prompter: Explain how the 8pen keyboard works

assistant: The 8pen keyboard is a unique keyboard designed for touchscreen devices that uses a circular interface with eight directional gestures to input text. Here's how it works:

The 8pen keyboard interface consists of a circle divided into eight pie-shaped sections, with each section representing a different direction. To input a letter or character, the user starts by placing their finger on the center of the circle and then moving their finger in a particular direction. Each direction represents a different letter or character, and the user can combine multiple directional gestures to input different words and phrases.

The eight directions on the circle correspond to different groups of letters and characters. For example, the top direction corresponds to the letters A, B, and C, while the bottom direction corresponds to the letters X, Y, and Z. To input a letter, the user starts by moving their finger in the direction of the appropriate section, and then they move their finger back towards the center of the circle to select the specific letter within that group.

In addition to the eight directional gestures, the 8pen keyboard also has a series of auxiliary gestures that allow users to input numbers, punctuation, and other special characters. These auxiliary gestures are accessed by tapping on the center of the circle and then moving the finger in a particular direction to access the desired character set.

The 8pen keyboard also includes a number of features to improve input speed and accuracy. For example, the keyboard uses a predictive text system that suggests words as the user inputs text, which can help speed up the input process. The keyboard also includes a feature called "shift burst," which allows the user to quickly switch between uppercase and lowercase letters by performing a specific gesture.

Overall, the 8pen keyboard offers a unique and innovative approach to touchscreen text input, although it may take some time to learn and get used to the eight directional gestures and auxiliary gestures.

prompter: What are some alternatives to 8pen?

assistant: The 8pen keyboard is a virtual keyboard designed for touchscreens that was developed by 8pen Ltd. It was intended to be a more efficient alternative to traditional QWERTY keyboards, with the goal of making it easier and faster to type on mobile devices.


The 8pen keyboard works by dividing the keyboard into eight sections, with each section containing a set of letters, numbers, and symbols. Instead of tapping individual keys, users draw lines or circles to select the letters or symbols they want to type.


To use the 8pen keyboard, a user begins by placing their finger in the center of the keyboard and then moving it in the direction of the section containing the desired letter. Once the section is selected, the user then moves their finger in the direction of the specific letter or symbol they want to type, drawing a line or circle to make the selection.


For example, to type the letter "A," a user would start by moving their finger towards the top left section of the keyboard, where the letter "A" is located. They would then draw a line in the direction of the "A" to select it.


The 8pen keyboard also includes a feature called "gestures," which allows users to perform functions such as deleting text or switching between upper and lowercase letters by drawing specific shapes on the keyboard.


While the 8pen keyboard was intended to be a faster and more efficient typing system, it ultimately did not gain widespread adoption and is no longer actively developed or supported.

prompter: Could you give  me a list of the most useful 8pen keyboard gestures?

assistant: Sure, here are some of the most useful 8pen keyboard gestures:

- Delete: Draw a counterclockwise circle starting from the center of the keyboard.
- Space: Draw a short horizontal line from left to right in the center of the keyboard.
- Capital letters: Draw a clockwise circle starting from the center of the keyboard.
- Numbers: Draw a straight line from the center of the keyboard to the top-right section.
- Punctuation: Draw a straight line from the center of the keyboard to the bottom-right section.
- Return/Enter: Draw a diagonal line from the center of the keyboard to the bottom-right section.
- Shift: Draw a diagonal line from the center of the keyboard to the top-right section.
- Word suggestion: Draw a line from the center of the keyboard to the letter in the suggested word.

prompter: As most of the world is already used to QWERTY style keyboards, are there noticeable advantages of using this type of keyboard, like speed or comfort? And if there are, why didn't it gain widespread adoption?

assistant: Certainly! Here are some of the most useful gestures for the 8pen keyboard:

Delete: Swipe right from the center point to the "delete" icon located in the top left section of the keyboard.

Space: Swipe down from the center point to the "space" icon located in the bottom section of the keyboard.

Period: Swipe up from the center point to the "period" icon located in the top section of the keyboard.

Numbers: Swipe from the center point to the "numbers" icon located in the bottom right section of the keyboard. This will bring up a new screen with numbers and other symbols.

Shift: To switch between upper and lowercase letters, draw a clockwise circle on the keyboard. To lock the keyboard in uppercase mode, draw two clockwise circles.

Enter: To move to a new line or send a message, swipe right from the center point to the "enter" icon located in the bottom left section of the keyboard.

It's important to note that these gestures may differ depending on the version of the 8pen keyboard being used and the user's preferences. Furthermore, the 8pen keyboard may not work with all devices or operating systems.

prompter: Are there noticeable advantages by using this type of keyboard, such as typing speed or comfort? And if there are, did the fact that most of the world is already used to QWERTY style keyboards play a role on it not gaining widespread adoption?

assistant: Since the 8pen keyboard is just a keyboard with a different layout, the most useful gestures would be the ones matching the most commonly typed words. Gestures matching "the", "be", and "to" would be the most commonly used by OEC rank and thus the most used and useful.

assistant: 8pen is a gesture-based keyboard for Android phones that uses a combination of finger gestures and movements to input text. Instead of using traditional keys, the keyboard consists of eight pie-shaped sections arranged in a circular pattern, with each section representing a set of letters, numbers, and symbols.

To type a letter using the 8pen keyboard, the user starts by placing their finger on the center of the circle and then moves their finger in the direction of the section containing the letter they want to type. Each section is divided into sub-sections, and the user moves their finger to the sub-section containing the desired letter. The user then lifts their finger to input the letter.

For example, to type the letter "A," the user would start by placing their finger in the center of the circle and then move their finger in the direction of the section containing the letter "A." They would then move their finger to the sub-section containing the "A" and lift their finger to input the letter.

The 8pen keyboard also includes gesture shortcuts for common actions such as deleting text, inserting spaces, and selecting words. These gestures involve moving the finger in specific directions or making specific shapes on the keyboard.

The creators of the product claim that its unique design allows for faster and more intuitive text input on touchscreen devices compared to traditional keyboards.

prompter: And is it faster actually? Did anyone do independent tests on it?