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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: ashort on Thu, 12 June 2008, 10:10:32

Title: Form over function
Post by: ashort on Thu, 12 June 2008, 10:10:32
http://gizmodo.com/5015723/no+key-glass-touch+keyboard-is-anithesis-of-steampunk

Antithesis of steampunk?  How about antithesis of productivity?
Title: Form over function
Post by: iMav on Thu, 12 June 2008, 10:39:23
They can BOTH be categorized as "form over function" AFAIC.
Title: Form over function
Post by: Ulysses31 on Thu, 12 June 2008, 11:01:37
It looks cool I guess.  That's all that's required for it to be a smash hit to the average Western consumer.  I wonder what keyboards on the space shuttle look like?  That would be (hopefully) the ultimate in function over form.
Title: Form over function
Post by: ashort on Thu, 12 June 2008, 11:26:11
Looks like something out of Minority Report.

Another one:  http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/keyboards/laser-keyboard-getting-usb-update-still-hard-to-use-289427.php
Title: Form over function
Post by: bigpook on Thu, 12 June 2008, 11:55:18
Quote from: iMav;5392
They can BOTH be categorized as "form over function" AFAIC.


While that may be true, I still would go with the steampunk keyboard over the glass one. I would think the steampunk keyboard would last a few life-times. Besides, the action on the glass keyboard would be awful to me.
Title: Form over function
Post by: bhtooefr on Thu, 12 June 2008, 12:31:24
There's a reason direct membrane keyboards have been relegated to microwave oven control panels.
Title: Form over function
Post by: Eclairz on Thu, 12 June 2008, 12:40:07
Quote from: ashort;5394
Looks like something out of Minority Report.

Another one:  http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/keyboards/laser-keyboard-getting-usb-update-still-hard-to-use-289427.php


My uncle used it and said it was way to slow and inaccurate, but the advantatage i guess is you could type on any surface, as long as it is reasonably flat.

The glass keyboard is basically a Microsoft "Surface" without the screen. Meaning you could point the camera at any glass surface and virtually use the other side as a typing surface. If you exclude the screen this means it might actually be possible to use curved glass as a typing material, but as a previous poster said, the key action is lacking and there is almost no audible sound.

But like all technologies they can find their own niches within the market. You could easily seen it being used in a market where it is messy and need a easy to clean surface or for waterproof computing in industrial areas.
Title: Form over function
Post by: shadyguido on Thu, 12 June 2008, 15:21:38
ooooo..... shiny.   and little else :(