I personally would gladly give up any kind of feel indication when typing, for a completely multitouch keyboard that could change to suit the task.
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Apple Researching Touch Surface Keyboard
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Sounds like what Mr. Fantastic would have come up with if someone asked him to design a keyboard.
I would tend to agree, but without any kind of tactile feedback, I'm forced to *look* at the keyboard, which would slow my work waaaay down.
You can re-invent rubber though
Like every has said, i think it'd be pretty hard to type with no tactile sensation, i'd probably end up getting frustrated with it and either chuck it out or throw it across the room.
- "There you go keyboard, you can torment me NO LONGER!!" lol
Or i could avoid the anger and frustration and just go out and buy a regular keyboard instead!
Ah, but I'm sure that you would agree that the wheel has been been massively improved over the millennial even if the original concept was first discovered long ago. Similarly, I think a modification to the keyboard such as is proposed here wouldn't be so much "redesigning the wheel" (that pun fits nicely) as it would be improving on it. I mean, we have to get beyond the typical keyboard eventually; input devices have to keep evolving into new and better things. This would still be a keyboard, but it would be an evolution of the traditional keyboard so to speak.
However, I agree that a keyboard with no tactile sensation would be extremely annoying. For some reason the iPhone works ok once you get used to it, but such a thing on a full size keyboard would be utter hell.
Had one a few years ago, pretty darn cool
I had some arm pain a few years back and bought one of these in an attempt to alleviate it. Not reaching for a mouse every 10 seconds was very nice.
I wound up going for a different solution, but the keyboard was pretty darn cool. The "gesture" interface was particularly powerful - e.g., you could program it such that touching down with your thumb and index finger and then twisting right would fire off a macro to do some action. The learning curve was a little steep but if you spend a lot of time writing code it could be a real time saver.
I wound up returning it primarily because of:
- The price tag at the time (I think it was around $300+)
- I had several machines I was using at the time in various locations and would have had to cart it around
- Switching back to a non-touch keyboard after using it for a long time was a bit of a bother.
It was pretty darn cool, though. Glad somebody's looking into improving the tech with better tactile response.
I had some arm pain a few years back and bought one of these in an attempt to alleviate it. Not reaching for a mouse every 10 seconds was very nice.
I wound up going for a different solution, but the keyboard was pretty darn cool. The "gesture" interface was particularly powerful - e.g., you could program it such that touching down with your thumb and index finger and then twisting right would fire off a macro to do some action. The learning curve was a little steep but if you spend a lot of time writing code it could be a real time saver.
I wound up returning it primarily because of:
- The price tag at the time (I think it was around $300+)
- I had several machines I was using at the time in various locations and would have had to cart it around
- Switching back to a non-touch keyboard after using it for a long time was a bit of a bother.
It was pretty darn cool, though. Glad somebody's looking into improving the tech with better tactile response.
I wonder how long it will be before we can just plug ourselves into our computers. There is more and more development going into how we interact with our computers to exchange information. It would be cool if we could just think about what we wanted it to do.
Don't knock it until you've tried it
I switched to a TouchStream LP in 2002 in an effort to combat RSI issues, which had gotten so bad I couldn't type for more than three hours a day (a serious problem for a programmer). I also have a MacNTouch that now resides in my MacBook Pro for when I'm away from a desk. It definitely took some getting used to, but after a few weeks I was typing more accurately and faster than I ever had before, and for up to 8 hours a day no problem. I was a terrible typist prior. I didn't use the right fingers for the right keys and had to look most of the time. Having only the 5 small bumps on the home row and thumb keys as tactile feedback for each hand forced me to start using proper form, and now I don't have to look at all. I only find hand drift to be an issue if I'm not using proper posture, and since I have a bad back that's not a bad thing either.
