7 ms·

Keymacs: Modern Symbolics-Style Keyboard

79 points by coldblues 5y ago

1MachineElf 5y ago
In my mind, this is the pinnacle of keyboard craftsmanship. It hits a lot of checkboxes for high-end custom keyboards, but combined with Alps-type switches and totally custom-made keycaps, this really sets a new precedent. Personally, I'd rather use something with ortholinear or column-staggered keys. If I was a row-staggered person however, then this would be it.
tyingq 5y ago
€965 if you solder it yourself, not including the Teensy MCU or cable.
- Findecanor 5y ago
  I think that the worst thing is that the Teensy 2.0 microcontroller board is scheduled to be discontinued during next year.
  - chevill 5y ago
    Usually when stuff like that happens the community is quick to fill in the gaps by making software compatible with other controllers. The market for this one is so small though that it might take a while. Perhaps the company will come up with a resolution though.
systemvoltage 5y ago
Marketing gripe: “Over-engineering” is a negative thing for me. That means that the engineers didn’t think through the boundary conditions and requirements. They couldn’t produce optimal solution. They couldn’t bother with perfection. Instead they just slapped things together without calculation and hope it will hold up.
minimilian 5y ago
Wow; finally a keyboard with enough modifiers and no false assumptions about their names. Does this use the same kind of switch as the Space Cadet? How does it compare to the buckling springs of the IBM Model F? Can one flash QMK onto it, or another free firmware that allows one to do all configurations in plain text (for those of us who hate graphical interfaces)? While I like the layout and the keys and the legends, I don't love the case; this, I think, has more character: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Space-cadet.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Space-cadet.jpg
- coldblues 5y ago
  It uses Alps switches. They are considered to be the best of the best. https://keymacs.com/keymap.html https://keymacs.com/keymap.html can be used to reprogram the keyboard.
  - Findecanor 5y ago
    Restored genuine vintage Alps or Matias Click. Whether the Alps are "best of the best" is a matter of personal preference. Matias' switches are modern clones of the vintage Alps switches. They have a poor reputation for reliability though, sadly.
    - iamevn 5y ago
      I love my keyboard with Matias quiet click switches but they absolutely did have a bad batch that die super quickly. Had to buy a bag of spares to swap a few switches out. These appear to not be Matias though based on the stems https://deskthority.net/wiki/Matias_switch https://deskthority.net/wiki/Matias_switch
    - chevill 5y ago
      The creator sells boards with either matias or vintage alps. There's a limited supply of the vintage ones though. You can also buy a kit and provide your own switches of IIRC when I emailed him he said you can also send him the switches if you wanted a variant of the Alps that he doesn't have. I've tried modern and vintage and even modern ones modded to feel like vintage in various boards and the real vintage ones are far superior.
zcam 5y ago
The price tag is ridiculous
- McSinyx 5y ago
  Seconded, I had to double check if it was really the euro symbol because I couldn't believe my eyes.
  - rodneyzeng 5y ago
    Me too. I watched that symbol for about 1 min.
- Hamuko 5y ago
  Apparently they didn't lie about the "Seriously Over-Engineered" part.
- duped 5y ago
  The bulk of it is the custom keycaps (a keycap run is seriously expensive, especially if you're using weird key sizes), the enclosure, and the switches. They're probably being hosed by their suppliers too, since I can't imagine they have the money to invest in serious volume. That said the board looks seriously under-engineered. It's a bit ridiculous to invest so much in high quality switches and an enclosure built like a tank without spending any time on designing the board to withstand any forces, passing the buck onto their customers to make sure everything is soldered correctly... I'd be confident the enclosure survives a fall and lasts a lifetime but certainly not anything inside it.
  - xondono 5y ago
    I’m not that sure. Nowadays you can get runs on the cheap, that’s why group buys are even possible in the DIY community. The fully machined aluminum case probably plays a part in there too.
    - duped 5y ago
      The fact you need group buys at all is evidence to how expensive it is. There really aren't that many places you can go for quality either.
bloopernova 5y ago
I really want to like this, but there's several negatives in my opinion. * No arrow key cluster * Alps rather than Cherry switches, which in my opinion means much less choice of switch and keycap. * No QMK firmware (I think?) But all those extra keys could be really nice to customize. I'm really looking forward to getting my Keyboardio Model 100. Going to have fun customizing the keys and getting used to a split keyboard. I'm definitely going to get another small macro pad so I can have arrow keys.
- spindle 5y ago
