Windows 8: the tactile keyboard

For tablets and other tactile devices in Windows 8, Microsoft has had to address the issue of the keyboard. In a new paper on the blog Building Windows 8, Microsoft turns around and choose the elements that guided them.

One of the first aspects to be considered was how the user can manipulate a tablet. The touchpad can adapt to a relatively conventional typing with your thumbs or when the unit is caught between the two hands. In the latter case, the size of the keyboard can be adjusted by the user.

To avoid typing errors and allow some kind of control to the user, Microsoft has decided to implement a color change when a key is pressed on the touchpad, and a corresponding sound.

Faced with the problem of space on a screen, Microsoft has decided to get rid of the default buttons that users do not use. For letters with characters, just hold the key press. Similarly for punctuation.

A View is dedicated to the numbers (stored differently than on a physical keyboard) and symbols. This view can be obtained by holding down a button to immediately return to the main view when the button is released.

The keyboard also includes an automatic correction dose for example when two keys are accidentally typed the same time.

Other aspects are discussed in this post. Microsoft has at times greatly inspired by existing. Note however that for its own shelf space, Microsoft has supplied a Touch Cover which acts as protection but also physical keyboard with trackpad.

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