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One-Off Keyboard Prototype Turns iPad Into Typewriter
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He's a design student. This is what they do. I saw him exhibiting it in London. It was quite fun to play with, but I was quite anxious of hitting the screen too hard!
He was a student at Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) and I saw the iTypewriter as part of the end-of-year show earlier this year.
What the pictures don't show is how nicely made this is. Yes - it's not particularly practical, but a hell of a lot of designs that come out of design teams aren't practical - no matter how cool they look.
All the haters probably say the same thing about all the impractical concept cars that get shown at the motor shows - and they can cost $millions to put together.
With tweaking I would buy this
First off, to all the people getting so up in arms about this thing, when was the last time you actually made something? ... like carved it, welded it, sculpted it, painted it? If the answer is never than you have no idea what you're talking about. The type writer looks like it's made from machined aluminum with working keys ... that's pretty awesome for a spare time / school project.
Second off, if he tweaked it so it was QWERTY and didn't charge too much (like less than $50) I would totally buy this! My wife, who's a design major, would love this!!
First off, to all the people getting so up in arms about this thing, when was the last time you actually made something? ... like carved it, welded it, sculpted it, painted it? If the answer is never than you have no idea what you're talking about. The type writer looks like it's made from machined aluminum with working keys ... that's pretty awesome for a spare time / school project.
Second off, if he tweaked it so it was QWERTY and didn't charge too much (like less than $50) I would totally buy this! My wife, who's a design major, would love this!!
Maybe he's been working on it in his spare time as a hobby? People who like what they do for a living will do it even when they aren't being paid for their own personal reasons, and not everyone has to devote 16 hours a day working to pay their bills like you must, so they can have recreational endeavors as well.
Or do you think model railroad enthusiasts, stamp collector, and amateur musicians all must be trust-fund kids as well if they can spend any time on their hobbies?
Why do we insist in converting a beautiful touch screen device, first into a laptop with keyboards accessories, and now into a type-writer. I think its ridiculous.
better get a laptop or and old type writer...
better get a laptop or and old type writer...
I don't think we have Trust Funds in Edinburgh.
I've now got an urge to start going to the ECA's degree shows.
I've now got an urge to start going to the ECA's degree shows.
Am I the only one who thinks this is rad?
Sure, it's a lot slower than just using the on-screen keyboard or a bluetooth keyboard, or using the dictation feature if you have the new iPad. But what this product DOES do is it forces you to slow down (assuming you're not a monster on a mechanical keyboard) and think about what you're going to say. The internet is full of those who speak too loudly and too quickly; perhaps what we need is something that makes us work for what we want to say, something that makes us craft our words in the same way that a typewriter makes us write knowing that erasing a keystroke is extra work.
Sure, it's a lot slower than just using the on-screen keyboard or a bluetooth keyboard, or using the dictation feature if you have the new iPad. But what this product DOES do is it forces you to slow down (assuming you're not a monster on a mechanical keyboard) and think about what you're going to say. The internet is full of those who speak too loudly and too quickly; perhaps what we need is something that makes us work for what we want to say, something that makes us craft our words in the same way that a typewriter makes us write knowing that erasing a keystroke is extra work.
I think the better approach would have been to make a realistic typewriter that was tied to Bluetooth. Just as high-end electronic pianos and keyboards have a realistic feel and action, the typewriter could have been constructed to be realistic in feel yet translate to a Bluetooth connection for accuracy and speed sake.
There is plenty of mocking going on in this thread but there are purists that think only "real" writing can be done on a typewriter because it "makes the creative juices flow."
There is plenty of mocking going on in this thread but there are purists that think only "real" writing can be done on a typewriter because it "makes the creative juices flow."
How? All time appears to be spent searching for oddly placed keys. Also, at least half the population spend their spare time thinking about sex, not what they are going to say. (maybe what they will say to try to get some sex)
How do yo know? I make useful things and make a lot of money. a lot.
I don't make idiot things no one will buy. They will only look at this thing on internet and make dumb comment on blog, but that's it for this dumb device.
So the only reason to make something is so that you can sell it? And someone who makes something that no one will buy is an idiot? That seems a brutally limited notion of creativity.
Car companies make concept cars that they know they never will sell. Apple's R&D labs are filled with prototypes that everyone knew would never see the light of day as products. Google encourages their software engineers to spend time on pet projects, the vast majority of which will never go anywhere. Leonardo filled notebooks full of machines that were impractical, impossible, or just silly.
The point is, it's often a very good idea to build or design something for the sake of building or designing something. You learn from the process, and perhaps you create something beautiful. And beauty is its own utility.
I love this thing. Why ask it to serve a purpose? It's funny and looks great and it makes you think. And for all we know, it did serve a practical purpose. Perhaps a design competition or (as one poster claims) a school project.
