Latest Keyboard Layout


.Gogeta§§J4BR.

that brazilian guy =`]
Joined
Feb 13, 2006
Messages
476
Age
36
Location
São Paulo - SP - Brasil
Website
robertocr.com
pandorakeybV3.jpg

do you guys like it? I think it's pretty nice.
generic english and a compose key is the way to go!
even though it has some weird stuff (like having ; : ? on the left), it's for the best as a thumb board: compare to other devices and you will see a lot of thinking has been done over this one. :)
what do you guys think?
 
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The only thing I would immediately consider changing would be to make Caps Lock a double shift key instead of an Fn key: press shift twice consecutively and you're in lock, same way that Fn-Fn puts you in Fn lock; makes it simple. That frees up Fn-Shift, which I would use to put AltGr as an easily accessible key on the left. That frees up Fn-J for something else, although I can't think of anything off the top of my head that's missing.
If it were totally my design for me alone, I'd also rearrange the Fn keys so that the top QWERTY row more closely matched the shifted number keys for the US keyboard, but then it would be less usable for others.
Other than the change to shift and fn-J that I mentioned, I think it's pretty good.
Oh! Also also, rearrange the lower left fn keys as "/ ? : ;". That puts "Fn-," as a very accessible key combo for producing the / character so prevalent in *nix and the web.
 
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While I use a comma as decimal separator I think it might be better to have the . and the / instead of the . and , as "own" keys.
you use them far more when typing urls and so. Keyboard layout should be optimised for web and shell typing imho

Edit: just nitpicking but I find the "esc" and the "@" so close together euh dangerous? aldo I don't really see how you could map it really different... ideally @ should have also a own key,but certainly not a big issue...

edit2: speeling

edit3: what took it so long to have a keyboard thread about this by the way *evil grin*
 
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PoisonedV said:
Another thread? SERIOUSLY?

Just go with it. It hurts a lot less once you've sunk to their level.
Or continue fighting it, get angry, get a headache.
 
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Considering this keypad is almost done w/ the molding process, can't it be FINALIZED?

The energy wasted on all these threads and the politicizing, bickering and suggestions are so 2008.

This is one item that shouldn't need to be on the checklist of things to be done IMHO.

Cheers

Link
 
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'lulzfish' said:
I think it would be great if it was a little smaller so I don't have to scroll sideways to look at it.
It gives a whole new meaning to the term "handheld" , doesn't it?
 
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This is already being discussed here:

CODE
http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?showtopic=46731
 
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This layout as it is shown in the picture is impossible because you can't press 3 keys at once unless it is game button/keypad combos. I have already let ED know that so I'm sure he's still working away at it.
 
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MWeston said:
This layout as it is shown in the picture is impossible because you can't press 3 keys at once unless it is game button/keypad combos. I have already let ED know that so I'm sure he's still working away at it.

Is that to imply that sticky keys will not be available?
 
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Why wouldn't they be available? Sticky keys are a pure software solution.
 
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typs lik dis said:
Why wouldn't they be available? Sticky keys are a pure software solution.

I mean out of the box. Every time the situation comes up, it's us forumers that insist sticky keys will work, while the devs continue talking about how the layout needs to be layed out so you can hit two keys at the same time. It makes me wonder if there is something inherently flawed in the software design that's preventing sticky keys from becoming a defacto solution.
Or maybe they just don't like sticky keys.
 
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it needs OLED keys IMO or maybe a bunch of blue LEDs


CODE
http://www.electronics-lab.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/optimus_oled_keyboard.jpg
 
'Kekerot' said:
it needs OLED keys IMO or maybe a bunch of blue LEDs
CODE
http://www.electronics-lab.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/optimus_oled_keyboard.jpg


erm....Have you checked the price tag on that thing?
 
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I think sticky keys should definitely be used. That will be great for keys that are used less and were less optimally placed for that reason.

The layout I made seemed perfect for both two thumb presses and sticky keys. Maybe a couple of characters could move around a bit if necessary, but I thought I nailed the generic English keypad. :) In my opinion, comparing the layout of the Pandora keypad (remember DS sized) to a full sized keyboard is nonsense. I'd rather have the keys I use more placed for comfort rather than looking like the number row of my desktop, as an example.
 
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Well I've been doing research on this for a couple of days now & I've come up with what I feel is the best layout regardless of whether or not one prefers sticky keys. I would have made a video to demonstrate my reasoning, but it's late & I don't have a mic, so I guess I'll have to type it out.

First I determined what the most used non-alphanumeric keys are. I came up with (from most to least, just in general) . , " ' ! ? ( ) : & ; - / = @ [ ] _ + * # |
Now I know this is not true for everyone, but this that's why it's a generalization.

Next, Thanks to whoever posted the pandora mock-up I have a spiffy cardboard-reinforced scale model of our dear panda. My thumbs are average to above average size, but here is where they rest on the panda:
2009-02-17-234142.jpg


Now here is where logic comes in. The most used keys should be the most easily accessible. Since the Fn key is on the right side & will need to be held down by the right thumb, the majority of these keys should be left-justified. This will satisfy the needs of both sticky-key users & non-sticky-key users.
2009-02-17-234359.jpg


Next up is accessibility. The Blue area is the range of my left thumb without lifting, Red is my right. Green area is where keys can be reached without sticky, Orange is with, & Yellow is the area that is hard to reach with either side.
pandorakeyboard_thumbs2.jpg


Based on this, I came up with the following layout:
pandorakeyboard.jpg


Having seen this there are a few changes I made that I should explain:
Brightness/Wifi - This location is good because they are not functions relative to typing & fill the 'dead-zone'. They also line up nicely with the center buttons.
Monetary characters - Since these are scarcely used, they can afford to be a bit out of the way. This also allows more keys that might be used only occasionally to be placed on the keyboard instead of keys that some people may never use due to region. Oh, and also prevents whining ;]
Colon/Semi-colon - I switched these around for two reasons: The semi-colon is less often used than the regular colon and the bottom most key on the left is just a little awkward to press, so it makes more sense to have the colon in a position where it feels nicer to press. Also, it makes more sense to match the character on the bottom half of the colon to the one underneath it, if it was reversed it would be a little confusing.
Ampersand - I moved the ampersand to where the '@' previously was because 'and' is a more commonly used word/idea than 'at'. When thumb typing it makes it easier to have the ampersand easily available for easier abbreviation.
Brackets - Perfect place for both sets, creates nice symmetry as well.
AltGr/Compose - made more sense to me to have them next to each other & in an easily accessible place for our foreign friends =]
The rest - Well the rest are organized like I mentioned before, most used on left, less used on the right & filling the left-over spaces.

I spent a lot of time on this to make it the most well-organized approach to fast thumb-typing, so I hope it's given some consideration. Thanks! =D
 
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