SGL: Alternate Input Insanity
I use a touchscreen, accelerometer, and digital pen in addition to a keyboard and mouse. Obviously I'm pretty big on alternate forms of input. Here are a few more of interest:
Griffin Powermate: (http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/accessories/5ca2/) Basically a big programmable dial. I'd use it at the desk for volume control, but it can also handle all sorts of scrolling tasks from documents to audio to video.
Pro Gamer Command Pad: (http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/input/8d12/) Designed for gaming, this peripheral is loaded with programmable buttons and directional thumb control. I would use it at my desk with pen in right hand and left hand on the pad tapping keys I lose in tablet mode, panning pages, and punching numbers.
Fragpedal Deluxe: (http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/input/8e46/) Another device designed for gaming. This one gives your feet something to do. Not really sure what I'd do with it other than taking the burden of tapping mouse buttons off my fingers, but that's enough considering how sore my mouse fingers get.
SpaceNavigator: (https://3dconnexionstore.com/itemDetail.asp?itmNo=56826423N) I found this one just today. Looks like another knob, but it can be pushed, pulled, and tilted to navigate 3D environments from animation apps to Google Earth. I'd probably just use it for Google Earth.
Wacom Graphite Bluetooth Tablet: (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009DG7KK?ie=UTF8&tag=sumosscri-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0009DG7KK) Yes, I already have pen input built in to my computer, but this will give me pen input when I have my Tablet PC connected to the TV and I'm kicking back on the couch. It'd be like a remote control for my tablet. Also, I could use it at work to add pen input to my desktop. Ah, how blissful that would be.
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Labels: general tech, gift list, Tablet PC
SGL: Alternate Input Insanity
posted by Sumocat at 11/26/2008 11:14:00 PM
1 Comments:
The SpaceNavigator can be a lot of fun to use, I picked one up on a whim... like $30 from buy.com for the Personal Edition when it was on sale. It does have some severe limitations with what Apps it works with, unless you spend a while getting this third party Driver RCB9 configured and setup. For now, it's more of a tool for people who fiddlel w/ 3D apps, in particular Sketchup, AutoCAD, etc. It looks nice though, and it's fun to have around, though I'm always struggling to integrate it into my lifestyle...
- T
By Anonymous, at 11/28/2008 03:53:00 AM
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