300+ wpm Stenotype (Chording) Machine? Why not a standard?

[Proword]

Back to Joe, you have a system that works for you, no reason in the world for you to change it. But, you seem to think people should adopt it because it works for you. Actually, the main reason they should not adopt it is because it is not a standard system.

Sorry, Tom, I don't think I've said other people should adopt it.  I've merely said this is what I've done, it's not theoretical, it's not "under development", it's been working for over 20 years, and, by linking to my blog, explain in great detail, how to do it.  That, to me, seems to be what a forum such as this one should be about.  But if that's how it "seems" to you, then that's how it seems to you.

And why should it be important that it be a "standard" system?  QWERTY is standard. ;-)  Unlike your proposal to build your own keyboard (which I have no qualms with), there's nothing which I use which is NOT standard, all I've done is take an existing set of products, make one very tiny (software) modification, which was to move the expansion function to a nominated key (which anybody familiar with the software could work out with a minute's thought) and use it the way I choose.  What I've done is simply shift the paradigm from working the way the software "requires" (ie the "standard" way), to altering the software to suit my own work practices.  HOW I use the software is of absolutely no concern to anybody else.  If somebody looks at my system, and is inspired to create something different again, that's cool with me.  It won't affect me in any way.  I've got no patent on the system, I don't try and get money for other people to use it.*  If it works for one person, and not someone else, then that's all that can be said about it.

Joe

On edit:  *But as I pointed out elsewhere, this system is making ME money because the people whose opinion REALLY matter$, ie my clients, choose to come to me to have their work done, rather than go elsewhere.  ;-)

J

[graywolf]

The keycaps would be the most difficult problem. On a one off, I guess you could grind some standard keycaps down and glue something to the top; but in small quantities custom molded keycaps would be very expensive. The one nice thing is that except for the number lock keybar that I think you could use a spacebar for, there are only 3 sizes of keycaps needed, and they have no markings on them.

Ah yes, quoting myself. I have looked into custom keycaps. The mold for each would cost $2000. Set up for each type key looks to be about $30. The keys themselfs are pretty cheap, came out to about $8/set. Ordering keycaps they already have the molds for it would cost about $120 setip plus about $8 set. Rather expensive until you get to about 10 sets.

Kind of thinking of buying a couple of used keyboards off ebay and cannibalizing them for parts. Remember that grind the top of the keycaps flat and glue a piece of plastic to them.

A psychological factor that has not been mentioned, it is a lot easier to switch between two entirely different keyboard than trying to use the same one differently. Especially when you have been using that type of keyboard for more than 60 years like I have.

A way to visualize what I have in mind is to look at the right most column on the Number pad, think of the minus key as the shift bar at the top of the keyboard, the plus key as the top consonant key (there would be a row of 10 of them), and the enter key as the bottom consonant key (row of 10), then imagine a row of 4 single vowel keys centered below those where your thumbs would fall naturally on them (ideally the vowel keys would be about a half-inch lower than the consonant keys. The keyboard would be about the size of a half sheet of letterhead paper.

[dorkvader]

I have to use QWERTY at work, when I type up repair details for people. It's very little typing, but I can switch back to DVORAK at home pretty easily.

Actually, I had to do this all the time when I was learning DVORAK, and I don't think it impeded me at all.
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Graywolf, that's a pretty cool design. I like the relatively compact design (If I'm imagining it right)
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playtrumpet, don't you think "yt" should be "you there" instead of "yuh there"? though it is your layout, I feel like option #2 would be better.

Still, that's already an impressive list of abbreviations.

[graywolf]

For those of you who may be interested there is a video of Mirabai Knight talking about Plover at PyGotham 2011.

http://blip.tv/pygotham/plover-thought-to-text-at-240-wpm-5582245

[graywolf]

Graywolf, that's a pretty cool design. I like the relatively compact design (If I'm imagining it right)

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Actually allowing for non-English users to add extra 2-high keys on the bottom row makes the keyboard a bit taller, but that seems like an OK trade off. Main matrix would be on 0.75" x 1.5" centers.

[Playtrumpet]

playtrumpet, don't you think "yt" should be "you there" instead of "yuh there"? though it is your layout, I feel like option #2 would be better.

Still, that's already an impressive list of abbreviations.

HAHA! I'm glad you caught that. I type "yuh there?" whenever I message my friends online so its frequency is much higher in my typing than the proper "you there?" That was just a personal thing, but it makes me happy that you caught that. Since I've posted that list I've added a few hundred abbreviations and edited quite a few of those on the list. Oh, and in every post here (including yours) I look for common words that I need to add and I thank you for giving me "relatively" and by extension, "relative," "option" and by extension, "optionally." Notice how incredibly easy it is to add more and more vocab. =P

And graywolf, it's so cool to see Mirabai speaking in real life! She's just as awesome and geeky as I imagined. ^_^

[chrisvacc]

Apparantly they have some for $200-$400

http://plover.stenoknight.com/2013/08/introducing-stenosaurus.html

[Entropia]

With all the latest developments in achivements in AI, hasn't voice recognition advanced to a degree of almost 100% of success translating a person speech to text? Just wondering...

[Christian_Bailey]

I became fluent in the one-handed chording alphabet in under an hour. I just posted about it at https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=101300.0 "Chording Keybard built into phone case"

[Sintpinty]

Apparantly you can build one yourself (mechanical), and then a special software you can use called Plover is on there.

On thingiverse there are some steno caps that you can print out if you're interested.

Idk.. would the Corne work with stenography.

[Sintpinty]

And because people rarely need to type that fast.

Someday, i hope my hands defy what can be possible. I hope i eventually get 200 wpm, but that's a pipe dream.