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TouchFire: Finally a real keyboard for the iPad

134 points by kiriappeee 15y ago

bugmenot 15y ago
File this one under goofy-idea-I-had-and-rejected-due-to-aforementioned-goofiness. That said, best of luck to y'all. (Seriously.)
cstross 15y ago
This isn't going to do portrait as well as landscape. Strikes me as being a bit of a kludge. (Obligatory disclosure: I use one of these with my iPad and like it: http://www.zagg.com/accessories/logitech-ipad-2-keyboard-case http://www.zagg.com/accessories/logitech-ipad-2-keyboard-cas... -- yes, it's more expensive and requires bluetooth, but it's the best I've found so far.)
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
- kiriappeee 15y ago
  Well I think the portrait landscape thing is a non issue mostly. The real point of this keyboard is that it doesn't add any extra bulk to the iPad. Having said that the logitech thing really does look nice but I still question adding extra bulk as opposed to simply this keyboard on and off. (Thanks for the logitech keyboard tip)
- andrewflnr 15y ago
  Personally, I never type in portrait mode anyway if I don't absolutely have to. Pulling it out of the way temporarily to satisfy some app that refuses to let me type in landscape mode would be a small inconvenience.
jvandenbroeck 15y ago
Since I've been using Swype on Android, every "normal" keyboard on a touch device seems primitive. Even the iphone/ipod keyboard to type emails, text messages is to slow.
- kiriappeee 15y ago
  I'm on Android and I've been in the testing phase of Swype for a very very long time. Swype's major failing is the adding of unusual words. It's not built for real touch typing even though they added that feature in. Also I've given it a very good go since I use my android device for blogging as well and while swype performs remarkably well in portrait mode it feels different in landscape. the distance your single finger has to travel as opposed to being able to use all ten fingers to touch type like you would on a standard keyboard makes touch typing feel like the more efficient method here. Thus I think swype for phones is fanstastic.. Swype for tablets is great if for some reason you can just use one hand.. But both hands hand touch typing works the best on a tablet imo. And this particular invention enhances that effect a lot.
  - martythemaniak 15y ago
    Tip: You can make swype in landscape (on a tablet) take up 1/2rd of the screen and place it in the bottom left or right corner, so you can actually have the same feel as using it on a phone or in portrait mode. Check out the screenshot: http://www.smartkeitai.com/swype-3-0-for-android-honeycomb-tablets-video-review/ http://www.smartkeitai.com/swype-3-0-for-android-honeycomb-t...
MrEnigma 15y ago
The keyboard I believe has changed slightly in different versions of iOS. Plus with portrait + split keyboard, this seems like it would be kind of a hassle. I'm also guessing you won't be able to get the correct angle to type well either.
- steveis99 15y ago
  Steve here, one of the founders of TouchFire. The iOS keyboard layout for iPad has remained unchanged since the first release on iPad 1. TouchFire lives in the iPad's cover when you don't use it so if you want to use portrait or split keyboard, TouchFire doesn't get in the way.
  - adrinavarro 15y ago
    What about other languages? ie. spanish, it has a different layout. And as far as I know, the layout has changed slightly (enough to annoy your users) since I got my iPad (the old one).
HnNoPassMailer 15y ago
This looks more like an elaborate, very early prepared aprils fools joke.
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
eps 15y ago
Why link to blogspam? http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/740785012/touchfire-the-screen-top-keyboard-for-ipad http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/740785012/touchfire-the-...
ellyagg 15y ago
The comments here so far seem oddly negative. This looks really amazing. I mostly program in screen sessions on servers, and I've so wanted to use the iPad to do this. Unfortunately, you either have to carry a separate keyboard everywhere--defeating the point of the svelte iPad--or use the on screen keyboard, which drastically reduces my accurate typing speed. I wouldn't have believed it were possible, but this addresses all my annoyances.
- nchuhoai 15y ago
  I think it really depends. In most use cases, taking a seperate keyboard with you is not that annoying, and given the big constraints that this add-on imposes, it might be worth the costs? dont you think it would be nice if you could use the screen session with the whole screen estate?
adamfeldman 15y ago
This is another Kickstarter iPad keyboard project that successfully funded this summer and is shipping soon: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1030552097/ikeyboard-0 http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1030552097/ikeyboard-0
- crikli 15y ago
