11 ms·

Penna – Vintage Typewriter-Inspired Bluetooth Keyboard

64 points by tortilla 10y ago

tutuca 10y ago
I've been looking a lot for a nice 84 keys mechanical keyboard, but it seems to be a not so popular layout. This looks exactly the layout I'm using on my cheap genius luxemate. But a little bit over the top :)
- fizixer 10y ago
  I'm in the market for a full size mech but I'm disgusted by what I'm finding. Either all kinds of fancy nonsense like backlights, shitty fonts, shitty ergonomic shapes, shitty colors. Or. Insanely outrageous prices (and the accompanying hipster elitism). An amazon basics non-mech costs under $15. A mech shouldn't cost more than $30, and yet you can't find one even at $70. (Mayby Amazon basics should offer one, I'll buy it right away).
  - ChuckMcM 10y ago
    The market is working against you. Since the market for mechanical keyboards is small, the number of mechanical switches that are sold less, so manufacturing overhead is spread over fewer switches and you end up paying more for them. In the US at least you can still find the older IBM PC and IBM PC/AT keyboards at thrift shops and swap meets. They range in price from $1 to $100. And you'll want to find a way of adapting the interface to your computer (easy if its PS/2, a bit harder if its the old AT round connector). I'm typing this on the Cooler Master Masterkeys Pro S, its a full size mechanical but it leaves off the number pad (which I don't use) but keeps the arrow keys and edit cluster (which I do). It is backlit but generally I just leave it on a low backlight. I've got a hack that blinks the F11 key when a meeting is coming up. Like you said it was $125 but I expect to use it for at least 5 years so $25/year isn't particularly bad given that non-mechanical keyboards last me 18 months if I'm lucky. My previous daily driver was a full sized Thinkpad mechanical from the 90's with a track pad in it. After 20 years it started missing keys, and its huge, and I started losing keystrokes.
    - fizixer 10y ago
      I sat on your response for a while but it just occurred to me, as I responded to the other commenter, I'm perfectly fine with the price points of chinese knockoffs on ebay, alibaba, ali-express, etc. But they put on too much fancy bells and whistles. Removing them doesn't cost them a dime (probably will save them on the cost per keyboard).
  - jdietrich 10y ago
    >A mech shouldn't cost more than $30 You can't buy a set of switches for that. Building a mechanical keyboard is inherently expensive, before you even get into economies of scale. Adjusted for inflation, mechanical keyboards are far cheaper than they used to be. The amortized cost of a quality keyboard is tiny, because it will have a lifespan measured in decades rather than years. There are tons of non-hipster keyboards available. Filco, Leopold and Cherry have been around since well before the current trend. Unicomp still make buckling-spring keyboards based on the old IBM designs.
  - intrasight 10y ago
    I'm typing this on a 1984 IBM Model "M" plugged into USB via PS/2 to USB converter. I have bought several on eBay - since I was afraid I'd eventually wear this one out. But now I'm pretty sure that's never going to happen. Is one is due for a bath though. They can be found on eBay for ~$100. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/11/why-i-use-a-20-year-old-ibm-model-m-keyboard/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/11/why-i-use-a-20-year-...
  - mhd 10y ago
    There are a number of Chinese keyboards (with "Cherry-like" switches) for about $40 (e.g. [1]). As others pointed out, the switches are the more expensive part, especially now that only few manufactures make them (Cherry, mostly). But it seems that the market amongst gamers has grown large enough that there's some competition coming on. Regarding their quality, I'll doubt they'll outlive Model M buckling springs, but shouldn't fare worse than modern laptop/Apple scissor switches. (This being a gamer thing, styling is often not that great, either. The "tenkeyless" ones are minimalistic enough to be okay, and you don't have to turn on the "Tokyo by Night" mode) [1]: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016MAK38U https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016MAK38U I'd disagree with the pricing though. Even a good non-mech one should cost more than that, it's just that keyboards have been getting crappier as people don't use them anymore.
    - fizixer 10y ago
