HP Gesture Keyboard - Manual (Page 3)

Figure 1: typical computer setup with a gesture keyboard
2.1 Need for a Devnagari input device
Computer usage in India is almost entirely in English and is restricted to the English-speaking, upper and upper-
middle class people. This stands in direct contrast with the demand for communication in Indian languages. Census
data for the year 1991shows that English is the first language for only 0.02% of Indians and second and third
language for 8% and 3% respectively. Hindi TV programs claim all the top 10 slots in television program ratings.
Circulation of daily English newspapers had a market share of 15% in the year 2002.
(Chand, Ganu, Joshi, Mathur
& Parmar, 2004) 2001 census indicates that almost 70% of the Indian population specks 5 major languages i.e.
Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi and Tamil with Hindi being the most spoken language at 40.22%.
(
http://www.censusindia.net/language.html )
2.2 Difference with roman script
Using a standard keyboard for Devnagari scripts creates usability issues, as the Devnagari Script possesses some
conceptual differences from the Roman script.
Some of these are summarized below:
•
The concept of matras (character modifiers) has no parallels in the Roman script.
•
Each character has a shiro rekha (the top bounding line on Devnagari characters) on top of it.
•
Character modifiers, basically matras and other special characters, can occur before, on top, below or
after the main character that they modify. (Deb and Deshwal, 2003)
•
Since in the written form there is no clear specification of the sequence in which modifiers should be
added to the consonant, sequential entry modes like a keyboard would not fit the users mental models
•
More than one modifier can be attached to one consonant
2.3 Issues with using an Inscript Keyboard
Current Indian language typing solutions have a steep learning curve. According to Arjun Mahanto, the Hindi
Officer in IIT Bombay, learning to type requires approximately fifty hours of training and practice for a person to
reach speeds of 25 words per minute. This is too much of a barrier for ordinary people and only professional typists
are willing to make this investment. (Chand et al., 2004)