Re: design prototype: the ultimate unicode keyboard?

From: Donald Z. Osborn (dzo@bisharat.net)
Date: Sat Jul 16 2005 - 09:54:00 CDT

  • Next message: suzume@mx82.tiki.ne.jp: "Re: design prototype: the ultimate unicode keyboard?"

    Hi Michael. I agree the problem with the painted keys is not what's under them
    of course, but what one is in the user's head (or isn't, or can't be kept in
    it...). Remembering which key was reassigned or what such and such key means
    with Alt/Ctrl, etc., may be easy when it's your own setup. But if you have more
    than one keyboard, or one with a lot of modifications, or an unfamiliar layout,
    or are a person altogether new to keyboards, it may be difficult to remember or
    keep track of. Hence the LED keys can be a great aid.

    Re Dvorak, yes one can select it easily. But if you are learning typing, it's a
    whole lot easier if you can check the keys (or at least don't have the "wrong"
    layout looking back at you). One thing going against movement to Dvorak - not
    that I have a thing about that but some do - is that it's not ideal to
    learn/use a layout different than what you see, and no one will buy a Dvorak
    over a QWERTY since so many others have learned the latter. The LED key
    keyboard in effect levels the field because the keyboard can visually represent
    any layout you select.

    The changing visual key sequences idea that Jean-Christophe asked about is
    another interesting dimension.

    Don

    Quoting "Michael \\(michka\\) Kaplan" <michka@trigeminal.com>:

    > All of this implies that one cannot have a keyboard layout that does not
    > match the letters painted on the keys. Which is of course false (although
    > some people have trouble with the concept, even though they have no probem
    > with shift states that may vary from those letters....),
    >
    > MichKa
    >
    > ----- Original Message -----
    > From: "Donald Z. Osborn" <dzo@bisharat.net>
    > To: <suzume@mx82.tiki.ne.jp>
    > Cc: <unicode@unicode.org>
    > Sent: Saturday, July 16, 2005 12:16 AM
    > Subject: Re: design prototype: the ultimate unicode keyboard?
    >
    >
    > > ... and all of this without footpedals or levers.
    > >
    > > The implications are significant and not only for extended and non-Lestern
    > > scripts. Once you are no longer constrained by what is painted on the keys
    >
    > > at
    > > the factory, a lot of possibilities are opened up in addition to
    > > facilitating
    > > multilingual use of any given keyboard.
    > >
    > > Ultimately a post-QWERTY world? Well if the keyboard is not dedicated to
    > > one
    > > layout, even users of one language are not obliged to learn and stay with
    > > the
    > > legacy system. I.e., it could facilitate learning and use of alternative
    > > layouts such as Dvorak for English without requiring a hardware change
    > > away
    > > from the legacy layout.
    > >
    > > Don Osborn
    > > Bisharat.net
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > > Quoting suzume@mx82.tiki.ne.jp:
    > >
    > >> On 2005/07/15, at 18:56, Johannes Bergerhausen wrote:
    > >>
    > >> > http://www.artlebedev.com/portfolio/optimus/
    > >>
    > >> And what about languages that work with syllable input ?
    > >>
    > >> First letter input: the keyboard displays something like qwerty, second
    > >> letter input: the keyboard changes to what is possible in combination
    > >> with the first letter ?!?!?
    > >>
    > >> JC Helary
    > >>
    > >> ps: the concept itself is very interesting, also the fact that the
    > >> keyboard was a Mac one.
    > >>
    > >>
    > >>
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > >
    >
    >
    >



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