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New Keyboard Has Just 53 Keys
Posted by
ScuttleMonkey
on Wed Dec 21, 2005 07:46 AM
from the museum-piece-or-wave-of-the-future dept.
from the museum-piece-or-wave-of-the-future dept.
Enigma5O writes to tell us The Tech Zone is reporting on a new style of keyboard with just 53 keys. Departing from the normal QWERTY keyboard setup the 'New Standard Keyboard' designed by John Parkinson measures just 12.5 inches wide x 5 inches deep x 1 inch thick and is arranged in alphabetical order. The keyboard has been designed with ergonomics in mind keeping all keys within easy reach of the home position. The only question is, will everyone be willing to relearn how to type?
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My Theory of Keyboard Design (Score:5, Insightful)
I just counted on my own traditional 101-key keyboard 146 or so different values I could want to send to the computer. So let's use that number in a brief analysis of methods we could use to design a keyboard.
On one hand, you could have a physical key for each and every character/signal you want to send. Yes, even upper case letters would be a key different from lower case.
On the other hand, you could say that combinations of keys count for sending signals. This assumes the user can depressed keys instantly but this means that for each key, we've doubled the amount of signals we can send. So, the smallest power of 2 above 146 is 256 or 2^8. And this is fine because we have 10 fingers which is more then enough to hit 8, if required.
However, we don't want a keyboard with a key for every signal and we don't want to have to memorize combinations and press down on keys instantly to obtain the desired signal.
What we do want is a happy medium.
Both the 101 and 53 key methods provide that medium, I guess it's just a case of who came first (similar to the problem with Dvorak simplified keyboard [wikipedia.org] Which many people have contended is better than QWERTY yet has not taken off like it should have.
Unless this new keyboard poses some amazing qualities that set it far and above the old design, it's probably not going to take
Re:My Theory of Keyboard Design (Score:4, Funny)
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Re:My Theory of Keyboard Design (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:My Theory of Keyboard Design (Score:4, Funny)
Have you seen how most people use English? It appears they all think they're hardcore language hobbyists...
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Re:Spanish, English, and Keyboard Design (Score:5, Insightful)
Biba México!
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Re:My Theory of Keyboard Design (Score:3, Interesting)
I actually woundn't mind one of these if it would be QWERRty and have a light touch. Most keyboards I've messed with I can't stand. Only the laptop keyboards a re really good for me (due to wrist issues.)
I *love* my iBook kb.... wish I had it on all my machines.
macally iceKEY (Score:3, Informative)
I actually just purchased one of these: http://www.pckeyboard.com/customizer.html [pckeyboard.com] in a custom Mac and Dvorak layout and it's an awesome experience to type on. These people hold the rights from Lexmark and manufacture the modern day IBM Model M that is so coveted n
Re:My Theory of Keyboard Design (Score:3, Funny)
Apparantly it only takes a week to learn Esperanto. When everyone else speaks it, I'll only be a week behind!
I believe that argument was coined by a lady called Trudi Berger (not sure of the spelling, sorry), who used to be a specialist in language crash courses at York University in the 70s.
She used to help her students get top grades in modern language exams in a week (from scratch). The only proble
Re:My Theory of Keyboard Design (Score:5, Insightful)
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Re:My Theory of Keyboard Design (Score:4, Interesting)
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Re:My Theory of Keyboard Design (Score:4, Interesting)
Reforming keyboard design is like trying to reform orthography: noble, logical, and in the words of one of my professors, "Quixotic." QWERTY is at least as stupid and weird in its configuration as words like "through," which has almost twice the letters that it needs, vowels that can have any number of actual sounds (A: ash, calm, able). But as long as we keep writing like this, even though I, a Californian, only understand people in Yorkshire half the time (and that's if they want me to), can read the menus and signs, and I can read texts from 500 years ago even though the language has changed quite a bit. Likewise, I can type on any keyboard without feeling like a boob because it's ABC or Dvorak. Like with Windows and X86, it's all about backwards compatibility and portability.