  I contributed to this and it's been worth the expense just to observe the design and production process. I had no idea that making a plastic widget was so complicated.
endlessvoid94 15y ago
I have an enormous amount of respect for a group of people who band together and see an idea into the marketplace. That deserves a huge congratulations. But there's a reason Apple doesn't make these. It's ugly. It doesn't work in portrait mode. It doesn't hide itself when I don't need it. It isn't fluid. Overall, I think it deteriorates the entire experience of using an awesome tablet device. Sure, it's good for a single use case -- but that's not why the iPad is awesome. It's awesome because of how much it can do across use cases. This doesn't fit that bill.
- patrickod 15y ago
  Agreed. If you really need to improve your typing speed while using the iPad then you should invest in a wireless keyboard. Having this hanging off the side of the device will in no uncertain terms come to irritate users greatly.
- zmmmmm 15y ago
  Never underestimate people's willingness to hideously degrade something beautiful to attain a small amount of practicality. I'm always fascinated by people who buy iPhones because of the design and then slap the most horrifically ugly cases onto them. They would never have bought a phone in that state but are more than willing to transform it into that state having bought it. > It's awesome because of how much it can do across use cases. I'm not sure I'd agree with that. The iPad is exactly good because it does a number of specific use cases extremely well but it is not really good at generalizing from those. In many ways Apple has gone out of their way to stop that. Eg: if you really do a lot of typing and have to have a tablet, I'd think something like an ASUS Transformer is a better device, not just because it has a keyboard but because the whole ecosystem is better for that (eg: the device has a file system shared between apps, you get a mouse cursor, happily accepts external media, etc.). It was meant to be used in a huge number of different ways not anticipated by its makers. But it does not do the things that the iPad is meant for as well as the iPad does.
  - megablast 15y ago
    As someone who has dropped their iPhone and smashed the back up (thankfully it was not the other side), I can understand people buying ugly cases.
grossvogel 15y ago
Hmm... The video says over and over that you can rest your fingers on the keys like a normal keyboard, but none of the footage actually shows people using it this way.
Zash 15y ago
If only it didn't obscure the screen. Maybe it could be attached with a hinge or something?
- steveis99 15y ago
  Actually, it is attached with the equivalent of a hinge. The user can quickly retract TouchFire while it is attached to the iPad, giving full access the entire screen. And they can quickly pop it back over the screen when they want to type again.
suivix 15y ago
I would never get this for my iPad. It's not worth the physical encumbrance. If I wanted to type quickly, I would buy an external keyboard or go on my laptop.
- h34t 15y ago
  How is an external keyboard less of a physical encumbrance than a thin plastic overlay?
  - kiriappeee 15y ago
    Thank you. I don't get this reply people keep leaving :S
watmough 15y ago
Normally, I enjoy these kickstarter ideas, but this is a ZX Spectrum flavored abomination. http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=223&st=1 http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=223&s... My wife's reaction was: What is that? Why? It doesn't make any sense... Obviously not everyone reacts negatively, but maybe less might if the first picture (from the video) on the site was anything even close to the standard of the excellent photography further down.
steveis99 15y ago
TouchFire creator here to clarify a few things. TouchFire does let you rest your fingers on the home row. That's one of its most important features. Also, you can quickly retract TouchFire out of the way, letting you use the entire screen (see the video for a demo). TouchFire is a really new idea, that in many ways flies in the face of conventional wisdom. I've actually spent most of career doing software. When I first came up with the idea, I thought it was pretty crazy too, for many of the reasons people are trashing it here. What's so non-intuitive is that TouchFire works. And it works really well. It lets you touch-type on an iPad, while at the same time effectively disappearing into the iPad's cover when you don't need it. We have found that actually using it is a very different experience than watching a video of it. Would people be interested in having a meet-up to try it out in person? We could do one in Seattle and one in the Bay area if there is interest...
- marcamillion 15y ago
  This is awesome. You guys seem to have nailed the product development. It is when I see things like this, that makes me question the mantra 'Release quickly, release often'. I know that is usually applied to software...but the lesson can be seen here. These guys took the time to think through the product and really refined the solution, before releasing. Even did User Testing and a solid promo video before releasing. This is awesome. Congrats!
