10 ms·

New Bloomberg Terminal Keyboard

108 points by dmmalam 10y ago

davidcollantes 10y ago
Is it new? It just looks the same to the ones we have been using in our College for the last four years or so.
- jweir 10y ago
  The video was posted over two years ago: https://vimeo.com/90701077 https://vimeo.com/90701077
alva 10y ago
This keyboard has been out for ages, unless I am missing something here? On a side note, hated my B-unit, always took 5+ lengthy swipes to register.
- scarletham 10y ago
  We've been using this keyboard for well over a year and a half...
  - andyfleming 10y ago
    Maybe they just posted it because they thought it was interesting. Although the "new" keyword in the title may be misleading.
    - _acme 10y ago
      How is calling this keyboard "new" not misleading when it's objectively been available for some time now?
- gherkin0 10y ago
  > This keyboard has been out for ages, unless I am missing something here? Not everyone works in finance and/or is familiar with Bloomberg terminals (like me). I think this is pretty interesting since Bloomberg, unlike most application developers, has taken their UX to the point where they're building application-specific hardware (though I understand a lot of that is basically legacy inertia). Also, programmers seem to be far more interested in keyboards as a subject that most people. I also thought the B-unit is interesting, it's different than any other authentication device I've used. http://www.bbhub.io/professional/sites/4/2015/03/b-unit_3_user_guide.pdf http://www.bbhub.io/professional/sites/4/2015/03/b-unit_3_us...
  - kolbe 10y ago
    Being interesting is fine. But being misleading with a title is not. I can't imagine the backlash a title like "Brand new programming language from Google" would get if it was talking about Go.
  - melling 10y ago
    "Also, programmers seem to be far more interested in keyboards as a subject that most people." They worry about keyboards because it's one of the professions where RSI is common. http://www.looknohands.me http://www.looknohands.me http://markmcb.com/2014/10/13/severe-hand-rsi-pain-and-recovery/ http://markmcb.com/2014/10/13/severe-hand-rsi-pain-and-recov... http://web.stanford.edu/~ouster/cgi-bin/wrist.php http://web.stanford.edu/~ouster/cgi-bin/wrist.php - Stanford professor and creator of TCL Here are plenty of other stories: https://github.com/melling/ErgonomicNotes https://github.com/melling/ErgonomicNotes
    - gherkin0 10y ago
      Oh, I'm not criticizing that interest. It has a legitimate and practical basis given the amount of time programmers spend using keyboards and how integral they are to the performance of their job.
  - jseliger 10y ago
    I upvoted it for similar reasons, and my keyboard interest is... unusual and longstanding (see for example this 2008 report on a modern IBM Model M: https://jakeseliger.com/2008/05/07/product-review-unicomp-customizer-keyboard https://jakeseliger.com/2008/05/07/product-review-unicomp-cu...). I'm surprised, like many other commenters on this thread, that there isn't a more ergonomic version of this, and that there doesn't appear to be an option for better keyswitches, like Cherry MXes. The world of Bloomberg terminals is totally foreign to me, and that makes them interesting.
jacobolus 10y ago
These keyboards are ergonomically awful: an undifferentiated mass of completely flat buttons, with crappy keyswitches. Makes them slow and error prone. You can tell no one involved in the design process spent any time thinking about human hand anatomy. On the upside, production costs should be pretty cheap. People making devices for “professionals” should take inspiration from keyboards produced in the 1970s–80s, which are generally much nicer than anything on the market today. In the same general market, WEY makes much nicer keyboards than Bloomberg, e.g. http://www.weytec.com/en/products/wey-keyboards/mk06-keyboard/highlights/ http://www.weytec.com/en/products/wey-keyboards/mk06-keyboar...
- gherkin0 10y ago
  > These keyboards are ergonomically awful: an undifferentiated mass of completely flat buttons, with crappy keyswitches. You'd think they could splurge a little on keyswitches given that it costs $20k a year to use one (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloomberg_Terminal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloomberg_Terminal). Though it was kinda funny watching the guy in the video hunting-and-pecking on a 80s chiclet keyboard that could've come from a TRS-80.
- bullfightonmars 10y ago
  > keyboards produced in the 1970s–80s, which are generally much nicer than anything on the market today. If you haven't picked up on it there has been a resurgence in engineering/design around mechanical keyboards. From switch design to keycaps and board layouts. * Boards like the KBC Pok3r, the Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional2 are readily available on Amazon. And novel designs like the Ergodox or The White Fox are available through group buys on massdrop or desk authority. * Keycaps of many makes and profiles are being designed from a couple companies, designed by enthusiasts for group buys and made Signature Plastics and Tai-Hao. * Mechanical Switches are being made by the Cherry which has been around forever, as well as new entrants Gateron and Kailh Check out r/MechanicalKeyboards there is a lot of interesting stuff going on.
