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Text entry on handheld computers by older users.

P Wright1, C Bartram, N Rogers

  • 1School of Psychology, Cardiff University, UK. WrightP1@cardiff.ac.uk

Ergonomics
|July 21, 2000
PubMed
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Older workers found data entry easier on pocket computers with physical keyboards compared to touch screens. Improvements in touch-screen technology or alternative input methods are needed for palm-size devices.

Area of Science:

  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Gerontology
  • Usability Engineering

Background:

  • Mobile computing devices, such as pocket computers, are increasingly used in professional settings requiring mobility.
  • Data entry and information access are key functions for mobile workers in maintenance and customer support roles.
  • Older adults may face unique challenges with emerging technologies, impacting their work efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the hypothesis that older workers (over 55) experience easier data entry on pocket computers with physical keyboards versus touch-screen keyboards.
  • To compare the accuracy and speed of text entry between physical and touch-screen keyboards for older adults.
  • To assess user preference and the impact of practice on touch-screen keyboard performance.

Main Methods:

Related Experiment Videos

  • A within-subjects, counter-balanced design was employed across three studies.
  • Participants over 55 years of age performed text entry tasks on a physical keyboard (HP 360LX) and various touch-screen devices (Apple Newton, PalmPilot, Philips Nino, Casio E10).
  • Measures included accuracy, speed of text entry, and user preference. Experiment 3 also included younger participants for comparison.

Main Results:

  • All studies demonstrated significantly lower accuracy and speed when using touch-screen keyboards compared to physical keyboards.
  • The majority of older participants preferred the physical keyboard, even when it was small.
  • Despite additional practice, touch-screen text entry by older adults frequently contained errors. Younger users were faster but not more accurate on touch screens.

Conclusions:

  • Current touch-screen keyboards on palm-size computers present significant usability challenges, particularly for older adults.
  • Improvements in touch-screen technology or the adoption of alternative input methods (e.g., handwriting, voice) are necessary for effective text entry.
  • Interface design advancements that enhance usability for older users often yield benefits for younger users as well.