Registered: Aug 2000
Location:
Posts: 107

That crazy-lookin' Half Keyboard...

I just went to the Matias and had a look around. I am getting very interested in this. Although it does sound silly, it also makes sense that you could easily adapt to this style of entry (it may have a learning curve similar to grafitti?).

Well at the website you can download a demo for your PC (doesn't require an install or anything) so that you can test drive the concept while using half of your keyboard. I tried this and was amazed at how well I could type with it from the get-go. The idea of tapping with the stylus in the right hand while keying with the left is brilliant.

Now to the point of my post. I'm the type of person that electronics marketers dream about. I'll try pretty much any gimick at least once. What am I overlooking? Any product you purchase has some aspect that the manufacturer steered you away from thinking about by way of their slick marketing. If you guys can see through this stuff please post it here. Also I'd be interested in hearing from those that own one.

Cheers,

Ark.

Registered: Aug 2000
Location:
Posts: 107

I just realized that this thing is made by a Canadian company... I didn't know we still made things here.

A couple of new points I just read about is the fact that before you can beam anything from your Visor/Palm, you must de-activate the keyboard drivers on your device. They then can be reactivated after the beaming operation is complete. Also, the Hot-Synch operation automatically deactivates the driver and you must reactivate the driver (done thru the Halfkeyboard app on the Visor) before it can be used.

Does any of this sound familiar to you stowaway users? Also, I know this is a dumb question but does the keyboard require power from the Visor batteries (I doubt it but I gotta ask)?

Arker.

Last edited by Arker on 07-12-2001 at 08:42 AM

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Posts: 415

well, the stowaway drivers are a bit different. they allow beaming and hotsycing without de-activating the drivers... most of the time. Also, while the driver is always on*, it sometimes doesn't recognize the keyboard on the first try. you often have to toggle the palm on/off to get it to work.

The trick, i understand, is that the visor cpu has only one serial io port, which can be re-directed to either the ir or hotsync port, not both at the same time. Also, in theory, only one program can use the serial port at at time, thats why stowaway's beaming/hotsycing allowances can be a bit finnicky. It looks like the half keyboard driver is either on or off-- probably more robust and reliable as a driver, but the price is the inconvenience of having it switched off when you beam or sync.

*well, in theory the driver app has an activated/deactivate checkbox, but it always seems to re-activate

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Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 443

quote:

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Originally posted by Arker
Does any of this sound familiar to you stowaway users?

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Cincinnati, OH, USA
Posts: 79

Why stop at half keyboard, why not go to one quarter or one eighth or to a 5 key board, one for each finger? Make it the size of 5 Chiclets that store in your Springboard slot with connecting cord, using a proprietary data entry sequence.

Seems like you have to learn a new system just to get data into your handheld. Whatever happened to inventing new technology that reduces the amount of codes and systems you have to learn, and lets you focus on the project at hand?

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Them Twin Cities
Posts: 1758

quote:

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Originally posted by mgflorez
Seems like you have to learn a new system just to get data into your handheld. Whatever happened to inventing new technology that reduces the amount of codes and systems you have to learn, and lets you focus on the project at hand?

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location:
Posts: 107

quote:

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Originally posted by mgflorez

Seems like you have to learn a new system just to get data into your handheld. Whatever happened to inventing new technology that reduces the amount of codes and systems you have to learn, and lets you focus on the project at hand?

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 3034

Originally posted by dietrichbohn:
Why learn a new system? To make it easier to use.

Personally, I prefer the Stowaway. No reason to learn a new system that way.

The size is the key thing here, and the one-handedness.

Except that the one-handedness to some might be a drawback rather than a feature.

Seems like a good idea to me.

Not really sure either way, but there's nothing really motivating me to investigate further so far.

Did you refuse to learn Graffiti?

Ahh...but Graffiti was designed specifically to minimize the amount of learning required to be productive.

Have you ever studied another language. We have multiple mediums of communicating with each other and with our creations, better to become proficient in learning new ones than refuse to change.

One key difference, though. How many people learn a new language proficiently just out of curiosity? We always learn and retain better when we're learning for a specific purpose, e.g. in the case of language, perhaps moving to a new country or to communicate with a new business interest. Personally, I don't see any such motivating factor with the half keyboard. The Stowaway has its portability advantages matched or surpassed and doesn't have any new practices to learn. OTOH, neither of them has an Edge version at the moment so they're both moot.

Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 3034

Originally posted by Arker:
[...] The things like apparently weak drivers and banner ads at the website are bothering me too. [...]

Gak! Yes. I went to the website to confirm whether or not there was an Edge version. I hate multiple popup window banner ads.