YMMV, but don't knock it until you've tried it. I can imagine some people may not be able to adapt to the lack of tactile feedback, but given a real try I bet most would surprise themselves. The gestures for arrowing, selecting, paging, mousing, scrolling, tabbing, cut/copy/paste etc., and the chords for Ctrl/Cmd/Shift/Alt all work incredibly well. When I go back to a regular keyboard and mouse it's like my thumbs were cut off. If you're already a fast touch typist your words per minute may not go up, but your overall interaction rate with the computer should. I see this first hand when pair programming, where it's hard not to get frustrated when observing faster typists with noticeably slower overall productivity.
As some in this thread have already commented there's a lot of room for improvement on the classic TouchStream designs. Better construction, slimmer aluminum design, Bluetooth on the externals, factory option on the laptops, or even backed by a display a la iPhone. If anyone could execute that it's Apple. I really wish they'd bring this back to market, or at least license the patents they scooped up from FingerWorks to a small third party manufacturer at a reasonable cost. Otherwise it's going to be a very bad day for me when mine eventually break.
I switched to a TouchStream LP in 2002 in an effort to combat RSI issues, which had gotten so bad I couldn't type for more than three hours a day (a serious problem for a programmer). I also have a MacNTouch that now resides in my MacBook Pro for when I'm away from a desk. It definitely took some getting used to, but after a few weeks I was typing more accurately and faster than I ever had before, and for up to 8 hours a day no problem. I was a terrible typist prior. I didn't use the right fingers for the right keys and had to look most of the time. Having only the 5 small bumps on the home row and thumb keys as tactile feedback for each hand forced me to start using proper form, and now I don't have to look at all. I only find hand drift to be an issue if I'm not using proper posture, and since I have a bad back that's not a bad thing either.
YMMV, but don't knock it until you've tried it. I can imagine some people may not be able to adapt to the lack of tactile feedback, but given a real try I bet most would surprise themselves. The gestures for arrowing, selecting, paging, mousing, scrolling, tabbing, cut/copy/paste etc., and the chords for Ctrl/Cmd/Shift/Alt all work incredibly well. When I go back to a regular keyboard and mouse it's like my thumbs were cut off. If you're already a fast touch typist your words per minute may not go up, but your overall interaction rate with the computer should. I see this first hand when pair programming, where it's hard not to get frustrated when observing faster typists with noticeably slower overall productivity.
As some in this thread have already commented there's a lot of room for improvement on the classic TouchStream designs. Better construction, slimmer aluminum design, Bluetooth on the externals, factory option on the laptops, or even backed by a display a la iPhone. If anyone could execute that it's Apple. I really wish they'd bring this back to market, or at least license the patents they scooped up from FingerWorks to a small third party manufacturer at a reasonable cost. Otherwise it's going to be a very bad day for me when mine eventually break.
thats one funky looking keyboard. i love the feel of my new aluminium keyboard. i have discarded the dell one and am using this now with my pc
I always wanted a keyboard like in startrek
In near future it will be everywhere.
But we dont have to wait until Apple develop this
This year Amex digital presented in taipei the world first True Touch keyboard
is wireless and operates at 2.4GHz RF range Modell Amex digital "TSK-VX7 "
It will be avaible on the marked in 2008...
This is realy cool
source:
http://www.techfeed.ca/?q=node/124
Now if APPLE could contact Amex or make a similar keyboard
but without those plastic buttons around it would be cool
Belive me Touch buttons can be Stable, i am a happy owner of mp3 player samsung K5 which has stable and very confortable touch buttons technology (I never have missed the buttons)
And i expect to get an Ipod touch to christmas.
I realy would like to see Touch keyboards and Multi-touch screens
as soon as possible.
Samsung and Amex digital and some others do have touch technology
but today Not a single keyboard exist that look like Startrek and are true touch keyboard, except of the comming Amex digital one.
AMEX digital web:
http://www.amexdigital.com
To contact amex:
Phone : +852-2503 3889
Fax : +852-25033816
E-Mail : kelvin@amexdigital.com
In near future it will be everywhere.