  - jacobolus 10y ago
    Yes, I have been an active member of geekhack and deskthority for a few years and have way more ebay keyboard purchases than I need cluttering up my closet, have tried pretty much every ergonomic keyboard ever mass produced, have designed keycap legends for Massdrop and proofed various Signature Plastics designs, have prototyped a couple dozen novel ergonomic keyboards, am friends with the keyboard.io and input.club people, suggested some ideas to Matias about their ErgoPro before it shipped, etc. The point remains though, the keyswitches and keycaps common in the 1970s are much nicer than Cherry MX or its clones, or anything easily available today. All the currently available keycap profiles are noticeably worse than e.g. the profile IBM used on Selectric typewriters or beam spring keyboards in the 1970s. As far as keycaps are concerned, you might enjoy these little props I made last year: http://i.imgur.com/kFxqOm8.jpg http://i.imgur.com/kFxqOm8.jpg http://i.imgur.com/M3tQybL.jpg http://i.imgur.com/M3tQybL.jpg My own preferred fix to the Ergodox concept is something along the lines of http://i.imgur.com/puH1Ge4.jpg http://i.imgur.com/puH1Ge4.jpg (ignore the legends; my keymap is unrelated)
vostok 10y ago
These keyboards are so unpleasant. At one point I wished I could get keycaps printed for a different keyboard, but now it doesn't matter as I've memorized the keys anyway.
dontscale 10y ago
Talk about your SaaS. $24,000 a year for one of these babies. I think it's how he made most of his fortune. Edit: corrected for year https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=how%20much%20is%20bloomberg%20terminal https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&e...
- th0ma5 10y ago
  That and allegedly insider information gleaned from them? I never heard much more about those allegations.
  - whatok 10y ago
    Strange, I don't think my firm's subscription came with that feature.
  - andy_ppp 10y ago
    Oh god, that is some crazy info, is it illegal for them to trade on the terminal data?
  - morgante 10y ago
    Any insider information which came with a Bloomberg terminal would be practically worthless. Every trader would have it. You're probably confusing the sharing of insider information via the IM feature, which definitely does happen. But blaming Bloomberg for that makes about as much sense as blaming Apple for terrorists using iPhones.
    - rtkwe 10y ago
      The accusation is that Bloomberg uses data from the people using the terminals to inform their own trades. It popped up a little while back but I can't find the original articles.
      - danso 10y ago
        Back in 2013 (actually surprised it was that long ago): http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/may/10/bloomberg-goldman-sachs-spying-terminals http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/may/10/bloomberg-goldm... > The Guardian also understands that JP Morgan also has concerns about how Bloomberg used information from its terminals while pursuing stories about Bruno Iksil, the trader known as the London Whale, who was blamed for massive losses at the bank last year. Bloomberg said it had blocked journalists' access to client data within 24 hours of receiving a complaint from Goldman. Interestingly, Goldman Sachs recently launched its own "Bloomberg Terminal killer", Symphony: http://qz.com/501783/the-goldman-sachs-backed-bloomberg-terminal-killer-is-ready-for-launch/ http://qz.com/501783/the-goldman-sachs-backed-bloomberg-term... Funny quote from the QZ article: > At a cost of more than $20,000 per year per terminal, Bloomberg is an extremely expensive system for users mostly interested in its chat features.
whatok 10y ago
Really hoping my older white one doesn't break. Love how loud the keys are.
- h1srf 10y ago
  The white ones feel indestructible. The newer black ones just seem flimsy to me.
nsxwolf 10y ago
It may get a lot of negative comments but I think it's interesting something like this still exists, a custom piece of terminal hardware, that hasn't just been eaten by some iPad app or web app.
- aakilfernandes 10y ago
  IMHO the reason it hasn't been turned into an app is to justify its price. Psychologically, people will pay more for hardware than software even if it does the exact same thing.
  - thescriptkiddie 10y ago
    It has been turned into an app, they don't even sell terminals anymore. The keyboard, monitor, and biometric unit are just accessories that you plug into your existing computer, which aren't even necessary to use the software. This makes the shittyness of the keyboard even worse IMO, because they are trying to push these expensive, unnecessary things as a superior experience to the keyboard you already own. It's blatant marketing bullshit.
- vostok 10y ago
  It's not a custom piece of terminal hardware. It's just like Excel or other software that you run on your computer. There's also a version that runs from a browser plugin, which is what I use when I'm running Linux.
