you can't use your fingers for precise positioning of the mouse cursor
I agree, but maybe we should not consider the KeyMouse as a replacement for the mouse but rather as another way to control the pointer. It could be like using two mice at the same time, one with a different dpi than the other for fine tuning. It could have its advantages. Left hand (for a right-handed) would quickly warp the pointer near the target and the right one would take over for a precise positioning. Maybe some smart mutual exclusion process could be interesting to investigate.
The Shift and layer modifiers should be on thumb buttons rather, as it is.
This lead to the question of key-mapping. Up to what point these mappings can go. Which are those all-but-these keys are programmable. This is an issue only if some keys are not programmable.
For typing, both units should be fixed in place so your upper arm movements can be used to reduce the fatigue of the finger and forearm muscles.
Here a questions: could that point be addressed with some kind of (possibly integrated) rubber pods or something (just a thought) ?
I have to agree with Oobly. If you really want to make the best thing you can, you should figure out what kind of use case you're targeting, and what the real requirements are for those uses, and work from there. Just mashing things together without considering the context often yields unsatisfying results.
Not that I disagree, but:
- First, a few years spent on this project by some guys clever enough to build this prototype comes to mind when reading this! ... I say this is simply uncalled for without some supporting facts.
- Then, if you take a standard keyboard, I think it qualifies for the worst case scenario... So, if we want to look at the bright side, any sensible project like the KeyMouse is one step in "a" good direction. The only drawback being: it's not a standard keyboard! And this is a real handicap as long as novelty is cool up to the point where you ask people to change some long time unlearned habits. Anyway, we are not looking at an attempt to sell a replacement for those billions keyboard users, we just need a few hundreds more. And if James posted here, I'm pretty sure it's precisely because he is trying to avoid all the pitfalls described here. If he wanted to mash things together, I'm sure he could do it without looking for an approval.
Back to the matter aspect of jacobolus' point, my use cases (talking only of my 10+ hours a day usage for many years, past and to come) are definitely not about producing tons of words as fast as possible. I can even say that letter frequency is quite irrelevant when it comes to optimize a specific keyboard layout. Most of my typing would appear as garbage for the average keyboard user... Meaning: I don't care about where a symbol is on a keyboard - as long as can say that it's there because I put it there! And if that was not such a good idea, I am the one who can do something about it right away.
So, about the satisfaction factor, I don't see how this uneven usage of a keyboard and a mouse (vim-editing, photoshoping, navigating, gesturing, ...) could be taken as a use-case for an ideal input device. That would be a nightmare and there is absolutely no chance whatsoever to come up with something you could safely publish. This means I am ready for compromises and having many programmable buttons is a good start. Turning a keyboard into something else than the current standard device can't go the wrong way from where I'm looking.
I m not sure I can think of any use cases currently requiring two hands on the keyboard and simultaneous mouse movement mainly because all the existing software we have is designed for a regular keyboard and mouse, so any software requiring or substantially benefiting from simultaneous typing and cursor movement is going to be a non-starter on standard input devices.
- Not talking about the average user here, as it simply does not apply. After all, a KeyMouse on an office desk is not currently a reasonable prospect:
Maybe there are not so many situations where key-mousing would be really helpful, but, when we are stuck in one of those, we could have quite another opinion.
Every single software we use everyday as a professional works with keyboard shortcuts and pointer motion and click. And, even if you don't use some feature everyday, it can come handy, mostly when you know your way around macro programming and some power tools to make them work as is the case with AutoHotkey and StrokeIt for instance.
As a simple example, in Photoshop, standard shortcut "m" for selecting is on the right part of a QWERTY keyboard, "v" for moving is on the left. How can I manage if I want to keep my right hand on the mouse? There, the KeyMouse compromise could be a better choice than half keyboard, remapping or macros patches!
I suspect that you ll be able to sell some of these (like the King s Assembly people did), but mostly as novelties to curious people, and after people try using them for a few weeks, they ll ultimately put them on a shelf somewhere and go back to the traditional keyboard and mouse.
I have some, graying on their shelf. Still, I don't know why that is but it does not leads me to consider novelties as potential failure without thinking I may be wrong. Look at what people are ready to suffer with their smartphone onscreen keyboard. I'm much less tolerant than most as the only reasonable reaction you would have 10 years ago would have been "You're nuts, people will never be able to enter more than 10 letters this way before giving up, not to say 140!"
And maybe, probably, we're all wrong if you're reading this from your 2025+ perspective? ... No need to answer, I'm not around anymore.