Registered: Aug 2000
Location:
Posts: 107

quote:

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Originally posted by Toby

Gak! Yes. I went to the website to confirm whether or not there was an Edge version. I hate multiple popup window banner ads.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 3034

Originally posted by Arker:
Well I never got any of those... The only banner I see is the little VISA one way down at the bottom of each screen. Still a bad sign in my opinion but not as bad as popups.

Hmmm...well, they might have been time-delayed from matias.com, which I mistakenly tried before going back to the article to get the real URL.

Registered: Oct 2000
Location:
Posts: 443

quote:

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Originally posted by Toby
Originally posted by Arker:
[...] The things like apparently weak drivers and banner ads at the website are bothering me too. [...]

Gak! Yes. I went to the website to confirm whether or not there was an Edge version. I hate multiple popup window banner ads.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 3034

Originally posted by mensachicken:
i never got any popups, just the visa ads at the bottom of every page. i just sent them a letter. we'll see what they say.

I'm guessing you were composing this while I posted my reply?

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Them Twin Cities
Posts: 1758

Originally posted by Toby
Ahh...but Graffiti was designed specifically to minimize the amount of learning required to be productive.

As is the Matias kb: you use the same finger on your left hand that you did on your right.

We always learn and retain better when we're learning for a specific purpose, e.g. in the case of language, perhaps moving to a new country or to communicate with a new business interest. Personally, I don't see any such motivating factor with the half keyboard. The Stowaway has its portability advantages matched or surpassed and doesn't have any new practices to learn. OTOH, neither of them has an Edge version at the moment so they're both moot.

I don't think the case of Matias vs Stowaway is so cut and dried. One handedness is an advantage for me in terms of note taking during class, in terms of size when being used, etc. In that case, I do have a vested interest in learning what seems to be a not-very-difficult new system. You're right about it being moot, tho. I'm betting that Stowaway will beat Matias to the Edge. I'm trying to weigh my desire to type fast (I'm a writer) and my desire to have a non-intrusive note-taking aid for class.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 3034

Originally posted by dietrichbohn:
As is the Matias kb: you use the same finger on your left hand that you did on your right.

Sure, but I'm fairly sure that it would take more learning to 'reverse' one's muscle memory than it would to learn to leave out parts of block printed letters. Of course, I also wonder what it'd do to one's typing when they were confronted with a regular keyboard (but I suppose that's why one would need a half keyboard for the PC or Mac as well! ).

I don't think the case of Matias vs Stowaway is so cut and dried. [...]

I'm sure it's not for everyone. It is for me, though. One handedness doesn't bear any advantages for me in situations where I use a keyboard.

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Them Twin Cities
Posts: 1758

Originally posted by Toby
I'm sure it's not for everyone. It is for me, though. One handedness doesn't bear any advantages for me in situations where I use a keyboard.
And the more I think about the possibility of a not so good driver & learning the new method (which I'm willing to do), the less important the one-handedness seems...

I guess I'll wait and see what class is like.

eeee, just saw that this is my satanic post...

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Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Misplaced Canuck in Charleston SC
Posts: 257

This could be a potentially handy device, this half keyboard. I tried out the demo program Matias provides on their website, and it wasn't nearly as hard to type one-handed as I thought it would be.

I discovered long ago that I could actually write fairly well with my left hand as long as I wrote everything mirror-imaged. The right side of the keyboard is mapped mirror image to the keys on the left. Pretty neat. I recommend everyone try out the demo a few times before bashing/raving about the product.

This would come in pretty handy if you find yourself trying to use a visor/keyboard on a tiny surface, slanted surface where the visor won't stay still (like some classroom desks), or if you have no surface to use. Hold the Visor in one hand, keyboard in the other and off you go.

The price is a little high though I think. Same price as the full-sized stowaway...Drop the price down some and I'll start thinking about it.

Doing numbers and other symbols looks like it might be a little awkward though.

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Registered: Mar 2001
Location:
Posts: 43

did anyone see the one that you strap to your arm with your handheld strapped to the other? i don't care how big or strong you are; you walk around with that puppy strapped to your arms, someone's gonna steal your lunch money - guaranteed.


when i look at the picture, i think 'predator' is it just me?

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Cincinnati, OH, USA
Posts: 79

How about just a device to strap individual monitors to your finger tips? On Star Trek-Next Generation, there was an episode where Data plays this 3 dimensional game against an alien ambassador. The point of the game is to move these playing pieces through the 3D matrix and conquer the opponent. Data loses the first game but ties the second, against the reigning champ.

Maybe you could invent this keyboard that lets you type without touching any keys--a virtual keyboard or an air keyboard (like an air guitar), connected to the Visor through a cable.

Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 1

Matias Response

quote:

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Originally posted by Arker


The things like apparently weak drivers and banner ads at the website are bothering me too. It would be nice if the developer could post here and defend himself like other developers do.

Thanks for replying,

Arker.

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