      The keyboard you mentioned, I'll buy it in a heartbeat if it didn't have red coloring (instead, white-on-black markings), backlight. I mean look at the typeface on the keys. Couldn't they stick to standard keyboard [1] typefaces? [1] https://www.google.com/search?q=standard+keyboard https://www.google.com/search?q=standard+keyboard
      - mhd 10y ago
        Yeah, stuff sold to gamers tends to be styled horribly, so you sometimes pay a premium just for some restraint. Try getting a half way decent tower case these days that doesn't look like a Tie Fighter crossed with an Amsterdam brothel window. But at least it widens the options a bit and after searching around in that space one might get something half way decent. At least some gamers seem to prefer smaller keyboards, so you can get "tenkeyless" mechanical ones. Just a while ago, every gamer keyboard looked like Rick Wakeman designed it. Them using cherry switch copys, getting replacement keycaps could be an option, but I haven't found a good deal on those yet.
  - sosodaft 10y ago
    If you think mech keyboard prices are outrageous you should see what nice keycaps will run you. I'm pretty sure they're worth more than gold, by weight.
  - fizixer 10y ago
    Just wanted to give an update. Went ahead and bought a TKL (TenKeyLess, one without the numpad, 87 keys) TOMOKO for around $30 USD. Only available in switches equivalent to Cherry MX blue (I was aiming for brown). It's not bad. I think I'm going to like it in the long run.
    - fizixer 10y ago
      Update: Oh boy, I'm hating it. The clackety noise in the middle of the night (and no, o-rings aren't going to cut; I just realize I don't like mechs). I'm back on the old completely silent rubber-dome keyboard (my all time favorite keyboard is the one on my thinkpad x61 laptop). I'll think for a few days to decide whether to return it or keep it as a freak equipment.
- gravypod 10y ago
  Shop around and look off-brand MX switches and for something on newegg sold as "Open Box". I got one of this [0] from newegg for $50 (shipped!) a while back when they still had some. The box was still sealed but they were selling off bad stock. The keys came in the wrong locations and I just had to switch them around. Worth the effort and I've been using this for ~300 days, every day, at a lot of words per day (if you look at my account's comments you'll see I'm not one for brevity). You can still find cheap mechanical 10-keyless boards on amazon with off-brand switches easily [1] [2] by searching "10-keyless". The brand that's "the cheap one" always rotates from month to month so buy them while they're hot. [0] - https://www.amazon.com/Rosewill-RGB80-Illuminated-Mechanical-Switches/dp/B00KN6548O https://www.amazon.com/Rosewill-RGB80-Illuminated-Mechanical... [1] - https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823098002 https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1682309... [2] - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DXVUDEA/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DXVUDEA/
ChuckMcM 10y ago
Nice, my favorite is still this one : http://steampunkworkshop.com/keyboard-shtml/ http://steampunkworkshop.com/keyboard-shtml/ It has the brass edges. I think the round key caps might be a bit difficult to get used to.
- myhf 10y ago
  I found round keycaps very easy to adjust to, but I ultimately went back to square ones when my toddler learned to pull the round ones off their stems.
  - c22 10y ago
    I'm using a hideous roll-up membrane keyboard because my toddler has defeated the key caps on every other keyboard I own.
- Animats 10y ago
  There's also Datamancer's version.[1] As someone who restores old Teletype machines, I'm used to typing on real mechanical keyboards, where pressing a key releases a clutch and a shaft makes one turn as the encoding takes place. You can't press a second key until the first has been processed, which takes about 200ms. You have to type at the machine's speed, or slower. Probably the best computer keyboard - the original Xerox Alto. Worst keyboard ever - the Enigma crypto machine. Huge key travel, more than half an inch. Huge key force, because you're advancing the code wheels, and the friction of the 26 contacts on each wheel is huge. That's why they didn't add more code wheels; beyond three, it's too hard to push the keys. Bigger machines used motor drive but were not portable. [1] https://datamancer.com/product/the-sojourner-keyboarddisplay-set/ https://datamancer.com/product/the-sojourner-keyboarddisplay...
  - ChuckMcM 10y ago
