The Keyboard

The keyboard is our next component of interest. The choice of application entry is
either to use a handset keypad (with or without predictive entry) or use a QWERTY
keyboard—either a physical keyboard or virtual keyboard (created on the display).
Virtual keyboards require touch-screen displays, which can be quite expensive but are
becoming lower-cost over time. Nokia, for example, has a patent on a display that uses
capacitive sensing to provide a virtual mouse capability. Conventional keyboards are
the most comfortable to use but come with three obvious disadvantages: weight, form
factor, and cost.
One option is to make the keyboard a plug-in device—for example, the Ericsson
Chatboard—or to have a fold-up device like the Stowaway product for the Palm Pilot.
In this instance, weight (224 gm), key pitch (19 mm), and key travel (3 mm) are quality
metrics.
Aproduct called Fastap from Digit Wireless increases key density by raising the letter
keys and sinking the numbers, making it easier to input Web site addresses.