Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!samsung!uunet!mcsun!ukc!mucs!liv-cs!liv!kpurcell
From: KPURCELL@LIVERPOOL.AC.UK
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: a plea to Apple -- something for the offhand
Message-ID: <90208.191644KPURCELL@LIVERPOOL.AC.UK>
Date: 27 Jul 90 18:16:43 GMT
References: <1412@gazette.bcm.tmc.edu> <2787@uakari.primate.wisc.edu> <139441@sun.Eng.Sun.COM> <5286@castle.ed.ac.uk>
Organization: University of Liverpool
Lines: 29

Don't write off the chord keyboard too soon.

A company in the UK called MicroWriter Systems makes a pocket 'organiser'
(diary, notebook and address/phonebook all in one) called the AgendA. It
costs #195 to #250.

The most notable feature of this device is a five button chord keyboard
that can be used to enter data into the machine. The chords are not too
difficult to learn (took me about 1 hour or so and I wan't really trying)
and eventually after several weeks you should get up to 1.5 times handwriting
speed (in fact the limitation in the speed is mostly to do with the lack of
mechanical feedback -- in the eariler version with clickly finger switches
a user could easily get to twice handwriting speed (around 40 wpm)).

Why mention it here. The company also makes a package to transfer information
to/from a Mac (keep the machine backed up on the mac and keep it capable of
using Hypertalk stacks and transfering notes to WP files). It also allows
you to use the chord keyboard in addition to the main mac keyboard, so you
can keep one hand (the left hand) on the mouse and type with the other. Should
be most useful for spreadsheet use.

The chord keyboard is not dead, just underated.

Kevin

^Kevin ^Purcell .........................Comments? Questions? Flames? Applause?
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