Powermat Founder Wants to Kill the Keyboard

bloomberg.com

6 points·brt··9 comments

No, no, not gonna happen. Physical keyboards are essential to all but the most basic computing tasks. The mechanical response of the keys is an ergonomic benefit that cannot be underestimated. There's a reason why hackers wax finicky about the brand and construction of their keyboard's keyswitches.

It is gonna happen, this or the other way. It's portable and doesn't engage your sight while typing. One of the most crucial bariers of tablests/smartphones/watches replacing computers

I think VR is going to change all that. Not right away but eventually.

VR may highlight the issue and make the need for a solution more urgent, but I also don't see this particular thing as a real alternative for a keyboard. Nor do I see voice as one, for that matter.

I'm holding out for a simplistic "read my mind" kind of interface, because it sure would be better than hammering away at a keyboard and all the associated RSI fun.

I'd go with adding buttons for a chorded keyboard on the VR controllers.

Not sure how you see that happening, programming in one of the VR environments we have today would be torture. VR might improve enough to make it bearable, but I don't see that happening any time soon.

Yes, yes it is gonna happen. The finicky people are very much in the minority, even among "hackers".

This strikes me as another take on a chorded keyboard, but without the benefit of button feedback.

Likely anything longer than a tweet tapped out on this device will result in serious wrist strain as the fingers can't rest on the surface while tapping (much the same as using a OSK).

http://www.sigchi.org/chi97/proceedings/paper/fkm.htm#U4

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