    That is awesome looking. I imagine the effect is completely spoiled when you have some bright color wall paper on the screen :-)
xupybd 10y ago
They may want to fix the sites title "Elretron - PENNA Wireless bluethooth keybaord"
- Toenex 10y ago
  The irony.
macintux 10y ago
Similarly, lofree: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/lofree-typewriter-inspired-mechanical-keyboard-design-technology https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/lofree-typewriter-inspire...
millerm 10y ago
Ugh, the OCD part of me can't over the fact that the Q key is upside down in the video. Otherwise, it's cool looking. It still doesn't help me get over it. Edit: Now I think the S is wrong too.
vitovito 10y ago
I bought a similar Qwerkywriter after their successful Kickstarter in 2014: https://www.qwerkywriter.com https://www.qwerkywriter.com It makes a lot of noise, although obviously not as much as a typewriter would. It has an enormous amount of key travel, and the spacing between keys is huge compared to modern keyboards. The aluminum body makes it solid and heavy, although metal keycaps would have been nicer than plastic ones. If you like enjoy typing on a typewriter, it's a related experience. If you have extensive mechanical typewriter experience and really want the full throw and noise, you probably want conversion kit instead: https://www.usbtypewriter.com/#gs.9tDxQ0Q https://www.usbtypewriter.com/#gs.9tDxQ0Q
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
smartmic 10y ago
It looks very nice, for sure. However, for all the typists or extensive writers and programmers, I recommend an ergonomic keyboard. The funny thing is that those look mostly terrible but when it comes to your health, better go for it. Like so often in life, choose between comfort and style.
- pkamb 10y ago
  Or, make any keyboard ergonomic by using the finger line "WSZ" rather than "WSX". "EDX" rather than "EDC". The right hand is angled and ergonomic by default, but for some reason the standard left-hand layout that everyone learns uses a terrible wrist and finger position. Angle both hands toward the middle of the keyboard and you're much better off.
  - smartmic 10y ago
    I use both, an ergonomic (programmable) keyboard and an ergonomic, customized layout (German Neo2 https://neo-layout.org/ https://neo-layout.org/). The effect on my hands and arms was really perceptible, I do not want to change back.
    - TheSpiceIsLife 10y ago
      This looks interesting. Is there an English version. Sorry if it's obvious, I'm tired after a long day on my feet.
      - smartmic 10y ago
        Neo is optimized for letter frequency of German language. You might check out Dvorak. I assume there are even more alternatives.
      - NoGravitas 10y ago
        For English, you probably want to check out Colemak. It does well on a very wide variety of measures of ergonomics (there is actually not a lot of agreement on what makes a layout good, so take with a grain of salt), while also not being too different from QWERTY, and keeping the XCV keys in the same place.
jlebrech 10y ago
wow this and a cheap tablet (or an ipad with skrivener) would make for a great alternative to Freewrite https://getfreewrite.com/ https://getfreewrite.com/
- 5555624 10y ago
  You can pick up an AlphaSmart Neo 2 for $30 on eBay. There's no E-ink screen, but it's keyboard is full-size.
  - jlebrech 10y ago
    yes, that an alternative i've been looking at too.
- 72deluxe 10y ago
  I was amazed this thing even existed - clicking on the link and I am presented with a 1960s style Telex machine with what appears to be a bakelite casing and 1981 keyboard. All for just £499. Perhaps it is just me, but couldn't you use a normal laptop (even a cheap one!) and turn Wifi off if you don't want distractions? Am I missing the market?
  - jlebrech 10y ago
    yes maybe a laptop with a distraction free desktop would be cheaper and just as good. the mechanical keys make a big difference tho.
    - 72deluxe 10y ago
      Do the keys make a difference to the output that you produce? Or is it just that some people like the feel of full key travel as opposed to laptop keys? I have got used to using laptop keys after using them for so long that my main keyboard at work is a laptop-sized one, even for a desktop machine (much to the chagrin of my colleagues). Stops them using it though!
ConSeannery 10y ago
