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Agreed. There just isn't a more effective tool for communicating instructions to a computer than a keyboard, and I don't think it's really close. To say that th
by dkrich 14y ago
Agreed. There just isn't a more effective tool for communicating instructions to a computer than a keyboard, and I don't think it's really close. To say that the keyboard is "a crutch to the past" is in my view no different than saying that spoken words or written language are a crutch to the past. Just because something has worked well for a long time doesn't mean that it necessarily is due for a change. Sometimes just working well is far more valuable than perceived convenience or migrating to new technologies.
To me the only real pain point for using a keyboard is added bulk, but that in and of itself is not a huge deal. In fact when I am traveling and have to use my laptop, I miss having my iMac keyboard with a number pad and additional inputs that don't have to be combined into single keys with multiple functions. There's a reason nobody codes on their phones or tablets- there's no effective way to communicate with it at high speeds.
- whatusername 14y agoReally? I'd love to see you edit a photo using just a keyboard. A Physical keyboard is incredibly limited because it allows us to communicate one of two things to the computer. We can communicate a single character. (ie - a fraction of a word which is a fraction of an idea). Or we can communicate a single pre-defined intent (ie - a function key or shortcut). The way we communicate intents (CTRL-C, ESC, CTRL-ALT-DEL, F5) changes with the application but the Hardware itself doesn't). This is very limiting.
- goostavos 14y ago>I'd love to see you edit a photo using just a keyboard. Heh, I'd like to see you edit without one. Any editor worth his salt will have mapped his shortcuts to sit under his keyboard hand. How is moving a finger 1/4 of an inch in any direction to call entirely new windows/tool/pulgins/etc limiting? What do you suggest as a betting input device? >The way we communicate intents (CTRL-C, ESC, CTRL-ALT-DEL, F5) changes with the application but the Hardware itself doesn't). This is very limiting. Could you expand on this? I don't quite get the point your trying to make.
- dkrich 14y agoObviously when I speak about the keyboard, I'm referring to text-based communication. If you need to drag-and-drop, I've found a mouse to work quite well. With those two tools I can do just about everything my current hardware will allow very effectively. And yes, I find a mouse far more precise and effective than touch-based inputs. Try using your desktop for a few days without a keyboard and see how limiting that is. There's a reason he only speaks of relying on his iPad when he's away from home. It's not a practical device for productivity.