- awolf 15y ago
  I for one would love to try it out if you end up arranging a demo in the bay.
gojomo 15y ago
Seems the next step would be to make a similarly slim, fits-inside-the-cover bluetooth keyboard. Same feel, same carrying load, no cost in lost screen-real-estate.
gfodor 15y ago
The discomfort in typing I think is partially a generational gap.
awolf 15y ago
I too am obsessed with finding a way to make typing on the iPad live up to its full potential but I don't think this is the way. A physical overlay requiring precise positioning will destroy the fluid experience of the iPad which makes it so great. For instance when I'm typing a lot of text on my iPad I still often alternate between reading and writing. If I leave the overlay on when switching to read a blog post the very bottom of the page would always be obscured. It looks like trying to read through the plastic keys would be annoying at best and impossible at worst. On the other hand taking the overlay on and off would be a nuisance since you would need to get it into the exact right spot every time you wanted to start using it. Instead if people want to type quickly on their iPad: Practice! Here is the typing test leaderboard for an app I made called TapTyping: http://www.flairify.com/leaderboard/ http://www.flairify.com/leaderboard/ The fastest typists have reached over 110 wpm with 98% accuracy (which is frickin' insane, BTW) but even speeds half of that are quite functional. I type at around 65 wpm on my iPad (85 on a keyboard) and I'm not shy at all about tapping out long passages of text when the inspiration hits me. All of that said: these guys are helping to move the ball forward in touch screen input. I did indeed pledge $45.. Good luck! Sent from my iPad
- steveis99 15y ago
  A key feature of TouchFire is that it can be easily retracted when the user wants to use the full screen. And it automatically aligns itself with magnets; it snaps into place on an iPad 2 (it also automatically aligns on an iPad 1 with the Apple cover). By the way, I love TapTyping. There might be some new speed records coming your way soon from TouchFire-enabled iPads...
  - awolf 15y ago
    Ah it's great to hear that the TouchFire will be very fast to take on and off. There's still a bit of fidley-ness to it but it sounds like you've done everything you can to address that design concern. Hmm, yah it will be interesting to see the WPM difference using TouchFire. Maybe we need a third leaderboard to account for it ;).
- h34t 15y ago
BerislavLopac 15y ago
In my opinion, what the world of tablets need is a good tool for quick and reliable one-hand writing, which would be a) easy to learn, but b) quicker than handwriting. It would most likely not be a physical product, but a replacement for a standard keyboard. There were a number of solutions -- like chorded keyboards -- but none has really approached the popularity of traditional QWERTY; I believe that with software instead of a physical keyboard many more solutions might happen in the future, some even becoming our new favorite text-entry solutions.
mcantelon 15y ago
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS-80_Model_100 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS-80_Model_100
RossP 15y ago
This overlay looks like a fantastic product, with a few small issues (eg no landscape, still only using half the screen for content, etc). Because nothing like it was available and I wanted a tactile keyboard to write & code with when travelling, I ended up buying an Apple wireless keyboard. 2nd hand on eBay set me back $50, and it uses bluetooth so battery life is sacrificed, but I've found it to be a fantastic option. You can type at full speed, it's got character keys so coding isn't impossible, and best of all you have your full screen available for your word processor / terminal session / whatever. There are two big downsides, though: 1) Can't use it on an airplane, since it uses Bluetooth 2) It doubles the travel size of the iPad. If you can live with these I think it is a great alternative to a laptop for many tasks (but not everything, obviously)
- meatmanek 15y ago
  Is Bluetooth actually forbidden on aircraft? Several airlines offer wifi in-cabin these days, and that operates on the same frequencies and at much higher power.
kiriappeee 15y ago