- andy_ppp 10y ago
  It's the data that is difficult or impossible to get. I'd love to see what people did with access to the data, but there is no reason for Bloomberg to give away their huge advantage.
  - whatok 10y ago
    A lot of data you get through Bloomberg is repackaged from other sources. As far as I know, I don't use any Bloomberg proprietary data but there is a lot of data that while is not proprietary, it is essentially locked into Bloomberg due to the messaging platform. Pricing data for fixed income securities is a good example.
mapcars 10y ago
Modern keyboard with 100-years old keys alignment. WOW.
davegauer 10y ago
I've often found it very peculiar that while many industries have specialized input hardware, it is still the norm for developers to type awkward key combinations* for common programming symbols such as (,),{,},[,],=,<,> etc. which are be used in mass quantities all day, every day. I understand how we got where we are, but it's nevertheless surprising that something like a modernized space-cadet keyboard isn't standard for developers. Or at least a programmable keyboard with a thumb-activated modifier key plus a home row key for the most commonly used symbols. * SHIFT+<anything other than letters> is awkward if you have to do it enough. Especially laptops, which enjoy deviating from ANSI or ISO layouts. I've also heard it told that some international layouts make "[" and "]" especially unhandy.
- lallysingh 10y ago
  There are layouts for this, like programmer's dvorak: https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-http://www.kaufmann.no/roland/dvorak/ https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-http://www.kauf... A programmer's qwerty would be pretty handy, too. Edit: and there's plenty of programmable keyboards, like ergodox (https://ergodox-ez.com/ https://ergodox-ez.com/, though I'm not sure if that's the canonical url).
  - davegauer 10y ago
    Yes, we're actually in the midst of a new golden age of keyboard hardware (and hobbyist electronics in general). I've constructed a Planck from Ortholinear Keyboards and keep trying to find time to get it set up for my One True Programmer's Layout!
  - swyman 10y ago
    Your programmer's dvorak link didn't work for me. I believe this is the correct URL: http://www.kaufmann.no/roland/dvorak/ http://www.kaufmann.no/roland/dvorak/
- Nullabillity 10y ago
  There is already specialized input hardware for development. It's already either attached to, bolted onto, or (poorly) emulated on every single computer you use.
CaHoop 10y ago
I used a bloomberg terminal at work. Yes it is a bit annoying if you dont use it everyday, but it is really nice when you get used to it. It has nice chicklets which have more action than a mac one.
nodesocket 10y ago
Bloomberg terminals are super powerful and basically the defacto standard for traders. There is a great tutorial video on YouTube[1] that shows how to use the terminal and its functions. It is a really interesting watch. [1] https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LE8HiHZcgEE https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LE8HiHZcgEE
vegabook 10y ago
Oh puhleeze. I have been a subscriber to the Bloomberg terminal for a full 17 years, the keyboard has been changed literally 4 times in that period, and I have yet to see one that is not a regression from the one that went before. Today you get a plasticky, flexy, Asia-made, chicklets device with capacitor touches whereas the original was a monstrous, metallic, mechanical beast, IBM-style. It would have made the massdrop community swoon, with its retro vibe and indestructible build. For the past 10 years I have not used a bb keyboard. They provide a separate finger sensor if desired (as they should - it costs 1800 dollars a month for subscription), and you can always use your b-unit. The bloomberg keyboard is a dinosaur that dates back from the UI of Bloomberg's 1980s ethos -> the mainframe. It even has the command line in the top of the screen, old System/360 style. The colour coded keys are almost an embarrassment, reflecting the embarrassingly bad UI. Bloomberg is 10 000 different pieces of functionality of which the average user uses 1%. It's a catastrophically badly done taxonomy of (what is, underlying, awesome) functionality. That's why they have so many Bloomberg "reps" who come over constantly to show you new stuff. These poor guys are compensating for the fact that all the good stuff is extremely difficult to find. Thanks Bloomberg for the new 80 dollar toy. That'll be about 5% of my monthly subscription price then. Doesn't hide the fact that your entire UI is prehistoric.
- xixi77 10y ago
  The original was nice, but this one is definitely a big step up from the one that came before, which (while still heavy and monstrous) was one of the worst keyboards I've ever used, with complete lack of feedback. This one is actually quite decent, better than most desktop keyboards.
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
omarish 10y ago
