Call me a dinosaur, but I will never voluntarily use one of those touch-screen keyboards

[Orrex]

At least not in preference to an actual keyboard. And that goes for virtual keyboards laser-projected onto your desktop, too.


iPad can go screw iTself.

[TZ]

1. iThink

You are an iHater!!! iPosted this from my iPhone!:)

[Duer 157099]

26. iLaugh n/t

[quakerboy]

2. Why?

[Orrex]

5. Well, is it possible to touch-type on one?

That is, while you're not looking at it or at the display?

I've been typing for 25+ years on keyboards built in such a way that you can readily feel when your fingers are on the wrong keys, but it seems to me that if the keys are virtual, with no tactile way to tell one from the next--or even to tell a key from a non-key--then it seems that touch-typing would be next to impossible.

Is this not the case? If not, how does the user know when he or she is on the right keys?

[kentauros]

7. Good point about touch-typing.

What would work for me is a fake keyboard so you can touch-type, while wearing data gloves. That way, food and liquid spillage isn't a problem and you still get keys that react/move and make the proper click/clack :D

[TommyO]

9. No, you can't touch type on them

but then again, they aren't meant for high-volume typing. I suspect that's why the iPad supports both a keyboard dock, as well as Bluetooth keyboards.

[Orrex]

10. Then I'm afraid that it's worthless for me.

I don't begrudge anyone who'll benefit from its use, but it's not for me.

I mean, if it supports a separate keyboard, then (for me) it would be basically like buying a $499 monitor.

[TommyO]

27. I can respect that

For iPod interfaces, I prefer the physical interface of the iPod classic which makes it easy to skip songs while driving, without glancing away from the road, you can't do that with the iPod touch.

[quakerboy]

13. That seems like valid reasoning. For a dinosaur

Sorry, that could sound much harsher than I intended. I think its fair to say that they are not meant for data transcription, which I would see as the main need for that type of interaction.

Then again, I have at least one teenage family member who can send many hundreds text messages every day without looking at the screen hardly ever. I swear she dosnt even look at it to read the messages. Its like the damn thing is jacked directly into her brain or something. I imagine there is an element of muscle memory. I have reached the point where I can send a few minor text messages (Ones I have to do regularly) with a no look approach on my touchscreen work phone, though I am not as good as I was when I still had physical buttons.

I really want to play with one of the new google phones, the droid or the Nexus one, that say they can do full talk to text. I have a hard time believing it, but I think that would be a handy tool.

[Orrex]

15. I am going to get totally Cretaceous on your ass.

Anyway, I write fiction. And by "write" I mean write, with a non-electronic pen and non-electronic paper. Later, I transcribe it into whatever word processor I'm using, so touch-typing is essential.

I imagine that there is indeed muscle memory involved, but given the volume of transcription going on, a touchscreen keyboard just wouldn't work. If I were composing the text onscreen and able to see typos as they occur, then maybe it would be different.

[quakerboy]

18. Don't make me drop another bolide on your non-avian dino arse

How about voice transcription? If a device could take your voice and reliably turn it into text, would that be a usefull tool for you?

I see the touch screen phones, and this new dealiebobber, as intended mainly for uses other than yours. This is for looking at kitteh's, watching idiots on youtube, and reading the news, not serious work.

[Orrex]

20. Voice transcription might be a nice gadget, but I don't think it would help me much.

A lot of revision goes on during the direct transcription phase, so it's helpful to preserve that step.

Unless I lose the function of my hands, of course.


I had a prof in college (from 98 to 99) who had some kind of degenerative condition that made typing extremely painful for her, so the university provided some kind of voice recognition package for her. Amusingly, she had a British accent, and it took her forever to "train" the software to recognize what she was saying!

[hobbit709]

29. but can she write and spell in proper English?

[quakerboy]

30. That I am less sure of

Having never been so honored as to receive a single one of the many thousand text messages she has sent every month for a few years now.

[kayakjohnny]

3. You're a dinosaur.

Sorry, but you told me to.

