Graffiti caught on, why not a chording board?
Given that people were willing to learn an alternative alphabet just to get a little more accuracy with pen input, I don't see why a one-handed, chord based keyboard couldn't catch on.
It's a must for wearable computing (even with voice recognition most people will want to be able to enter data quietly most of the time). Cleverly placed on the side of a tablet computer, one could probably enter data faster than a normal keyboard while using a pen at the same time.
If anyone could evangelize it, it would be Apple.
P.S. For those who haven't heard of a chording board, the idea is that you use combinations of keys to designate a character (like a steganographer).
It's a must for wearable computing (even with voice recognition most people will want to be able to enter data quietly most of the time). Cleverly placed on the side of a tablet computer, one could probably enter data faster than a normal keyboard while using a pen at the same time.
If anyone could evangelize it, it would be Apple.
P.S. For those who haven't heard of a chording board, the idea is that you use combinations of keys to designate a character (like a steganographer).
Comments
Originally posted by Nordstrodamus
Given that people were willing to learn an alternative alphabet just to get a little more accuracy with pen input, I don't see why a one-handed, chord based keyboard couldn't catch on.
It's a must for wearable computing (even with voice recognition most people will want to be able to enter data quietly most of the time). Cleverly placed on the side of a tablet computer, one could probably enter data faster than a normal keyboard while using a pen at the same time.
If anyone could evangelize it, it would be Apple.
P.S. For those who haven't heard of a chording board, the idea is that you use combinations of keys to designate a character (like a steganographer).
Chording keyboards have been tried before. The only models that I saw were for two handed use, it was a long time ago in computer terms (5+ years ago easily), and they disappeared from the market rather rapidly.
I think it had a serial port of some type, so you could dump your text. He used it in lectures. He was, of course, a geek.
Originally posted by Plague Bearer
Doubtful. DVORK (sp?) keyboards will become popular before chording will. Chording is too abstract.
Dvorak. I'm trying to get people to use it, but nobody listens to me when I tell them it's better than QWERTY. Just like they don't listen when I tell them that Macs are better than PCs.
Originally posted by Whisper
Dvorak. I'm trying to get people to use it, but nobody listens to me when I tell them it's better than QWERTY. Just like they don't listen when I tell them that Macs are better than PCs.
Dvorak is better, but that's a lot of relearning for a 10% speed gain.
the problem with Chording boards i suppose is that, since you're always using one hand - great though that is, especially if you'd like to have a mouse in the other - it will never get as fast as two hands going back and forth between themselves.
However, it would probably be awesome if you have to have your hand on the mouse most of the time.
Originally posted by OverToasty
Dvorak is better, but that's a lot of relearning for a 10% speed gain.
I don't care too much about the typing speed. My hands don't get nearly as tired with Dvorak as they do with QWERTY. It's really a night and day difference for me.
I'm not sure what I think about chording. I suppose I'll have to try it some day to see what it's like.
Originally posted by Crusader
I used DVORAK when teaching myself to type back in the day, and I loved it. Then I took keyboarding. BIG mistake. They force you to use QWERTY, gahhhhh! I hated it, and my WPM went from 45-50 with DVORAK to 35-40 with QWERTY. I tried re-teaching myself again to used DVORAK, but it was in the middle of college application season so that didn't pan out too well.
Yeah, you definitely need an adjustment period. The thing I did that helped the most was taping a DVORAK layout to the wall above my monitor. Once it's mostly memorized you can take it down (or lose track of it while moving to a new apartment like me).
Originally posted by Jellytussle
I knew a guy in college ( mid 80s) who had a one-handed chording device - he loved it, but i couldn't try it, since i'm left-handed. I googled around, and found it:
I think it had a serial port of some type, so you could dump your text. He used it in lectures. He was, of course, a geek.
How exactly do you use this thing?
Originally posted by PBG3
How exactly do you use this thing?
You use multiple simutaneous keypresses (think playing a chord on a piano - geddit?) to represent letters etc. Google for microwriter, they're still making a USB version. The guy i knew at school was definitely faster than me writing ( but , as i said, i'm cack-handed).
The problem, though, is that no alternatives have any traction. QWERTY is everywhere, so if you learn another keyboard or layout you either have to adopt the same keyboard or layout everywhere or get used to typing on multiple keyboards. Even Graffiti isn't doing all that well, or Palm would be in better shape. I would say that Graffiti is tolerated more than accepted.
I tried using Dvorak for a while, but since I was working at a computer store at the time, it simply wasn't worth it. Too much trouble switching back and forth.
Chording keyboards are kinda neat, but suffer the same problem. I remember seeing some really nice ones years ago... comfortable white plastic, built for either left- or right-handed use (one or the other), with a strap to keep it in your hand so you don't get a cramp. Don't remember who made it though.
- How much you type and how fast you need to type? If you're a programmer and you spend 95% of your time thinking about the code you should write next, changing alphabetical layouts won't speed you up. If you type from dictation then I guess you need all the speed you can get.
- Can you set up your "alternate" keyboard wherever you work? Most OS's can handle QWERTY and its non-US counterparts plus Dvorak. Linux is the only one I've seen handle a keymap that switched around keys like Caps Lock and Esc. The guy who set it up had to spend quite some time at it.
I do programming, write essays to school, write e-mails and stuff. When I need to write Finnish, my native language, I use Finnish layout to have access to scandinavian letters. Otherwise I use basic US QWERTY, because it is so much better at programming and general work. Using Unixes is hell when you need three keypresses to get ~.
I tried Dvorak for a while. For my use it was more trouble than it was worth. In the two weeks I got the hang of it but got mixed up when I had to change computers rapidly.
Instead of getting a whole new layout I'd like to get the ability to bind chords in addition to having my normal QWERTY. As in, f+j equals Return, d+k equals Esc, and so on. Using vi would be pure bliss then. But I'd have to get this to work ubiquituously, otherwise it'd just be a big mixup again.fjfjfj
Originally posted by Gon
Instead of getting a whole new layout I'd like to get the ability to bind chords in addition to having my normal QWERTY. As in, f+j equals Return, d+k equals Esc, and so on. Using vi would be pure bliss then. But I'd have to get this to work ubiquituously, otherwise it'd just be a big mixup again.fjfjfj
I think I'd spend most of my time accidentally chording and getting confused.