Let's Talk About Virtual Keyboards - Again!

[Darius Wey]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.itechdynamic.com/html/border25.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.itechdynamic.com/html/border25.htm</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard is the world’s first wireless Virtual Keyboard that lifts wireless mobile communications to a new height. BTVKB is an enhanced version of the Virtual Keyboard (VKB). BTVKB is a smart, pocket-size device that projects a full-size keyboard through infrared technology onto any flat surface. Users could then type on the infrared images as if typing on conventional keyboards. Without the need of any wire connection, BTVKB provides unprecedented convenience and mobility to users."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20050120-BTVKB.jpg" /><br /><br />So just what makes this virtual keyboard stand out from the rest? As was hinted in an <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=35218">earlier post</a>, a Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard was suggested as being a product in the making by iTech. Well, now it's official. iTech have just released the BTVKB, which conforms to Bluetooth 1.1 (Class 2) and has a battery capacity of 2 hours for continuous typing (ho-hum). Anybody ready to start tapping their fingers on the table once more? ;-)<br /><br /><b>Update:</b> Just as I set this post up, Cellulon decided to add to the mayhem with their version of the Bluetooth Virtual Keyboard. More information on that product can be found <a href="http://www.celluon.com/products/laserkey.htm">here</a>.

[amnon]

Ever since this technology surfaced, all that came to my mind was that I need to try it to decide.

I think it might be strange not to have the physical feeling of keys and pressing them, but I don't know until I try.

I wonder if the Microsoft TV commercials were inspirated by this technology.

[Rocketeer]

Wouldn't that be laser technology, not infrared. Infrared is outside of our visual spectrum.

[amnon]

Wouldn't that be laser technology, not infrared. Infrared is outside of our visual spectrum.
I think laser is for projecting the keyboard, infrared for sensing key 'pressing'.

[Sven Johannsen]

Wouldn't that be laser technology, not infrared. Infrared is outside of our visual spectrum.
I think laser is for projecting the keyboard, infrared for sensing key 'pressing'.

Users could then type on the infrared images Marketing guys writing copy again.

What I want to know is where can you buy any of this stuff; the keyboard and iTech BT stuff. Product announcements and web pages are nice, but a price and shopping cart button is needed.

[Rocketeer]

OK, I understand now. It senses the body warmth of the fingers in relation to where they touch the keyboard with infrared sensor. That makes sense.

It would seem that it would be hard to determine what was intended to be a keypress versus just brushing across several keys.

[rmasinag]

I have heard how weird this would be. But like alot of ppl mentioned, I would like to try it before I buy it. This would be one of the perfect demo devices at Comp USA since no moving parts to destroy. I'm not a touch typist so I don't know how much lack of tactile feedback would affect my typing.

[johnm]

It is an interesting concept but I need to feel the keys in order to type effectively. I almost never look at the keyboard. I depend on those little nubs on the J and F keys to find home row. That said I am very curious to try one of these things out. They have a lot of 'geek appeal'. I think for them to catch on however they need to be smaller and built into the device. Imagine just setting your smartphone on the table and magically a full screen keyboard lights up in front of it.

[Squid]

Hello Everyone,

I have not actually seen one of these in use. I remember seeing them demoed on TechTV or something though. It seems to me that you have to do a REALLY slow "hunt and peck" with this. It was the older version so maybe they have corrected this.

My problem is that I want to rest my hands on the "home row". Does that end up typing then or what. I think that it would take an awful lot of practice to get this right.

Regards,

Squid