  I love QMK, but IMO it's not so vital to have it now that there's a good alternative at the OS level: https://github.com/kmonad/kmonad#features https://github.com/kmonad/kmonad#features
- Findecanor 5y ago
  * The keyboard is a recreation of classic keyboards from Symbolics that had this layout. [1][2] * It does support QMK. 1. https://deskthority.net/wiki/Symbolics_364000 https://deskthority.net/wiki/Symbolics_364000 2. https://deskthority.net/wiki/Symbolics_365407 https://deskthority.net/wiki/Symbolics_365407
- lispm 5y ago
  For the original keyboard layout of a Symbolics Lisp Machine keyboard see: https://twitter.com/rainerjoswig/status/1464675225061240836?s=21 https://twitter.com/rainerjoswig/status/1464675225061240836?...
utopcell 5y ago
This kind of products bothers me. At >$1400, they are clearly a money-grab on the back of the very innovative and vibrant diy keyboards community.
- 1MachineElf 5y ago
  Normally I would agree with this sentiment, but then look at the prices of artisans which hover between $50-$150 each, then consider the fact that every key on this keyboard was individually custom made. At ~87 keys in a $1400 kit, this is already a steal for resin-cast Alps keycaps. https://youtu.be/VIRkCXVwoXk https://youtu.be/VIRkCXVwoXk https://youtu.be/LY2dbQ_M06g https://youtu.be/LY2dbQ_M06g
  - fllsdf 5y ago
    You can get 2u modifiers key for 2$ a piece on PMK [1] Sure they're not alps but if you're buying in any capacity i'm 100% sure you would pay maybe 1/10 to 1/100 of the price, case in point [2], even if you had to buy a set of 24$ you could extract 5 2u each for ~5$ a piece,given 16 modifiers that's 80$ in keycaps while being extremely generous about the price they would actually pay about them. Even if you're paying 5$ a piece for every single key that's ~450$ in keycaps, which is not even half of the price. And i just discovered that they are making you pay 150€ for the privilege of having a qwerty layout, which can be found in [2] for 24$, it's a nice keyboard but unless the case itself is worth 800€+ it's a ripoff [1] https://pimpmykeyboard.com/sa-2-space-pack-of-4/ https://pimpmykeyboard.com/sa-2-space-pack-of-4/ [2] https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=2144 https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_det...
    - 1MachineElf 5y ago
      I think you're missing the point here. Each link you posted are for keycaps that are made using injection molding. The process used by Keymacs is resin casting. The costs and customization involved aren't the same. It is an apples to oranges comparison.
pnathan 5y ago
Not sure why "some assembly required" is so popular in higher end keyboard circles. I'd rather buy something that was repairable. I'm not a skilled electronics worker - my skills are elsewhere. I'd probably introduce my own defects into the keyboard... These days I'm using a Kinesis Edge with lifters: comfortable, ergonomic, and, likly, reliable. Anyway I would probably get a Kinesis Advantage or Maltron 3D keyboard for these prices. Fully assembled, with a warranty. :) I look forward to another iteration of a symbolics keyboard...
- apocalypstyx 5y ago
  You could get (in US dollars) 3 Kinesis Advantage 2s for the price of the basic kit here. As an Advantage user (I also built a couple of Maltrons from scratch at one point) I'm not giving up symmetry to fulfill what I suspect is a fundamentally hauntological desire.
- AnimalMuppet 5y ago
  > Not sure why "some assembly required" is so popular in higher end keyboard circles. I have heard that Betty Crocker cake mix initially wasn't very popular. Housewives didn't like it. They reformulated it so that it wasn't "just add water" - you had to add an egg as well. That made it a lot more popular, because people could still feel like "I made that cake". I wonder if this isn't the same. "I built that" gives more pride of ownership than "I took it out of a box.".
nomdep 5y ago
WTF?! More than $1400 for a unknown brand keyboard made of plastic?
- 1MachineElf 5y ago
  The case is made of aluminium.
bombela 5y ago
This website randomly scrolls one line at some interval. It makes reading quite an unpleasant experience.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
xondono 5y ago
I see a lot of red flags here. They claim it’s “over-engineered”, but it looks like the opposite. The cheaping out: 1) 2 layer board with two modules (one of them a DIY arduino board). Given the price tag they could have spent $2 in going 4 layers and add some ground planes. 2) Charging extra for N-key rollover? Seriously? Who though that would look good? 3) No cable? The overspending: 1) Fully machined two part case. There’s a LOT of excess everywhere. More weight doesn’t make thins stronger. There were easier ways to build a case like that. 2) Every single piece aside from the switches seems to be fully custom made. “Custom” is only good if it brings value, for a lot of the pieces involved there seems to be little if any improvement. 3) from the pictures it looks like they surface finished the insides of they case, and even the support plate. Why would I care to add a brushed look to an internal part?
- rowathay 5y ago
  Basically, this is “Juicero: The Keyboard.”
  - Animats 5y ago
    Juicero was cheaper. This is "Starting at €1,262".
