FrogPad

Lore & Background

The FrogPad was produced by Frogpad Inc., with founder and CEO Linda Marroquin, who left the company in 2008. The original FrogPads on the market at that time were intended for use with mobile phones and supported only Bluetooth. The keyboard is optimized by character frequency, and its design allows 85% of average keystrokes in English text to be typed without chording, with chords limited to two fingers (opposable thumb and one finger). As a result, the FrogPad has many more keys than a GKOS, Microwriter, or Baudot keyboard but fewer than a conventional computer keyboard.

Two attempts to relaunch the Frogpad were made. The first, in February 2012 by Frogpad and Linda Marroquin, was canceled due to funding difficulties, and pre-order costs were refunded in June 2012. The second relaunch attempt was made by Andrew Taylor of IT consulting firm Satori Tech Solutions, who began advertising in November 2013 and solicited pre-orders in January 2014 for a prototype version to be delivered in February and a final production version in April of that year. Neither version shipped, and a post on the company Facebook page from 20 May 2014 stated that they '... WILL NOT ship a product I can't be proud of that lives up to what all of you expect and deserve.' Since then, the company has ceased communication.

On August 14, 2014, Frogpad founder Linda Marroquin stated that the Frogpad license to Satori Tech Solutions had expired and that she did not know why Mr. Taylor was not responding to consumers who pre-purchased products. Although she was aware of complaints filed against Mr. Taylor at the Texas AG and IC3, her stated intention was 'to regain the brand after I get additional funding.'

Reader's Guide

The FrogPad's significance lies in its unique design as a small, one-handed chorded keyboard optimized for English text frequency, allowing 85% of keystrokes to be typed without chording. It occupies a middle ground in key count, having more keys than a GKOS, Microwriter, or Baudot keyboard but fewer than a conventional computer keyboard. Its legacy is marked by two failed relaunch attempts: the first in 2012 by Frogpad and Linda Marroquin, canceled due to funding difficulties, and the second by Andrew Taylor of Satori Tech Solutions in 2013-2014, which never shipped despite pre-orders. The company ceased communication after a May 2014 Facebook post stating they would not ship a product they could not be proud of. Founder Linda Marroquin later stated in August 2014 that the license to Satori Tech Solutions had expired and that she intended to regain the brand after obtaining additional funding, while acknowledging complaints filed against Mr. Taylor. The FrogPad thus remains a notable but ultimately unfulfilled concept in the history of compact input devices.

Did You Know?

• The FrogPad is about the size of a numeric keypad and can be used with one hand.
• 85% of average keystrokes in English text can be typed without chording on the FrogPad.
• The original FrogPads supported only Bluetooth and were intended for use with mobile phones.
• Two relaunch attempts were made: one in 2012 by Frogpad and Linda Marroquin, and another in 2013-2014 by Andrew Taylor of Satori Tech Solutions; neither succeeded.