Show HN: I made a 5-key keyboard

#1

Post by stavros » Tue, Apr 13, 2021, 10:46 AM UTC

Show HN: I made a 5-key keyboard
stavros.io

Re: Show HN: I made a 5-key keyboard

#2

Post by st0le » Wed, Apr 14, 2021, 5:52 PM UTC

I think this would be great if you can bind them to an IDE's Debugger Shortcuts. Step In/Out/Thru.

Re: Show HN: I made a 5-key keyboard

#3

Post by jolmg » Wed, Apr 14, 2021, 9:25 PM UTC

> Then we can type up to 2^5 = 33 characters

Typo. 2^5 = 32, but should probably say 2^5 - 1 = 31, since not pressing anything is a no-op.

Re: Show HN: I made a 5-key keyboard

#4

Post by StavrosK » Wed, Apr 14, 2021, 9:37 PM UTC

jolmg wrote: post #3

> Then we can type up to 2^5 = 33 characters Typo. 2^5 = 32, but should probably say 2^5 - 1 = 31, since not pressing anything is a no-op.

Oops, I off-by-oned off-by-one, thanks.

Re: Show HN: I made a 5-key keyboard

#5

Post by StavrosK » Wed, Apr 14, 2021, 9:38 PM UTC

st0le wrote: post #2

I think this would be great if you can bind them to an IDE's Debugger Shortcuts. Step In/Out/Thru.

That's an interesting idea, and you can, but if you have an entire keyboard anyway why not use that?

Re: Show HN: I made a 5-key keyboard

#6

Post by ad404b8a372f2b9 » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 8:35 AM UTC

That is very cool! I think the double-presses and three-button presses are pushing it for usability. I wonder if there is a version where you can keep the general form and idea and increase the ease-of-use.

I'm thinking add a 5th side-key and a second top-key and use the top ones solely as toggle, not as letters. This way you have 3*5 keys total and fill in the rest with a predictive model, maybe?

Or how about a layout with a second side-key column on the side that faces outward. You'd get 2*10 keys with just those columns and the toggle (or 3*10 with double toggles).

Re: Show HN: I made a 5-key keyboard

#7

Post by cies » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 1:52 PM UTC

I miss the pipe character :) How can I use this for SSH?

Re: Show HN: I made a 5-key keyboard

#8

Post by captaincurrie » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 1:52 PM UTC

Check out Engelbart's keypad

Re: Show HN: I made a 5-key keyboard

#9

Post by praptak » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 1:53 PM UTC

This is a simpler version of Twiddler: https://twiddler.tekgear.com/

Re: Show HN: I made a 5-key keyboard

#10

Post by yonaguska » Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 1:54 PM UTC

StavrosK wrote: post #5

st0le wrote: post #2

I think this would be great if you can bind them to an IDE's Debugger Shortcuts. Step In/Out/Thru.

That's an interesting idea, and you can, but if you have an entire keyboard anyway why not use that?

There's a trade off between speed, ergonomics, and moving your fingers around the keyboard to find keys not accessible with your hands on the home row vs using all the keys on a keyboard.

Some people take this to its extreme conclusion.