Two-Handed Controller-Like Keyboard from 2004ish
April 3, 2024 7:52 PM Subscribe
At a previous job, I was given permission to buy samples of stuff that might help us "innovate". One of the things I bought was a "keyboard" that was supposed to help with RSI. It was shaped like a video game controller. The "keyboard" stayed in the building where it was purchased so many years ago and am trying to track something similar down!
It was the size and shape of maybe an N64 controller (minus the center joystick), had probably 6-8 similar-sized keys that were pushed by the thumbs on top, then a couple trigger keys in each the grips that were used to shift the output of the keys on top.
It was *not* in any way a classic keyboard layout. It had a long USB cord. It was a sort of kickstarter project LONG before kickstarter -- I remember the person who made it had a blog and some tips on how to learn to type with it. No standard sort of brand name on it from what I can recall. The version I had was all black, and it was a pretty nice quality product. I was able to get up to the same speed I typed on my computer at the time (which was slow).
Knowing where I was buying and discovering "innovative" stuff, it was quite possibly on ThinkGeek, or was linked from Shashdot. This would have been somewhere in the 2004 - 2006 timeframe.
It just came to mind the other day, and I could not, for the life of me, figure out the search terms for it, and kept coming up with some abominations of XBox / PlayStation controllers with QWERTY thumb keyboards glued onto them.
Anyone:
- remember this thing?
- have a name, website, picture that can refresh my memory?
- know if they are still for sale?
It was the size and shape of maybe an N64 controller (minus the center joystick), had probably 6-8 similar-sized keys that were pushed by the thumbs on top, then a couple trigger keys in each the grips that were used to shift the output of the keys on top.
It was *not* in any way a classic keyboard layout. It had a long USB cord. It was a sort of kickstarter project LONG before kickstarter -- I remember the person who made it had a blog and some tips on how to learn to type with it. No standard sort of brand name on it from what I can recall. The version I had was all black, and it was a pretty nice quality product. I was able to get up to the same speed I typed on my computer at the time (which was slow).
Knowing where I was buying and discovering "innovative" stuff, it was quite possibly on ThinkGeek, or was linked from Shashdot. This would have been somewhere in the 2004 - 2006 timeframe.
It just came to mind the other day, and I could not, for the life of me, figure out the search terms for it, and kept coming up with some abominations of XBox / PlayStation controllers with QWERTY thumb keyboards glued onto them.
Anyone:
- remember this thing?
- have a name, website, picture that can refresh my memory?
- know if they are still for sale?
I think the generic term for that kind of thing is a "chording keyboard" - as in, you're pressing more than one key more often than with a normal keyboard, so it's like playing a chord on a piano.
posted by LionIndex at 8:19 PM on April 3 [3 favorites]
posted by LionIndex at 8:19 PM on April 3 [3 favorites]
Anything in the Buxton Collection: Chord Keyboard ring a bell?
posted by zamboni at 9:11 PM on April 3
posted by zamboni at 9:11 PM on April 3
BAT chording Keyboard is my guess as they came in black and fit both the description and possibly the timeframe. For current products I would look to Kinesis.
posted by zenon at 6:00 AM on April 4
posted by zenon at 6:00 AM on April 4
https://ergocanada.com/ec_home/products/keyboards.html has a good curated list of reliable ergonomic keyboards for sale. Probably worth skimming.
posted by sebastienbailard at 6:07 AM on April 4
posted by sebastienbailard at 6:07 AM on April 4
Response by poster: None of the above hit the mark, as it was two handed AND was held in the hands, like a video game controller style with two lobes. You could sit back in a chair or on the couch to type.
I swear this wasn't some sort of dream...
posted by chiefthe at 10:57 AM on April 4
I swear this wasn't some sort of dream...
posted by chiefthe at 10:57 AM on April 4
Best answer: The AlphaGrip doesn't match your limited key description but the layout is not keyboard like and it is designed to be held in both hands. It fits your time line maybe. Sadly their old model is NLA and the new model doesn't ever seem to have been released.
posted by Mitheral at 12:00 PM on April 4 [3 favorites]
posted by Mitheral at 12:00 PM on April 4 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Yes! The AlphaGrip is it! MetaFilter does it again!!
I guess time absorbed many of the switches in my memory.
posted by chiefthe at 2:18 PM on April 4
I guess time absorbed many of the switches in my memory.
posted by chiefthe at 2:18 PM on April 4
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posted by 4th number at 8:08 PM on April 3