Could a new innovation kill the QWERTY keyboard?

Andrea Wood | August 17, 2006, 10:06 AM

I spoke with Doug Naimo, founder of Triggerfinger yesterday. He and his team have come up with software that can eliminate a QWERTY keyboard from many devices. A cell phone would use a joystick-like input device accompanied by several buttons for text input – an approach similar to text messaging. Media Center PC owners could, in theory, replace a remote and keyboard by introducing a game-controller like device for all-in-one input functionality.

Triggerfinger’s approach seems innovative and interesting, but like in many instances the biggest obstacle to adoption is consumer perception. Consumers will have many questions, and some folks will give it a try. The key to testing market flexibility and interest when introducing a new concept is education and patience. Vendors of new products, like Triggerfinger, must show consumers how a device or software will change their lives. Simply expecting that the market will understand the product is not enough. Willingness to change also takes time. While a few early adopters will be eager to try a product, the mass market may need a little extra urging over a longer period of time to even think of testing a product. Triggerfinger’s innovations will not win out over existing input devices in the short term, but the products are garnering attention from major players in the US software and hardware sectors. Only time will tell what battles these products might incite.