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Will ‘The Minuum Keyboard’ live up to the hype?

March 20, 2013 By 15 Comments

It’s a simple concept: take the three rows of letters that constitute the QWERTY keyboard and consolidate them into one, then touch-type as you normally would.The software will then guess your intent, so you don’t actually have to hit the right letters.

It apparently works, and it saves a lot of on-screen real estate. But it also opens up exciting, new possibilities:  you could type by simply ‘pointing’ at the single row of letters; no need to actually ‘type’ at all.

If you haven’t seen it, you should watch the Minuum video below, which is very exciting. But there’s more — below are some interesting facts which you should consider.

  • It’s being developed on Android, because iOS will not let you replace the default keyboard. As a workaround, they are going to allow developers to integrate Minuum within their apps. Does anyone need more evidence that iOS is in deep trouble?
  • The Minuum crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo has $10,000 as it’s target (which it has already exceeded). Only 10K!!? To think most average, run of the mill mobile game usually come in with request of $100K. (Admittedly, they do have other funding targets for the ‘wearable’ typing component).
  • It’s going to cost $5. I wonder if it might make a list of ‘the cheapest technology that changed the world’?

The question is whether this really is as good as it looks on video. I’m sold, and ready to part with my money, so I really hope so!

Go here for more info (Thanks Carbonize for the tip).


 
 
 
Samer Kurdi

Samer Kurdi

Has been reviewing software since 2006 when he started Freewaregenius.com
Samer Kurdi

@freewaregenius

We've just launched a new site design for Freewaregenius http://t.co/xaq1ZzmLlW -- tell us what you think - 36 days ago
March 20, 2013
Samer Kurdi
15
  • Toni

    Let me get this straight: I buy something for a few hundred dollars, and then I need ALLOWANCE to replace the default keyboard? How did Apple ever get so many followers?

    • Samer Kurdi

      Yes indeed, you need permission from Apple.

      • http://carbonize.co.uk Carbonize

        Same applies to Windows Phone. Only Android lets you change the keyboard. As to the iPhone keyboard i hate it. It doesn’t clearly indicate when you are in upper or lowercase and you have to change to numeric keypad to use numbers.

        As to this concept I am surprised it’s taken them this long. Swiftkey’s predictions and ability to detect what key you meant to press is excellent so they could easily push something like this out in a day just by re-arranging the keyboard.

  • rob

    people will always be reluctant to learn a new keyboard, especially when it is not a total replacement for every keyboard in their life. why deal with one special keyboard for your phone/tablet and another on your laptop/desktop? i predict a new keyboard design will be as popular as linux is in the OS world.

    • http://carbonize.co.uk Carbonize

      I suspect Linux is far more popular than you think. As to the keyboard it wasn’t that long ago we were all using T9 predictive text on our numeric keypads back before touchscreens. People are willing to change otherwise swiping wouldn’t be as popular as it is.

      • rob

        i admit linux is popular but it is severely limited to the few who have adopted. there is a huge demographic that would never replace their windows or mac OS (look at the numbers after all these years), let alone even try it, and that is the problem with a new keyboard – those who adopt it will love it and swear by it, but it will never be anything beyond a niche piece of software because it is too ‘different’ and out of the mainstream. maybe in a generation or two when we skeptics who are set in our are out of the picture, but no time soon.

        if they ever come out with a physical keyboard with a new layout i’ll change my mind. maybe.

        • http://carbonize.co.uk Carbonize

          Yes but then a lot of Windows users do not even know there are other OSs or even web browsers other than Internet Explorer. These are the people who end up as part of a bot network and have about 5 toolbars in their IE window. God knows I’ve seen it often enough :|

        • http://www.paleografie.tk Cerberus

          Swype and swiping with Swiftkey are extremely popular; don’t forget that Swype is installed by default on many Samsung phones.

          • http://carbonize.co.uk Carbonize

            Not anymore it’s not. Samsung’s own keyboard now has swiping support and there are great free ones like Kii Keyboard.

            • http://www.paleografie.tk Cerberus

              Oh okay. But it used to, so many people are used to using other keyboards than stick Android.

  • Wim

    Always nice to try something new, but why this fund raise? How hard can it be to create a first the keyboard on the android? Place it in the store for fee ($5 is too high?) and develop further from that?
    What I miss in the documentation is references to other languages. I browsed for it, but did not notice it. So no money from me (yet?)

    • http://carbonize.co.uk Carbonize

      Coders are not cheap and I’m sure you have to pay to open an account on Play store as a developer.

      • http://roadha.us haliphax

        You do have to pay, but the cost is not prohibitive. I’m willing to bet that the fund raiser is for grabbing devices the developers can test with and finding QA folks.

  • Toni

    If it works like they say in the video, I agree it is very exciting news and could get big. I just have to wait for more language support just like Wim..