This is literally a qwerkywriter with a different case. The key spacing is exactly the same, as are the features aside from new square-ish keycaps. Interesting that the domain name is elretron.com...someone with username "elretron" posted a youtube video to a review of the qwerkywriter on Jan 10, 2017 ( https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=86879.0 https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=86879.0 , http://i.imgur.com/hecpAgx.png http://i.imgur.com/hecpAgx.png) Is the qwerkywriter creator behind this second upcoming kickstarter campaign, or is "elretron" just ripping off the entire thing and selling for cheaper with a cheaper case? Or is the original creator just hoping for another round of kickstarter funding and making no mention of qwerkywriter on their website (which has prominent spelling errors, as if it had been thrown together quickly)? Either way, pretty shady
- ConSeannery 10y ago
  Well I remarked to them that it was remarkably similar to the qwertywriter and got this response: "Hello. We are different company. It is our prototype model. You can see our key layout on our Kickstarter Page. www.elretron.net Regards, Elretron" My Response: "I noticed that you posted a review to the qwerkywriter on geekhack in January (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=86879.0 https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=86879.0). Are you using qwerkywriters with a different case in your prototype videos and photos?" No response yet. I expect that they have no product, and will manufacture a cheaper qwertywriter clone should their kickstarter go through (or just take your money, who knows!) On the plus side, I like the squared-off keycaps, and the price is right for a knockoff version.
miguelrochefort 10y ago
Why would anyone purchase that?
pkstn 10y ago
I haven't seen that many typos for a long time. Wonder if the website is written with that keyboard :D
ptx 10y ago
"Red type switch with actuating force of 40 g (+/- 20 g) specially designed for fast and quick typing." The red switch is the one with linear force and no tactile feedback and is usually considered more appropriate for gaming[1], not "specially designed for fast and quick typing". Wouldn't the brown switch be more appropriate? Blue and brown are the ones that actually have been designed for typing and provide tactile feedback. (The difference between them being that the brown doesn't have the audible click.) [1] http://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_MX_Red http://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_MX_Red
- falcolas 10y ago
  I agree that a brown switch would be better for a keyboard focused on typing. Reds do work, but it's surprisingly easy to trigger keys while resting your fingers on the keyboard. However, browns and blues do have other differences in how they operate - the sound is due to a mechanical piece moving independently of the key itself, which means that the activation behavior is different from that of browns. Also, the deactivation point is higher (relative to the keyboard's baseplate) than the activation point on the keystroke. Not a big deal for most people, but it is noticeable.
unwind 10y ago
In case anyone wondered, "penna" is Swedish for "pen" (or "pencil", we're not picky). No idea if the people behind the product are from the Nordics, sometimes using words from Swedish seems popular in general.
oneeyedpigeon 10y ago
The product looks nice, the website less so, unfortunately. I had a bad feeling about it when I first loaded the page and saw a black screen with content slowly fading in; often a sign that content is being loaded by javascript and the resulting experience will be sub-par.
NoGravitas 10y ago
I always like the looks of these things, but the prices always turn out to be outrageous, for various reasons.
goblin89 10y ago
If anyone’s looking for just a good Bluetooth keyboard, I can strongly recommend Logitech K480 (http://amzn.to/2mPBQws http://amzn.to/2mPBQws). It’s basic and reasonably cheap with simple rounded buttons, but it’s both portable and large enough to type comfortably, has device dock like the keyboard in the post, and as a bonus remembers three devices (communications and writing I might just do on the phone without bringing the laptop at all). Honestly, laptop’s built-in keyboard is probably the worst choice to type on with, it wears out fast and is terrible for posture. I often use K480 with my laptop just to have the screen at eye level and keyboard at elbow level, huge win ergonomics-wise.
qq66 10y ago
Seems like an early April Fool, but it would be hilarious if this is actually real.