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Re:My Theory of Keyboard Design (Score:5, Insightful)
And a, b, c, d, e, f is just as random as q, w, e, r, t, y. What we need is an international dvorak that is optimized for a common alphabet for a large number of languages. That probably will be so incredibly good it won't sell more than 2 keyboards. After all, the dumber I find an idea, the better it sells
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Re:My Theory of Keyboard Design (Score:5, Interesting)
Programmers type characters like { } $ ( ) = + more often than the general population. It would be an awesome geek-toy to have a keyboard which promoted these characters to their own keys and relegated those useless squiggles like vowels to Shift-Ctrl combinations
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Re:My Theory of Keyboard Design (Score:3, Insightful)
Ergonomic? (Score:5, Insightful)
Exactly. So this guy claiming it's ergonomic is full of crap. Alphabetical layouts are terrible for getting common keys under the home row because they have to use that fixed (arbitrary actually) order. I think QWERTY is bad too, but if we're going to change, lets at least put some letter frequency information into the design.
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Re:My Theory of Keyboard Design (Score:5, Interesting)
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Re:My Theory of Keyboard Design (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:My Theory of Keyboard Design (Score:5, Informative)
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Re:My Theory of Keyboard Design (Score:5, Insightful)
Who modded the parent informative? That's simply pure nonsense.
The Dvorak layout was patented in 1932, and thus the patent is expired. It was designated an alternate standard keyboard layout by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in 1982. The reasons it never 'took off' are twofold - First and foremost, 99.9% of anyone who learns to type, learns on a QWERTY keyboard. Secondly, and more to the point, it's been shown over and over that there is no inherent speed advantage to the Dvorak layout. Yes, some people prefer the Dvorak layout, but if you put two groups of fast typists head-to-head, QWERTY vs. Dvorak, the results will tend to be a toss-up.
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One word anwser (Score:5, Insightful)
no
Re:One word anwser (Score:5, Funny)
I hdva bewn psink thns ntw k3ybderd fgr tge lezt twd wqeks, snd I cvn hqnfstly sny twat ft hdz grwbhly omprpved py twpvng spwed mnd ackuraly.
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Re:One word anwser (Score:3, Insightful)
2) Big ccunoil tax ineesacrs tihs yaer hvae seezueqd the inmcoes of mnay pneosenirs
3) A dootcr has aimttded the magltheuansr of a tageene ceacnr pintaet who deid aetfr a hatospil durg blendur
Sinrlrsigpuy, it's slitl pttrey rdlaaebe rhgit? All words are scrambled according to the rule of keeping the first and last letter fixed.
http://www.mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk/~mattd/Cmabrigde/ [cam.ac.uk]
Re:One word anwser (Score:3, Insightful)
Typing text via mobile phones and 0-9 Numpads seems to be pretty popular, PDAs often use different text input as well, so people don't seem to have that much throuble with relearning. The throuble is that with desktop computers you simply don't have enough force to push them to relearn it, Dvorak or other new layouts might be better than Qwerty, but they are not that much better and neither do they provide any other significant benefi
Space Key (Score:5, Interesting)
Any keyboard without a big bar that either thumb can use to space will never take off in my book. But maybe the PDA market will like it
Re:Space Key (Score:3, Funny)
Of course, if they can get away with a keyboard design like this, my keyboard design should rule the world! Just images, all your keys arranged in a circular fashion on a lazy suzan. As you type, you spin the keyboard to move the buttons into position for striking. I'll be rich, rich I tell you!
Or maybe this Fisher Price keyboard isn't going anywhere. (Except out the doo
Re:Space Key (Score:4, Insightful)
I think that key is "Special Function". There are a pair of dark blue/black keys on the bottom row with a right arrow symbol on them. My guess is that these are the space keys. BTW, there are two other keys in the same dark blue/black. The one on the left has two right arrows - I'm guessing tab. The one on the right has a down arrow - I'm guessing enter/return.
On either side of the "space" keys are keys labeled Num and Cap. These are in convenient thumb locations as well, and probably access numbers and capital letters. There is no obvious caps lock, which is no great loss. There is also a pair of Sym keys on in the alphabet area which probably access puntuation.