But we dont have to wait until Apple develop this
This year Amex digital presented in taipei the world first True Touch keyboard
is wireless and operates at 2.4GHz RF range Modell Amex digital "TSK-VX7 "
It will be avaible on the marked in 2008...
This is realy cool
source:
http://www.techfeed.ca/?q=node/124
Now if APPLE could contact Amex or make a similar keyboard
but without those plastic buttons around it would be cool
Belive me Touch buttons can be Stable, i am a happy owner of mp3 player samsung K5 which has stable and very confortable touch buttons technology (I never have missed the buttons)
And i expect to get an Ipod touch to christmas.
I realy would like to see Touch keyboards and Multi-touch screens
as soon as possible.
Samsung and Amex digital and some others do have touch technology
but today Not a single keyboard exist that look like Startrek and are true touch keyboard, except of the comming Amex digital one.
AMEX digital web:
http://www.amexdigital.com
To contact amex:
Phone : +852-2503 3889
Fax : +852-25033816
E-Mail : kelvin@amexdigital.com
Raizlabs is also studing a concept of Multi-touch keyboard
maybe apple will be intressed Talking with them.
As you know multi-touch is the ability to detect more than one finger movement just like iphone/ipod touch.
Now would you buy a Laptop like this? i know i would
Now this is not only a Touch keyboard using led light this is Multi-touch.
Anyone remember the Benq Blackbox mobile phone?
the touch-technology adapted to what thing you used:
Now Raizlabs apply the same, say you want to use your Keyboard
as a sintesizer one button click and the touch-keyboard change to this:
Raizlab try to work with someone to develop this
price will be under 500Dollar.
Read more here:
http://www.raizlabs.com/blog/?p=182
Feeling the buttons is not a problem:
"Tactile feedback is the largest potential problem. Since you dont feel the key go down the interface will need to compensate with subtle audio and visual cues to show you when a key has been pressed. Theres a lot of research that shows that this type of feedback works and can overcome some of these drawbacks. It may also be possible to have the keyboard push-back offering some haptic feedback as well."
maybe apple will be intressed Talking with them.
As you know multi-touch is the ability to detect more than one finger movement just like iphone/ipod touch.
Now would you buy a Laptop like this? i know i would
Now this is not only a Touch keyboard using led light this is Multi-touch.
Anyone remember the Benq Blackbox mobile phone?
the touch-technology adapted to what thing you used:
Now Raizlabs apply the same, say you want to use your Keyboard
as a sintesizer one button click and the touch-keyboard change to this:
Raizlab try to work with someone to develop this
price will be under 500Dollar.
Read more here:
http://www.raizlabs.com/blog/?p=182
Feeling the buttons is not a problem:
"Tactile feedback is the largest potential problem. Since you dont feel the key go down the interface will need to compensate with subtle audio and visual cues to show you when a key has been pressed. Theres a lot of research that shows that this type of feedback works and can overcome some of these drawbacks. It may also be possible to have the keyboard push-back offering some haptic feedback as well."
cool!
very cool pictures coolvibes,..yeah i would defintly buy a mack with that toucpad(make a poll...
and the keyboard are not bad either..
just wondering how's it like to use it for a long time..
like you punching the table/on air..
cool indeed...
very cool pictures coolvibes,..yeah i would defintly buy a mack with that toucpad
(make a poll...and the keyboard are not bad either..
just wondering how's it like to use it for a long time..
like you punching the table/on air..
cool indeed...
Also If Apple is going to release a Multi-touch computer in the Iphone/ipodtouch spirit they have to hurry
Microsoft is already testing their "Surface"
you probaly have watched it but if not go here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttgx9ygMXz8
Microsoft is already testing their "Surface"
you probaly have watched it but if not go here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttgx9ygMXz8
cool "table".But hey 5000$?
like they said it's only for comercial use not personal yet..Maybe in the near future 2011...
liked how you could just put your digital camera/cellphone on the "table" and it just automatic detected the pictures..so easy..no strings..
