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Merkava_4

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 4, 2010
724
92
California
A preposterous question you say? In the future, we will be able to move prosthetic limbs with our thoughts - and fighter pilots will be able to fly the aircraft with his/her thoughts. But I'm thinking a computer would be awfully boring without the keyboard. What are your thoughts?
 

Schtumple

macrumors 601
Jun 13, 2007
4,905
131
benkadams.com
I think computers are going to have keyboards for the considerable future just because of the cost of thought control equipment. Touch screen input will probably far supersede computers before thought control equipment becomes financially viable.

I can imagine a Google lawsuit where Google has been illegally tracking peoples thoughts for advertising purposes though :rolleyes:
 

Dr McKay

macrumors 68040
Aug 11, 2010
3,528
255
Kirkland
I much prefer the physical feedback of an actual keyboard. On a keyboard I can tell without looking at the screen if I've made a spelling error, because the keyboard just didn't feel right typing.

I often have some issues typing on the iPad, repeatedly spelling things wrong, thank god for the predictive auto-corrector.
 

Cabbit

macrumors 68020
Jan 30, 2006
2,128
1
Scotland
All i know is i hope there replaced soon. I would rather sit with a iPad on my lap and dictate to it than use a keyboard(real or virtual).

As speech to text software gets more and more advanced i would hope that the keyboard would slowly give way to voice and touch(Touch on its own is not enough.).
 

R94N

macrumors 68020
May 30, 2010
2,095
1
UK
I hope not. I prefer a trackpad/mouse and physical keyboard, but I think for the average user they'll have touchscreens, because I don't think they will even use laptops like we have now (they don't need the power anyway), netbooks/tablets/things like that are bound to take over, at least for the average non-techie person.
 

yg17

macrumors Pentium
Aug 1, 2004
15,028
3,003
St. Louis, MO
All i know is i hope there replaced soon. I would rather sit with a iPad on my lap and dictate to it than use a keyboard(real or virtual).

As speech to text software gets more and more advanced i would hope that the keyboard would slowly give way to voice and touch(Touch on its own is not enough.).

Obviously you're not a programmer. Anyone who writes code is not going to sit there and dicate it to a computer. Typing it out is by far the fastest way to do it.
 

ucfgrad93

macrumors Core
Aug 17, 2007
19,579
10,875
Colorado
All i know is i hope there replaced soon. I would rather sit with a iPad on my lap and dictate to it than use a keyboard(real or virtual).

As speech to text software gets more and more advanced i would hope that the keyboard would slowly give way to voice and touch(Touch on its own is not enough.).

Agreed. I see voice commands taking over the majority of the tasks we currently use keyboards for.
 

roadbloc

macrumors G3
Aug 24, 2009
8,784
215
UK
Obviously you're not a programmer. Anyone who writes code is not going to sit there and dicate it to a computer. Typing it out is by far the fastest way to do it.

Agreed. And apart from the possibility of touchscreen faders (although they may lag), touchscreen and voice is useless in my line of work as well. Using Pro-Tools without all the keyboard shortcuts would be hell for me.

And what about all them authors, tabloid reporters and stuff? I can't imagine them choosing a non-keyboarded product for their work. Keyboards are staying and are not leaving in any hurry.
 

Sean*

macrumors newbie
Sep 11, 2010
18
0
UK
I personally would hate to have a primary computer without a keyboard. Theres just something nice about have a nice big comfy chair, slick desk, lovely iMac screen and nice keyboard and mouse to use. It's comfy.
 

LethalWolfe

macrumors G3
Jan 11, 2002
9,370
124
Los Angeles
I could see optional voice recognition for basic things like simple google searches or opening up an app, but as a primary interface? I have major reservations about it. How do you talk on the phone and work on the computer at the same time w/o a keyboard? I work with about 100 other people on my floor (some in offices, most in cubicles) and I can't imagine 100 people in the same office dictating everything they do for 8-10 hours a day. And don't even get me started about giving up my keyboard short cuts...

FCP keyboard command to open the selected clip in the timeline in the Viewer Window: F

Future Me asking the computer to perform the same action: Final Cut Pro, open the clip under the playhead in the Viewer.


I'll stick w/just hitting the "F" key. :)


Lethal
 

bobr1952

macrumors 68020
Jan 21, 2008
2,040
39
Melbourne, FL
This thread reminds me of Star Trek 4 when Scotty tries to talk to the mouse. I personally like my keyboard just fine and would hate to lose it but don't try and convince Scotty of that. :)
 

blackburn

macrumors 6502a
Feb 16, 2010
974
0
Where Judas lost it's boots.
Yeah anybody who does programming like me likes to have an nice keyboard.
And people who type a lot of numbers will use full size keyboard for a long time:D Unless you want to talk numbers all day long:p and on public places you can't really dictate.
Touch input on a flat surface wont replace the good old keyboard.
 

KnightWRX

macrumors Pentium
Jan 28, 2009
15,046
4
Quebec, Canada
All i know is i hope there replaced soon. I would rather sit with a iPad on my lap and dictate to it than use a keyboard(real or virtual).

As speech to text software gets more and more advanced i would hope that the keyboard would slowly give way to voice and touch(Touch on its own is not enough.).

Someone doesn't do any coding or Unix. :rolleyes:

"Computer, awk single quote left bracket space print dollar sign 3...."

Yeah, I'll keep using a keyboard for the foreseeable future.
 

kdarling

macrumors P6
Re: mind control. It would have to be quite sophisticated, and more importantly, be able to distinguish between nearby people.

Can you just imagine trying to do something with your one year old in your lap?

:)

How do you talk on the phone and work on the computer at the same time w/o a keyboard?

Terrific point.

For the same reason that we have multiple senses, there will always be a need for multiple input methods.

Throughout the day I use a combination of voice, touch, mouse and mostly keyboard input. I cannot see giving up any of them except perhaps the voice.
 

KnightWRX

macrumors Pentium
Jan 28, 2009
15,046
4
Quebec, Canada
Re: mind control. It would have to be quite sophisticated, and more importantly, be able to distinguish between nearby people.

It would also have to distinguish between you having just a passing thought and thinking about something you actually want to do. "I wonder what happens when you do rm -Rf /... HEY WAIT!"
 

lionheartednyhc

macrumors 65816
Jul 13, 2009
1,024
3
Thought is too dangerous.

Honey...I don't know why the computer keeps pulling up pictures of your sister. Im just trying to do the taxes..
 

kdarling

macrumors P6
Thought is too dangerous.

So is touch, if misapplied. I've always said that it was incredibly stupid to use touch panels in Star Trek, especially for powerful controls that everyone grabs ahold of when the ship rocks around.

"Hang on everyone, there's a subspace force wave about to hit us. Oh for Pete's sake, Worf, you just fired on the foreign ambassador's ship. Now there'll be hell to pay. Hang on again! What the... oh my god, you just torpedoed our own flagship!! Worf, keep your hands in your pockets !! Whoa! Geez, now you started our autodestruct sequence! Yeoman, phaser Worf's arms off, right now!! Everyone else, keep your hands off the stupid touch panels!! I mean it. What idiot designed this thing?"
 
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