Finally, Ctrl, Alt, and some keys that I can't make out in the picture but are probably the windows keys in the bottom-most "control" row. They are at the most inconvenient positions - probably a reasonable move for the average user.
I need hjkl together though. :)
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Re:Space Key (Score:5, Insightful)
Unfortunately this keyboard does fail to solve one major usability problem which is that Control-key combinations are a real pain. You will still have to remove your hand from the home keys or bend your pinky around into a really awkward position. In comparison, the "Command" key used in most Mac keyboard shortcuts is right next to the spacebar like the Alt key on PC keyboards. On a Mac, one only has to move one's thumb slightly off the spacebar to be able to quickly type a couple dozen keyboard shortcuts without vacating the home keys. When I used the BeOS I got used to using the Alt key in a similar way since they imitated a lot of Mac conventions, and to this day I am still amazed at the comparitive awkwardness of using the Control key for most keyboard shortcuts on Windows and Linux. This keyboard does nothing to solve that problem for me. Too bad, because otherwise it looks interesting.
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I doubt it (Score:5, Insightful)
As for gamers, why would I want to give up the luxury of binding each and every key I want from the standard 101-key design to a special function, or why would I want to reset my movement/jump/whatever keys?
Unless they give away bars of gold with each one I don't see why the general public might need this keyboard.
From the article: Alphabetical letters are easier to find and keys are color-coded on the NSK535R to aid hunt & peck typists
So people who are new to computers need to 'find' keys on their keyboard? After a while you know where they are, I guess. I don't think new computer users would like to be treated as children with such a nice colorful slimmed down keyboard. I expect people want the whole deal, even if it's only for later on...
asdhfdljsa fsa;c fjewcfe (Score:4, Funny)
Pictures (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Pictures (Score:5, Funny)
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Impossible to game with (Score:4, Funny)
No Numbers (Score:5, Insightful)
A side note: The article uses "There are only half as many keys to learn" as an advantage. Not quite. I still need to learn all the keys, but there's only half as many spaces in which to put them. So I'm learning at least two key positions for every button...if not more.
Ergonomic? (Score:5, Interesting)
You heard it here first... (Score:5, Informative)
A few interesting quotes...
That's because the QWERTY layout was never intended to slow down typists - a common accusation from Dvorak supporters - but to allow them to type quickly without jamming the keys in their typewriters. In other words, QWERTY was designed to be efficient, too.
The New Standard Keyboard addresses the issue of key layout by subsuming ergonomics and typing efficiency for the sake of the hunt-and-peck typist.
Meaning it targets the lowest common denominator... another quote I read said that it was target at (or atleast could appeal to) senior citizens and those who don't know how to type. I can see that... but figure the market for people who are going to die before it makes sense to learn how to type is probably not that large or sustainable. Could be wrong.
Anyways the website for the product is here [newstandardkeyboards.com], and appears to under reconstruction. Lame... like the color scheme of this keyboard.
Old news... lame news... next please.
I created a new type of car (Score:5, Funny)
I switched the gearlever from the traditional five to a more ergonomical two gears and second gear is the default. Studies have proven that more motorists pull away in second.
We expect this new model to replace traditional models around the same time DVORAK replaces QWERTY.
"Chording" keyboards are not new (Score:3, Informative)
May I recommend the Kinesis Ergo keyboard? [kinesis-ergo.com]
This device helped my wrists recover from severe tendonitis; I have had no relapses. The keys are arranged in vertical columns, which is something the "New Standard" got right, but it looks as if it forces your hands to remain unnaturally close together. Also, "chording" (pressing more than one key simultaneously) just creates superfluous keystrokes.
Its a joke? (Score:3, Interesting)
in other news... (Score:3, Funny)
Truth is: Current Keyboards suck big time. (Score:3, Interesting)
Alignment in rows and columns for instance is much more effective and less strainfull. Shifted allignment is a herritage from 1895 or something (pure technical constraints back then). Caps Lock is really bad the way it is. Even for the countries that need it a lot for alternate Glyphsets (russian f.e.). It need to be moved away. Far away at a special position. Much to big too. In a way simular to Escape - the only key in a position and size that can stay the way it is. How often have we *all* pressed it by accident.
