Virtual Keyboards

Tired of typing on a tiny PDA keyboard or learning special handwriting for a PDA? Soon you may be able to ignore those tiny keys and even pitch the plastic keyboard on your PC. New technology that uses beams of red laser light instead of plastic and metal keys makes it possible to type with a standard size keyboard made of light shining on almost any flat surface.

What Are Virtual Keyboards?

Virtual keyboards consist of a red diode laser that projects an image of a regular QWERTY keyboard on a flat surface. The laser module is about the size of a cigarette lighter and is connected to the PDA or smartphone by a cable. The user's typing movements are received and interpreted by infrared technology and sent to the PDA or other device.

How Do They Work?

To use a virtual keyboard, you need a table, desk, automobile dashboard, or other flat surface onto which the keyboard image can be projected. When you type on the projected image, an invisible infrared beam senses your movements and interprets the keystrokes. The end result is just what you'd expect with a regular, physical keyboard — words, data, and commands are entered into your PDA or other device and appear on the screen.

Potential Uses & Impacts on the Real Estate Industry

Portability and the small size are the major benefits of virtual keyboards. They can be used in many settings — on a table or desk, a dashboard, pretty much anywhere you might be while working with clients or travelling.

Since they are easier to work with than the compact keyboards and keypads on many PDAs, phones, and other devices, REALTORS® can use virtual keyboards to get more out of their mobile computing experience. There are no moving parts, so there are fewer chances for a breakdown. A wireless version may be available in the near future.

Regular computer keyboards are one of the top five bacteria- and virus-contaminated objects in the office, making cleanliness another advantage of a virtual keyboard. Lacking the crevices of a conventional keyboard, spillage, crumbs, germs and dirt are no longer an issue.

Eventually, virtual keyboards could end up replacing physical keyboards, although wider availability and greater consumer demand for the product are necessary before that can happen. Still, virtual keyboards have some interesting possibilities as the technology develops. If they can be made smaller, for example, they could potentially become a built-in feature of PDAs, Tablet PCs, and other mobile devices.

Drawbacks

For those who are accustomed to touch typing, virtual keyboards take a little getting used to. A flat tabletop doesn't feel the same as a keyboard, after all, and at first many typing mistakes may result. After some practice, though, usage becomes easier as you become accustomed to the layout of the virtual keys.

The keyboard does not work well in strong sunlight; a shaded area may be necessary when using the keyboard at a building site or other outdoor venues.

Also, finding a virtual keyboard is more difficult than one might think, given the advantages of the technology. There are currently three manufacturers of virtual keyboards, but only one, VKB Inc., has a product actually available for purchase. A second keyboard, from CELLUON Inc., is expected to be made available later this year, while the third, from Virtual Devices Inc., has no published release date.

Costs

The VKB keyboard is available for about $200. Costs for the other two virtual keyboards are unavailable.

REALTORS® who would like to try out a virtual keyboard for themselves can do so at the wireless hotspots hosted by the Center for REALTOR® Technology at any of NAR's national conferences.

NAR's Web Wizard Report - No. 67 (June 2005) - A-M. Siudzinski