Patented in 1869 by
Milwaukee newspaper
editor Christopher Sholes
with partners S.W. Soule
and G. Glidden, the first
typewriters went into production
at Remington Arms
Co. in 1873. Essentially,
they were word processors without a display or
memory. They also were unforgiving in terms of
user-input errors, since they lacked spellcheck
or even correctable tape. Yet the typewriter is
notable for its alphanumeric layout (Fig. 1).
Sholes first arranged the keys in rows with
the letters in alphabetical order from left to
right. This required many often-used letters
on the end of thin metal bars that impact the
paper to be next to each other. When a typist
got up to speed, the bars would frequently tangle
up with each other. Rectifying this in 1874,
Sholes rearranged the letters so the bars
would strike the paper from different directions.
This new layout, known as the QWERTY
design because they are the first six letters of
the keyboard’s top row, has been with us ever
since. Rarely used now, the typewriter became
an indispensable business tool in its day and
has undergone a logical evolution from a purely
mechanical unit to electromechanical to standalone
word processors. However, its user-input
component, the keyboard, lives on as an indispensable
accessory for today’s most powerful
tool, the computer, as well as myriad other
components and systems requiring alphanumeric
input from humans.
The QWERTY keyboard survives most commonly
in the form of keyboards for desktop and
laptop computers. Yet the technologies behind
these keyboards and their variations are most
likely beyond anything the inventors of the
typewriter could have foreseen.
VARIATIONS ON A THEME
Virtual keyboards may primarily address
disabled users who can’t work with physical
keyboards, but they’re catching on with portable-
product users and gamers. They consist of
software and/or additional hardware to create
a functional, though non-mechanical, replica of
the keyboard. This replica could be a light projection
of the keyboard onto a convenient surface,
i.e., the desktop. Or, it could transform
the monitor or LCD into a touchscreen.
The CL800BT system developed by Korean
company Celluon uses a red laser diode to
project a functioning QWERTY keyboard image
measuring approximately 240 by 105 mm onto
a non-reflective, opaque flat surface (Fig. 2).
The keyboard is visible in ambient light ranging
from 1000 to 5000 lux, and it provides an
effective keystroke distance of 2 mm. In terms
of detection rate, users may type at speeds up
to 400 characters per minute.
Powered by an integral lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery,
the system’s red-laser projector module
measures 93 by 39 by 37 mm and weighs
109 g. It interfaces with a PC or portable
device via the RS-232C protocol. Compatible
operating systems include Windows 2000/XP/
Vista/Mobile Pocket PC & Smart Phone, plus
Palm OS, BlackBerry, and Symbian.
Eyeing users with mobility impairments,
tablet PC users, video-game developers, and
manufacturers of machine tools, medical equipment,
and point-of-sale kiosks, the Touch-It
software utility from Swiss company Chessware
SA displays a keyboard on the computer monitor,
turning it into a working touchscreen. In
addition to mimicking a standard QWERTY keyboard,
the application includes tools for creating
keyboards via preset templates or unique
layouts from scratch (Fig. 3).
Operating with Windows 2000/XP/Vista/
Server 2003, Touch-It supports all of the languages
in Windows’ input settings as well as
language switching. Developers can address
Touch-It from a third application through
Windows messages or the
COM interface. It can also
send Windows messages
to developers’ applications,
invoke callback procedures
into their libraries,
or call COM methods.
Furthermore, Touch-
It can make keyboards
appear on the edge of
the screen and behave
like application bars. Its
typing rates and delays
match those set by users
in Windows. It offers multimonitor and alpha-blending support. And, it can
load user libraries in the Touch-It environment
and manage callbacks in real time.
TOUCHSCREEN TRENDS
In most applications, from commercial to
industrial and portables, touchscreens have
replaced keyboards and mechanical buttons—
and with good reason. They’re reliable and easy
to use. Also, they’re nearly vandal-proof. They
aren’t subject to the wear and tear resulting
from repetitive actuations, and they’re resistant
to liquids. Naturally, development in this area is
rather strong.
Patented in Japan in April, Neonode’s zForce
touchscreen technology eliminates the need
for a stylus or keys for user input in a range of
portable products. The Swedish mobile-phone
company’s technology relies on photodiodes
and LEDs to provide a sunlight-visible display.
The photodiodes and LEDs accept stimuli from
finger touches and sweeps and require very
little pressure for response.
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