High Speed Typing with AlphaGrip While Standing

[ElegyForTheMasses]

I'm getting one now, well not now but next paycheck :)

[mwillner]

@ElegyForTheMasses Great!

[runescaper1333]

I love turtles!

[mwillner]

One of our goals at AlphaGrip is to enable high speed input on a tablet computer or smartphone. Then you will be able to type 60+ words per minute while your standing, walking, sitting on a park bench, or lying on a blanket at the beach. In other words, you won't have to get to a flat, stationary surface to create content (or play desktop-quality, 10-finger control video games). Now that you've asked that question, however, I can see how my demo is a far cry from our vision.

[MonkeyWrench85]

Why are you demonstrating this outside, just out of interest?

[mwillner]

The point is that you can type faster on an AlphaGrip while you're standing up than you can with any other input device.

[zazoohaha]

Thats pointless.. Are you really that lazy that you can't use a regular keyboard

[imahtuag]

what an amazing tool. I also need that. if that little useful thing was made of without wire its much more useful .

[AoCranger]

a usb keyboard, how fucking pointless rofl

[mwillner]

The fastest speed I've achieved is 80 wpm, but my average is about 60. I can type 70-80 wpm on a keyboard, but the tradeoff is worth it to me. You may want to ask other, less biased AlphaGrip users what they think. A link to the AlphaGrip Google Group is on our website under Support/Discussion Group.

[Kiwirnango]

Is 50 words/minute the fastest speed that has been recorded with the AlphaGrip? I ask because to me that's a low number. I naturally type at about 80 words/minute, and if I try I can get up to 120 words/minute (with errors). I am somewhat interested in an AlphaGrip, but not if I couldn't average 70-80 words/minute after less than 2 months of using it.

[eugedesk]

I am using the AlphaGrip for professional blogging which offers the advantage of typing in any position. Its easier on the hands and keeps your dexterity levels high.

[Audiodump]

@eugedesk

Professional Blogging

No, just no.

[Ecliptic555]

Okay, but it would be neat if there were a wireless device to attach lips/jaws--just some little electrodes set into a light mesh (stylish) design that would fit over the bottom of the face. Then, the electrodes would "read" the positions/actions of the facial muscles/tongue, etc as the dictator forms words ("pronounced" without actually speaking/using their voice). This, of course, is a variation of speech recognition (from another angle), but I do wonder if anybody is working on this?

[mwillner]

Interesting idea. Are you aware of any products that utilize highly sensitive electrodes/sensors to detect muscle movement for other applications?

[Questpeace]

Hahaha, this is SO lame.

[Twomaze]

This is really a cool "controller". I could play all the mouse and keyboard games that don't have a gamepad support.

[lover1o2]

i dont c how it works

[mwillner]

There are 8 rocker buttons on the back that let you generate 16 characters without a shift key. There are 2 other keys on the back for each of your index fingers, so that gets you up to 20 characters. Then there are 6 keys for each thumb. That brings you to 32 characters or functions. There are also 3 shift keys for each thumb which let you generate capitals, numbers and punctuations. The Features page on the AlphaGrip website explains it in detail.

[CT2507]

its a dumb idea cause u have to hold it at the same time. This will put a strain on your fingers and you will start feeling tired in your hands after a short while if u try to speed type!

[mwillner]

Actually, the AlphaGrip is shaped so that it is held with your palms pushing in toward each other, while each upper side of the AlphaGrip rests in the nook between your thumb and index finger. This frees your fingers up for typing, so there's no more strain on them than if you were using a keyboard. Also please note that your hands are held in a natural vertical orientation, which creates less strain than when typing on a keyboard with your hands in a horizontal orientation.

[CT2507]

budy, i can hold a book in my hands and mimic those same motions. I very quickly start feeling strains on the back side of the hands in the sinues of the fingers. And this is because of 2 things.

1. By holding the book, im constrained to ONLY use the force of the fingers!

2. When sitting at a keyboard in a horisontal way, you also use force coming from the lower and upper arms. But this is now cut off! -Just take a lookt at a piano or a guitar player and u will see it is so.

[mwillner]

We have over 1,500 customers and none of them have complained about the type of strain you posit. Granted, most of them rest their AlphaGrips in their laps, so using one while standing may be different. But many people text message on cell phones and the strain in their thumbs, if any, hasn't prevented texting from becoming popular. Also, many people press keys on handheld game controllers, and if there's any finger strain doing that, it hasn't hurt the popularity of gaming.

[CT2507]

ehh.. by comparing your product with cell phone text messages and handheld game controlers u are not realy doing yourself a service. U cant realy be serious. Those things are the worst possible and limited in use exactly because of this. U wouldnt realy want a speed typing secretary or someone who translates movie subs for a living to read and take an opinion would u?