- alpaca128 5y ago
  > Why would I care to add a brushed look to an internal part? The custom keyboard community includes people who indeed care about such details. Also it's not unusual to get no cable with such kits; Custom cables are popular too. I'm not sure how this compares to known brands in that price range as I'm not exactly an expert in case manufacturing, but I've seen designs that I find more appealing.
  - xondono 5y ago
    > The custom keyboard community I like to consider myself part of that community. I don’t have the cash to spend into a collection of keyboards, but mine still cost me around $300, which I think is fair given the customizations. This is the fist time I see a brushed support plate.
User23 5y ago
I’ve been looking for a modern space cadet keyboard, but this isn’t it. For one the space bar is way bigger than it ought to be and that reclaimed space should have at a bare minimum comfortably thumb accessible control and meta keys. Or whatever you want to progr As it is my thumb has to travel all the way to my pinky just to hit the first modifier key. If you’re calling your board keymacs it should have exceptional ergonomics for default emacs style binds. They did get the parentheses right though which is nice. I want to see this small family business succeed and I would consider low four figures for the perfect emacs board so I hope they iterate on this.
- lispm 5y ago
  It's not a space cadet keyboard. It's a 'copy' of the Symbolics Lisp Machine keyboard from the mid 80s. https://keymacs.com/img/gh/symbolics-vs-keymacs-720px.jpg https://keymacs.com/img/gh/symbolics-vs-keymacs-720px.jpg It's a newer version of the early 80s keyboard from Symbolics: https://webwit.nl/input/misc/symbolics1.jpg https://webwit.nl/input/misc/symbolics1.jpg The Symbolics computers used an editor called Zmacs.
guenthert 5y ago
Uh, Unicomp offers Symbolics-Style key caps for their (mini) Model-M. Not quite the same, but saves you some $800 or so.
- rbanffy 5y ago
  Do they? I saw they have an APL version, but I don't think there is anything like a Symbolics (such as the "Squid Game" keys)
  - guenthert 5y ago
    No, not those exquisite keys, unfortunately just the more mundane super, hyper, meta modifier keys from the space cadet keyboard: https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/HSM https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/HSM.
psanford 5y ago
While this is intriguing, it takes quite a lot out of the original charm of the spacecadet keyboard. All the mathematical symbols, the roman numberals, the thumbs up/down keys are what make the spacecadet so much fun. If you just want to throw a lot of modifier keys on a keyboard, you could come up with a better layout than this.
- tomcatfish 5y ago
  I hopped into this thread praying for a spacecadet remake I could buy now that I have some spare money. I was sad and confused to see that this keyboard did not have all the fun symbols on the caps. Quick edit: FWIW, I'm not knocking the keyboard, I just have no attachment to the Symbolics board and was hoping this was a poorly labeled post talking about the spacecadet instead.
  - chevill 5y ago
    If you just want custom keycaps for a modern MX board KAT Space Cadet was a group buy from over a year ago and it finally just started shipping. There are likely lots of people in /r/mechmarket that are going to be selling sets. It has the sublegends on the top like the original but not the ones on the front side of the keycap (I don't think modern manufacturers are even willing to try that). If you don't want to go with KAT Space Cadet, GMK has a similar set that should be shipping soon, if not now. Once again there will be people selling them on the aftermarket.
- chevill 5y ago
  Its not based on the Space Cadet keyboard at all. Its based on a different Symbolics board which is also a very nice looking and highly desired keyboard among collectors (although not as famous as the Space Cadet). IMO its fairly faithful to the one its actually based on: http://xahlee.info/kbd/symbolics_keyboard_pn_365407.html http://xahlee.info/kbd/symbolics_keyboard_pn_365407.html
xbar 5y ago
Is anyone else making Alps keyboards for about $1k less?
- chipotle_coyote 5y ago
  Matias themselves makes both Mac and PC keyboards using their Alps-clone switches, so, yes. :) Personally I'm using the Mini Tactile Pro for the Mac; I don't love the look, but the feel is fine and I haven't had any reliability problems. (Others have reported Matias switches and/or keyboards as being a bit flaky, but personally my MTP has been fine.) There are other keyboards which use Matias switches occasionally, but they're few and far between. KB Paradise is the other big user, I think.
tgbugs 5y ago
For comparison there is the Hyper-7 r3 which is a very large keyboard, but has some similarities in layout [0]. https://groupbuys.mechboards.co.uk/shop/hyper-7-keyboard-r3/ https://groupbuys.mechboards.co.uk/shop/hyper-7-keyboard-r3/
- rbanffy 5y ago
  Wow! It's excessive in every single aspect. I'd prefer it to have a plastic shell around all that aluminum, but, even as it is, I want it. I don't even have the desk space to put it, but, still, I want it.

