FrogPad to Release Mini Keyboard and Case

Posted By: Ed Tuesday, September 25, 2001 7:25:30 AM

The FrogPad is a 19-key device that allows each key to handle multiple letters and symbols, so it's small but still has full-sized keys. Its creator is developing a version for the Palm V series and Sony Clié that combines a keyboard with a case. These are scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of this year. The case without the keyboard will be $100 and together they will cost $170.

The key layout is based on the percent usage of each letter in the English language. Fifteen letters that are used 86% of the time by typists are placed in the most efficient locations on the keyboard.

According to initial usability studies, the FrogPad can significantly reduce the time new typists take to learn traditional touch-typing. These studies have found that an average person learned to "Touch-type" 40 words a minutes within the first 10 hours of practice.

The keyboard uses a standard PS/2 connection and can be used with a PC. The company will sell the keyboard alone for $80.

FrogPad Inc. hopes to see their design for an input method used not just on handhelds, but also mobile phones and desktop computers.

Thanks to nXt for the tip. -Ed

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Keyboard

I.M. Anonymous @ 9/25/2001 8:36:48 AM #

The case is really fine and good..

But I dont think I can live with a keyboard that is not based on QWERTY...

RE: Keyboard

I.M. Anonymous @ 9/25/2001 8:43:01 AM #

A lot of palm users has mastered fitaly and T9 without much diffuculty. Maybe the layout of the keyboard might not be a bad idea after all.

RE: Keyboard

I.M. Anonymous @ 9/25/2001 8:45:20 AM #

Thant's strange, the HalfKeyboard and this one from FrogPad have different key layouts. Interesting to know which is the better and the more studied one.

RE: Keyboard

dmunz @ 9/25/2001 8:55:06 AM #

First to market...

I'm waiting for a type-with-right-hand Half Keyboard (so I can write/tap with my left hand) but this looks interesting too. I'll probably buy the one that comes out for the m505 first.

FWIW

DLM

RE: Keyboard

ktran @ 9/25/2001 6:46:21 PM #

There is actually a school of thought that believes the QWERTY layout is not really optimised for typing at all. Take a look at how much your hands travel to write very simple words.

Legend has it that the layout was actually designed to slow people down from jamming up the early mechanical typewriters, but I've heard varying accounts of this story's credibility. There are other, alternative layouts out there which try to address the problem by having the strongest fingers type the most often used letters and placing these letters in a cluster on the keyboard.

It's all interesting stuff, really.

K. Tran

RE: Keyboard

Altema @ 9/26/2001 1:04:32 AM #

I'd heard that QWERTY was invented for those reasons too. I guess we could verify that by seeing the layouts of the first typewriters. My dad's old Underwood typewriter used to get jammed from time to time because he was a fast typist even with QWERTY, so at least the theory seems partly reasonable.

RE: Keyboard

ktran @ 9/26/2001 1:31:02 PM #

I should also point out that there have been different, more "optimised" layouts available for quite some time now, but QWERTY just seems to be so entrenched that it'll probably never die. . .

On my Palm, though, I'm running Quicktype 123 with the OPTI layout. . .

K. Tran

carpal tunnel waiting to happen?

ajf @ 9/25/2001 9:06:58 AM #

given the amount that i type (and the fatigue i get with keying duty spread over both hands), i can't imagine how converting to a single-hand keyboard could possibly be a good thing.

have you ever ten-keyed for hours? your hand literally starts to throb.

Solution in search of problem, Episode 87

Moosecat @ 9/25/2001 9:11:47 AM #

Let's take a small device, put it in a large case that has one purpose: to hold a non-standard keyboard with a steep learning curve. And at the top of that learning curve is the ability to type 40 words per minute.

That ain't that fast. I'll take my PPK any day.

Does anyone else see it's $170 with the case?

Davy @ 9/25/2001 9:52:08 AM #

I paid a hundred bucks for a palm stowaway keyboard, and I don't think less is more, so I don't want to pay $70 more to lose a bunch of keys in the intrest of "ease-of use". IMHO, of course.

