Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!hplabs!hpda!hpdslab!hp-ptp!garye
From: garye@hp-ptp.HP.COM (Gary_Ericson)
Newsgroups: comp.cog-eng
Subject: Typing versus Handwriting
Message-ID: <1440001@hp-ptp.HP.COM>
Date: 10 Jun 89 01:24:06 GMT
Organization: HP Pacific Technology Park - Sunnyvale, Ca.
Lines: 57

I have been thinking through the differences in creating text between typing on
a keyboard and writing letters by hand (e.g., pencil and paper).  I know that
typing is considered generally faster, but I think it depends on the setup.
I'm wondering what studies might be available that could fill in the matrix
below.  I'm concerned with execution times for the *average* person in each
category, not the maximum (expert) or minimum (novice) times.

My theory is that typing speed in a bad environment (when you can't touch-type
efficiently) approaches the speed of handwriting, especially when you get into
handheld sizes.  I would say that the notion that typing is always faster than
handwriting applies only to when both are done in optimal environments.  In bad
environments, I'd wonder if handwriting would win or tie.


The keyboard matrix consists of 4 types of layout vs. 3 types of keys vs. 
3 sizes.  In each combination (36 total), the speed would be marked for 2 kinds
of typists.  Here's the beginning of the matrix:

  LAYOUT      	KEYS		SIZE	  touch-typist	non-typist
  -----------   ------------    --------  ------------  ----------
  QWERTY	standard	full	  	?	   ?
  QWERTY	standard	half	  	?	   ?
  QWERTY	standard	handheld	?	   ?
  QWERTY	membrane	full	  	?	   ?
  QWERTY	membrane	half	  	?	   ?
  QWERTY	membrane	handheld	?	   ?
  QWERTY	touchscreen	full	  	?	   ?
  QWERTY	touchscreen	half	  	?	   ?
  QWERTY	touchscreen	handheld	?	   ?
  alphabetic	etc.		etc.	       etc.	  etc.
  Dvorak	etc.		etc.	       etc.	  etc.
  MicroWriter	etc.		etc.	       etc.	  etc.

  Definitions:
    MicroWriter layout = a grouping of 5 keys played in "chords"
    standard keys      = physical keys that move when depressed
    membrane keys      = physically outlined, but are flat
    touchscreen keys   = flat and have no physical outline
    full-size          = the standard computer keyboard
    half-size          = something other than standard, i.e., the keys are a 
			 little smaller and pushed closer together (partially 
			 defeating touch-typing)
    handheld           = very small, e.g., calculator, Casio, Sharp Wizard

The handwriting matrix would be smaller:

  HANDWRITING	desktop surface	  handheld surface
  -----------   ---------------   ----------------
  printing	       ?		  ?
  cursive	       ?		  ?
  shorthand	       ?		  ?

Does anyone have any pointers to information that would begin to fill in these
numbers?  Anyone have an opinion about my theory?

Gary Ericson - System Engineering, Workstation Technology Division
               phone: (408)746-5098  mailstop: 101N  email: gary@hpdsla9.hp.com