not see this improving my quake abilities. =)
Maybe I need a hobby since I'm looking at "corporate" images too closely, but it doesn't look like this fellow would really know what to do with (maybe he does reps of 20 or something).
She, on the other hand looks like the go-getter from the 22nd century and uses the keyboard as she waits in line for the CokeMobil food packets.
This lady would probably try to make a call using that device to her friends in Santa Monica.
Wearing pants should always be optional.
... or does this thing look like half of a cow's utter ?
Hey - where's the third mouse button? And don't tell me to emulate three buttons either - clicking both at once f-ing sucks.
The majority of the ones we have are by a company called CIRQUE. The model is a Wave keyboard (ergonomic, like the Microsoft Natural), and has a touchpad in the wristrest called a "Glidepoint." We have two models -- one has the Glidepoint in the centre of the wrist pad, and the other has it off to the right, under the directional arrows.
The two models are KXB340 and the GKB330. Actually, these both have it under the directional arrows, I can't seem to find one with it in the middle at the moment.
Allt he models have a single cable to the computer, which splits into a PS/2 for the keybaord, and a DB-9 as the Glidepoint is a serial mouse. You can either get a DB-9 to PS/2, or bite the bullet and join the 1980s.
The FCC-ID on both of those, if you care, is GYUR33SK.
We also have some Fellows keyboards that have a detachable rest, that features the Glidepoint as well. The wristrest/Glidepoint has a PS/2 connector running from the side. The keyboard model is KB-7903, with an FCC-ID of E8HKB-7903. The Touchpad model is KB99842, which appears to also be the part number for the keyboard.
Hope this helps.
Soooo... not similar at all, is what you're saying?
Slashdot: News for nerds. Stuff tha-- MICRO$OFT IS THE DEVIL!!1
Use the LP with your laptop by placing it on top of the laptop keyboard.
How dumb is there intended audience?
Norman Cook's Ode to Sl
Could you imagine using this thing with vi or emacs? I'm not seeing to many emacs shortcut keys from the picture.
I spent a few weeks during summer break doing data entry on an early series Thinkpad, and actually got quite good at using the eraser mouse while in the midst of typing. It's one of the reasons that years later, any laptop I buy must have one.
For modern day computer gamers, this is basically worthless. You cannot replace the mouse/trackball with something LESS precise. However, for a typist in an office environment or instant messaging, this is likely a good tool. I'd imagine just the difference in the ergonomics would reduce carpal-tunnel-syndrome cases. You'd have someone typing with a regular keyboard for part of the day, and this thing for the rest. Dictation services would benefit, since they only need around 50wpm and are typing THE ENTIRE SHIFT.
Now I know what they are doin wit all dem thar ol horse collars.
AlphaGrip's 3D Keyboard Ready For Pre-Orders
One "D" always seemed to be enough for me.
Nils
Technically, "there" is spelt correctly.
If you are going to be a pedant, at least point ou t that it was a grammatical error, not a spelling error.
Norman Cook's Ode to Sl
PARENT POST IS POOPIE
No, that was a spelling error. The writer clearly meant 'their' but wrote 'there'. The sentence does not make sense otherwise, so the intention is obvious, and it's a spelling error, not grammar.
The real problem ... ok, one problem of many, is that we are still typing every letter when in fact there is very high predictability in our language that makes shorthand feasible. And speeds things up. There is now software that takes the output from a court reporter's shorthand (see the keyboard) and expands it out to full words. And the first thing that we all learned in programming is the vowels are pretty much unnecessary.
Oh, and another thing, I am NOT recommending an expansion of the autocorrect function in M$ Word. Surely we can do better than that.
Now watch this swing.
I just read
Ok, how many of you console gamers out there are masters at whizzing through the key sequences required to completely crush your opponent or do that cool trick? I'll be generous and assume "most." Now, explain to me how in a matter of hours, you master the up,up,left,X,B,Y,right,down,left required for your favorite special move (without looking), yet typing on a similar device is: unrealistic to expect learning something different from QWERTY expecting people to touch type is rediculous (do you look while gaming?) learning a new layout "flusters" people (come on, you addicts buy every cool new console out there, most with different layouts) And as far as "ten hours of marathon gaming can kill my hands" goes, skip the gaming death grip while typing.
50 wpm after a month? Why would I want to switch? I'm at nearly 90 wpm on my standard keyboard.
They're generally smart enough to figure out that setting it on a laptop isn't the main idea.
Me too. It's a shame that Toshiba has moved to touchpads-only of late.
The trackpoint is just one of the reasons I love the sony c1 picturebook keyboards
well I just ordered one. I wonder how close they are to getting their target 5000 orders. I havent seen anyone else order one from slashdot, so I guess I must be #1/5000.