iPhone, schmiPhone—Just let me type on real keys, will ya?
I hate the new Apple iPhone.
And, I hate it even though I’ve been a rabid Apple owner and shareholder for more than 25 years.
I have found after an hour of trying, my typing speed didn’t impove. In addition, I’ve got a real ‘fat finger’ problem with iPhone and iTouch. (Like the Apple Newton, the iPhone’s alphabetic screen keypad does not even a period punctuation mark, sheesh).
However, now Mitsubishi Electric Research Labs has a better design for the iPhone/iTouch types of touch-based devices. The new method lets you use with your fingers holding the back of the gadget to give a clearer view. The idea is that with the Mitsubishi device, your hands can’t obstruct the view of the screen and its on-screen virtual keyboard while you are using it thus easing input with much less of a chance of scratching the screen or sliming it up with fingerprints.
Watch the demo of the new Mitsubishi device and technique on YouTube:
The story is via the slashdot discussion of the NewScientist.com’s report of 11 October 2007: ‘Transparent’ gadget could trump iPhone interface. Also note the Apple is claiming “prior art” to this device—See the macrumors.com.
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