wow.. why the negativity people?? One primary concern I'm noting here. People talking of how it won't work with how they use the iPad already. The problem with this logic is that most products in the world wouldn't have been a success based on how people were using already existing products. This is a typical situation that people like Henry Ford had to deal with. The whole purpose of designing this keyboard seems to be, to me at least, to transform how you currently use the iPad. To change it from a half hearted effort at content creation to making it a device that's ideal for content creation. Instead all I see is "messes the experience of the iPad" <- read between the lines of the rest of the message and I understand that the thinking is based on how the iPad is being used already. The key board isn't meant for tiny 2 line email replies. This is for full blown document editing and blog posting and anything requiring a lot of text. Where else would you use touch type??? "separate keyboard. omg suckkssss" <- Did you even look at the video and pictures?? The darn thing folds with the cover!! This is part of its beauty. Taking advantage of the iPad itself and bringing about an experience which isn't intrusive but still works. And here's the best joke of the day. The answers provided for this issue? "Might as well carry a wireless keyboard!" <-- Yes keyboard warriors. Can I see your products designed as a usability engineer? Point is. It's easy to harp and echo the negative issues. It's what we seem wired to do (remember the echo chamber when the iPad was first announced?). Looking beyond that is tougher. What the echo chamber seems to have missed here is that this brings about two things 1) touch typing <- You don't have that with the current keyboard. Not easily anyways. Please don't try to skirt this issue. There's a reason people are building keyboards everywhere 2) Integrates with the iPad experience <-- With easy snap on snap off thanks to the thoughtful design with magnets I see this as something that doesn't interfere unlike every other keyboard solution I've seen so far. Even the other kickstarter projects suggested here don't allow for quick pull of put on approaches. They are static/bulky/non complimentary half baked ideas. Disclaimer. I'm just a blogger and an aspiring tech startup guy from Sri Lanka. I am not some PR person for these guys. I just call things like I see it.
rosstafarian 15y ago
thought this was a horrible idea for all the same reasons stated, until i saw the video. If it really works like advertised(being able to rest my fingers on home screen, quick removal/magnetic alignment) this'll be the first accessory i get when i get my ipad.
deleted 15y ago
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klieb 15y ago
I look forward to testing this product. Typing on glass has always left me wanting more, and this sound like it solves my problems smartly.
Lindsay79 15y ago
This is going to be an incredible use to a lot of different places that could use the ipad in place of a pc. I love it, you can have the ease of travel and use, and still get all the functionality you would get from a pc. I love the fact you can pledge to be a part of it too.
- Craig17 15y ago
  I completely agree - I watched the video and it really could take this entire market by storm. Who knows where it could end up - I am looking forward to testing it - I pledged today!!
- Craig17 15y ago
  I completely agree - I watched the video and it really could take this entire market by storm. Who knows where it could end up - I am looking forward to testing it - I pledged today!!
redslazer 15y ago
Personally i find this sort of thing the wrong use for Kickstarter. Kickstarter is about letting people who wouldn't otherwise be able to complete project get funded by the community because it cool, quirky or useful. It should be used to circumvent the normal sales cycle for thoes who can afford it. The two gentlemen with almost certainty had $10,00 themselves to launch this product they just needed customers and publicity. They have succeed but have also taken away the possibility of another entrepreneur getting funded(possible a college kid) who has a great product but most definitely does not have $10,000 to spend for something like this.
growt 15y ago
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3003873 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3003873
mluggy 15y ago
for the 10 people who might like the clickely keyboard sounds - i say don't buy an ipad.
stupandaus 15y ago
While I do like the flexibility of the fluid iPad transitions between landscape and portrait mode, there are times when I really miss having a physical keyboard. It is exceedingly frustrating how many typos I make when I'm trying to write an e-mail or chat with friends. This is perfect for those situations.
andrewhake 15y ago
No matter how nicely this is integrated. It is backwards thinking. It is ABSOLUTELY possible to type fast on the iPad/iPhone virtual keyboards. It is possible to touch type on these keyboards as well. No you can't do it the same way as a mechanical keyboard, but it isn't that difficult. You just use different physical cues, not your finger tips. Also, if you are going to type something that is going to take a little time. Why not just take a $69 wireless keyboard out of your bag?
- freakystyley 15y ago
  The point of an iPad is you don't have to carry around a bag, at that point you might as well just carry a laptop. I'm constantly replying to emails throughout the day so I'm all for anything that can makes that more convenient.