And the pictures was so real..
my dime..
Terrible idea. I STILL am not used to the iphone keyboard. I have WAY WAY more typos that I have to backspace and correct than I did with my Blackberry. Leave well enough alone.
I agree, what's wrong with what we have now? The latest keyboard from Apple are as good as it gets - you no longer have food getting stuck and it's got a nice ergonomical streamline design.
I can't imagine how one would practically utilise a touch keyboard, it would be strange tapping without registering what it is you're actually typing. There is a lack of feedback between fingers and keyboard.
This is realy cool.
I tried a similar keyboard (working prototype of a study) and lo-and-behold : It was abysmal.
Since it was a flat glass pane,it was void of any feedback.
Every type you made,you had to look directly at your fingers and then confirm by looking in the display if it had been registered..
It was literally typ-raise head-look-confirm-lower head-type etc...
I consider myself as a quite good at typing,but using 10-finger system was inpossible.
Found out that the study uses the keyboard to study tactile input for users..
So they can make the keyboard to emit sounds,light,vibration etc and then study how the users get feedback of them.
If I memeber correctly, light was poorest (you have to look at the keyboard to see the "key" get lit for a fraction of a second), sound was good but lacked specification if the "right" key was pressed.Vibration of keyboard was allso good but same problem as sound.
The most promising was a small tap/vibration under the pushed key.
Apparently the problems are in the technical area as small enough servos/stuff is hard to place on the top of the screen while keeping the invisible/unnoticeable and make them durable enough for long time use.
But,intresting *****.
Especially for the laptops.
I've got a Dvorak mac-n-touch in an old Titanium Powerbook - it's a drop-in replacement for the original keyboard. It did take some getting used to typing without any tactile feedback, but I love how only the slightest touch is required to register a key press, you don't have to go back and forth for the mouse, and the corded short cuts are awesome (ie - three fingers and a thumb swept upward to 'previous page' in Safari - no driving the mouse pointer all over). It has built-in circuitry to compensate when you get a little off-center on the keys - I touch-type exclusively (usually using a QWERTY keyboard with a DVORAK keymap, so looking at the keys isn't much of an option). The multi-touch keyboard is still almost impossible to use if you aren't sitting squared up to it - you end up missing keys around the edges of the board, and the extra electronics do seem to drain the battery faster. Also, it won't register two simultaneous key presses - so pressing 'up' and 'left' to move diagonally in a game just won't work - although I'm sure you could define custom movements for anything.
Overall I'll really miss it (and the native dvorak layout) when I eventually upgrade. I'd be ecstatic if Apple offered an updated version. I'd be really happy if I could just order a standard keyboard hard-wired to dvorak. I was ready to buy a desktop multi-touch keyboard (just like the one pictured) when I found out Fingerworks had vanished - stupid expensive price tag and all. It was a sad day for gadget freaks everywhere. It's depressing to see the paltry couple multi-touch features on the macbook touchpads (three-finger scrolling and one other?).
I don't think I'd like a multi-touch display on a laptop anywhere near as much as having it on the keyboard.
ch
Overall I'll really miss it (and the native dvorak layout) when I eventually upgrade. I'd be ecstatic if Apple offered an updated version. I'd be really happy if I could just order a standard keyboard hard-wired to dvorak. I was ready to buy a desktop multi-touch keyboard (just like the one pictured) when I found out Fingerworks had vanished - stupid expensive price tag and all. It was a sad day for gadget freaks everywhere. It's depressing to see the paltry couple multi-touch features on the macbook touchpads (three-finger scrolling and one other?).
I don't think I'd like a multi-touch display on a laptop anywhere near as much as having it on the keyboard.
ch
The next Mac laptops will have two screens like the DS and multitouch, there really is no other way to go. The problem with no tactile feedback can be easily overcome by having a small text bar above the keyboard on the bottom screen so you can see as you type.
They will be awesome.
They will be awesome.