[Gta04-owner] [ANN] GTA04 Keyboard prototype

Boudewijn wankelwankel at yahoo.com
Wed May 9 23:53:02 CEST 2012


On Monday 07 May 2012 15:44:00 Matthias Apitz wrote:
> El día Monday, May 07, 2012 a las 03:31:11PM +0200, Dr. H. Nikolaus Schaller 
escribió:
> > The idea is that the keyboard is integrated in the back battery cover.
> > And if you remove it, both parts (main body and battery cover/keyboard)
> > are connected through a small ribbon cable.
> > 
> > I.e. you remove the keyboard, fold it by 180 degrees so that the keys
> > show in the same direction as the display and you can us the display in
> > landscape format.
> > 
> > If that works out with the snap mechanism of the battery cover and/or if
> > it needs some physical connection between both parts has to be worked
> > out.
> 
> I don't want to be negative (just reaistic), the list of disadvantages
> of such a solution (keyboard in battery cover, or with hinge) is:
(..non-exhaustive...) ;-)

> 1) works only on desktop or table surface, i.e. not while walking or
> standing;
I think we would (indeed) snap it to the body, and not fold it by 180 degrees, 
but more 250-ish. It would actually exclude usage on a surface, because the 
keyboard (+battery?) is too light to balance the phone without pressing it to 
that surface.

> 2) open the battery cover many more times (as for hard reset with battery
> lift) will break the case soon;
While we're at it, we have to do some redesign at the case anyway, there might 
be place for a switch between the battery and the contact points. 

> 3) you are forced to use landscape applications, while most of the apps
> today are in portait;
That is, in many cases, for lacking a hardware keyboard. A browser window of 
480x480 + 160x480 for the keyboard is often more handy than a larger keyboard 
of 160x640 and 320x640 left over for the application. (I'm not counting top 
bars and maybe a status bar, which indeed take more space in landscape than in 
portrait). Lacking reliable rotation on Freerunner, I must admit I have not 
often used applications in landscape; I remember some coping well, others not 
adjusting to the wider screen. 
 
> 4) perhaps your battery will fall out (if not secured with something) in
> a lot of cases, esp. if it is the most important situation :-)
..cases, no pun intended? ;-) I guess we can come up with this securing 
something for the battery as well. Some cavity the battery slides into, or 
integration into the key module.

> to be continued...
Yeah! Indeed ;-) With some luck, I'll have access (in a couple of months) to a 
3d printer and can experiment with cases. To be continued...

Boudewijn
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