134 points by kiriappeee 15y ago

File this one under goofy-idea-I-had-and-rejected-due-to-aforementioned-goofiness. That said, best of luck to y'all. (Seriously.)

cstross 15y ago

This isn't going to do portrait as well as landscape. Strikes me as being a bit of a kludge. (Obligatory disclosure: I use one of these with my iPad and like it: http://www.zagg.com/accessories/logitech-ipad-2-keyboard-case http://www.zagg.com/accessories/logitech-ipad-2-keyboard-cas... -- yes, it's more expensive and requires bluetooth, but it's the best I've found so far.)

deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
kiriappeee 15y ago
Well I think the portrait landscape thing is a non issue mostly. The real point of this keyboard is that it doesn't add any extra bulk to the iPad. Having said that the logitech thing really does look nice but I still question adding extra bulk as opposed to simply this keyboard on and off. (Thanks for the logitech keyboard tip)
andrewflnr 15y ago
Personally, I never type in portrait mode anyway if I don't absolutely have to. Pulling it out of the way temporarily to satisfy some app that refuses to let me type in landscape mode would be a small inconvenience.

jvandenbroeck 15y ago

Since I've been using Swype on Android, every "normal" keyboard on a touch device seems primitive. Even the iphone/ipod keyboard to type emails, text messages is to slow.

kiriappeee 15y ago
I'm on Android and I've been in the testing phase of Swype for a very very long time. Swype's major failing is the adding of unusual words. It's not built for real touch typing even though they added that feature in. Also I've given it a very good go since I use my android device for blogging as well and while swype performs remarkably well in portrait mode it feels different in landscape. the distance your single finger has to travel as opposed to being able to use all ten fingers to touch type like you would on a standard keyboard makes touch typing feel like the more efficient method here. Thus I think swype for phones is fanstastic.. Swype for tablets is great if for some reason you can just use one hand.. But both hands hand touch typing works the best on a tablet imo. And this particular invention enhances that effect a lot.
- martythemaniak 15y ago
  Tip: You can make swype in landscape (on a tablet) take up 1/2rd of the screen and place it in the bottom left or right corner, so you can actually have the same feel as using it on a phone or in portrait mode. Check out the screenshot: http://www.smartkeitai.com/swype-3-0-for-android-honeycomb-tablets-video-review/ http://www.smartkeitai.com/swype-3-0-for-android-honeycomb-t...

MrEnigma 15y ago

The keyboard I believe has changed slightly in different versions of iOS. Plus with portrait + split keyboard, this seems like it would be kind of a hassle. I'm also guessing you won't be able to get the correct angle to type well either.

steveis99 15y ago
Steve here, one of the founders of TouchFire. The iOS keyboard layout for iPad has remained unchanged since the first release on iPad 1. TouchFire lives in the iPad's cover when you don't use it so if you want to use portrait or split keyboard, TouchFire doesn't get in the way.
- adrinavarro 15y ago
  What about other languages? ie. spanish, it has a different layout. And as far as I know, the layout has changed slightly (enough to annoy your users) since I got my iPad (the old one).

HnNoPassMailer 15y ago

This looks more like an elaborate, very early prepared aprils fools joke.

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

eps 15y ago

Why link to blogspam? http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/740785012/touchfire-the-screen-top-keyboard-for-ipad http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/740785012/touchfire-the-...

ellyagg 15y ago

The comments here so far seem oddly negative. This looks really amazing. I mostly program in screen sessions on servers, and I've so wanted to use the iPad to do this. Unfortunately, you either have to carry a separate keyboard everywhere--defeating the point of the svelte iPad--or use the on screen keyboard, which drastically reduces my accurate typing speed. I wouldn't have believed it were possible, but this addresses all my annoyances.

nchuhoai 15y ago
I think it really depends. In most use cases, taking a seperate keyboard with you is not that annoying, and given the big constraints that this add-on imposes, it might be worth the costs? dont you think it would be nice if you could use the screen session with the whole screen estate?