I wasn't sure which type so I just used the generic term.

But I must admit that you're typing's pretty good considering that most dinosaurs wouldn't really have the good dexterity for a keyboard.

Ironically, they'd be better suited to a touch screen.

With the big clunky appendages and all.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. The T. Rex, with its little bitty paws, might be able to manage a small keyboard.

But if you're a triceratops or a diplodocus, you might have a problem.

[Javaman]

31. New from Apple, the iSaur....

take that any way you want. LOL

[supernova]

6. I buy gloves in the kids' section

so an onscreen keyboard fits me perfectly.

:-)

[Orrex]

8. That is so hot.

I think.


Er...

[crispini]

11. the touchscreen on the iPhone is pretty good

but then, I've gotten pretty fast at typing with my thumbs. 35 wpm! :D

[Orrex]

12. My phone is one of those throwbacks that requires you to hit 7 four times to get an S

So 35 wpm is out of the question at the moment, unless I'm typing "A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A."

[gmoney]

14. "You're a dinosaur!" (Well, you said to call you that.)

FWIW... there's a keyboard as an available accessory, but no price given yet. I'd bet $79 or so.

iPad Keyboard Dock
The Keyboard Dock is a dock for charging your iPad, integrated with a full-size keyboard. The dock has a rear 30-pin connector, which lets you connect to an electrical outlet using a USB Power Adapter, sync to your computer, and use accessories like the Camera Connection Kit. And an audio jack lets you connect to a stereo or powered speakers.



It also has bluetooth, so I'm guessing you could use a bluetooth keyboard with it, perhaps?

[Orrex]

16. So the whole package, with contract and 3G network and keyboard, is about $1,078?

Steve Jobs can kiss my petrified coprolite.

[gmoney]

17. Well, with a Mercedes, it is $81,078.

Or it's $578 for the base wi-fi version with keyboard, presuming I'm in the ballpark on the keyboard cost.

[Orrex]

19. Some guy on CNN tonight ran down the price list for the basic (but basically necessary) add-ons

By his estimate, it came to just about $1,000, though I can't remember whether or not he was factoring in the keyboard.


I'm sure that the functionality of the device will be absolutely great for the people who can and/or need to use its full capability, though.

[gmoney]

21. Necessary is in the eye of the beholder, I guess.

although I've been tempted by the iPhone, I'm satisfied with an iPod touch, as I'm online MORE than enough at work and at home, and have a laptop if I need to surf when I'm traveling, so I'll probably save my money and skip the 3G and the biggest hard drive.

I'm considering this because (among other reasons) I think it would be a great way to present my photography portfolio, although it is large enough that carrying it around is a consideration.

I'm not championing it, but all I've seen all day is people acting like Steve Jobs is holding a gun to their heads to buy one of these. New toys are introduced every day. Buy it or don't buy it.

[Orrex]

22. Actually, Mr. Jobs is here right now, with an iGun to my head

Funny you should mention that.


I guess my bristling is a result of the day-long media lovefest about the new device. Of course it's news, but at times it seemed that they were saying you won't be able to buy bread at the grocery store unless you have your iPad with you.


Still, for presenting a photography portfolio, it seems like a dream come true!

[TommyO]

23. No contract. If you don't need more than WiFi you pay for the iPad and go your merry way

If you get the machine with 3G, you don't pay for it until you activate it, and there's no contract.

[Orrex]

24. Ah. That clears it up.

The CNN guy mentioned that you could use the device that way, but (IMO) he sort of implied that you'd be missing the boat, like watching James Cameron without the 3D glasses.

[AsahinaKimi]

25. I always wondered..

Whats to prevent them from being knocked around in your purse and accidentally dialing someone? Even my cellphone takes photos by itself, when I haven't even touched it. I am constantly erasing the bad blurry images.

[TZ]

28. The phone locks up after a minute or so of non use

You have to slide to unlock the phone...Thus no butt or purse dialing ever happens. Especially since even when its unlocked you have to go into phone mode to even make a call.