Possible Input method -- press and drag

Tue Oct 2 22:20:30 CEST 2007

On 10/2/07, Derek Pressnall <dpressnall at gmail.com> wrote:
> I've had an idea for a novel input method that would work on touch
> screen devices.
> The idea is to present a graphic that is similar to a standard phone
> keypad layout, with standard lettering and number positions. To enter
> a specific letter, you touch the button associated with that letter
> and drag your finger/stylus in a particular direction to indicate
> which letter to choose. For example, to enter an "a", press the number
> 2, then drag to the left and release. A "b" would be "press 2, drag
> upwards and release", and a "c" would be "press 2, drag right then
> release". And so on. To enter the number 2, just press and release
> without dragging. To be easily usable, the method shouldn't require
> you to drag completely off the button, but should also require a
> minimum drag length.
>> What does everyone think about the usability of this type of method?
> Once I get up to speed on GTK programming, I can take a stab at it,
> but it may be a bit before I get time for it. So if someone else
> wants to give it a shot, go ahead.
>
I don't know how much this idea is novel. It should be a kind of
revisitation on the pie-menu, which is supposed to enable quicker
access to more GUI commands.
I think it could be usable.
On 10/2/07, Robin Paulson <robin.paulson at gmail.com> wrote:
> i think this has been done already, sort of. see:
>> http://www.micropp.se/openmoko/

Already done, or just proposed?
--Luca