Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!att!dptg!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!mcsun!ukc!stc!root44!hrc63!paj
From: paj@hrc63.uucp (Mr P Johnson "Baddow")
Newsgroups: comp.std.misc
Subject: Re: chord keyboard faster than traditional keyboard?
Summary: The MicroWriter
Message-ID: <696@hrc63.uucp>
Date: 25 Sep 89 16:26:34 GMT
References: <2952@ndsuvax.UUCP>
Organization: GEC Hirst Research Centre, Wembley, England. (uk.co.gec-rl-hrc)
Lines: 34



About five or six years ago there was a gizmo on the market called the
"MicroWriter".  It had a one line 22 segment led display and a well designed
chord keyboard.  I never saw an actual device but I did get to use some
trainers on a BBC micro (they used resistor networks hooked up to the
analogue ports: what a kludge).  The keyboard had six keys (it was a one
handed keyboard) giving 64 combos.  That gave you most of the ascii set.
Other characters could be done with control sequences (one of the 64 combos
was an escape character).

The device was a commercial flop.  It was intended for notes and stuff, but
not only did the keyboard need learning but the display and functionality
was very limited.  However today we are seeing electronic personal
organisers coming on to the market.  They have tight space requirements and
hence have a small screen and smaller keys.  Could the MicroWriter concept
be about to come of age?  Two things we need:

On-line help for chords and sequences.

A chord system that becomes useful after a couple of hours practice (no
more).


Better than either would be a standard chordboard.  I taught myselft ten
fingered typing from a Pitmans manual when I started learning computers.
Best investment I ever made.  I would tomorrow switch to a chord keyboard if
there was a widespread standard.

-- 
Paul Johnson,         | `The moving finger writes, And having writ, moves on,'
GEC-Marconi Research  |                    Omar Kyham when contemplating `vi'.
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The company has put a radio inside my head: it controls everything I say!