The majority of complaints here: - Ergonomics sucks! - I can't re-map caps lock to be escape, what trash! - This is so old! - Too expensive! - Dell makes cheaper monitors! - Fingerprint authentication can be hacked. But what everybody is not considering is: 1. You have to have a Bloomberg keyboard to work in finance. It's not even a question. It's a COGS for anybody who wants to work in finance or trading. 2. Bloomberg chat is Facebook messenger for finance people. 3. If your trading desk is bringing in $10M in profits/year, four Bloomberg terminals are a rounding error. People who berate Bloomberg and it's tech need to have more empathy and ask why things are the way they are.
- lallysingh 10y ago
  You don't have to actually run that keyboard to use the terminal. Edit: It's just a regular USB keyboard for windows apps. Remap away!
  - thescriptkiddie 10y ago
    And the "terminal" is just software running on your existing PC. The same effect could be achieved by putting stickers on the keycaps of literally any keyboard.
    - apaprocki 10y ago
      And the "PC" doesn't have to be your PC. You can also log in via the website and run the software from OS X, Linux, or an iPad.
    - waynenilsen 10y ago
      Almost, except for the built in fingerprint scanner
      - deleted 10y ago
        [deleted]
    - deleted 10y ago
      [deleted]
bonaldi 10y ago
Not mentioned here are the built-in speakers. Exclusive to Bloomberg, those, as they have a patent on it.
cannam 10y ago
Just looking at that page gave me an irresistible flashback to the legendary Elan Enterprise home computer: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/10/24/elan_flan_enterprise_micro_is_30_years_old/ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/10/24/elan_flan_enterprise...
digi_owl 10y ago
While the keyboard seems like you bog standard one except for an extra row above the function keys, i find the terminals themselves interesting. This in that the UI reminds me of one of the tile based ones found on *nix.
walrus01 10y ago
I wonder if the biometric fingerprint thingy can be defeated with a gummy bear. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/05/16/gummi_bears_defeat_fingerprint_sensors/ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/05/16/gummi_bears_defeat_f... http://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-and-threats/apple-iphone-5s-fooled-by-fake-finger/d/d-id/1111637 http://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-and-threats/apple...?
AstroJetson 10y ago
Why not a OLED or similar keyboard that displays the special keys? They are after a small space on the desk being able to remap the keys would be a huge bonus. Back in 2013 people demoed these, I would think that now they would be something that would fit in Bloombergs price range
rodionos 10y ago
One-key functions is nice but there is more to be done: 1) Voice controls, e.g. Amazon Echo 2) Pluggable custom key extension sideboard decoupled for the main keyboard so that extension board can be easily customized.
- JBReefer 10y ago
  You don't want to be speaking orders or audibly asking questions about securities in many, if not most, situations
  - rodionos 10y ago
    I think entering orders manually is a use case that is getting obsolete very quickly. There are plenty of use caes outside of trading. How about calling a chart for a ticker, e.g. Equity AAPL GO
0003 10y ago
I was really hoping for built-in hand sanitizer. Maybe next time.
mephi5t0 10y ago
They need to upgrade terminal itself, not the keyboard. Anyone who works at BB will tell you how outdated their stack is
loup-vaillant 10y ago
The sheer quality of the marketing video is eerie. It elicited a mix of fascination and disgust I don't get to experience often.
syngrog66 10y ago
On a related note does anyone have recommendations for free/open CLI tools or APIs for accessing public financial data? Ideally also executing trades. And no, I don't think I could build my own little hedge fund, or beat the market, but it would be interesting to know what one could build on top of if one wanted to try that. Or build custom info dashboards.
erikb 10y ago
"hardware is more expensive to produce than software" This was posted as a joke here, right? People here actually know tech (and therefore don't believe stuff like the quote) and many people may never have heard of a brand for Wallstreet guys (so no impact from the "big" name, at least from all people I showed this to and laughed about it together).
jsprogrammer 10y ago
> To authenticate your access to the Bloomberg Professional service, your finger image is scanned and associated with your account. Does that mean that anyone with a picture of my finger can access my account?
princeb 10y ago
I have been thinking about getting a filco mech keyboard to replace the bloomberg keyboard at work - and I would just need to make custom keycaps with the yellow keywords printed on the f keys, but i'm just wondering what do i do with the row above the f keys- menu, news, message, and the fractional shortcuts - those seem quite important to me too. oh yes and the fingerprint reader too that i forgot. what a pain.
spoinkaroo 10y ago
Strange title, this looks like the current keyboard I use. On a side note, the new keyboard is much lighter and feels cheaper than the older ones, which used to be made of heavier duty metal.