Then there's the asymetry. It sucks. To quote Edison: "There's a better way to do it. Find it."
The important alternation keys like Caps, Ctrl, Alt, Command and the extra ones like Enter, Backspace and tab need a redo aswell. Symetry in size, amount and position all the way through and Enter moved to a super-prominent position in the center just the way space is now. Keyblock needs to be standardised, one way or the other. Either telephone or ancient-electrical-start-at-the-bottom. I prefer telephone since the other was only implemented due to technical constraints on the first calculators. Bottom-to-top keyblocks suck. Period.
While navigation keys are a must, F-Keys, Print, Help and such are nice extras. Maybe those could be spread about in an even fashion. F-Keys to the left, Navi and Fixed Funktions to the right. Mayybe a few extra keys in Mac style (volume+, volume-, mute, on/off, eject). Curiously enough I'm sitting at a current-state white mac kb just now. The Multimedia keys adside this kb has all the suckage I critized above. It actually expect Apple to sumon the guts to change all this. Maybe someday when all the Win people have switched to a unix variant.
Other alternative keyboards (Score:4, Informative)
Here are two that I am familiar with:
Microwriter
I remember seeing advertisements in the back of Byte magazine in the late 80s for a device called the Microwriter. It was a one-handed keyboard with only five keys and you 'played' chords in order to enter the desired character.
It's no longer manufactured, but here [demon.co.uk] are some pictures and an image of the chords for the characters a to z.
A successor to the Microwriter exists and is called the CYKEY [demon.co.uk]. The web site claims compatibility with some PDAs.
DataHand
The DataHand consisted of two banks of multi-switches (for want of a better word) one for each hand. The multi-switches were essentially little cups in which you rested your fingers. Each multi-switch could be activated in five directions: down, north, south, east, west. Down was a 'normal' key press, and the compass directions involved pressing a switch to the side of your finger tip. Basically your fingers remained still and you merely moved you finger tips. I believe you could also get pedals to act as shift keys.
Have a look here [ergomart.com] to learn more about it.
I friend of mine actually had one of these, he was a translator and had to do massive amounts of typing. He claimed it was 'somewhat' more efficient but rather difficult to get used to. I think he gave it up in the end.
Fewer Keys (Score:4, Interesting)
I would welcome a trend to smaller keyboards with fewer keys. The growth of specialized keys on keyboards has really gotten out of hand in my opinion. What reason is there for 100+ keys on the keyboard?
How about a new survey question of "How many keys does your keyboard have that you have NEVER used?"
Re:QWERTY, DVORAK, ABCDEF (Score:3, Informative)
The theory that the QWERTY keyboard was designed specifically to slow typists down is a myth [earthlink.net]...the real reason was mechanical....commonly used keys needed to be placed far away from each other to prevent the levers from jamming.
Re:QWERTY, DVORAK, ABCDEF (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:QWERTY, DVORAK, ABCDEF (Score:3, Informative)
The faster you type the more likely this is for a given keyboard/hammer layout, it's true, but QWERTY most definitely was not designed to slow typists down; quite the reverse.
Re:QWERTY, DVORAK, ABCDEF (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:QWERTY, DVORAK, ABCDEF (Score:4, Informative)
Before you cite a source, you might want to read all of it first.
The last five panels on that page refute those myths.
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Re:QWERTY, DVORAK, ABCDEF (Score:3, Informative)
Not hard at all. [dvorak-keyboard.com]
Re:QWERTY, DVORAK, ABCDEF (Score:4, Informative)
That's about as clear as I can make it without screenies. Let me know how it goes.
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Re:QWERTY, DVORAK, ABCDEF (Score:3, Funny)
Ere Rupert typewriter put, Rupert wet rut pet pert. Yet Rupert pet pert wet Rupert. Pretty? Tire Rupert pouty tree try pee.