Microwriter: A portable, one-handed word processor with 6 button keypad (1978)

This article (2011) about the Microwriter is from Bill Buxton, the well-known computer scientist and designer.

Computing history is full of interesting hardware and software ideas that have mostly forgotton - this is an intriguing device from that history.

Despite the age of this old technology, Buxton says the device has clever design touches that aid how users learn to use the device. Buxton says it takes about 60 minutes to learn touch type - impressive compared to a standard keyboard.

Also, the user's guide is excellent. Buxton again: "I think that the New User’s Guide is one of the best examples of technical writing that I have ever seen in a user’s manual. I love the parallel use of different representations to get the message across. I really appreciated it when I was learning, and think that the manual is worth studying for its approach."

New user's guide [PDF] https://www.microsoft.com/buxtoncollection/a/pdf/Microwriter...