108 points by dmmalam 10y ago

davidcollantes 10y ago

Is it new? It just looks the same to the ones we have been using in our College for the last four years or so.

jweir 10y ago
The video was posted over two years ago: https://vimeo.com/90701077 https://vimeo.com/90701077

alva 10y ago

This keyboard has been out for ages, unless I am missing something here? On a side note, hated my B-unit, always took 5+ lengthy swipes to register.

scarletham 10y ago
We've been using this keyboard for well over a year and a half...
- andyfleming 10y ago
  Maybe they just posted it because they thought it was interesting. Although the "new" keyword in the title may be misleading.
  - _acme 10y ago
    How is calling this keyboard "new" not misleading when it's objectively been available for some time now?
gherkin0 10y ago
> This keyboard has been out for ages, unless I am missing something here? Not everyone works in finance and/or is familiar with Bloomberg terminals (like me). I think this is pretty interesting since Bloomberg, unlike most application developers, has taken their UX to the point where they're building application-specific hardware (though I understand a lot of that is basically legacy inertia). Also, programmers seem to be far more interested in keyboards as a subject that most people. I also thought the B-unit is interesting, it's different than any other authentication device I've used. http://www.bbhub.io/professional/sites/4/2015/03/b-unit_3_user_guide.pdf http://www.bbhub.io/professional/sites/4/2015/03/b-unit_3_us...
- kolbe 10y ago
  Being interesting is fine. But being misleading with a title is not. I can't imagine the backlash a title like "Brand new programming language from Google" would get if it was talking about Go.
- melling 10y ago
  "Also, programmers seem to be far more interested in keyboards as a subject that most people." They worry about keyboards because it's one of the professions where RSI is common. http://www.looknohands.me http://www.looknohands.me http://markmcb.com/2014/10/13/severe-hand-rsi-pain-and-recovery/ http://markmcb.com/2014/10/13/severe-hand-rsi-pain-and-recov... http://web.stanford.edu/~ouster/cgi-bin/wrist.php http://web.stanford.edu/~ouster/cgi-bin/wrist.php - Stanford professor and creator of TCL Here are plenty of other stories: https://github.com/melling/ErgonomicNotes https://github.com/melling/ErgonomicNotes
  - gherkin0 10y ago
    Oh, I'm not criticizing that interest. It has a legitimate and practical basis given the amount of time programmers spend using keyboards and how integral they are to the performance of their job.
- jseliger 10y ago
  I upvoted it for similar reasons, and my keyboard interest is... unusual and longstanding (see for example this 2008 report on a modern IBM Model M: https://jakeseliger.com/2008/05/07/product-review-unicomp-customizer-keyboard https://jakeseliger.com/2008/05/07/product-review-unicomp-cu...). I'm surprised, like many other commenters on this thread, that there isn't a more ergonomic version of this, and that there doesn't appear to be an option for better keyswitches, like Cherry MXes. The world of Bloomberg terminals is totally foreign to me, and that makes them interesting.

jacobolus 10y ago

These keyboards are ergonomically awful: an undifferentiated mass of completely flat buttons, with crappy keyswitches. Makes them slow and error prone. You can tell no one involved in the design process spent any time thinking about human hand anatomy. On the upside, production costs should be pretty cheap. People making devices for “professionals” should take inspiration from keyboards produced in the 1970s–80s, which are generally much nicer than anything on the market today. In the same general market, WEY makes much nicer keyboards than Bloomberg, e.g. http://www.weytec.com/en/products/wey-keyboards/mk06-keyboard/highlights/ http://www.weytec.com/en/products/wey-keyboards/mk06-keyboar...