64 points by tortilla 10y ago

I've been looking a lot for a nice 84 keys mechanical keyboard, but it seems to be a not so popular layout. This looks exactly the layout I'm using on my cheap genius luxemate. But a little bit over the top :)

fizixer 10y ago
I'm in the market for a full size mech but I'm disgusted by what I'm finding. Either all kinds of fancy nonsense like backlights, shitty fonts, shitty ergonomic shapes, shitty colors. Or. Insanely outrageous prices (and the accompanying hipster elitism). An amazon basics non-mech costs under $15. A mech shouldn't cost more than $30, and yet you can't find one even at $70. (Mayby Amazon basics should offer one, I'll buy it right away).
- ChuckMcM 10y ago
  The market is working against you. Since the market for mechanical keyboards is small, the number of mechanical switches that are sold less, so manufacturing overhead is spread over fewer switches and you end up paying more for them. In the US at least you can still find the older IBM PC and IBM PC/AT keyboards at thrift shops and swap meets. They range in price from $1 to $100. And you'll want to find a way of adapting the interface to your computer (easy if its PS/2, a bit harder if its the old AT round connector). I'm typing this on the Cooler Master Masterkeys Pro S, its a full size mechanical but it leaves off the number pad (which I don't use) but keeps the arrow keys and edit cluster (which I do). It is backlit but generally I just leave it on a low backlight. I've got a hack that blinks the F11 key when a meeting is coming up. Like you said it was $125 but I expect to use it for at least 5 years so $25/year isn't particularly bad given that non-mechanical keyboards last me 18 months if I'm lucky. My previous daily driver was a full sized Thinkpad mechanical from the 90's with a track pad in it. After 20 years it started missing keys, and its huge, and I started losing keystrokes.
  - fizixer 10y ago
    I sat on your response for a while but it just occurred to me, as I responded to the other commenter, I'm perfectly fine with the price points of chinese knockoffs on ebay, alibaba, ali-express, etc. But they put on too much fancy bells and whistles. Removing them doesn't cost them a dime (probably will save them on the cost per keyboard).
- jdietrich 10y ago
  >A mech shouldn't cost more than $30 You can't buy a set of switches for that. Building a mechanical keyboard is inherently expensive, before you even get into economies of scale. Adjusted for inflation, mechanical keyboards are far cheaper than they used to be. The amortized cost of a quality keyboard is tiny, because it will have a lifespan measured in decades rather than years. There are tons of non-hipster keyboards available. Filco, Leopold and Cherry have been around since well before the current trend. Unicomp still make buckling-spring keyboards based on the old IBM designs.
- intrasight 10y ago
  I'm typing this on a 1984 IBM Model "M" plugged into USB via PS/2 to USB converter. I have bought several on eBay - since I was afraid I'd eventually wear this one out. But now I'm pretty sure that's never going to happen. Is one is due for a bath though. They can be found on eBay for ~$100. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/11/why-i-use-a-20-year-old-ibm-model-m-keyboard/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/11/why-i-use-a-20-year-...
- mhd 10y ago
  There are a number of Chinese keyboards (with "Cherry-like" switches) for about $40 (e.g. [1]). As others pointed out, the switches are the more expensive part, especially now that only few manufactures make them (Cherry, mostly). But it seems that the market amongst gamers has grown large enough that there's some competition coming on. Regarding their quality, I'll doubt they'll outlive Model M buckling springs, but shouldn't fare worse than modern laptop/Apple scissor switches. (This being a gamer thing, styling is often not that great, either. The "tenkeyless" ones are minimalistic enough to be okay, and you don't have to turn on the "Tokyo by Night" mode) [1]: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016MAK38U https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016MAK38U I'd disagree with the pricing though. Even a good non-mech one should cost more than that, it's just that keyboards have been getting crappier as people don't use them anymore.
  - fizixer 10y ago
    The keyboard you mentioned, I'll buy it in a heartbeat if it didn't have red coloring (instead, white-on-black markings), backlight. I mean look at the typeface on the keys. Couldn't they stick to standard keyboard [1] typefaces? [1] https://www.google.com/search?q=standard+keyboard https://www.google.com/search?q=standard+keyboard
    - mhd 10y ago
      Yeah, stuff sold to gamers tends to be styled horribly, so you sometimes pay a premium just for some restraint. Try getting a half way decent tower case these days that doesn't look like a Tie Fighter crossed with an Amsterdam brothel window. But at least it widens the options a bit and after searching around in that space one might get something half way decent. At least some gamers seem to prefer smaller keyboards, so you can get "tenkeyless" mechanical ones. Just a while ago, every gamer keyboard looked like Rick Wakeman designed it. Them using cherry switch copys, getting replacement keycaps could be an option, but I haven't found a good deal on those yet.
- sosodaft 10y ago
  If you think mech keyboard prices are outrageous you should see what nice keycaps will run you. I'm pretty sure they're worth more than gold, by weight.
- fizixer 10y ago
  Just wanted to give an update. Went ahead and bought a TKL (TenKeyLess, one without the numpad, 87 keys) TOMOKO for around $30 USD. Only available in switches equivalent to Cherry MX blue (I was aiming for brown). It's not bad. I think I'm going to like it in the long run.
  - fizixer 10y ago
    Update: Oh boy, I'm hating it. The clackety noise in the middle of the night (and no, o-rings aren't going to cut; I just realize I don't like mechs). I'm back on the old completely silent rubber-dome keyboard (my all time favorite keyboard is the one on my thinkpad x61 laptop). I'll think for a few days to decide whether to return it or keep it as a freak equipment.
gravypod 10y ago
Shop around and look off-brand MX switches and for something on newegg sold as "Open Box". I got one of this [0] from newegg for $50 (shipped!) a while back when they still had some. The box was still sealed but they were selling off bad stock. The keys came in the wrong locations and I just had to switch them around. Worth the effort and I've been using this for ~300 days, every day, at a lot of words per day (if you look at my account's comments you'll see I'm not one for brevity). You can still find cheap mechanical 10-keyless boards on amazon with off-brand switches easily [1] [2] by searching "10-keyless". The brand that's "the cheap one" always rotates from month to month so buy them while they're hot. [0] - https://www.amazon.com/Rosewill-RGB80-Illuminated-Mechanical-Switches/dp/B00KN6548O https://www.amazon.com/Rosewill-RGB80-Illuminated-Mechanical... [1] - https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823098002 https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1682309... [2] - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DXVUDEA/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DXVUDEA/

