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Maclver

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Nov 23, 2008
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2,708
New Mexico
Why does the iPad have the raised bumps on the "F" and "J" keys? Its not like we can feel them to judge where we are at on the keyboard?

Screenshot2010-02-24at72732PM-1.png
 
I remember reading an indepth about the iPad at the time of it's launch. They talked about adding little things to the UI in an attempt to scale up the look and feel of the original iPhone UI, these little 'virtual keyboard bumps' are one of those additions.
 
To make it more like a real keyboard.

Error? Do you think they accidentally rendered raised bumps on a virtual keyboard.....?
 
Why does the iPad have the raised bumps on the "F" and "J" keys? Its not like we can feel them to judge where we are at on the keyboard?

Why do the buttons look 3D at all, they aren't really 3D.

Why does the iBook app simulate page turning when you're reading an eBook, there's no real pages....

See where I'm going here?
 
To help you remember home key positioning, your going to want kids to still know them even if tactile keyboards are on the way out (in the future).
 
Hello Maclver
it is the very good question to debate. i am agree with chriszzz, that it is only used to looks real like traditional Keyboard.but the question is Why the bumps are found only in the place of F and J?
these two keys may are found at the same distance from the four key left and the four keys right.

and I am not agree with those who thinks that it is Keyword error.
 
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jsmith091009 said:
Hello Maclver
it is the very good question to debate. i am agree with chriszzz, that it is only used to looks real like traditional Keyboard.but the question is Why the bumps are found only in the place of F and J?
these two keys may are found at the same distance from the four key left and the four keys right.

and I am not agree with those who thinks that it is Keyword error.

The f and j keys on tactile keyboards have bumps because they are used to orientate one's fingers if you're touch typing (typing without using your sight, a useful method for people who don't have any ;) and professional typists). That way you know when your fingers are on the 'home row' (the middle row). Sometimes you get bumps on the d and k keys too.
 
Lol changed the title to something more appropriate... I can see how apple wants to make the tablet UI more like your handling the real thing! Just didn't think about that at first!
 
I remember seeing here on Macrumors that apple have put forward a patent for touch feedback screens.
Who knows how close we are to that yet, but wouldn't the rendered bumps on the keys act as a prompt for finger position anyway, in the meantime. I can see this keyboard application for tactile feedback being "numero uno" as it is a simple, easy to understand concept and means you could, say, type undetected in class.
 
At first it seems weird, but I realized that, even though I'm a touch-typist, I often use my sight to quickly determine key positions. The two bumps essentially separate all the keys, because I am actually faster at finding the keys by recognizing the bumps than I am from looking at the letters themselves.
 
Reading your thread title brought to mind this article from MR news back in December.

The paragraph that stood out is this:

"The technology described in the patent application addresses several mechanisms for providing tactile feedback for a keyboard displayed on a smooth touchscreen surface, including: 1) use of protruding bumps to identify keys; 2) use of an "articulating frame" that can raise and lower depending on whether the screen is being used for gesturing or typing to offer the user a frame of reference for key edges; and 3) use of fixed key edges below a compliant gel or foam surface that would be smooth when subjected to light pressure of gesturing but offering tactile ridges under harder pressure of typing."
 
Couldn't you just cut out a couple of small circles of protective film about 5mm in diameter, and put them where those keys appear? (could just use a hole puncher). For most apps, they'd just fade into the background. If you do a lot of typing, this could be helpful...
 
Couldn't you just cut out a couple of small circles of protective film about 5mm in diameter, and put them where those keys appear? (could just use a hole puncher). For most apps, they'd just fade into the background. If you do a lot of typing, this could be helpful...

You could but if you do a lot of typing you might as well invest in the keyboard dock.
 
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