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News Pianist promises to usurp QWERTY keyboards

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by Gareth Halfacree, 24 Jun 2013.

  1. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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  2. Shirty

    Shirty W*nker! Super Moderator

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    If this ever sees the light of day, you can guarantee that our very own Margon will be one of the trailblazers.
     
  3. Pieface

    Pieface Modder

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    QWERTY is so implemented I'd be surprised if anything could replace it. No-one would want to risk on Laptops as it could be a massive failure, and it will be a very niche keyboard market.
     
  4. Guinevere

    Guinevere Mega Mom

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    No patent. No practical studies. No mock-up. No prototype. No product.

    No hope.
     
  5. sixfootsideburns

    sixfootsideburns modeteer

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    There is no way this will be 100% revolutionize the market. Not every needs and/or cares about being able to type 200 words a minute. I can type about 60 wpm at normal speed on a QWERTY (probably closer to 75 if I'm going for speed) and I wouldn't consider myself all that fast to be honest. That is still more than ample for my typing needs and I'm not likely to go learn a new keyboard layout let alone by a new keyboard just to increase my efficiency. My guess is the large majority of the market feels the same.

    I can however see this being a success with people who spend a lot of time typing. Secretaries, writers, etc.
     
  6. theshadow2001

    theshadow2001 [DELETE] means [DELETE]

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    The first thing that comes to my mind is to implement it on smart phones rather than with a regular keyboard. The more compact layout seems ideal rather than trying to squeeze a qwerty in on a tiny smartphone screen
     
    Last edited: 24 Jun 2013
  7. schmidtbag

    schmidtbag What's a Dremel?

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    I've considered getting a dvorak keyboard myself for a long time, but I don't really feel like re-learning how to type, and I'm not sure what I'd end up doing if I went to work or a friend's house with a qwerty. I do think it's a shame qwerty was used from the beginning for computers though. You'd think people would know better that a digital system isn't going to encounter the same jamming problem, and since it was basically a new era of machines, it would make more sense to attempt to optimize people's typing skills. It's not like typists were all that common back then.
     
  8. matt...

    matt... Slacker

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    Unfortunately, unless the keyboards are easier to learn to use and are given away free to schools, I cannot see this innovation having any more success than the Dvorak keyboard... the Dvorak keyboards didn't fail to displace the QWERTY because it was an inferior product - rather it failed to displace it because people had to learn to use it.
     
  9. Stanley Tweedle

    Stanley Tweedle NO VR NO PLAY

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    Well... Ironically I use an 88 note weighted midi piano keyboard instead of a PC keyboard. The piano keys are mapped to key presses obviously.
     
  10. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    That's actually the problem: typists were massively common by the time computers became readily available for use in the lab and, later, business. Offices would frequently have a 'typing pool,' a room full of women - and they were invariably women - who would type up correspondence on mechanical typewriters.

    When computers were first introduced, the majority of them didn't have a keyboard in the traditional sense: users would program them by flipping switches, or inserting punched cards - and the punch-card machine has a lot more in common with a mechanical typewriter than a digital keyboard, right down to rods that can jam if you type too quickly.

    Later, when it became important to input large amounts of text rather than small amounts of numbers, users would use Teletype terminals. Half computer terminal, half typewriter, these were again jam-prone mechanical devices - and served as the output as well as the input. Incidentally, if you've ever wondered why POSIX-based systems refer to their controlling terminals as TTYs: Teletype.

    Even when computers got digital keyboards and monitors, and stopped taking up a room and started sitting on or by desks instead, the QWERTY layout was maintained because there were loads of typists - not because there weren't very many. A company might be able to afford a single computer and ten or so terminals, but these would be used in addition to the dozens - or, in a larger company, several hundred - mechanical typewriters. If staff were constantly swapping between a QWERTY layout on a mechanical typewriter and some other layout on the computer terminals productivity would drop dramatically - hence the decision to stick with QWERTY even though arm jamming was no longer a problem.

    I would love to see a video of that in action - what sort of speed can you get up to? I assume you were already a pianist before making the move? I - as you may have noticed - do a heck of a lot of typing, and worry about the long-term effects. I've played with a few alternatives, including bizarre 'ergonomic' keyboards, but keep coming back to my Model F.
     
    Last edited: 24 Jun 2013
  11. Stanley Tweedle

    Stanley Tweedle NO VR NO PLAY

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  12. fix-the-spade

    fix-the-spade Multimodder

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    So if this takes off what happens to WASD controls?
     
  13. SuicideNeil

    SuicideNeil What's a Dremel?

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    Say hello to WAIE! :D

    Thing is though, this 'keyboard' looks like it would be rather small, so could easily be sold as an ad-on usb peripheral, just like a number pad or one of those gaming key pads. No need to replace your £100+ gaming keyboard when you can just have a ~£20 extra pad to learn this new layout with, and perhaps use for typing if you like how it works for you ( no great loss if it doesn't ).

    Now, to patent the idea... *trolololol*
     
  14. SchizoFrog

    SchizoFrog What's a Dremel?

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    While I agree that QWERTY is so implemented I think it would be very easy to implement. With more and more devices becoming touch screen all you need is to have an app that overrides the standard QWERTY software on screen.
     
  15. AiA

    AiA Minimodder

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    WASD

    ok you could use other keys for gaming

    anyway, the keyboard just looks a little complicated to someone who doesn't have a clue
    at least with the current keyboard, non IT people can manage to use it, i still don't know where that 'any key' is
     
  16. Nexxo

    Nexxo * Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock 'n' Roll

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    Don't forget the Telex teleprinter --it was email of the 60's! Two massive electrical typewriters connected by a dedicated phone line: a person types on one Telex, the Telex on the other end types out a copy of the text in tandem. For longer communications you'd spool a pre-written (as in: typed on the Telex in off-line mode) tickertape. My mother used to operate one and reach the fabled 100 wpm, but she had to strike the keys in an exact, steady frequency to keep input in pace with the data going out and prevent buffer overflow.
     
    Last edited: 24 Jun 2013
  17. jinq-sea

    jinq-sea 'write that down in your copy book' Super Moderator

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    Not true. He's got the right to claim priority back to that provisional application, retaining his filing date. Therefore, he could have a patent in the fullness of time :)
     
  18. LordPyrinc

    LordPyrinc Legomaniac

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    I used a split-key or "natural" keyboard for quite some time. While the key layout remained the same, the angle offset really helped to increase my comfort whilst typing and in turn increased my typing speeds. I switched back to a standard layout mainly due to lack of space on my keyboard desk drawer. I think it would be difficult to learn a new keyboard layout especially if you are switching back and forth between styles on a regular basis (work v's home). I'm wondering too if certain letters are more prevalent now in the English language as opposed to what they were when the QWERTY layout was developed. Altering the layout slightly may help improve speeds, but again, I would think it would be tough to adopt based on the prevalence of the current style.

    Never heard of anyone typing on a piano keyboard before. That's pretty cool.
     
  19. faugusztin

    faugusztin I *am* the guy with two left hands

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    Do you want high words per minute ? Type in Chinese :
    http://shanghaiist.com/2008/11/19/video_woman_types_at_520_chinese_ch.php

    Anyway, this keyboard is pointlessly complicated and one language only, so it really can't be used in globally sold products, which is pretty much everything on the market. His only chances are low volume standalone keyboards and maybe phone apps. Outside of that, no chance whatsoever.
     
  20. SAimNE

    SAimNE What's a Dremel?

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    i've actually been somewhat hoping for an more efficient key layout... but i've gotta say the image doesnt look like something i'd want :|
     

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