adamfeldman 15y ago

This is another Kickstarter iPad keyboard project that successfully funded this summer and is shipping soon: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1030552097/ikeyboard-0 http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1030552097/ikeyboard-0

crikli 15y ago
I contributed to this and it's been worth the expense just to observe the design and production process. I had no idea that making a plastic widget was so complicated.

endlessvoid94 15y ago

I have an enormous amount of respect for a group of people who band together and see an idea into the marketplace. That deserves a huge congratulations. But there's a reason Apple doesn't make these. It's ugly. It doesn't work in portrait mode. It doesn't hide itself when I don't need it. It isn't fluid. Overall, I think it deteriorates the entire experience of using an awesome tablet device. Sure, it's good for a single use case -- but that's not why the iPad is awesome. It's awesome because of how much it can do across use cases. This doesn't fit that bill.

patrickod 15y ago
Agreed. If you really need to improve your typing speed while using the iPad then you should invest in a wireless keyboard. Having this hanging off the side of the device will in no uncertain terms come to irritate users greatly.
zmmmmm 15y ago
Never underestimate people's willingness to hideously degrade something beautiful to attain a small amount of practicality. I'm always fascinated by people who buy iPhones because of the design and then slap the most horrifically ugly cases onto them. They would never have bought a phone in that state but are more than willing to transform it into that state having bought it. > It's awesome because of how much it can do across use cases. I'm not sure I'd agree with that. The iPad is exactly good because it does a number of specific use cases extremely well but it is not really good at generalizing from those. In many ways Apple has gone out of their way to stop that. Eg: if you really do a lot of typing and have to have a tablet, I'd think something like an ASUS Transformer is a better device, not just because it has a keyboard but because the whole ecosystem is better for that (eg: the device has a file system shared between apps, you get a mouse cursor, happily accepts external media, etc.). It was meant to be used in a huge number of different ways not anticipated by its makers. But it does not do the things that the iPad is meant for as well as the iPad does.
- megablast 15y ago
  As someone who has dropped their iPhone and smashed the back up (thankfully it was not the other side), I can understand people buying ugly cases.

grossvogel 15y ago

Hmm... The video says over and over that you can rest your fingers on the keys like a normal keyboard, but none of the footage actually shows people using it this way.

Zash 15y ago

If only it didn't obscure the screen. Maybe it could be attached with a hinge or something?

steveis99 15y ago
Actually, it is attached with the equivalent of a hinge. The user can quickly retract TouchFire while it is attached to the iPad, giving full access the entire screen. And they can quickly pop it back over the screen when they want to type again.

suivix 15y ago

I would never get this for my iPad. It's not worth the physical encumbrance. If I wanted to type quickly, I would buy an external keyboard or go on my laptop.

h34t 15y ago
How is an external keyboard less of a physical encumbrance than a thin plastic overlay?
- kiriappeee 15y ago
  Thank you. I don't get this reply people keep leaving :S

watmough 15y ago

Normally, I enjoy these kickstarter ideas, but this is a ZX Spectrum flavored abomination. http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=223&st=1 http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=223&s... My wife's reaction was: What is that? Why? It doesn't make any sense... Obviously not everyone reacts negatively, but maybe less might if the first picture (from the video) on the site was anything even close to the standard of the excellent photography further down.

steveis99 15y ago

TouchFire creator here to clarify a few things. TouchFire does let you rest your fingers on the home row. That's one of its most important features. Also, you can quickly retract TouchFire out of the way, letting you use the entire screen (see the video for a demo). TouchFire is a really new idea, that in many ways flies in the face of conventional wisdom. I've actually spent most of career doing software. When I first came up with the idea, I thought it was pretty crazy too, for many of the reasons people are trashing it here. What's so non-intuitive is that TouchFire works. And it works really well. It lets you touch-type on an iPad, while at the same time effectively disappearing into the iPad's cover when you don't need it. We have found that actually using it is a very different experience than watching a video of it. Would people be interested in having a meet-up to try it out in person? We could do one in Seattle and one in the Bay area if there is interest...

