Usability Quote of the Day

February 6, 2012

The prevailing computer-human interaction (CHI) model of interface design has been partly responsible for the current state of the desktop computer. The breakthrough on which the field emerged was the admission of psychological principles. The resulting graphical user interface has been the focus of the field of computer-human interaction for nearly 20 years. This interface is a virtual control panel whose design has remained quite technology-centered. -- Malcolm McCullough, Digital Ground, 2004    (via interaction-design.org)

Monday, June 13, 2005

One-handed keyboard a big leap

The learning curve, the learning curve ...

"FrogPad (whether the USB or Bluetooth model) is a mobile keypad with 20 full-size keys designed to be used with a PDA, Pocket PC, smart phone, laptop or other mobile device. (You could obviously use it with a desktop computer as well.) Because it requires only one hand, the idea is that you can hold documents or other items in one hand while while entering information with the other.

FrogPad's unique key layout is based on putting the letters that are used the most front and center. Fifteen letters that are used 86 percent of the time by English language typists are placed in the most efficient locations on the keyboard, surrounded by five function keys including the traditional "space" and "enter." The overall layout supposedly uses the natural drumming motion of the hand to further optimize performance.

The ergonomics are said to significantly shorten learning time compared with the traditional QWERTY layout. FrogPad’s Web site claims that university studies find new users can reach 40 words per minute in 10 hours versus the 56 needed with QWERTY. They conclude that since over 75 percent of all users do not touch type but use a “hunt and peck” approach, the FrogPad presents an opportunity for faster keyboard input. The technology is also versatile: FrogPads can be used in either a right or left-handed mode (separate models) and with any international language set."   continued ...   (Via MSNBC)

Frogpad - User Interface Design, Human Computer Interaction (HCI), Ergonomics


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