HN Theater @HNTheaterMonth

> The machines didn't do anything when you powered them on, just waited for you to enter code or commands.

I am reminded of the old Kids React videos (which themselves are now nearly a decade old)... Kids React to Technology (an old Apple ][+) https://youtu.be/PF7EpEnglgk

Always Fun - kids react to Old Technology > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF7EpEnglgk

Yeah, so in this video of at 4 mins 25 seconds they show floppy disks to the kids https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF7EpEnglgk

The younger ones don't seem to know what one is, but the older ones do.

wonder if he's seen the kids react to episode with the apple II?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF7EpEnglgk

⬐ creamyhorror

It's pretty amazing how much engineering and user-focused innovation has gone on since the '70s. Having to restart your computer in order to run a program on another disk? Having to walk to the back of the computer to turn it on and off? We've come a long way.

One or two of the kids show signs of being potential future programmers, which is nice. Even if they don't understand all the trouble the old-timey computer was, they still feel that sense of achivement when they manage to make it do something correctly.

In the same vein, teens react to '90s Internet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0mg9DxvfZE

- and in this one it's easy for us older ones to relate to how teens see the modern, omnipresent Internet.

Alas, this is a fool's errand.

The keyboard is a broken interface, but this isn't an improvement.

Suppose I am the user identified in the video. I have a tablet—maybe not a Microsoft Surface, but a tablet nonetheless—and I currently use a slimline keyboard to type.

You hand me these. First thoughts: what are they? What do I do with them? Great products are those that someone can be presented with for the first time, and in a matter of seconds figure out what it does, how to use it, etc. Think kids reacting to technology [1]

So for argument's sake I read the manual, or you give me a walkthrough. Great, how do I start using them? Oh, they have to 'learn' my writing style? Is my first impression going to be a string of largely inaccurate input?

How am I going to 'teach' this system? Through some proprietary software, which I may have problems downloading, and which may not even work on my device? How are people going to demonstrate these in stores; how am I going to proselytize to my coworkers? "Just try these out; wait, no. Yeah, don't worry about that, they have to learn your typing style. Yep, they'll do that for a while... no, but they're really great. Honestly... honestly."

This is already sounding like a lot of effort, but you've assured me there's gold at the end of this rainbow. Surely the cost-benefit analysis will check out.

So I've got them working. Are they accurate enough? Let's assume they are. This isn't too bad actually. I'm going to hop on Twitter and tell people all about this. Hashtag AirTypeRocks! Hashtag... hashtag... where's my hash key again? I can't seem to find it on this wooden bench.

Okay, that's a downstream problem. For now, I'm going to pack these up and head home. But where do I put them? They're an awkward shape. They look pretty easy to break.

What happens when I lose one of them? Is the entire system rendered useless? They look expensive to replace.

Are these yet more devices I'm going to have to charge? I'm already fed up of charging my laptop, phone, tablet, etc.

Are they going to protect the screen of my tablet device in transit? Looks like the opposite. I think I'll hang on to the keyboard-cum-screen protector for now...

[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF7EpEnglgk

⬐ lstamour

Sadly, without referencing any keyboards, I not only know it's shift+3, but also that on iOS, it's hidden behind the 5. (Why yes, I've a Das Ultimate, how'd you guess?)

⬐ None

None

⬐ delinka

Looks to me like this type of device is the beginning of disrupting typing. Once you have a way to detect finger movement with something small, lightweight, unobtrusive (I'm making assumptions about AirType based on my own desires) and programmable, we can create the interfaces we want.

⬐ hrktb

Or is it ? At least this one seems to be fighting the last battle.

It targets people who can blind touch, which may not be a growing population in 10 or 20 years. Computer will be more ubiquitous than now, but there will be a whole generation that would be raised on touch devices first and be very proficient with on screen keyboards or benefit from direct writing recognition (these two are both more discoverable than this technology), or more minorly speach recognition.

For a generation not trained on physical keyboards first, I'm not sure this kind of alternative input method will be better or faster that what they were already using as primary input device, and they'll want something wildly better if they have to switch to something else. Like a full size physical keyboard, if they're going to type for a long extent of time.

edit: spelling

This is blogspam.

Source video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF7EpEnglgk

⬐ abdophoto

Not meant to be blogspam. Apologies if that's how you interpreted it.

⬐ pmoriarty

A bunch of leading questions designed to frustrate the kids.

Maybe if they actually gave the kids a manual, the older kids might stand a chance. They could also have showed the kids a game or actually tried to get them interested somehow.

In fact, the kids did seem quite interested at first... until their interest was sacrificed for the sake of this "experiment", which already had a sad, foregone conclusion.