Keyboards for One Hand? 44
visibleman asks: "Having recently damaged my right hand to the point where it is unusable for a month and only for light tasks after that I was wondering whether anyone in the community knows of any devices which replace the keyboard but require the use of only one hand. I remember a long time ago seeing in magazines something that had a single button per finger and relied on the user learning key combinations to make up letters but I have not seen this for ages, does anyone know what I am talking about?" Ask Slashdot covered this topic, twice: in this article from 1999 and a followup from 2001. For those readers who find themselves in this same situation, what solutions have you found and what were your experiences, good or bad? Are there any new devices in this vein that deserve mention or are the older solutions still the best?
Just type slower (Score:3, Funny)
I had something like this happen... (Score:3, Funny)
Being able to use a computer is the LEAST of your worries. I was able to adapt to typing with my right hand about 60% of my previous typing speed in a couple days, it took some doing, but it wasn't that big of a deal. A couple weeks later, I had enough strength in my fingers to use the "WASD" keys on my left hand, so I was able to play First person shooters again with little trouble.
You only have a month? Just wait it out, it isn't the end of the world.....Why not ask "How do I shower with one hand"....though I guess maybe that hadn't come to mind
Wow! (Score:3, Funny)
I guess those impulse control classes worked.
One-handed keyboard typing (Score:4, Informative)
Re:One-handed keyboard typing (Score:1)
Re:One-handed keyboard typing (Score:1)
Hmm. (Score:2, Interesting)
google (Score:4, Informative)
first, we get this site [aboutonehandtyping.com], about typing on a normal keyboard with one hand.
then this one [abilityhub.com], which shows a few one hand keyboards
also theres this [edgarmatias.com] kind of academic looking paper about half-QWERTY.
HalfKey (Score:3, Informative)
So instead, try the HalfKeyboard [halfkeyboard.com] on which my work was based. Failing that, I hear good things about the one-handed DVORAK layouts.
SOMEONE has to say it (Score:4, Funny)
this would be HELL on your sex life if it wern't for this saving grace:
"and only for light tasks"
Twiddler (Score:2, Informative)
one-handed dvorak (Score:3, Informative)
These have the advantage that you don't need to buy new hardware to try them out.
Re:one-handed dvorak (Score:1)
Slashdot readers should be aware... (Score:3, Funny)
Our single-hand typing technologies may be licensed at a reasonable rate for Sun and Microsoft users.
Check out Infogrip... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Check out Infogrip... (Score:1)
left-hand Dvorak? (Score:1)
i'm sure you could make your own keycaps if you need to, but both mappings seem oriented toward single-handed use.
twiddler? (Score:2)
Keyboards for One Hand? (Score:4, Funny)
a software partial solution (Score:4, Informative)
Dvorak (Score:2)
One Handed Dvorak (Score:1)
Maltron (Score:2)
We've ordered a few of these for customers and they seemed satisfied.
Me too (Score:2)
One-handed Dvorak (Score:4, Informative)
From this website about one-handed keyboarding [helpinghandsgroup.org]: In 1945, during World War II, Colonel Robert Allen lost his right arm. Being a writer, he now found typing nearly impossible. He contacted August Dvorak and asked for help. Using his previous research, August developed keyboard layouts for one handed typists. These are known as the Dvorak left hand layout and the Dvorak right hand layout. A few months after using the Dvorak left hand layout, the Colonel was typing over 50 WPM.
Twiddler (Score:2)
Re:Network wins over disk... (Score:2)
Chording for tablets (OT?) (Score:2)
Re:Chording for tablets (OT?) (Score:1)
Re:Chording for tablets (OT?) (Score:1)
I was thinking more of a modern tablet computer (15" touch-sensitive colour LCD screen). If you put a button for the thumb on the top near the edge, and four more buttons for the fingers on the underside, you could operate it while hand-holding it.
Your example had all five buttons on the top, which means it has to be rested on something to use it. Perhaps it's time we saw some truly ergonomic and inovative computer design.
Re:Chording for tablets (OT?) (Score:1)
The Claw? (Score:1)
http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/input/gaming
Re:The Claw? (Score:1)
http://www.claw.com.au/
Thumb-typing keypad (Score:2)
Too many jokes... Too little Karma to waste on -1 (Score:2)
It's called a Chord-Key (Score:1)
You effectively play "chords" (similar to playing a piano) with a limited set of keys.
And no, I haven't seen one recently!.
Half Keyboard (Score:1)
Think geek have done it again....
An Half Keyboard, for one handed typing.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/input