[mwillner]

My only point is that there are handheld devices in use which require the pressing of keys, yet finger strain does not appear to be an issue. Similarly, I don't think finger strain is a big issue for the AlphaGrip. With regard to speed typists, I'm sure they can type faster on a keyboard than on an AlphaGrip, but if someone wants to type at a reasonable rate of speed while standing, walking, riding, or reclining, I think AlphaGrip technology is the answer.

[CT2507]

Finger strain is an issue with those devices, and therfore their use is limited and not as widespread as the conventional keyboard.

But sure...if u realy need to type while riding a horse then your product is of corse the answer. Provided that you u hold the horses rains with your teeth.

[mwillner]

Cell phones outsell computers and video gaming is widespread. An AlphaGrip cell phone that would enable texting at 70 words per minute would increase productivity by 200-500% relative to a thumb keyboard or phone keypad, while also spreading the work over 10 fingers instead of 2 thumbs, thus reducing finger strain. And the ability to type quickly with a game controller would enable a user to avoid having to put it down to use a keyboard for messaging.

[CT2507]

are u comparing a cell phone to a computer now?.. U are aware that they are ment for totaly diferent functions!?

Anyway, for sms its ok, but way to clunky to cary around. For longtime speed typing it strains your hands. What else can i say!

I dont buy it!

[mwillner]

A cell phone, especially the smart phone models such as the iPhone, are computers. The only reason people do less with them than with a desktop or laptop computer is because the input is limited and the screen is small. AlphaGrip technology addresses the input part of that equation. When people can enter text and data and play games on a smart phone as well as they can on a desktop computer, which AlphaGrip technology will enable, we will be one step closer to productive, anywhere computing.

[zastonecesda]

If i ever see this in a shop-im gonna buy it.

[theadman024]

this is a good product, it's very ergonomic, you can use it for hours and your hands wont get cramped. Just let it go if ou haven't tried it.

[Patrickthedutch]

I think i want to give this product a try.

Looks pretty cool to me.

[unit335]

Heh. Thats pretty cool! Nice to see a bridge between console and PC gaming.

[monkeyboymb]

MMM, pretty cool but i think the learning curve for this product will take a long time.

On the whole, a pretty nifty invention.

Good luck with sales

[sugarsweet94]

Ha!!! I'm in the seventh grade and I can type faster than you! I can type 76 words a minute!

[mwillner]

Can you do that while you're standing up away from a desk holding the keyboard in your hands? Can you type 71 wpm while you're running? I show that it's possible to do that with an AlphaGrip in another video I posted on YouTube. An AlphaGrip can free you from having to sit at a desk with your back straight, feet flat on the floor, and arms bent at 90 degree angles.

[sugarsweet94]

I think I'll pass on watching the vid... I take a typing course at school, and I finished exactly two weeks ago.

[DJDigitalMonster]

HA!! and im in 10th grade and i can type at a rate of around 175 WPM.

[sugarsweet94]

Actually I was fooling around the other day and I got 97 wpm.... not too shabby. But not bad! my older sister is 19 and she can type at an average of 240 wpm.

[imsamurai3000]

Ha. The fastest typer in the world types below that. Lemme see ur sis type. Im at 105 wpm btw.

[sugarsweet94]

i can't videotape her... she won't let me. she is never home anymore.

[KJPMONKEY]

oh, how convenient. and shut up about your "skills" there are ill bet millions of people that can type much faster than you, even for a seventh grader, so stop bragging youre not good.

[sugarsweet94]

WHATEVER. i'm close to shutting down my account.  there are other websites that are easier...

[Truthiness231]

I hope you get commissions for this, because you sold me on it. 50 wpm is a little slow but considering it's hand-held tech I think that it's very impressive!

[Mike42j]

I'd have to try it before I bought it but it looks pretty interesting. And it'd have to come with some drivers for Windows Mobile too.

[sexymeg1988]

the alphagrip looks cool but i can't see myself using it that fast haha i can type real fast on say a laptop or a normal keyboard but i mean those keys on the alphagrip are everywhere. And i just can't see myself getting use to all the keys. lol

[SnoopSanders]

An interesting product. The only problem though is that you would have to expect people to be able to take the time to learn how to use the thing instead of a keyboard. Personally I'm type fine now with the keyboard and wouldn't really want to learn another way.

[mwillner]

Yes, the learning curve is the biggest hurdle to getting people to use an AlphaGrip, though you can learn to touch type on it faster than you can learn to touch type on a keyboard. The AlphaGrip's Enhanced Qwerty letter layout lets you switch from using a keyboard to an AlphaGrip and back again without any relearning lag time. If the perceived benefit of more comfortable computing is significant enough to someone, then the learning curve is not a deal-breaker.

[andy201284]

GAY!

[CheeseManPooPoo]

this looks SO cool. Im not being sarcastic, id buy it.

