CHAPTER 1

Historical Overview of Consumer Text Entry Technologies

Miika Silfverberg,     Nokia Research Center, Helsinki, Finland

1.1 INTRODUCTION

Text entry is much more than a feature in modern computers. Textual information and communication are essential parts of our lives. In fact, the wide variety of culture that we can see today is enabled by textual communication. The invention of writing accelerated cultural development, because individuals could store their ideas for later use and for use also by the following generations. Writing is the most specific and flexible way to store information. It has also allowed communication of information or emotions, even over long distances.

Writing systems have been around for several millennia. ...

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