The IPad Onscreen Keyboard – Will It Catch On? I Have Had One on My Touch Screen Tablet PC And Prefer to Plug In A USB Keyboard or Use Speech Recognition

My slate tablet pc is over 2 years old and I have enjoyed using the touch screen for that long too, but when it comes to the on-screen keyboard, I seem to prefer plugging in my USB Keyboard.  I tried it out and it was ok and can work for short messages, but for me I like the hardware when it comes to keyboard. 

What keyboard do I used though, the small Apple aluminum keyboard. I have invested in 3 of those keyboards as they are my favorites and work well with both Apple and Windows software.  My main work computer is an IMAC and I run Boot Camp and Parallels.  When I am on the Apple side, I have Parallels and when on the Vista side, well I do all kinds of other stuff too and boot up virtual machines too with operating systems like Ubuntu, etc.  I have 2 gigs of RAM so it moves right along. 

Here is a screenshot of what the on-screen keyboard looks like on my tablet.  It also boots with that large keyboard versus the small TIP so entering a password is easy enough done.   Eyesboard is the name of the vendor in case you have a tablet PC and want to try it out.  You can make it as transparent as you want and there are a number of settings to customize to include color and behavior. 

I don’t even have to carry around one of those “computer bags” and haven’t for years with the slate and those using an IPad will enjoy the same freedom too.  My tablet is about twice the thickness and weigh of an IPad and the touchscreen is used a lot.  I used it quite frequently when doing demonstrations and training for Intel, and it does run Flash.  Of course there’s a substantial difference in price from what the IPad is selling for and I wouldn’t give up my “inking” for anything.  I use speech recognition too with no headset required. 

I happen to like Apple hardware a lot and it runs Windows for me just as well as it runs Apple software and actually since I purchased the IMAC dual core when it came out, I have learned a lot more about Apple products and I like the OS too.  I think the IPad will have it’s place with users and consumers by all means as it has been designed with the consumer in mind.  As time moves on we will see more applications coming around, some you buy and some for free.  The Tablet PC I used is from Tablet Kiosk which you can see on this blog and there’s a big section about them and the various products they offer for “slate” tablets, some geared for the enterprise and even a slate “Netbook” too.  Touch screens have been around for a while and you can see the unit I used on CSI-New York all the time, they do the “touch” thing a lot with the unit.

http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/10/tablet-pcs-on-csi-new-york-classic-post.html

It’s only been one day since the IPad has come out so time so we have a lot of time for more developments.  The constant connection via AT&T is also something very new and potentially convenient for those who are mobile so I think we are getting little Kindle action going here too.  After having watched the videos on the web, the user interface with the animations looks great an appears to perform well. 

Overall it’s nice to see some real action taking place though in “breaking away from the keyboard” addiction and the availability to interact differently with our mobile computers today.  I do have to say the IPad is a great looking device and so is the design.  It will takes its place with the rest of the hardware used in computing today.  BD  

EyesBoard, the coolest virtual keyboard / on-screen keyboard, is our company's flagship product. It is an onscreen keyboard designed for Windows XP and Vista TabletPC, touchscreen PC and Origami UMPC. EyesBoard comes with extensive technical support and product updates. A fourteen day trial is available.

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