ChuckMcM 10y ago

Nice, my favorite is still this one : http://steampunkworkshop.com/keyboard-shtml/ http://steampunkworkshop.com/keyboard-shtml/ It has the brass edges. I think the round key caps might be a bit difficult to get used to.

myhf 10y ago
I found round keycaps very easy to adjust to, but I ultimately went back to square ones when my toddler learned to pull the round ones off their stems.
- c22 10y ago
  I'm using a hideous roll-up membrane keyboard because my toddler has defeated the key caps on every other keyboard I own.
Animats 10y ago
There's also Datamancer's version.[1] As someone who restores old Teletype machines, I'm used to typing on real mechanical keyboards, where pressing a key releases a clutch and a shaft makes one turn as the encoding takes place. You can't press a second key until the first has been processed, which takes about 200ms. You have to type at the machine's speed, or slower. Probably the best computer keyboard - the original Xerox Alto. Worst keyboard ever - the Enigma crypto machine. Huge key travel, more than half an inch. Huge key force, because you're advancing the code wheels, and the friction of the 26 contacts on each wheel is huge. That's why they didn't add more code wheels; beyond three, it's too hard to push the keys. Bigger machines used motor drive but were not portable. [1] https://datamancer.com/product/the-sojourner-keyboarddisplay-set/ https://datamancer.com/product/the-sojourner-keyboarddisplay...
- ChuckMcM 10y ago
  That is awesome looking. I imagine the effect is completely spoiled when you have some bright color wall paper on the screen :-)

xupybd 10y ago

They may want to fix the sites title "Elretron - PENNA Wireless bluethooth keybaord"

