iPhone icons and Glass Keyboards

[inertialnav]

One thing the iPhone suggests that I'm very excited about: The glass keyboard would allow someone to have a normal keyboard or ergonomic keyboard as a setting. In fact, if you got all the icons wiggling as we do in the iPhone you could custom fit the keyboard to your hand.

To me, that is the big promise. A multi touch pad sounds great and all, but I think the ability to have a glass and chrome keyboard that can literally be custom fit is the way to go.

[burnsaa]

So I dont know if you have an iPhone or have used one before but I really dont see any room to be able to customize the keyboard. I suppose they could have the keyboard split so you see what your typing in the middle third of the screen and on the outer two thirds you have the keys. That might be kind of cool or it could totally suck its something you would have to try out first.

[inertialnav]

I wasn't thinking of the iphone as a keyboard at all. My fault for not being clear.

I was thinking of sometime in the future buying an iMac or some other Mac and the keyboard is basically a glass rectangle with customizable keys.

[burnsaa]

Oh I see hmm... I dont know if I would buy it although it sounds similar to art lebodev (sp?) design where each individual key is an oled screen that can be customized to your liking. Although it costs something insane like $1500. Still a cool idea none the less.

[cmaier]

Originally Posted by inertialnav

I wasn't thinking of the iphone as a keyboard at all. My fault for not being clear.

I was thinking of sometime in the future buying an iMac or some other Mac and the keyboard is basically a glass rectangle with customizable keys.

That would pretty much be an ergonomic nightmare, no?

[inertialnav]

Not for me. Just drop my hands on the keyboard and start typing. Perhaps you would hit a button to identify where your left pinky touches the keyboard for example and using that as a reference the computer would activate your file and put the keys where you previously programmed them to be.

If your wife sits down at that keyboard her keys would be located somewhere else. With all of her custom function keys for iTunes, Safari, Mail, etc.

[HawaiiMacAddict]

Aloha everyone,

How about this idea? Your keyboard is a flat glass surface that has dedicated areas for various buttons. The display of the keyboard changes with the active application. I forsee a corner, like the upper right or left, that activates a view of installed application icons. The user then pushes an icon to select it as the active application, after which the keyboard displays only the keys/buttons necessary for that particular app. For instance, you won't need the same keys, buttons, or keyboard shortcuts for iPhoto as, say, Photoshop, so the keyboard surface area won't have to be "compromised" by "wasted" space. A "dock" is displayed across the top of the keyboard to easily access all other running apps.

After all, was that not the argument used by Steve Jobs with respect to the original iPhone? he referenced the "bottom 40%" as basically useless due to the hardware keys always being resident. Of course, this idea may actually create more work for all Mac developers, Apple and 3rd party alike, but I would LOVE to see this idea on the market. I would snatch one up in an instant.

HawaiiMacAddict

[timebomb16]

Originally Posted by inertialnav

One thing the iPhone suggests that I'm very excited about: The glass keyboard would allow someone to have a normal keyboard or ergonomic keyboard as a setting. In fact, if you got all the icons wiggling as we do in the iPhone you could custom fit the keyboard to your hand.

To me, that is the big promise. A multi touch pad sounds great and all, but I think the ability to have a glass and chrome keyboard that can literally be custom fit is the way to go.

I really don't mind using the iPhones keybord for texting and writing quick notes . . . but i really like to have tactile feedback from my keyboard. it makes it easier to type and watch the screen at the same time (and know where the buttons are) and as for the whole divide it into thirds that wouldn't work for me because the way i type i just let what ever finger hit what ever key is convenient . . . It would be a cool option though to say instead of keys have a technology where you can just write onto the pad with your finger and have your computer recognize it . . . (i'm a little slow i'm sure they have that already)