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pdaholic

macrumors 68000
Jun 22, 2011
1,842
2,550
I do. It's like trying to jerk off with my foot. That's why I use my phone and tablets primarily for consumption rather than creation. Anything longer than a URL is a chore to type.

YMMV.

I just gave it a go, and I have *come* to the scientific conclusion that your analogy is actually much more difficult than typing with the touch screen.
 

Moonlight

macrumors 65816
Jul 9, 2002
1,131
2,356
Los Angeles
This is NOT amazing. It is faking a truly haptic screen with gel pockets. It should not be called "Phorm", it should be called "Fauxrm"
 

Digital Skunk

macrumors G3
Dec 23, 2006
8,097
923
In my imagination
Seems like a complex solution to not much of a real problem.

Also not adaptive/responsive in any way, so as soon as Apple even slightly changes the layout of the standard keyboard, you've got yourself an overpriced basic cover.

I was thinking the same thing. Since you can't move the dots you can't change the keyboard or download 3rd party keys.

You also can't use it in landscape or when you go into symbols or numbers.

It be better if they made this for folks that need braile and added the appropriate dots. But they already have better physical keyboards for that.
 

Popeye206

macrumors 68040
Sep 6, 2007
3,148
836
NE PA USA
Cool looking technology... has anyone tried it????

This is the sort of thing Apple should buy and build into an iPad... 3d touch screen... very cool.
 

AlecZ

macrumors 65816
Sep 11, 2014
1,173
123
Berkeley, CA
The tech behind this looks really cool, but if you want a portable device for doing lots of typing, laptops have been an option since the 90s.

In my lectures, almost everyone uses a laptop, but there are sometimes a couple of guys with tablets. I don't understand why. It looks painful to have to hold it up and type like they do. Looks like they type at ⅕ the speed everyone else does.
 
Last edited:

hooterx

macrumors newbie
Feb 12, 2015
1
0
Mistake

Do you notice that she still makes a typing mistake while spelling "over". Weird that they would not edit that.
 

DeepIn2U

macrumors G5
May 30, 2002
12,826
6,880
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
That is just bleepin' cool.

Looking at their site, they also have the ambition to have these be *built in* to a device, replacing the static cover that devices have now.

It looks like, in its current form, the technology supports different configurations of bumps, but only a few fixed configurations that have to be designed into the panel. E.g., one configuration could support the portrait keyboard layout while another supports landscape (not sure what this specific panel supports).



As of version 8, iOS supports custom keyboards. That would let them guarantee a match between the case and on-screen keyboard.

this product DOES have some serious potential for those visually impaired yet with the need to use an iPad. They REALLY should consider, design, and patent a brail version STAT!
 

Music_Producer

macrumors 68000
Sep 25, 2004
1,633
18
Nice, so it took us all this while to shift from a physical keyboard to a virtual, and now we're trying to emulate the physical keyboard again (while still being virtual)

Reminds me of all these 'analog tape machine' simulator plug ins for music :D
 

Tech198

Cancelled
Mar 21, 2011
15,915
2,151
neat....

but if users want raised keys, just use a Bluetooth keyboard.

Having a dynamic one here with buttons disappearing on me is kind of like a "ghost" story....

Wait,,, there were buttons there a second ago....
 

brinary001

Suspended
Sep 4, 2012
991
1,134
Midwest, USA
A solution to a problem that never existed being unveiled for just one niche device nearly a decade after capacitive touchscreens became widely used. This should work out perfectly for them! :rolleyes:
 
Really?
His stupid smirk face is the reason i wouldn't buy this product.

i think it's an advertising conspiracy
#advertisementGate

In terms of the product, i bet it will be overpriced, and the plastic cover looks horrid, likely may ruin the ipad's gorgeous display - no thanks

What would be more useful IMHO is a function surface pro-esque keyboard, light weight, back lit, and does not cost as much as the ipad(mini) itself.
 

nia820

macrumors 68020
Jun 27, 2011
2,131
1,980
While it's a pretty cool technology, do people actually still have problems with touchscreen keyboards anymore?

Touch screen keyboards leave more room for errors then physical keyboards. I have to press back space much more often on touchkeyboard then I have to do on my laptop. I type pretty fast on a physical keyboard. But with my iPhone and iPad i have slow down so I don't make any errors.

To be able to feel the keys are essential to typing without looking at the keyboard.
 

Dater

macrumors newbie
Sep 20, 2013
27
44
Don't hope to see this on Apple devices.
The displays are protected with hard Gorilla glass if you put this soft polymer layer on top it will scratch a lot.
 
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