halfkeyboard
by Matias Corporation
Ultra-compact design with full-keyboard functionality, for your handheld or desktop computer
Where’s the other half of the keyboard?
Why use a one-handed keyboard instead of a regular keyboard?
Check out the flash demo
How does it work?
Is it easy to learn?
Why is it so easy to learn?
How fast can I type?
Why such a big difference?
How big is it?
How much does it weigh?
Where’s the other half of the keyboard?
It’s gone. You don’t need it.
The Half Keyboard technology allows you to type with one hand, using your standard touch-typing skills.
Why use a one-handed keyboard instead of a regular keyboard?
- Better Note Taking – With the stylus in the other hand, you can draw diagrams, annotate your text, etc., all without taking your hand off the keyboard.
- Easier Editing – Using the stylus in your other hand, you can scroll, select text, type corrections, make deletions, etc.
- Better Navigation and Control – With one hand on the keyboard and the other on the stylus or mouse, switching between the two is fast and easy, resulting in a system that’s actually more efficient for data entry than a standard desktop computer.
- More Convenient – No need to unfold a collapsible keyboard. The Half Keyboard is always ready.
Click here to launch the one-handed typing demo (Opens in a new window. If the Flash movie does not play you may need to download and install free Flash player plug-in)
Click here for an animated slide show on the halfkeyboard
| You type with your left hand, just like you would on a normal keyboard. Except, the spacebar also works like a shift key. Holding it down gets you the letters of the missing half of the keyboard. Hitting the spacebar alone still types a space. |  |
Is it easy to learn?
Yes.
Most touch typists can learn it after only a minute or two of experimentation. Very little effort is required, and speed increases rapidly with practice.
If you’re a hunt and peck typist, learning one-handed typing is like learning standard touch typing. It’s no easier and no harder, and will take roughly the same amount of time.
Click here to see the halfkeyboard learning curve
| The finger used to type each letter is the same finger that’s used in normal touch typing. That’s why you can learn it so quickly. You’re using the same finger movements that you already learned in typing class, except now, you’re only using one hand to do them. |  |
| Fast. Matias Corporation has measured speeds as high as 64 words per minute. That’s 3 to 6 times the speeds possible on other handheld computers. | Half Keyboard Typing Speed Other Handheld Computers Typing Speed  |
Click here for speed comparisons
Why such a big difference?
Touch typing.
A half keyboard, with its full-sized keys, lets you touch type with one hand. Other handhelds have miniature keyboards that force you to hunt and peck, which is slow, or to use a pen, which is even slower.
| It’s 146mm x 80mm x 18 mm (5.75” x 3.15” x 0.71”) – about the size of a scientific calculator, or 1/4 the size of a laptop. |  |
How much does it weigh?
The Half Keyboard weighs 125 grams (4.41 ounces) for the PDA version, and about 150 grams (5.3 ounces) for the desktop version, because of the longer cable.
Relevant Articles and Information
- Matias, E., MacKenzie, I. S., & Buxton, W. (1996). One-handed touch typing on a QWERTY keyboard
Human-Computer Interaction, 11(1), 1-27.
http://edgarmatias.com/papers/hci96/ - Matias, E., MacKenzie, I. S., & Buxton, W. (1994). Half-QWERTY: Typing with one hand using your two-handed skills
Companion of the CHI ’94 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 51-52). New York: ACM.
http://edgarmatias.com/papers/chi94/ - Matias, E., MacKenzie, I. S., & Buxton, W. (1993). Half-QWERTY: A one-handed keyboard facilitating skill transfer from QWERTY
Proceedings of the INTERCHI ’93 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 88-94). New York: ACM.
http://edgarmatias.com/papers/ic93/
Click here for Tech Support and FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
WARRANTY: A 1-year limited manufacturer’s warranty is offered on the halfkeyboard.
Related Products
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halfkeyboard is targeted at the following age ranges:
- Mid Primary
- Upper Primary
- Secondary School
- Adult
halfkeyboard is designed to foster development in the areas of:
- Access to computers
For answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and technical support visit:
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