Grippity back-typing keyboard is one step closer to existing
By Laura June 
posted Dec 4th 2008 7:47PM
posted Dec 4th 2008 7:47PM
Not terribly long ago we caught a few glimpses of a prototype of the Grippity, a sort of garish looking back-typing keyboard. Well, the actual production model's completed, and though it's lost some of it's Frankenstein-ish charm, it continues to look rather insane and cool. The unit boasts a full QWERTY keyboard, for use with eight-finger typing from the back, plus two triggers on the back that function as the mouse buttons. As if that wasn't wild enough, it also boasts an orientation sensor that allows the 60 QWERTY keys to double as hot keys when the unit is flipped over. The final unit is expected in about six months, and should retail for $100. Check out the gallery for more views of this terrifically weird specimen.
wuuuut is going on.
Could it be that your spoon is too big??
I am a banana!
no me gusta
I am a banana with maracas!
Actually, I thought I saw a similar concept with only 4 buttons on each side, with shift and alt buttons on the front. Master that and a jedi you be...
There is no spoon.
This is a new milestone, a marvel of modern technology!
It looks harder to use, larger, and more expensive than most alternatives. I believe those are antonyms of traits one usually uses to describe modern technology... whatever.
Yes, I'm glad modern technology could find a way to make typing more difficult!
http://www.gloomies.com/sarcasm.jpg
@jivetrky
Ok, bad keyboard concepts aside- what is that symbol you are using for your avatar from? I know I've seen it before, it's driving me nuts!
@ who?
it's from heroes.
http://sadman64.net/images/rofl/rofl3.png
Oh! Yeah! Thanks Slycooper!
Anywho, this keyboard=bad ;-)
Wow, it looks awesome, but would take ALOT of time to get used to... So it seems.
and it only took me a good 5 years to get up to 70wpm..
back to training pants I guess.
True. Instead of using a normally oriented QWERTY keyboard they should have arranged the keys in the same position *relative to your fingers* as they would on a normal QWERTY keyboard. It would look something like this.
BGT YHN
VFR UJM
CDE IK,
XSW OL.
ZAQ P;/
my thoughts exactly, linuxamp! BGT56YHN FTW!!
@ linuxamp
Hey, you never know till you try it xD
Who knows, could be the next best thing, if someone made one.
@linuxamp
Good idea, do it.
I'll buy one.
Seriously why would I want to press keys in on the bottom of the keyboard. As if most people don't have enough trouble typing normally.
Because you can't type normally if you're holding a handheld object. Think about it. You are restricted to only using your thumbs on a handheld device. This allows you to make use of all 10, er 8 digits.
I wonder why they did away with the contoured shape from the prototype? Looks more functional that way.
And this constitutes as "typing normally" how exactly?
I didn't say you could type normally with this. But you can't type normally using any other handheld device either. This device just allows you to make use of 8 digits instead of 2 (thumbs). Obviously this would/will require some awkward, possibly dangerous learning curve. But I actually think they are on to something here...
It took one-hundred+ years for people to accept the current keyboard layout (think back to typewriters and such). It would be more feasible to develop hover technologies for our mobile devices and keep keyboards the way they are than to get the general public to adopt this!
dude, you aren't paying attention. The keyboard hasn't changed. It's still QWERTY like any other keyboard. The layout is the same. The difference is how you interact with it.
true or false: you type SMS texts on your QWERTY phone (touch or slider) using the time-tested 10-finger method? False. You use only thumbs and/or stylus. Same keyboard layout, just a different method of interaction.
this is no different.
MmmK. I'll put this in as simple of terms as possible: Typing from the back and with your fingers parallel to the keyboard = Not. Normal.
ok, thats a bit odd
and no game pad buttons, still should be an interesting one
WSAD on this thing? NEVER!
Im pretty sure gaming never crossed there name. Id personally rather type on a thumb keyboard, but who knows, this might actually be good.
That is one nasty looking piece of crap.
I think it actually looks cool. Everything else (functionality, ease of use, pricetag, ect.) sucks ass.
Those pretty hands in the pictures turned me on a little bit. Sex sells even pointless keyboards.
you must get turned on easier than a lightbulb...
I thought those belonged to a guy with really long fingernails....
They are kind-of man hands.
right on ...wonder how those hands look using a joystick
Looks like a terrible idea to me. I'm getting carpal tunnel just looking at it.
what the hell were they smoking
How many times do we have to say this... ahem.. alphagrip? Bindun! Now if only it was wireless!
This one looks a bit rickety though...
I like the idea, it seems like it would be good for controlling a HTPC from the couch.
If you can touch type, try "typing" on an imaginary back-typing keyboard and see if your fingers remember the approximate key placement, cos mine did, so maybe the learning curve isn't as high as you'd imagine.
the orientation is completely different though...
The way my fingers remembers it was the way that the keyboard is layed out in the picture.
Yeah, my thoughts exactly. I've been looking for a way to play games like WoW with a controller. This would work out pretty well with some practice.
I think what he's saying is that your hands are antiparallel to the vertical sides of the keyboard with your fingers facing each other, as opposed to how you normally type with your hands parallel to the sides of the keyboard with your fingers running alongside each other. I agree with him, I believe the keys should be split and each half rotated 90 degrees in opposite directions to face your hands.
A solution in search of a problem.
Seconded.
Thirded?
4thed??
i think this is a good idea to help test hand eye coordination [and increase it] and nerve damage since it challenges the brain to do something it does all the time but in a different way. Eh, never mind.