My inner Luddite says: How will haptics make the virtual keyboard any more comfortable for prolonged use? Surely all they will do is create an illusion, and do nothing to solve the basic problem of repeatedly tapping a solid surface with no give?
Firstly, great handle. For some reason it makes me want to find old episodes of Rainbow on Youtube :-)
I agree that a touchscreen keyboard can't be an exact replacement for physical key travel, but in my experience it doesn't take long at all to adapt your typing style to suit a flat surface. You just have to remind yourself to type with flat fingers rather than pointed. I don't think haptic response will actually be that important.
Back a few years I played with a laser projected virtual keyboard. It shone a full qwerty keyboard onto any flat surface, and actually worked really well in terms of comfort. There were response issues which ultimately put me off, but the lack of physical keys certainly didn't discomfort me.
What was I saying? Oh right. Yeah, I think this could work nicely. I like the dual screen format that seems to be in vogue, and slim and pretty is always good too.
Interesting to hear your experience of touchscreen keyboards. The only touch screen keyboard I have experience of is on my iPod Touch, which is practical and easy to use quite proficiently when I need to. However, with a netbook/ notebook where using a keyboard is more essential for use I would find it hard to touch type proficiently without the physical feedback of a regular keyboard. I too like the concept, but would feel that such a touch oriented device perhaps requires a whole new approach like voice recognition software for typing, with the option of the touch keyboard.
This comment is hidden because you have chosen to ignore ChaosDefinesOrder.Show DetailsHide Details
The problem with touchscreen keyboards for a laptop style device is resting fingers. On a touchscreen phone, for example, you're using thumbs mainly so you just hold them away. With desktops, especially when touch typing, you're mostly resting your fingers on the keys. With capacitive screens, resting fingers registers a touch event. Resistive screens allow you to rest your fingers but only registers a touch when you apply pressure. This was pretty much what Blackberry were trying to do with the SurePress screen. If you were to have a capacitive keyboard screen, then you would have to constantly hold your fingers above the screen at all times, which may not be pleasant for long periods...
Then there's the palm rest issue, which could be sorted through software interpretation of multitouch (Large area + one small area = palm + fingertip => only register fingertip)
I really wish they would stop using the terms frameless and borderless. If there's a big border round the screen that isn't showing anything - that's a frame. These companies can boast when they've figured out how to mass produce all-screen devices - no black border, nothing, just the rim.
We're sorry. We were unable to report abuse at this time.
We limit the number of reactions an individual user can submit over a given period for quality reasons. You have currently reached that limit. Please try resubmitting your abuse report again later.
Comment is too long. Enter 500 characters or less.
Comments