HAND-HELD ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH THUMBWHEEL

摘要

A hand-held electronic device is provided having a keyboard optimized fo r use with the thumbs and an inclined thumbwheel for auxiliary data entry and selection. The keyboard preferably includes a plurality of non-uniform shape d keys, such as oblong, oval or rectangular keys, which are organized into two sets of keys that, together, form a QWERTY keyboard. The two sets of non-uniform shaped keys are tilted at complimentary angles to each other and with respect to a commo n vertical reference through the device. The keys are also uniformly distributed across the device to facilitate optimal thumb typing. The thumbwheel is inclined at an angle for easier operation, and is used for auxiliary data entry and menu selection.