RE: Does anyone else see it's $170 with the case?

c_t_s @ 9/25/2001 10:34:18 AM #

You got that right.

I suppose there may be a few people who need this, but the vast majority of users in need of a keyboard for occasional access will want a full-size QWERTY layout.

Sorry, but IMHO, you can't beat the best - a fold-up Palm Portable Keyboard, for $100 or less. They are built VERY well and feel just like any good-quality laptop keyboard.

It's the best when keyboard access is needed (meetings, etc.). I still use Graffiti for 90% of my input.

RE: Does anyone else see it's $170 with the case?

jericho34 @ 9/25/2001 6:05:57 PM #

one question
it sais that the case alone is $100, and that the keyboard is a standard P/S2 keyboard. my question is this:can you use the case with any p/s2 keyboard? if you could, that would allmost make it worth it.

quote of the month-
the worst crime aganst yourself is to wast time. time is the one thing that you can never get back
-yet another famous dead guy

RE: Does anyone else see it's $170 with the case?

I.M. Anonymous @ 9/25/2001 8:37:03 PM #

>> my question is this:can you use the case with any p/s2 keyboard? if you could, that would allmost make it worth it.

It appears that way, but I can't say for sure. A full-size PC keyboard *may* work with it, but its not very portable... the whole point of handhelds.

Neither Fish Nor Fowl

Spell @ 9/25/2001 11:05:53 AM #

I just can't imagine someone with the need to type (a faster and more "natural" form of text entry than Graffiti and it's replacements) who would then handicap themselves with such an odd little device. Speed up to slow down? Probably, with enough practice, you could get speedy on this thing, but is the time invested to learn this any better spent than just learning to block-print your Graffiti letters faster; or learning one of those little thumb-typing keyboards that just came out?

If you want to type, get one of the actual keyboards, bifold or trifold. Pound away at 65-, 85- or 105-wpm. If you want to hunt, peck and practice, there are far cheaper options.

This thing seems to be neither fish nor fowl, and at a fairly foul price, to boot.

DOA

I.M. Anonymous @ 9/25/2001 11:29:10 AM #

This device is Dead On Arrival.
$170: A $70 premium over a PPK and it takes 10 hours !!! to learn how to punch letters at 40 WPM.
Gimme a break.

It's probably fine if you can only use one hand but for the rest of us go buy a PPK instead.

RE: DOA

Islander @ 9/25/2001 5:22:00 PM #

Lets be accurate. The keyboard alone is 80 bucks.

RE: DOA

jericho34 @ 9/25/2001 6:00:32 PM #

you want one handed the halfqwerty is a cheeper, faster alternative

quote of the month-
the worst crime aganst yourself is to wast time. time is the one thing that you can never get back
-yet another famous dead guy

RE: DOA

I.M. Anonymous @ 9/25/2001 9:05:37 PM #

Let's be accurate ISLANd-ho:

The plastic case alone is $100.

You must work for these clowns at Frogpond.

Frog Pad

I.M. Anonymous @ 9/25/2001 11:13:45 PM #

This product, although innovative, is redundant. My apologies to the innovative people who I know have spent so much time and effort in developing this new keyboard.The Half Keyboard http://www.halfkeyboard.com/ that was released some time ago is smaller and more standard in it's layout. If you are in the market for this type of device check out the under-$100 price of the Half Keyboard. The price of the Frog Pad is atrocious.

don't buy patented keyboards

I.M. Anonymous @ 9/27/2001 5:11:29 AM #

It takes a lot of time to get proficient at a new keyboard. Patented keyboards and other input methods almost always fail and you will be stuck having spent a lot of time getting good at something you can't buy anymore. So, value your own time and don't bother with FrogPad or HalfQwerty, or any of the other stuff until the patents run out and people can have free software implementations and low-cost hardware implementations.