The Alphabetical USB Keyboard Has QWERTY Layout in its Sights

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Devised by Christopher Latham Sholes of Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA, the Qwerty layout has been around since 1867 and, over the years, has seen the successful transition from typewriters to computer keyboards but, if New Standard Keyboards have their way, it could soon become a thing of the past thanks to their new, patented alphabetical keyboard layout.

In truth, alphabetical key layouts are nothing new as such layouts preceded the Qwerty layout by some 153 years thanks to a chap by the name of Henry Mill – who patented the idea via Patent 385 – but, thanks to the widespread adoption of Sholes’ Qwerty layout, alphabetical layouts are something few, if any of us have seen – until now.

Claiming that their patented letter arrangement ‘offers easy learning for touch typists and user-friendliness for instant typing by beginners’, New Standard Keyboards’ NSK 535-S Professional USB Keyboard offers just 53 ergonomically arranged keys (the standard keyboard comes with 104 keys) with function keys arranged centrally at the bottom of the unit for use with thumbs or index fingers.

Certainly from the image of the keyboard it’s hard to fathom quite how it is that these lower function keys can be avoided whilst typing (leading to all manner of curious editing errors) as, personally, this is exactly the area where I rest my wrists – but perhaps, if we saw the keyboard in profile, it would make more sense as to how this system works without the user having to hover their hands above the device (resulting in potential RSI issues).

The question is: is this the end of the QWERTY keyboard as we know it? Personally I very much doubt it. (Besides, having spent years honing my typing skills to achieve at least three Words Per Minute I’m not sure whether I’m prepared to start afresh).

How about you?

The NSK 535-S Professional USB Keyboard retails for around $60.

[Source | Popagadget]