Two-Thumb Text Entry May Be The Future of Touch Typing, Says eReflect
New York City, NY (PRWEB) December 17, 2013 -- The proliferation of mobile devices is pushing technology to new levels. As more people use handheld devices to go online, it is only natural that new, more efficient, mobile device-specific keyboard layouts will be developed. As the latest statement from eReflect points out, even though the QWERTY keyboard is a diehard keyboard layout common for computer and internet access around the world, two-thumb layouts are constantly being developed and tested for use in mobile devices. eReflect mentioned a recent Max Planck Institute for Informatics study which has designed the KALQ keyboard, a two-thumb text entry keyboard to be used on mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones.
The recommended KALQ keyboard factors in thumb travel distance and optimizes thumb switching in order to be a fast and accurate QWERTY alternative. As eReflect notes, the 37 words per minute KALQ keyboard users achieved after brief training is a promising outcome which confirms how two-thumb touch typing might be a potent replacement for the QWERTY keyboard on touch screen, handheld devices in the future.
Maximum thumb travel for the right keyboard section is 117 pixels and for the left section, 87. While the right section of the keyboard includes all vowels (except the "sometimes vowel" y), the left using new positioning around a spacebar for all consonants except for G, T, K, L, and Q. This novel configuration for the KALQ keyboard was decided after the researchers looked into how the user should hold the device and how letters should be positioned to achieve a faster typing output. The hover-over technique the researchers implemented in the KALQ keyboard allows the user to place the finger over the next to-be-typed key, another time-saving feature.
eReflect said that keyboard training with the KALQ layout, and for that matter any other split screen keyboard layout, has its own idiosyncratic challenges that can be overcome once formal and effective keyboard training is also introduced. In the end, as the statement from eReflect concludes, while two-thumb typing might be a potent solution for mobile devices, the QWERTY keyboard is not currently threatened by these new layouts as they serve different purposes and as such, people shouldn’t overlook the need for improving their QWERTY typing skills.
For more details on Ultimate Typing™, please visit http://www.ultimatetyping.com/.
About Ultimate Typing™
Ultimate Typing™ software is designed specifically for the improvement of typing skills. Created by eReflect, a world leader in e-learning and self-development software, Ultimate Typing™ has been informed by the latest developments in the science of touch typing.
Since its creation in 2006 by Marc Slater, the company has already catered to over 112 countries all over the world, offering products with the latest cutting-edge technology, some of which are among the world’s most recognized and awarded in the industry.
Rick Wilson, eReflect, +1 (408) 520-9803, [email protected]
Share this article