Matias Corporation has announced that its Half Keyboard for Apple Macintosh computers will debut at Macworld Expo.

"I'm personally very proud to have the Half Keyboard available on the Macintosh platform. The idea was conceived in 1984, the same year the Macintosh debuted, and the very first prototypes were implemented on a Macintosh 512. Without the Mac, I wouldn't be here today," said Edgar Matias, inventor of the Half Keyboard.

The Half Keyboard's patented skill transfer design allows users to touch type with one hand, using their existing skills, at speeds almost as fast as with both hands (up to 88% of normal typing rates).

Typing with one hand leaves the other hand free for a pen or mouse, allowing the user to easily enter both text and graphics. A regular two- handed keyboard limits users to text only.

As its name suggests, the product is the left half of a standard keyboard. The user types with their left hand, just like touch-typing on a normal keyboard. For the letters of the missing (right) half, simply hold down the spacebar and then do the same finger movement normally done by the other hand. Hitting the spacebar alone still types a space.

Since one-handed touch typing uses the same finger movements as standard two-handed typing, little or no retraining is required for touch typists to use the keyboard. Their existing skills simply transfer.

The company is also showing its wearable model of the Half Keyboard, which turns a PalmOS unit into an inexpensive wrist-worn wearable computer, ideal for remote data collection applications.

"The wearable drew huge crowds at Comdex. With the Half Keyboard shipping soon, we expect even greater interest," said Vesna Vojnic, Marketing Manager for Matias.

The Half Keyboard retails for US$99. The Wearable Half Keyboard retails for US$199. Both versions can be bought from the company's website. A free software demo is also available:

Matias' Half Keyboard technology allows fast one-handed text entry, using peoples' existing touch typing skills. It is enabling technology for handheld word processing, wearable computing, and cellphone e-mail. Financing was supplied by Transpacific Resources Inc.

For more information, visit:
Http://Halfkeyboard.com

Charles W. Moore

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