Re: Chord Boards

hal@finney.org
Fri, 2 Jul 1999 15:33:42 -0700

Elizabeth Childs, <echilds@linex.com>, writes:
> I have heard about a keyboard that could be designed that would be one
> step beyond the Dvorak. It would have just one row of keys, and key
> combinations would signify the letters. So keys 1 and 5 together could
> represent "B", keys 3, 7 and 8 could represent @, and so forth. The
> name of this idea is a "chord board".

Actually it is called a "chord keyboard" and if you search on that phrase you will find many hits. These keyboards are popular among wearable computer users as they can be used while leaving one hand free. I saw a guy with one at a party at Max's house seven or eight years ago; he had a "Private Eye" LED based viewer device, the chord keyboard, and various PC components in a wide belt he could strap around his belly. It was somewhat cumbersome cummerbund but if you added a wireless net connection it could be a pretty nice system.

Hal