[thechat] Virtual Keyboard

martin.p.burns at uk.pwcglobal.com martin.p.burns at uk.pwcglobal.com
Thu Mar 21 04:01:00 CST 2002


Memo from Martin P Burns of PricewaterhouseCoopers

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Subject:    Re: [thechat] Virtual Keyboard


>Looks like their hope is to have this technology available for cell
phones,
>computer monitors, and more, not just a PDA.

Of course, PDAs and mobile phones are very much destined to be increasingly
intertwined...


>I already use a portable keyboard (Targus Stowaway keyboard) with
>my PDA that I love, but having this virtual keyboard would mean just
taking
>the tiny laser sensing device with me rather than the folded up keyboard.

The one thing they haven't mentioned is that you really do rely on the
physical feedback gained from pressing real keys which have real travel to
tell your brain that your fingers are doing the right thing.

I've used equivalent or similar devices (ie keyboards without real keys,
just switches without any actual travel) a couple of times - the ZX81
keyboard and a practise keyboard back in my piano playing days, and they're
very, very difficult to use with any speed and accuracy.

I would be very surprised to see many people who can type accurately at
speed (or even fast enough to make it truely worthwhile) on one of these
things.
Cheers
Martin

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