Toenex 10y ago
The irony.

macintux 10y ago

Similarly, lofree: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/lofree-typewriter-inspired-mechanical-keyboard-design-technology https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/lofree-typewriter-inspire...

millerm 10y ago

Ugh, the OCD part of me can't over the fact that the Q key is upside down in the video. Otherwise, it's cool looking. It still doesn't help me get over it. Edit: Now I think the S is wrong too.

vitovito 10y ago

I bought a similar Qwerkywriter after their successful Kickstarter in 2014: https://www.qwerkywriter.com https://www.qwerkywriter.com It makes a lot of noise, although obviously not as much as a typewriter would. It has an enormous amount of key travel, and the spacing between keys is huge compared to modern keyboards. The aluminum body makes it solid and heavy, although metal keycaps would have been nicer than plastic ones. If you like enjoy typing on a typewriter, it's a related experience. If you have extensive mechanical typewriter experience and really want the full throw and noise, you probably want conversion kit instead: https://www.usbtypewriter.com/#gs.9tDxQ0Q https://www.usbtypewriter.com/#gs.9tDxQ0Q

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]

smartmic 10y ago

It looks very nice, for sure. However, for all the typists or extensive writers and programmers, I recommend an ergonomic keyboard. The funny thing is that those look mostly terrible but when it comes to your health, better go for it. Like so often in life, choose between comfort and style.

pkamb 10y ago
Or, make any keyboard ergonomic by using the finger line "WSZ" rather than "WSX". "EDX" rather than "EDC". The right hand is angled and ergonomic by default, but for some reason the standard left-hand layout that everyone learns uses a terrible wrist and finger position. Angle both hands toward the middle of the keyboard and you're much better off.
- smartmic 10y ago
  I use both, an ergonomic (programmable) keyboard and an ergonomic, customized layout (German Neo2 https://neo-layout.org/ https://neo-layout.org/). The effect on my hands and arms was really perceptible, I do not want to change back.
  - TheSpiceIsLife 10y ago
    This looks interesting. Is there an English version. Sorry if it's obvious, I'm tired after a long day on my feet.
    - smartmic 10y ago
      Neo is optimized for letter frequency of German language. You might check out Dvorak. I assume there are even more alternatives.
    - NoGravitas 10y ago
      For English, you probably want to check out Colemak. It does well on a very wide variety of measures of ergonomics (there is actually not a lot of agreement on what makes a layout good, so take with a grain of salt), while also not being too different from QWERTY, and keeping the XCV keys in the same place.

jlebrech 10y ago

wow this and a cheap tablet (or an ipad with skrivener) would make for a great alternative to Freewrite https://getfreewrite.com/ https://getfreewrite.com/

5555624 10y ago
You can pick up an AlphaSmart Neo 2 for $30 on eBay. There's no E-ink screen, but it's keyboard is full-size.
- jlebrech 10y ago
  yes, that an alternative i've been looking at too.
72deluxe 10y ago
I was amazed this thing even existed - clicking on the link and I am presented with a 1960s style Telex machine with what appears to be a bakelite casing and 1981 keyboard. All for just £499. Perhaps it is just me, but couldn't you use a normal laptop (even a cheap one!) and turn Wifi off if you don't want distractions? Am I missing the market?
- jlebrech 10y ago
  yes maybe a laptop with a distraction free desktop would be cheaper and just as good. the mechanical keys make a big difference tho.
  - 72deluxe 10y ago
    Do the keys make a difference to the output that you produce? Or is it just that some people like the feel of full key travel as opposed to laptop keys? I have got used to using laptop keys after using them for so long that my main keyboard at work is a laptop-sized one, even for a desktop machine (much to the chagrin of my colleagues). Stops them using it though!

