Touchfire Makes On-Screen Keyboards Feel Less Virtual

One of the biggest complaints that users have about on-screen keyboards is that the virtual keyboards lack tactile feel. That means you pretty much have to look at the keyboard to be able to tell where your fingers are since you can't feel the keys like you can on a real keyboard. This may not be such a big deal on a smaller screen like the iPhone where you're likely to be looking at the screen as you type.

However, the lack of tactile feel on larger devices, such as the iPad, where you can actually work if needed can be a big problem. You can take a portable keyboard with you, but that just adds bulk to your mobile kit. A company called Touchfire is showing off its screen-top keyboard made from clear silicone. The clear silicone keyboard snaps into place magnetically over the top the iPad on-screen keyboard.

The little clear silicone keys match up perfectly with the iPad virtual keyboard when in landscape mode. With the Touchfire silicone keyboard in place, the on-screen virtual keyboard the iPad feels more like a real keyboard. Touch typists will be able to feel where their fingers are and know they're hitting the correct keys without looking.

The company says that the Touchfire keyboard weighs under an ounce, is about as thick as to credit cards, and will work with all versions of the iPad. The device is thin enough to be rolled up in the cover for storage making it easy to keep with you at all times. The only downside is that the clear pieces silicone sells for $49.99 making it rather expensive at roughly 1/3 the price of many nice Android tablets on the market.