
Tuning a Typewriter - hardmath123
http://hardmath123.github.io/crown-typewriter.html
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Leszek
It'd also be interesting to explore other optimisation metrics, e.g. having
common letters on the ends to allow the user to 'blindly' move the pointer to
one end or the other without a need for precision.

I'm also curious if e.g. 10 shifts is twice as bad as 5 shifts, it feels to me
like there's a drop-off in shifting cost after one shift.

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mnw21cam
The commonly used metric when talking about the time taken for a user to move
a mouse to click on the button is log(distance/button size). So there's
certainly an argument there to use the logarithm of the distance, rather than
the distance.

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benj111
Optimisation: Make the character row into a ring.

It would also make it easier to find the optimal layout, as a few permutations
are removed.

~~~
romwell
Done[1].

That is, you have just invented the classic Dymo label maker :)

[1][https://www.staples.com/dymo-organizer-express-pro-
industria...](https://www.staples.com/dymo-organizer-express-pro-industrial-
portable-handheld-label-maker/product_564523)

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romwell
Such an interesting problem!

And still relevant -- at least for those of us who still have the classic
Dymo[1].

Also, this pun in the article made me chuckle:

> The _ComfortablyNumb_ ered typewriter.

[1][http://juliastainton.com/2007/05/27/dymo-label-maker-cest-
bo...](http://juliastainton.com/2007/05/27/dymo-label-maker-cest-bon/)

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madcaptenor
It would be interesting to see a two-dimensional version of this.