marcamillion 15y ago
This is awesome. You guys seem to have nailed the product development. It is when I see things like this, that makes me question the mantra 'Release quickly, release often'. I know that is usually applied to software...but the lesson can be seen here. These guys took the time to think through the product and really refined the solution, before releasing. Even did User Testing and a solid promo video before releasing. This is awesome. Congrats!
awolf 15y ago
I for one would love to try it out if you end up arranging a demo in the bay.

gojomo 15y ago

Seems the next step would be to make a similarly slim, fits-inside-the-cover bluetooth keyboard. Same feel, same carrying load, no cost in lost screen-real-estate.

gfodor 15y ago

The discomfort in typing I think is partially a generational gap.

awolf 15y ago

I too am obsessed with finding a way to make typing on the iPad live up to its full potential but I don't think this is the way. A physical overlay requiring precise positioning will destroy the fluid experience of the iPad which makes it so great. For instance when I'm typing a lot of text on my iPad I still often alternate between reading and writing. If I leave the overlay on when switching to read a blog post the very bottom of the page would always be obscured. It looks like trying to read through the plastic keys would be annoying at best and impossible at worst. On the other hand taking the overlay on and off would be a nuisance since you would need to get it into the exact right spot every time you wanted to start using it. Instead if people want to type quickly on their iPad: Practice! Here is the typing test leaderboard for an app I made called TapTyping: http://www.flairify.com/leaderboard/ http://www.flairify.com/leaderboard/ The fastest typists have reached over 110 wpm with 98% accuracy (which is frickin' insane, BTW) but even speeds half of that are quite functional. I type at around 65 wpm on my iPad (85 on a keyboard) and I'm not shy at all about tapping out long passages of text when the inspiration hits me. All of that said: these guys are helping to move the ball forward in touch screen input. I did indeed pledge $45.. Good luck! Sent from my iPad

steveis99 15y ago
A key feature of TouchFire is that it can be easily retracted when the user wants to use the full screen. And it automatically aligns itself with magnets; it snaps into place on an iPad 2 (it also automatically aligns on an iPad 1 with the Apple cover). By the way, I love TapTyping. There might be some new speed records coming your way soon from TouchFire-enabled iPads...
- awolf 15y ago
  Ah it's great to hear that the TouchFire will be very fast to take on and off. There's still a bit of fidley-ness to it but it sounds like you've done everything you can to address that design concern. Hmm, yah it will be interesting to see the WPM difference using TouchFire. Maybe we need a third leaderboard to account for it ;).
h34t 15y ago

BerislavLopac 15y ago

In my opinion, what the world of tablets need is a good tool for quick and reliable one-hand writing, which would be a) easy to learn, but b) quicker than handwriting. It would most likely not be a physical product, but a replacement for a standard keyboard. There were a number of solutions -- like chorded keyboards -- but none has really approached the popularity of traditional QWERTY; I believe that with software instead of a physical keyboard many more solutions might happen in the future, some even becoming our new favorite text-entry solutions.

mcantelon 15y ago

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS-80_Model_100 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS-80_Model_100

RossP 15y ago

This overlay looks like a fantastic product, with a few small issues (eg no landscape, still only using half the screen for content, etc). Because nothing like it was available and I wanted a tactile keyboard to write & code with when travelling, I ended up buying an Apple wireless keyboard. 2nd hand on eBay set me back $50, and it uses bluetooth so battery life is sacrificed, but I've found it to be a fantastic option. You can type at full speed, it's got character keys so coding isn't impossible, and best of all you have your full screen available for your word processor / terminal session / whatever. There are two big downsides, though: 1) Can't use it on an airplane, since it uses Bluetooth 2) It doubles the travel size of the iPad. If you can live with these I think it is a great alternative to a laptop for many tasks (but not everything, obviously)

meatmanek 15y ago
Is Bluetooth actually forbidden on aircraft? Several airlines offer wifi in-cabin these days, and that operates on the same frequencies and at much higher power.

