Comments on: Apple Tablet could have an on-screen, multitouch keyboard

By: wedding dresses

wedding dresses — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 06:18:00 +0000

I’m not sure. Speed typists usually don’t look down while they type.

By: Mobitrack

Mobitrack — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 12:30:00 +0000

It is necessary to consider as the first reason of a back pain inconvenient keyboard QWERTY. What do you know about the keyboard INTENSIVE?

By: wanorris

wanorris — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:04:39 +0000

It's certainly not a screen they have all 10 fingers resting on.

By: wanorris

wanorris — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:02:55 +0000

The holding part is another big thing -- using a tablet means you have no particular reason to be sitting at a desk.

If you're walking around, how are you touch typing at all?

A thumb keyboard for a phone is easy -- you have the rest of your hand to hold the device. But on a largish device, you could only reach a handful of keys with your thumbs.

The only way I can see this making sense is if the tablet is a wireless input device for a separate computer.

By: wanorris

wanorris — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:04:39 +0000

It's certainly not a screen they have all 10 fingers resting on.

By: wanorris

wanorris — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:02:55 +0000

By: Steve Scott

Steve Scott — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:36:34 +0000

I'm sure Apple won't expect anyone to type out a lengthy document/email/novel on a touchscreen (thye make nice notebooks for these purposes). I think it will more for short posts on IM, Twitter, etc.

If you have an iTablet thingy and simply must type up a novel just buy a Apple wireless keyboard: http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB167LL/A?fno...

By: Mikez

Mikez — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 14:36:23 +0000

I suppose it depends on your background with keyboard use -

Keyboards where originally part of a transcription device;
Eyes where for looking at and reading the input material while typing.
The right hand was the one you used to operate the carriage return, not the mouse.
(The reason for the tactile markers on F and J - hand positioning feedback)

Typing classes included tests with a either a blindfold or a hood over the
machine. Just to break people of the habit of looking at anything other
than the input being transcribed.

But keyboards are rarely used for transcription input these days (decades?).
Even so, I have to agree with Brad;
But my reason is because of the missing tactile and audible feedback.

By: dbg78

dbg78 — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 13:59:05 +0000

I'm not sure. Speed typists usually don't look down while they type. Of course, this is in large part because their fingers can feel where the keys are, but I think that, with an instantly adjustable FingerWorks-like screen, the point is that, no matter where your hands are, the right keys are always where you need them to be. Put another way, so long as the OS can always deduce where each finger is, it can map out the other appropriate keys under your hands as needed.

By: dbg78

dbg78 — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 13:46:57 +0000

What is someone looking at when they bang out comments on their iPhone?

By: dbg78

dbg78 — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 13:41:00 +0000

I'm banging these comments out on my iPhone right now. Doesn't seem to be a problem.

By: dbg78

dbg78 — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 13:30:58 +0000

Why be hunched over the tablet? Most folks aren't hunched over their regular keyboards. Plus, how many keyboards can instantly turn into something else, a multimedia player or secondary computer screen? No, the excitement about tablets (and surfaces) is much bigger. Think iPhone diversity + Enterprise-D console space.

By: Brad Linder

Brad Linder — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 13:01:12 +0000

Right... you don't look *down* at the keyboard. You look *up" at the
display so you can see your words appear on the screen and correct for
any typos, see incoming IM messages, etc. Theoretically you could
close your eyes and type but you're probably asking for a world of
trouble.

I'm not saying it's impossible for this concept to fly. I'm just
skeptical. And until I have a chance to see/try it for myself I'll
probably remain so.

By: Brad Linder

Brad Linder — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:43:07 +0000

Right, but that's because you have a thumb keyboard so you can hold
the iPhone with both hands and type away while it's in front of your
eyes.

Imagine if it had a ten inch display and was too large to hold with
one hand on either end and reach every key on the keyboard with your
thumbs. You'd have to put it down on a table to type - and if this
patent is correct, that's the idea. You'd use it like a normal
keyboard, with the tablet placed on a table or lap. And that means
you'd have to look *down* to see the display.

By: Brad Linder

Brad Linder — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:36:43 +0000

That's because you can look up at your screen while typing on your
keyboard. What exactly will you be looking at when you type on a
touchscreen tablet with the keyboard built into the display?