Motorola to try their hand at split-qwerty design with the MOTOSPLIT

Someone please tell Motorola their caps key is locked…

If you’re old enough or been in the tech scene for a few years, you’ve no doubt seen your fair share of attempts at the split keyboard design. Is it a mobile version of some ergonomic keyboard? That’s at least what I compare it too. Either way, such designs have never been too popular with consumers as clunky design and use of said keyboards makes the whole experience more pain than pleasure. But that isn’t stopping Motorola.

Riding on the DROID popularity wave and new found sense of quality products (Moto Backflip excluded), Motorola is going to take another stab at what so many others have failed to do — design a worth split-keyboard phone that is actually attractive, usable, and durable. Which I’d say is no small feat.

By now you’ve probably skimmed over most of this and instead just looked at the picture above. (Hey, it’s ok. I don’t hate you.) As you can see, the keyboard is very split into two distinct pieces. It almost looks comfortable enough to use everyday. Though durability is questionable if it’s as thin as it’s rumored to be. I can only imagine the anguish and pain in a user’s face when one of those flappy keyboard wings snaps off — the start to a bad, bad day no less.

Physical attributes past us, early reports have this phone powered by a Snapdragon processor pegged at the now almost common 1GHz as well as release of sometime in Q3 2010.

So what do you think. Is the MOTOSPLIT better than all previous attempts or is it another failure in the making?

Slashgear > AndroidCommunity

Kinesis Keyboard: An expensive, wrist contorting mind game of plastic keys.

A plain, flat keyboard is just so boring. For someone such as myself whom spends most of their day typing away, a good keyboard can make all the difference between a good day and a bad day. Ergonomic keyboards have been around for years claiming to reduce stress, tiredness, and injuries from those living in front of a computer screen. But do they really? At least in my experience with certain ergonomic keyboards, after the initial break-in period of getting used to a goofy shaped contraption, all is well. Though I’m not so sure how well the Kinesis Keyboard above would fair.

From the heavily scalloped letter keys to placement of the remaining keys located oddly split and staggered in the middle of the board, I’m left scratching my head as to what it feels like. Besides helping aching hands, this keyboard may also cure cancer, have a solution for world hunger, and know the origins of the universe. Well, the $300 price tag would lead us to suspect so at least…

I guess that mystery of “what it feels like” will forever remain a question as I simply can’t find myself spending $300 on a radical keyboard design, much less one that looks as if it were made out of 1980′s plastic even if world hunger could be solved. Sorry kiddies, no dinner for you tonight…

Feeling daring?

Dvice > Technabob