Comments on: QWERTY, your day has come

By: Zach Seward

Zach Seward — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:18:26 +0000

Seems like it's part of the app's UI and not an actual modification to the iPhone keyboard, but Wolfram Alpha's iPhone app just updated today with specialized keyboards.

By: Jayson Lorenzen

Jayson Lorenzen — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:31:12 +0000

Seems at least Google have thought about some ergo placement for their initial keys, and as theirs will most likely be more open, this could happen there actually.

from The Age:
Photo:
http://www.theage.com.au/photogallery/digital-life/computers/googles-tablet-concepts/20100203-ncav.html?selectedImage=4

Article:
http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/computers/google-tablet-to-give-apple-a-touch-of-its-own-medicine-20100203-nc8u.html

By: ToastyKen

ToastyKen — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 07:41:06 +0000

Of course, we do still have that haptic feedback problem. Vibrating the whole phone just doesn’t cut it. I wonder if you could put some sort of matrix of controllable bumps under the screen? I remember the Star Trek TNG Technical Manual (*ahem* yes I read that) explained that the sleek TNG ship console UIs use force fields to provide haptic feedback (the same type of force fields used in the holodeck). I think we’ll have to settle for a more mechanical solution. :)

By: Anton

Anton — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 06:16:34 +0000

The software keyboard is trivial to swap out on Android, I’ve got a range of text entry tools from gesture based, to ones that analyze how I use language and not only guess the word I’m typing, but a few ahead. Generally though, because I’ve got a hardware keyboard, I’ll swap to that and keep my screen real-estate.

By: Jake

Jake — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 04:09:34 +0000

Looks like Dasher, the pointer-based text-entry system, is on the iPhone at least. Probably needs to be adapted further for iPad, but it seems like the ideal platform for it.

By: Robin Sloan

Robin Sloan — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 03:38:29 +0000

Yep, you might be right!

By: Matt Mills

Matt Mills — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 01:25:28 +0000

I think this is brilliant, and it ties into an idea I’ve had, using the iPad as an input device for a regular computer. You could do it with a custom VNC setup, and have different modes for different programs, I’m thinking processor heavy things like photos, video editing– think of it as a palette. That alone is enough to entice me to buy one, even if I have to write the software myself.

By: ToastyKen

ToastyKen — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:50:44 +0000

Also, this is already true to some extent. I think both the iPhone and Android soft keyboards surface “.com” and “@” keys based on the context of the field you’re typing into.

Also, my understanding is that modern soft keyboards already use multitouch tech to allow you to start typing the next key before your finger has lifted off of the previous key.

By: ToastyKen

ToastyKen — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:47:09 +0000

Reminds me of this:
http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/

By: Dane

Dane — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:42:11 +0000

Great post, and an interesting proposition, however, I don’t know if the iPad will be the device that allows users to experiment with various input methodologies due to it’s locked down nature.

It seems inevitable that, with or without the push from the iPad, Android will be running on a tablet. Android users can already experiment with different SMS themes and the like, so why not keyboards. Users could pick and choose from a variety of community and ‘big business’ developed keyboards to find which one best suits their needs.

It will be an exciting time if this happens! I can’t wait to see what new inputs people come up with.

n.b. I’m not flaming the iPad. I’m an Apple fan boy through and through. I just see android as more of a ‘hackers’ playground for things like this.