All-new way to type! A keyless keyboard?

aaglo · January 22, 2003, 09:01

Picture this:

Instead of a standard QWERTY keyboard layout, orbiTouch does away with keys altogether in favor of two sliding domes, each capable of sliding into eight different positions.

Here is the link , or if it's not, scroll down and press Archive.

I would like to know how this thing really works. And how fast you can type with it.

Solly · January 22, 2003, 09:02

Pointless.

SpencerH · January 22, 2003, 09:43

Dont wanna type, buy dragon naturally speaking.

Giovanni Wine · January 22, 2003, 11:15

Quote:

orbiTouch: $695

I wonder who in the world could buy something like that, for such a price

Saluti

Zopperoni · January 22, 2003, 11:18

I saw this one at the Consumer Electronics Show website last week, I'd like to physically touch one to see how it works.

Inverse Icarus · January 22, 2003, 11:18

so you move the orbs to make letters? like 1-1 would be, say a, 1-2 would be b or something? what happens when you reach the bottom of the orb, and your hand begins to invert? thats how it looks like it works anyway from the pic.

aaglo · January 22, 2003, 11:20

... and it was designed to prevent wrist injuries...

rah · January 22, 2003, 11:22

Yes it seems kind of silly. Voice recognition is the step in input evolution. The software exists and works, but it just needs to be tweaked a bit more.

Urban Ranger · January 22, 2003, 11:23

There are 102 keys on the PC keyboard, and these two, um, domes can only produce a total of 64 combinations.

aaglo · January 22, 2003, 11:25

UR, don't forget the irrational combos... whatever they are.

Actually, that is why I'm interested in what this thing does.

Urban Ranger · January 22, 2003, 11:28

I hope those domes are big and soft

*cough* *cough* Don't mind me.

aaglo · January 22, 2003, 11:30

/me has a relevation...

I think that the designers did only half the job with the package...

Inverse Icarus · January 22, 2003, 11:30

Quote:

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
There are 102 keys on the PC keyboard, and these two, um, domes can only produce a total of 64 combinations.

unless it depends on which you move first...

anyway, how do you "lock in" a character? what if i was spelling "call" and i wanted 2 l's? is there a button or something for "enter"?

Urban Ranger · January 22, 2003, 11:32

A-hem. Back to the topic.

Looks like input with these things will be a lot slower than with keyboards if you are a touch typist.

Skanky Burns · January 22, 2003, 22:18

Yeah, I can't imaging it would be faster than typing. And it seems it would be more difficult too.

Sheik · January 22, 2003, 22:34

Is it bigger or smaller than a keyboard?

Skanky Burns · January 22, 2003, 23:15

Quote:

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
I hope those domes are big and soft

*cough* *cough* Don't mind me.

You wouldn't want to get too used to typing on that device either. You might accidently try "typing" on your girlfriend.

Tuberski · January 22, 2003, 23:22

Quote:

Originally posted by Skanky Burns

You wouldn't want to get too used to typing on that device either. You might accidently try "typing" on your girlfriend.

It was obviously invented by somebody that doesn't HAVE a girlfriend!

ACK!

DRoseDARs · January 23, 2003, 01:29

http://www.keybowl.com/kb/index?page=orbitouch

I can't get the other link to work, so I found this one instead.

Urban Ranger · January 23, 2003, 02:16

Ah, I see. It is made for people with wrist/hand/finger injuries.

Urban Ranger · January 23, 2003, 06:49

Hm. The blurb says it can generate 128 combinations, I don't see how. Even if we count the rest position as one, plus the 8 sliding positions, the total is only 81. Plus, you need to a real rest position (both domes centred), so the total is only 80.

Uber,

It's a sliding thing, you just push the domes around with you palms instead of twisting them.

DRoseDARs · January 23, 2003, 07:22

Edit: New information renders old post irrelevant.

Skanky Burns · January 23, 2003, 07:47

Order is not important, so left first then right is exactly the same as right first and then left. What they have probably done though is add a modifying button, and in that way doubled the number of combinations.

FrustratedPoet · January 23, 2003, 09:12

Quote:

Originally posted by Skanky Burns
Order is not important, so left first then right is exactly the same as right first and then left. What they have probably done though is add a modifying button, and in that way doubled the number of combinations.

Yeah, some kind of 'shift key' is the most likely explanation for the extra combo's.

Urban Ranger · January 23, 2003, 09:14

I hope order is not important - 128 combo is a lot to memorise.

DRoseDARs · January 23, 2003, 17:14

I was mistaken about order being the determining factor. They do have an built-in shift-mode. You can 'click and hold' the left dome, you can double-click the left dome, and you can single-click the right dome, all according to the SlideGuide.