The computer keyboard is nothing of the sort. It is, in fact, the typewriter keyboard. It’s form and layout are dictated not by the practical considerations of creating an interface between humans and comptuers, but rather the hard limits of typewriters as mechanical devices. Thus, the otherwise inexplicable staggered layout of the keys. This serves no purpose for the computer interface device and is a holdover from the layout of typewriters, in which the letter hammer thingies had to physically pass each other, requiring the keys they corresponded to to be staggered accordingly.

There have been many attempts to correct this with various ergonomic keyboard schemes, but there has been relatively little serious research towards creating a computer interface device from the ground up that is designed intentionally for that purpose. The keyboard as we know it works “well enough”, and despite it’s serious limits and inefficiencies, to say nothing of it’s potential to cause repetitive stress injury, we are still using it. An antiquated interface created for a wildly different machine over two centuries ago!

The mouse, likewise, has seen little change since it’s invention. The sensors and switches have been upgraded, but it still requires potentially injurious pronation of the wrist, it still features for most models only a few buttons laid out in a manner that is neither practical nor comfortable. Again, there have been many attempts to address this problem! My favorite at the moment is the radical Azeron Cyro, a device which combines a mouse, keyboard, thumbstick, and hat switch in a comfortable, efficiently laid out format that both alleviates many of the problems of the conventional mouse while vastly exceeding it’s possibilities. The problem is obvious; Instead of a widely available format the Cyro is a craft-produced 250$ device that is almost wholly inaccessible to normal people. Other mouse schemes are likewise inaccessible. Only a handful of high quality ergonomic mice exist, and the layout and overall utility of ergonomic mice is painfully bad. Limited button arrangments, painfully outdated hardware, etc. trackballs are often highly specialized for specific engineering or graphic design tasks and are unsuited for general use. Few other layouts or concepts exist outside of the hacker space.

We can and should do better. Humanity as a whole would benefit greatly if we collectively acknowledged that the keyboard is poorly suited to it’s purpose, and that the mouse has tremendous room for improvement and innovation, and worked towards deliberate improvements in human-computer interface devices.

https://yewtu.be/watch?v=_nOGanjHmfI

Look at this bizarre thing! Is it not glorious? I got one ($$$ owwwww) for fear of a family history of RSI and knowing that I’m going to have to spend many decades before the proverbial mast, tapping and clicking away. And I will not go back willingly. With a conventional mouse most of your hand isn’t doing anything. You have two buttons, thumb wheel, thumb wheel click, and maybe some poorly positioned thumb buttons. With this bold divergence from the stodgy, conservative norm each finger has multiple rows of individually programmable buttons. Your thumb is far and away your most dexterous appendage. Instead of being largely ignored is it adorned with a fully joystick and a five position hat switch that allows you to take full advantage of it to scroll documents organically without moving your hand or arm and perform a variety of inputs with the hat switch. The device is highly customizable by loosening screws to change the position of major components. You can use it as an extensive macropad, easily accessing many functions in a graphics design program, text editor, spreadsheet program, or other technical program without lifting your hand. For people who have the use of only one hand, or who have other limits, it provides much more versatility than any conventional mouse. It is a step up, taking the solid foundation of the mouse and improving it’s utility, scope, and comfort.

And this is a single effort made by a small firm! Much more might be possible if serious resources were invested in the question of how to build a better input device! Nearly a third of the working people of the world use a computer at their job! The potential benefits in human wellbeing, comfort, and efficient use of precious human life-hours is staggering! Answering this question, building better input devices, could be as significant as the major agricultural improvements of the past in how it effects humanity’s relationship with labor!V