gherkin0 10y ago
> These keyboards are ergonomically awful: an undifferentiated mass of completely flat buttons, with crappy keyswitches. You'd think they could splurge a little on keyswitches given that it costs $20k a year to use one (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloomberg_Terminal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloomberg_Terminal). Though it was kinda funny watching the guy in the video hunting-and-pecking on a 80s chiclet keyboard that could've come from a TRS-80.
bullfightonmars 10y ago
> keyboards produced in the 1970s–80s, which are generally much nicer than anything on the market today. If you haven't picked up on it there has been a resurgence in engineering/design around mechanical keyboards. From switch design to keycaps and board layouts. * Boards like the KBC Pok3r, the Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional2 are readily available on Amazon. And novel designs like the Ergodox or The White Fox are available through group buys on massdrop or desk authority. * Keycaps of many makes and profiles are being designed from a couple companies, designed by enthusiasts for group buys and made Signature Plastics and Tai-Hao. * Mechanical Switches are being made by the Cherry which has been around forever, as well as new entrants Gateron and Kailh Check out r/MechanicalKeyboards there is a lot of interesting stuff going on.
- jacobolus 10y ago
  Yes, I have been an active member of geekhack and deskthority for a few years and have way more ebay keyboard purchases than I need cluttering up my closet, have tried pretty much every ergonomic keyboard ever mass produced, have designed keycap legends for Massdrop and proofed various Signature Plastics designs, have prototyped a couple dozen novel ergonomic keyboards, am friends with the keyboard.io and input.club people, suggested some ideas to Matias about their ErgoPro before it shipped, etc. The point remains though, the keyswitches and keycaps common in the 1970s are much nicer than Cherry MX or its clones, or anything easily available today. All the currently available keycap profiles are noticeably worse than e.g. the profile IBM used on Selectric typewriters or beam spring keyboards in the 1970s. As far as keycaps are concerned, you might enjoy these little props I made last year: http://i.imgur.com/kFxqOm8.jpg http://i.imgur.com/kFxqOm8.jpg http://i.imgur.com/M3tQybL.jpg http://i.imgur.com/M3tQybL.jpg My own preferred fix to the Ergodox concept is something along the lines of http://i.imgur.com/puH1Ge4.jpg http://i.imgur.com/puH1Ge4.jpg (ignore the legends; my keymap is unrelated)

vostok 10y ago

These keyboards are so unpleasant. At one point I wished I could get keycaps printed for a different keyboard, but now it doesn't matter as I've memorized the keys anyway.

dontscale 10y ago

Talk about your SaaS. $24,000 a year for one of these babies. I think it's how he made most of his fortune. Edit: corrected for year https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=how%20much%20is%20bloomberg%20terminal https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&e...

th0ma5 10y ago
That and allegedly insider information gleaned from them? I never heard much more about those allegations.
- whatok 10y ago
  Strange, I don't think my firm's subscription came with that feature.
- andy_ppp 10y ago
  Oh god, that is some crazy info, is it illegal for them to trade on the terminal data?
- morgante 10y ago
  Any insider information which came with a Bloomberg terminal would be practically worthless. Every trader would have it. You're probably confusing the sharing of insider information via the IM feature, which definitely does happen. But blaming Bloomberg for that makes about as much sense as blaming Apple for terrorists using iPhones.
  - rtkwe 10y ago
    The accusation is that Bloomberg uses data from the people using the terminals to inform their own trades. It popped up a little while back but I can't find the original articles.
    - danso 10y ago
      Back in 2013 (actually surprised it was that long ago): http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/may/10/bloomberg-goldman-sachs-spying-terminals http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/may/10/bloomberg-goldm... > The Guardian also understands that JP Morgan also has concerns about how Bloomberg used information from its terminals while pursuing stories about Bruno Iksil, the trader known as the London Whale, who was blamed for massive losses at the bank last year. Bloomberg said it had blocked journalists' access to client data within 24 hours of receiving a complaint from Goldman. Interestingly, Goldman Sachs recently launched its own "Bloomberg Terminal killer", Symphony: http://qz.com/501783/the-goldman-sachs-backed-bloomberg-terminal-killer-is-ready-for-launch/ http://qz.com/501783/the-goldman-sachs-backed-bloomberg-term... Funny quote from the QZ article: > At a cost of more than $20,000 per year per terminal, Bloomberg is an extremely expensive system for users mostly interested in its chat features.

whatok 10y ago

Really hoping my older white one doesn't break. Love how loud the keys are.

h1srf 10y ago
The white ones feel indestructible. The newer black ones just seem flimsy to me.

nsxwolf 10y ago

It may get a lot of negative comments but I think it's interesting something like this still exists, a custom piece of terminal hardware, that hasn't just been eaten by some iPad app or web app.