[mutt124]

Nah, I type 110 on the keyboard. That looks difficult/strange.

[mwillner]

The AlphaGrip is not necessarily a replacement for the keyboard when working at your desk. But, when 50-70 wpm is fast enough, it can be an occasional, lean-back, alternative with your arms resting in your lap and your hands in a natural, vertical orientation. For working away from a desk, however, especially when you're in a recliner or in bed, and certainly when you're standing, I think the AlphaGrip is superior to a keyboard.

[mutt124]

I'm on my bed all the time with my keyboard. Its not very hard. This product seems unnecessary and non-efficient.

[mwillner]

Well, the AlphaGrip certainly isn't for everybody. But we do have over 1,000 customers (all obtained by word of mouth) many of whom appreciate its comfortable computing aspects. And if we ever have the opportunity to incorporate our technology into a handheld computer or smart phone, then people will be able to type 2-5 times faster than they can with a thumb keyboard, which will represent a tremendous increase in efficiency relative to a thumb keyboard.

[blklightning330]

i hate it, and why isn't it wireless

[mwillner]

It isn't wireless because the AG-5 (the first product we ever brought to market) was tough enough to produce without adding the complexity of making it wireless: it would have taken us longer to get to market, there would have been more potential points of failure making it more difficult to support, and it would have made it more expensive. We'd like to produce a BlueTooth adapter that plugs into the USB port on the back of the AG-5.

[Somedude1858]

Fantastic product you have here! Congratulations on coming up with a fantastic way to solve the problem of sitting at a desk uncomfortably. although touch-screen typing is becoming more popular, This appears to be a cheaper alternative, and a more practical device for people to use.

PS: Is your computer black and white haha?

[SnowyAstra]

Also, i'd like to say that there are gifted people who can visualise letters and numbers infront of them in patterns and often in 3D environments. This would benefit them as it is essentially a 3D keyboard, and they already have the skills to visualise where each key is. Nice invention for the right people ;-)

[Pretandor]

50 wpm is slow for an advanced computer user

[pellevinken]

Actually I just tried it with a simple yahoo widget, and I maxed out at just under 90 words per minute and I type fast, not medium speed., using the 5 character standard on words.

So 50 is moderate I guess.

[mwillner]

Actually, some people can probably reach 70 wpm on an AlphaGrip, which I realize is still not very fast compared to really good typists. The AlphaGrip AG-5, however, is just the first embodiment of our technology. Just as typing speeds have increased over the past 100 years as the mechanical typewriter was replaced by the electronic typewriter and then the keyboard, future AlphaGrips should also evolve to enable typing speeds comparable to those achieved on keyboards.

[RedThongs]

It looks like your hands would get all cramped up after a while.

[JakePitkin]

Ok your right, I'm wrong. That is a pretty sweet idea though I have got to admit. You are the creator of it righ?

[mwillner]

Thank you, but I wouldn't say you were wrong because you raise very valid points. I concede the AlphaGrip is a niche product (at least in its current embodiment). I just hope that over time we can broaden its appeal. Yes, I am one of the creators. The other is my partner and co-inventor, Scott Arnel. An industrial designer, Scott Henderson, transformed our idea and drawings into a tangible device. And our Korean manufacturer, Sejin, took it from prototype to mass-produced product.

[JakePitkin]

Nice, looks like you guys have a good team to get this going somewere. You never know it could be the next big thing. I will have to look for it in the near future.

[JakePitkin]

Or I could just use my keyboard and type twice as fast

[mwillner]

While many people can type faster with a keyboard, the AlphaGrip lets you type much more comfortably while leaning away from your desk, leaning back in a recliner or sofa, or lying in bed. It also lets you type much faster on a handheld device than a thumb keyboard or cell phone number pad. Imagine comfortably text messaging at 50 wpm from any location, in any body position. We haven't produced an AlphaGrip that can fold into your pocket, but hopefully some day we will.

[JakePitkin]

Yeah you have made something amazaing, you reall have. But all the time it would take getting used to I would rather just...sit up and type like evevryone else in america.Also, good luck play Halo 2, CCS, Half Life, etc.Were you use W, A. S, and D as dirrectional keys and to move

[mwillner]

No doubt the AlphaGrip's learning curve is a major hurdle, but if comfortable computing is important to someone, then a 30-60 hour commitment to gain proficiency might be worth it. If and when we produce an AlphaGrip smartphone, maybe you'll think the benefit of texting at 50 wpm outweighs the burden of learning to use it. As far as gaming is concerned, I think most games let you remap the keys so you wouldn't have to use W, A, S and D as directionals?

[SnowyAstra]

Or you could just assign the keys you're comfortable with in the options menu perhaps??? lol

[Puppehnessx]

That's very cool, I wish I could buy one.