Bluetooth mouse with programmable keys? or tiny keyboard?

Iruka

So I bought a Surface on black Friday, So far its pretty good. I got with the type cover, but I bought the surface with drawing on it as a secondary task. I've been testing my work flow on it, and I'm running into a hot key problem.

Its preferable to draw on the surface without the type cover attached, because it acts as a huge barrier when trying to get at the screen to draw. You cant use the surface type cover as a detached keyboard, its not a bluetooth device. I have a logitech mouse for my PC, but it is not ambidextrous, since I draw with my right hand I need the hot key situation to happen with my left.

For my Ipad I have this thing: http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Ultrathin-Keyboard-Cover-generation/dp/B007PRHNHO/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1417973350&sr=1-3&keywords=logitech+slim+keyboard

I can use this with my left and use the hot keys, but I really don't want to carry around an ipad keyboard and the type cover, but the surface does not fit the ipad sized groove. I may as well use the type cover to protect my screen, so ideally I would have something real small to pair with it.

I was looking at razor mice, but it seems like they are mostly wired or, I assume, using a USB receiver (Not necessarily an issue, but there is only one usb port on the device.)

So, with all that information in mind, any suggestions? Basically, I need to get the shift, alt, and Ctrl keys on my left hand somehow. If I was an inventor, I'd make an artist power glove.

dispatch.o

Ehhh, hmmm. Well there are gloves with programmable macros. The Peregrin but they're expensive. You might try a flexible keyboard, they are cheap. Example.

Edit: I dunno if you meant whatever it is has to be bluetooth... or only if it's a mouse. Bluetooth Flexible Mini Keyboard. It seems your cheapest options are small keyboards instead of mice or other stuff, Razer makes OK mice, but I wouldn't buy one just for hotkeys....

I'm really curious as to whether the Peregrine is worth it just for being portable. Personally I would buy a cheap flexible usb keyboard and see if I could just chop it up into something that I wanted... but I'm destructive and usually fail at things, but for 5$ you may be able to find a guide and give it a try!

Edit2: I'm incapable of doing art, but usually check the artist section of this forum just for cool sketches and stuff to look at and anything that lets you guys post more of that stuff, I am all for.

E.Coyote

There a few razor half keyboards used for gaming like the orb weaver, but wouldn't a stylus with hot keys work out better? Something similar to this, http://www.amazon.com/Adonit-Bluetooth-Pressure-Sensitive-Stylus/dp/B00AO1L1RG

Iruka

@dispatch.o‌ If that glove was like 75 I would totally put down on that haha. I do think something like that would be the best solution, but over 100 is a little too much for this issue. The only reason I was considering razor is it would also just be a nice mouse, and needing 3 extra keys on a mouse puts me square in game accessory territory anyway.

I would prefer it be bluetooth, whatever it is.

@E.Coyote I'm already holding a stylus for drawing.... and it may not make much sense but holding a pen in my left hand and trying click buttons would feel super weird in a way that hitting keys would not. I know its a really weirdly specific problem to have, which is why nothing is really fits my description

This is actually pretty much perfect: http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Wireless-Number-Pad-N305/dp/B0034XRDU0/ref=sr_1_20?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1418013378&sr=1-20&keywords=Bluetooth+Keyboard+Number+Pad

But it looks like the blue tooth version is super expensive (probably not many of these need to be made, haha)

The flexible mini keyboard is pretty cheap, so I may do that and a wired num pad and just see whats better.

Lindsay Lohan

I can't find a Bluetooth version but this type of form factor might work for you:
http://www.amazon.com/TabStore-Portable-Wireless-Handheld-Trackball/dp/B00EK9MMRG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1418043682&sr=8-3&keywords=bluetooth+mouse+trackball

There are quite a few out there in this shape, they are ambidextrous and have quite a few buttons on them that you could program.

Iruka

It seems like a bunch of different companies are selling that product from the same manufacturer under a different name, but they all have pretty terrible reviews. That sucks because it does look pretty good shape wise.

bowen

http://www.amazon.com/Cropmark-AG-WKP-1314-Bluetooth-Keypad/dp/B004CB56XE/

Maybe that one, Iruka?

Iruka

While looking into keyboard mapping software it seems as though I've found a relatively suitable on screen solution:
http://radialmenu.weebly.com/

the buttons on my surface pen are pretty much useless, which is another issue, it looks like I'll have to do a little work to get the thing to do what I want. I'm going to test drive this program for a while to see if it can be integrated into the work flow. It takes up precious screen space but I can maybe eliminate a menu or two by customizing it.

If anyone has a particular recommendation for mapping software, that maybe useful if I go the numpad route after all this.