01-21-2003, 02:00 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Micah Alpern's Projection Keyboards Page
Micah Alpern is a HCI (Human Computer Interaction) specialist, so he has a special interest in the new wave of projection keyboards coming from a few different vendors. If this new technology interests you as well, check his page out - it's the best resource I've seen on the topic yet!
What do you think about this technology? It looks very interesting to me, but the basic problem of all current PDAs not including some sort of built-in stand seems the first roadblock to overcome. We'd need some sort of "kick-stand" before the PDA could stand up on it's own. It sounds like a small thing, but getting this technology into Pocket PCs will require the enthusiastic support of the major OEMs, and they're not exactly the fastest when it comes to including cutting-edge technology.
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01-21-2003, 02:28 PM
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Magi
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,386
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From a technology standpoint, it's great that it does push the envelope... and this is more appealing to me than the senseboard that you wear on your hands.
From a practical (and personal) standpoint, you already mentioned the PDA kickstand, but the other factor is that it appears you'd need a flat surface to work with which means it has some of the same limitations that the legacy Stowaways have. In that case, I'm not sure I wouldn't just prefer the fold-out version with tactile feedback.
Interesting though that with this laser version, you don't have to worry about moving parts and the page mentioned that this could be ideal in areas where maintaining sanitary standards is vital.
You know what would be cool? I read that there was possibly a virtual mouse in the works... if this laser could project a mouse pad where you could just move your finger over a table to control a mouse cursor as well.
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01-21-2003, 02:37 PM
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Magi
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,341
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Jason, I couldn't agree with you more. Sometimes the simplest little thing can be a large road block. I see a very simple solution to the "kickstand" problem. So, listen up HP, Dell, Toshiba, and the rest of you this is easy, very effective, and inexpensive. Put a removable flip lid on all PPCs that flips around and becomes a stand!!!
If there is one simple little roadblock that Palm learned it's importance very early it was having hard SLIM screen protection on all it's devices. PPCs can easily incorporate a flip lid/kickstand that is removable for those who don't want it.
Dave
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01-21-2003, 02:42 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 416
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Nope, I'd have to try it first. How does it do in an office environment with flourescent lighting. How quick is the response on the screen and what kind of speeds can someone reach using it.
I think that I'd rather have a rear-projected 800x600 screen, using the pda as the input device.
I can modify my Krusell flip-over case to make my Maestro stand up. Couple of snaps and a plastic square.
Edward
(PS. it stands up fine with the case without any mods.)
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01-21-2003, 02:47 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 10,981
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Seeing as the above link is against my clients Sex policy :roll: I'll just have to read the article later. Stupid Proxy server.
Anyway, I'm really interested in these projection technologies. If they could incorporate them into the headhelds so there is one less thing to carry... that would be great. I could live with the loss of that keyboard feel, or having to prop my PDA up against the side of my cubicle. It won't work everywhere, but neither do the existing keyboards.
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01-21-2003, 02:55 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 94
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I would think that the virtual keyboards themselves should provide the "kick stand". I think the more general problem is the need for flat surfaces. I wonder if any of them do a MS natural keyboard layout?
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01-21-2003, 03:44 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 22
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This is not of much interest to me. Sure it's whizzy and cool and all that, but for a keyboard to be effective to me, it needs a tactile element, which this is lacking. I am a slowish and somewhat erratic typist, and my hands tend to wander off the "home" position, and a physical keyboard helps to ground me. Maybe a touch typist would fare better, but I really can't see this making much of a dent in the input devices market.
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01-21-2003, 03:48 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 31
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feedback
A basic premise of HCI is that of feedback, and it seems that this platform would offer you very little. Those of us that don't really look at the keyboard to type rely on our tactile senses and the feedback the keyboard gives when keys are pressed. It will be very interesting to see if this can deliever similar affordances to allow users the ability to type rapidly without looking at the keyboard. Otherwise you still have the same drawback of having to monitor your input visually, which slows you down. Though I would imagine it would still be faster since you can mechanically move you fingers much faster than using the pen with on-screen keyboards. I would love to try a system out, and besides they've gotta be the future since that what we see in movies and such. 
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01-21-2003, 04:14 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 405
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I can definitely see this work in a business environment, but not the consumer market just yet.
For the business environment, picture this: Touch typing on a plane, or at a business meeting where a laptop is just too big and heavy to lug around.
In the consumer market, something like this would be EXPENSIVE. In fact, too expensive for it to take off. Despite this new product, consumers still require better PIM's, however, this is definitely a jumpstart for the PDA market.
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01-21-2003, 04:16 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 125
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My geek side sure is curious about this technology
but the pratical side is not that much enthusiastic about it..
-you�ll need the flat surface ( maybe it will be limited to not-so-shiny surfaces ), the medical situation is cool to talk about, no germs involved ane etd, but I don�t see it happening much, at least sure not happening with me
-you can�t type looking at your pda to check errors, the lack of tactile sense will make you loose your position, its like to press a key on your keyboard with your eyes closed and having your hands way up .. without toutching it before the press... very hard to know where you are!
and 150$ is just too much for this, those plastic foldable kb�s cost half of this and they are much more expensive to make.. this is like when SD cards appeared.. the 32mb card costing like 100 bucks... Oportunism over geekness, I sick of this exploitations
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Linear Mode