aakilfernandes 10y ago
IMHO the reason it hasn't been turned into an app is to justify its price. Psychologically, people will pay more for hardware than software even if it does the exact same thing.
- thescriptkiddie 10y ago
  It has been turned into an app, they don't even sell terminals anymore. The keyboard, monitor, and biometric unit are just accessories that you plug into your existing computer, which aren't even necessary to use the software. This makes the shittyness of the keyboard even worse IMO, because they are trying to push these expensive, unnecessary things as a superior experience to the keyboard you already own. It's blatant marketing bullshit.
vostok 10y ago
It's not a custom piece of terminal hardware. It's just like Excel or other software that you run on your computer. There's also a version that runs from a browser plugin, which is what I use when I'm running Linux.
andy_ppp 10y ago
It's the data that is difficult or impossible to get. I'd love to see what people did with access to the data, but there is no reason for Bloomberg to give away their huge advantage.
- whatok 10y ago
  A lot of data you get through Bloomberg is repackaged from other sources. As far as I know, I don't use any Bloomberg proprietary data but there is a lot of data that while is not proprietary, it is essentially locked into Bloomberg due to the messaging platform. Pricing data for fixed income securities is a good example.

mapcars 10y ago

Modern keyboard with 100-years old keys alignment. WOW.

davegauer 10y ago

I've often found it very peculiar that while many industries have specialized input hardware, it is still the norm for developers to type awkward key combinations* for common programming symbols such as (,),{,},[,],=,<,> etc. which are be used in mass quantities all day, every day. I understand how we got where we are, but it's nevertheless surprising that something like a modernized space-cadet keyboard isn't standard for developers. Or at least a programmable keyboard with a thumb-activated modifier key plus a home row key for the most commonly used symbols. * SHIFT+<anything other than letters> is awkward if you have to do it enough. Especially laptops, which enjoy deviating from ANSI or ISO layouts. I've also heard it told that some international layouts make "[" and "]" especially unhandy.

lallysingh 10y ago
There are layouts for this, like programmer's dvorak: https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-http://www.kaufmann.no/roland/dvorak/ https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-http://www.kauf... A programmer's qwerty would be pretty handy, too. Edit: and there's plenty of programmable keyboards, like ergodox (https://ergodox-ez.com/ https://ergodox-ez.com/, though I'm not sure if that's the canonical url).
- davegauer 10y ago
  Yes, we're actually in the midst of a new golden age of keyboard hardware (and hobbyist electronics in general). I've constructed a Planck from Ortholinear Keyboards and keep trying to find time to get it set up for my One True Programmer's Layout!
- swyman 10y ago
  Your programmer's dvorak link didn't work for me. I believe this is the correct URL: http://www.kaufmann.no/roland/dvorak/ http://www.kaufmann.no/roland/dvorak/
Nullabillity 10y ago
There is already specialized input hardware for development. It's already either attached to, bolted onto, or (poorly) emulated on every single computer you use.

CaHoop 10y ago

I used a bloomberg terminal at work. Yes it is a bit annoying if you dont use it everyday, but it is really nice when you get used to it. It has nice chicklets which have more action than a mac one.

nodesocket 10y ago

Bloomberg terminals are super powerful and basically the defacto standard for traders. There is a great tutorial video on YouTube[1] that shows how to use the terminal and its functions. It is a really interesting watch. [1] https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LE8HiHZcgEE https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LE8HiHZcgEE

vegabook 10y ago

Oh puhleeze. I have been a subscriber to the Bloomberg terminal for a full 17 years, the keyboard has been changed literally 4 times in that period, and I have yet to see one that is not a regression from the one that went before. Today you get a plasticky, flexy, Asia-made, chicklets device with capacitor touches whereas the original was a monstrous, metallic, mechanical beast, IBM-style. It would have made the massdrop community swoon, with its retro vibe and indestructible build. For the past 10 years I have not used a bb keyboard. They provide a separate finger sensor if desired (as they should - it costs 1800 dollars a month for subscription), and you can always use your b-unit. The bloomberg keyboard is a dinosaur that dates back from the UI of Bloomberg's 1980s ethos -> the mainframe. It even has the command line in the top of the screen, old System/360 style. The colour coded keys are almost an embarrassment, reflecting the embarrassingly bad UI. Bloomberg is 10 000 different pieces of functionality of which the average user uses 1%. It's a catastrophically badly done taxonomy of (what is, underlying, awesome) functionality. That's why they have so many Bloomberg "reps" who come over constantly to show you new stuff. These poor guys are compensating for the fact that all the good stuff is extremely difficult to find. Thanks Bloomberg for the new 80 dollar toy. That'll be about 5% of my monthly subscription price then. Doesn't hide the fact that your entire UI is prehistoric.

xixi77 10y ago
The original was nice, but this one is definitely a big step up from the one that came before, which (while still heavy and monstrous) was one of the worst keyboards I've ever used, with complete lack of feedback. This one is actually quite decent, better than most desktop keyboards.
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omarish 10y ago