ConSeannery 10y ago

This is literally a qwerkywriter with a different case. The key spacing is exactly the same, as are the features aside from new square-ish keycaps. Interesting that the domain name is elretron.com...someone with username "elretron" posted a youtube video to a review of the qwerkywriter on Jan 10, 2017 ( https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=86879.0 https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=86879.0 , http://i.imgur.com/hecpAgx.png http://i.imgur.com/hecpAgx.png) Is the qwerkywriter creator behind this second upcoming kickstarter campaign, or is "elretron" just ripping off the entire thing and selling for cheaper with a cheaper case? Or is the original creator just hoping for another round of kickstarter funding and making no mention of qwerkywriter on their website (which has prominent spelling errors, as if it had been thrown together quickly)? Either way, pretty shady

ConSeannery 10y ago
Well I remarked to them that it was remarkably similar to the qwertywriter and got this response: "Hello. We are different company. It is our prototype model. You can see our key layout on our Kickstarter Page. www.elretron.net Regards, Elretron" My Response: "I noticed that you posted a review to the qwerkywriter on geekhack in January (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=86879.0 https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=86879.0). Are you using qwerkywriters with a different case in your prototype videos and photos?" No response yet. I expect that they have no product, and will manufacture a cheaper qwertywriter clone should their kickstarter go through (or just take your money, who knows!) On the plus side, I like the squared-off keycaps, and the price is right for a knockoff version.

miguelrochefort 10y ago

Why would anyone purchase that?

pkstn 10y ago

I haven't seen that many typos for a long time. Wonder if the website is written with that keyboard :D

ptx 10y ago

"Red type switch with actuating force of 40 g (+/- 20 g) specially designed for fast and quick typing." The red switch is the one with linear force and no tactile feedback and is usually considered more appropriate for gaming[1], not "specially designed for fast and quick typing". Wouldn't the brown switch be more appropriate? Blue and brown are the ones that actually have been designed for typing and provide tactile feedback. (The difference between them being that the brown doesn't have the audible click.) [1] http://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_MX_Red http://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_MX_Red

falcolas 10y ago
I agree that a brown switch would be better for a keyboard focused on typing. Reds do work, but it's surprisingly easy to trigger keys while resting your fingers on the keyboard. However, browns and blues do have other differences in how they operate - the sound is due to a mechanical piece moving independently of the key itself, which means that the activation behavior is different from that of browns. Also, the deactivation point is higher (relative to the keyboard's baseplate) than the activation point on the keystroke. Not a big deal for most people, but it is noticeable.

unwind 10y ago

In case anyone wondered, "penna" is Swedish for "pen" (or "pencil", we're not picky). No idea if the people behind the product are from the Nordics, sometimes using words from Swedish seems popular in general.

oneeyedpigeon 10y ago

The product looks nice, the website less so, unfortunately. I had a bad feeling about it when I first loaded the page and saw a black screen with content slowly fading in; often a sign that content is being loaded by javascript and the resulting experience will be sub-par.

NoGravitas 10y ago

I always like the looks of these things, but the prices always turn out to be outrageous, for various reasons.

goblin89 10y ago

If anyone’s looking for just a good Bluetooth keyboard, I can strongly recommend Logitech K480 (http://amzn.to/2mPBQws http://amzn.to/2mPBQws). It’s basic and reasonably cheap with simple rounded buttons, but it’s both portable and large enough to type comfortably, has device dock like the keyboard in the post, and as a bonus remembers three devices (communications and writing I might just do on the phone without bringing the laptop at all). Honestly, laptop’s built-in keyboard is probably the worst choice to type on with, it wears out fast and is terrible for posture. I often use K480 with my laptop just to have the screen at eye level and keyboard at elbow level, huge win ergonomics-wise.

qq66 10y ago

Seems like an early April Fool, but it would be hilarious if this is actually real.