5 ms·

I don't think this would work very well. iPad typing, like normal typing, is all about muscle memory. Given a default position (fingertips hovering above middle

by awolf 16y ago

I don't think this would work very well. iPad typing, like normal typing, is all about muscle memory. Given a default position (fingertips hovering above middle row) each of my ten fingers has learned how to reach for and connect with each letter key. After reaching for a letter and tapping it my fingers immediately return to the default position. To type a capital letter I quickly tap shift with the pinky opposite the hand that will reach for that letter and then it's business as usual. Same goes for the symbol keys on the second page. This system minimizes the unique muscle movements needed to type the full spectrum of letters, numbers, and symbols. Sure: I'm making more key presses to type a single symbol in the current system, but many of those keystrokes are motions that I have learned to make very rapidly since they are used so often. In this new scheme I'd be learning a new movement for each capitalization and special character. Seems like it will be a while before I'd become nearly as proficient as I am now (65wpm). Also, adding flicks (especially downwards ones) to all of the keys seems like a recipe for wrist strain. There are some interesting ideas in this post, and I'm not saying there isn't room for improvement on the iOS keyboards, but this isn't it. In the end I think it just boils down to needing practice. And yes: I'm biased. My buddy and I buuilt an iOS typing trainer called TapTyping. We have seen people get some pretty impressive results: http://www.flairify.com/leaderboard/ http://www.flairify.com/leaderboard/

Zev 16y ago
In this new scheme I'd be learning a new movement for each capitalization and special character. Seems like it will be a while before I'd become nearly as proficient as I am now (65wpm). (Not so) Breaking news: New things take some getting used to. If you really managed to memorize three separate keyboards (regular, numeric, symbols) and all of the tap/hold options they have, props to you. But, memorizing three keyboards isn't something I've managed to do -- even after using iOS pretty much since the original iPhone first came out. But, I'd personally rather just have it all right there on screen, without having to hunt a key down.
- awolf 16y ago
  I think we are talking about different use cases. I'm coming from the perspective that you shouldn't be looking at the keyboard when you type- virtual or not. Instead you are relying on robotic muscle memory to generate a specific character. So in my view there's a lot more new stuff to get used to in the author's proposed scheme. We would be memorizing a distinct set of finger motions for every distinct symbol as opposed to a fixed set of taps to certain positions on the keyboard - some with one or more preceding modifier keys (that are always at the same keyboard position).
  - Zev 16y ago
    I'm coming from the perspective of the iPad is right in front of my face when I'm typing and how can I not look at the iPad when using it? Apple took advantage of the iPhone to rearrange some parts of the keyboard. Ross is taking advantage of the larger key size on the iPad to do the same and (as far as I can tell) to scale back from having to memorize three different keyboards (thats not including the non-standard-but-still-available Email, URL, etc keyboard). And honestly? It sounds like you don't want to have to learn something new again. Which is fine. But it doesn't make Ross's keyboard bad in any way, like you're claiming.
    - Terretta 16y ago
      > "But it doesn't make Ross's keyboard bad in any way" Here's one way -- it's certainly bad to have UPPERcase be a DOWNward flick. Perhaps he thought he wanted numbers above the lowercase letters on the top row to look something more like a real keyboard, but it's silly for the alphabet. > "And honestly? It sounds like you don't want to have to learn something new again." It seems this keyboard is chiefly for the sake of not learning any keyboard. Learn at least one, then complain about someone not wanting to learn another. // I touch type qwerty, azerty, and qwertz. I've got nothing against learning punctuation on new layouts. If the goal is applying something new to make "hunting and pecking" easier, this system is great: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FITALY http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FITALY
      - Zev 16y ago

by awolf 16y ago

Zev 16y ago

In this new scheme I'd be learning a new movement for each capitalization and special character. Seems like it will be a while before I'd become nearly as proficient as I am now (65wpm). (Not so) Breaking news: New things take some getting used to. If you really managed to memorize three separate keyboards (regular, numeric, symbols) and all of the tap/hold options they have, props to you. But, memorizing three keyboards isn't something I've managed to do -- even after using iOS pretty much since the original iPhone first came out. But, I'd personally rather just have it all right there on screen, without having to hunt a key down.

awolf 16y ago
I think we are talking about different use cases. I'm coming from the perspective that you shouldn't be looking at the keyboard when you type- virtual or not. Instead you are relying on robotic muscle memory to generate a specific character. So in my view there's a lot more new stuff to get used to in the author's proposed scheme. We would be memorizing a distinct set of finger motions for every distinct symbol as opposed to a fixed set of taps to certain positions on the keyboard - some with one or more preceding modifier keys (that are always at the same keyboard position).
- Zev 16y ago
  I'm coming from the perspective of the iPad is right in front of my face when I'm typing and how can I not look at the iPad when using it? Apple took advantage of the iPhone to rearrange some parts of the keyboard. Ross is taking advantage of the larger key size on the iPad to do the same and (as far as I can tell) to scale back from having to memorize three different keyboards (thats not including the non-standard-but-still-available Email, URL, etc keyboard). And honestly? It sounds like you don't want to have to learn something new again. Which is fine. But it doesn't make Ross's keyboard bad in any way, like you're claiming.
  - Terretta 16y ago
    > "But it doesn't make Ross's keyboard bad in any way" Here's one way -- it's certainly bad to have UPPERcase be a DOWNward flick. Perhaps he thought he wanted numbers above the lowercase letters on the top row to look something more like a real keyboard, but it's silly for the alphabet. > "And honestly? It sounds like you don't want to have to learn something new again." It seems this keyboard is chiefly for the sake of not learning any keyboard. Learn at least one, then complain about someone not wanting to learn another. // I touch type qwerty, azerty, and qwertz. I've got nothing against learning punctuation on new layouts. If the goal is applying something new to make "hunting and pecking" easier, this system is great: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FITALY http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FITALY
    - Zev 16y ago