DailyDirt: Evolving The Touchscreen Keyboard
from the urls-we-dig-up dept
The QWERTY keyboard layout, which was created around 1875, was originally designed to prevent typewriter keys from jamming. This was done by arranging letters that were most commonly used together farther apart. While the QWERTY layout is still used today, it may not be the best layout for virtual touchscreen keyboards, so there have been many efforts to design alternative keyboard layouts. Here are just a few examples.- The new KALQ keyboard layout enables faster thumb-typing on touchscreen devices. In the new layout, all the vowels except for "y" are placed in the area for the right thumb, while more keys are assigned to the left thumb. After a short amount of practice, users were able to type 34% faster with the KALQ keyboard than with a traditional QWERTY layout. [url]
- Minuum is a space-efficient, single-row keyboard layout that uses auto-correction algorithms to intelligently predict the words users are attempting to type. The traditional QWERTY order of letters is mostly in place to make it easier to transition from standard software keyboards, and the powerful predictive typing algorithms ensure accurate text entry.[url]
- IBM envisions a virtual keyboard that can adapt to each user's unique typing style. The keyboard would gather data on the user's typing habits and compile an "anatomical profile" of the user, which it would then use to subtly adapt the keyboard to the user. [url]
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Filed Under: dvorak, input devices, kalq, keyboard, minuum, qwerty, touchscreens, ui
Companies: ibm, kickstarter
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chording...
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QWERTY origins story is a myth.
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/05/the-lies-youve-been-told-about-the-origin- of-the-qwerty-keyboard/275537/
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Re: QWERTY origins story is a myth.
Yes the keyboards layout was designed based on the results of how they were used. But the layout was designed to prevent keys from jamming, there are patents somewhere describing it.
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Re: QWERTY origins story is a myth.
But transcribing at a higher rate with a typewriter is actually called International Code.
Typing international code on a qwerty layout is very efficient. I did not know that a different keyboard had been in use prior to qwerty (learn something new everyday).
I got up to 25 wpm on a 1940's typewriter listening to a standard key but others get way faster listening to standard or a speed key.
As to the jamming issues affecting the design layout, probably not. I can jam up an old typewriter real easy. Layout has nothing to do with it.
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"..all the vowels except for "y".."
I've never understood the (American?) idea of "y" being a consonant...
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Re: "..all the vowels except for "y".."
And its English not American.
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semi-off topic...
grrr...
*now* i can type in peace without inane 'suggestions', etc...
art guerrilla
aka ann archy
eof
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Please, please, please put the apostrophe on the same set as the letters. Don't make me hit that stupid key swap button every time I want to type a contraction.
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