kiriappeee 15y ago

wow.. why the negativity people?? One primary concern I'm noting here. People talking of how it won't work with how they use the iPad already. The problem with this logic is that most products in the world wouldn't have been a success based on how people were using already existing products. This is a typical situation that people like Henry Ford had to deal with. The whole purpose of designing this keyboard seems to be, to me at least, to transform how you currently use the iPad. To change it from a half hearted effort at content creation to making it a device that's ideal for content creation. Instead all I see is "messes the experience of the iPad" <- read between the lines of the rest of the message and I understand that the thinking is based on how the iPad is being used already. The key board isn't meant for tiny 2 line email replies. This is for full blown document editing and blog posting and anything requiring a lot of text. Where else would you use touch type??? "separate keyboard. omg suckkssss" <- Did you even look at the video and pictures?? The darn thing folds with the cover!! This is part of its beauty. Taking advantage of the iPad itself and bringing about an experience which isn't intrusive but still works. And here's the best joke of the day. The answers provided for this issue? "Might as well carry a wireless keyboard!" <-- Yes keyboard warriors. Can I see your products designed as a usability engineer? Point is. It's easy to harp and echo the negative issues. It's what we seem wired to do (remember the echo chamber when the iPad was first announced?). Looking beyond that is tougher. What the echo chamber seems to have missed here is that this brings about two things 1) touch typing <- You don't have that with the current keyboard. Not easily anyways. Please don't try to skirt this issue. There's a reason people are building keyboards everywhere 2) Integrates with the iPad experience <-- With easy snap on snap off thanks to the thoughtful design with magnets I see this as something that doesn't interfere unlike every other keyboard solution I've seen so far. Even the other kickstarter projects suggested here don't allow for quick pull of put on approaches. They are static/bulky/non complimentary half baked ideas. Disclaimer. I'm just a blogger and an aspiring tech startup guy from Sri Lanka. I am not some PR person for these guys. I just call things like I see it.

rosstafarian 15y ago

thought this was a horrible idea for all the same reasons stated, until i saw the video. If it really works like advertised(being able to rest my fingers on home screen, quick removal/magnetic alignment) this'll be the first accessory i get when i get my ipad.

deleted 15y ago

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klieb 15y ago

I look forward to testing this product. Typing on glass has always left me wanting more, and this sound like it solves my problems smartly.

Lindsay79 15y ago

This is going to be an incredible use to a lot of different places that could use the ipad in place of a pc. I love it, you can have the ease of travel and use, and still get all the functionality you would get from a pc. I love the fact you can pledge to be a part of it too.

Craig17 15y ago
I completely agree - I watched the video and it really could take this entire market by storm. Who knows where it could end up - I am looking forward to testing it - I pledged today!!
Craig17 15y ago
I completely agree - I watched the video and it really could take this entire market by storm. Who knows where it could end up - I am looking forward to testing it - I pledged today!!

redslazer 15y ago

Personally i find this sort of thing the wrong use for Kickstarter. Kickstarter is about letting people who wouldn't otherwise be able to complete project get funded by the community because it cool, quirky or useful. It should be used to circumvent the normal sales cycle for thoes who can afford it. The two gentlemen with almost certainty had $10,00 themselves to launch this product they just needed customers and publicity. They have succeed but have also taken away the possibility of another entrepreneur getting funded(possible a college kid) who has a great product but most definitely does not have $10,000 to spend for something like this.

growt 15y ago

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3003873 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3003873

mluggy 15y ago

for the 10 people who might like the clickely keyboard sounds - i say don't buy an ipad.

stupandaus 15y ago

While I do like the flexibility of the fluid iPad transitions between landscape and portrait mode, there are times when I really miss having a physical keyboard. It is exceedingly frustrating how many typos I make when I'm trying to write an e-mail or chat with friends. This is perfect for those situations.

andrewhake 15y ago

No matter how nicely this is integrated. It is backwards thinking. It is ABSOLUTELY possible to type fast on the iPad/iPhone virtual keyboards. It is possible to touch type on these keyboards as well. No you can't do it the same way as a mechanical keyboard, but it isn't that difficult. You just use different physical cues, not your finger tips. Also, if you are going to type something that is going to take a little time. Why not just take a $69 wireless keyboard out of your bag?

freakystyley 15y ago
The point of an iPad is you don't have to carry around a bag, at that point you might as well just carry a laptop. I'm constantly replying to emails throughout the day so I'm all for anything that can makes that more convenient.