The majority of complaints here: - Ergonomics sucks! - I can't re-map caps lock to be escape, what trash! - This is so old! - Too expensive! - Dell makes cheaper monitors! - Fingerprint authentication can be hacked. But what everybody is not considering is: 1. You have to have a Bloomberg keyboard to work in finance. It's not even a question. It's a COGS for anybody who wants to work in finance or trading. 2. Bloomberg chat is Facebook messenger for finance people. 3. If your trading desk is bringing in $10M in profits/year, four Bloomberg terminals are a rounding error. People who berate Bloomberg and it's tech need to have more empathy and ask why things are the way they are.

lallysingh 10y ago
You don't have to actually run that keyboard to use the terminal. Edit: It's just a regular USB keyboard for windows apps. Remap away!
- thescriptkiddie 10y ago
  And the "terminal" is just software running on your existing PC. The same effect could be achieved by putting stickers on the keycaps of literally any keyboard.
  - apaprocki 10y ago
    And the "PC" doesn't have to be your PC. You can also log in via the website and run the software from OS X, Linux, or an iPad.
  - waynenilsen 10y ago
    Almost, except for the built in fingerprint scanner
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bonaldi 10y ago

Not mentioned here are the built-in speakers. Exclusive to Bloomberg, those, as they have a patent on it.

cannam 10y ago

Just looking at that page gave me an irresistible flashback to the legendary Elan Enterprise home computer: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/10/24/elan_flan_enterprise_micro_is_30_years_old/ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/10/24/elan_flan_enterprise...

digi_owl 10y ago

While the keyboard seems like you bog standard one except for an extra row above the function keys, i find the terminals themselves interesting. This in that the UI reminds me of one of the tile based ones found on *nix.

walrus01 10y ago

I wonder if the biometric fingerprint thingy can be defeated with a gummy bear. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/05/16/gummi_bears_defeat_fingerprint_sensors/ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/05/16/gummi_bears_defeat_f... http://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-and-threats/apple-iphone-5s-fooled-by-fake-finger/d/d-id/1111637 http://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-and-threats/apple...?

AstroJetson 10y ago

Why not a OLED or similar keyboard that displays the special keys? They are after a small space on the desk being able to remap the keys would be a huge bonus. Back in 2013 people demoed these, I would think that now they would be something that would fit in Bloombergs price range

rodionos 10y ago

One-key functions is nice but there is more to be done: 1) Voice controls, e.g. Amazon Echo 2) Pluggable custom key extension sideboard decoupled for the main keyboard so that extension board can be easily customized.

JBReefer 10y ago
You don't want to be speaking orders or audibly asking questions about securities in many, if not most, situations
- rodionos 10y ago
  I think entering orders manually is a use case that is getting obsolete very quickly. There are plenty of use caes outside of trading. How about calling a chart for a ticker, e.g. Equity AAPL GO

0003 10y ago

I was really hoping for built-in hand sanitizer. Maybe next time.

mephi5t0 10y ago

They need to upgrade terminal itself, not the keyboard. Anyone who works at BB will tell you how outdated their stack is

loup-vaillant 10y ago

The sheer quality of the marketing video is eerie. It elicited a mix of fascination and disgust I don't get to experience often.

syngrog66 10y ago

On a related note does anyone have recommendations for free/open CLI tools or APIs for accessing public financial data? Ideally also executing trades. And no, I don't think I could build my own little hedge fund, or beat the market, but it would be interesting to know what one could build on top of if one wanted to try that. Or build custom info dashboards.

erikb 10y ago

"hardware is more expensive to produce than software" This was posted as a joke here, right? People here actually know tech (and therefore don't believe stuff like the quote) and many people may never have heard of a brand for Wallstreet guys (so no impact from the "big" name, at least from all people I showed this to and laughed about it together).

jsprogrammer 10y ago

> To authenticate your access to the Bloomberg Professional service, your finger image is scanned and associated with your account. Does that mean that anyone with a picture of my finger can access my account?

princeb 10y ago

I have been thinking about getting a filco mech keyboard to replace the bloomberg keyboard at work - and I would just need to make custom keycaps with the yellow keywords printed on the f keys, but i'm just wondering what do i do with the row above the f keys- menu, news, message, and the fractional shortcuts - those seem quite important to me too. oh yes and the fingerprint reader too that i forgot. what a pain.

spoinkaroo 10y ago

Strange title, this looks like the current keyboard I use. On a side note, the new keyboard is much lighter and feels cheaper than the older ones, which used to be made of heavier duty metal.