79 points by coldblues 5y ago

In my mind, this is the pinnacle of keyboard craftsmanship. It hits a lot of checkboxes for high-end custom keyboards, but combined with Alps-type switches and totally custom-made keycaps, this really sets a new precedent. Personally, I'd rather use something with ortholinear or column-staggered keys. If I was a row-staggered person however, then this would be it.

tyingq 5y ago

€965 if you solder it yourself, not including the Teensy MCU or cable.

Findecanor 5y ago
I think that the worst thing is that the Teensy 2.0 microcontroller board is scheduled to be discontinued during next year.
- chevill 5y ago
  Usually when stuff like that happens the community is quick to fill in the gaps by making software compatible with other controllers. The market for this one is so small though that it might take a while. Perhaps the company will come up with a resolution though.

systemvoltage 5y ago

Marketing gripe: “Over-engineering” is a negative thing for me. That means that the engineers didn’t think through the boundary conditions and requirements. They couldn’t produce optimal solution. They couldn’t bother with perfection. Instead they just slapped things together without calculation and hope it will hold up.

minimilian 5y ago

Wow; finally a keyboard with enough modifiers and no false assumptions about their names. Does this use the same kind of switch as the Space Cadet? How does it compare to the buckling springs of the IBM Model F? Can one flash QMK onto it, or another free firmware that allows one to do all configurations in plain text (for those of us who hate graphical interfaces)? While I like the layout and the keys and the legends, I don't love the case; this, I think, has more character: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Space-cadet.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Space-cadet.jpg

coldblues 5y ago
It uses Alps switches. They are considered to be the best of the best. https://keymacs.com/keymap.html https://keymacs.com/keymap.html can be used to reprogram the keyboard.
- Findecanor 5y ago
  Restored genuine vintage Alps or Matias Click. Whether the Alps are "best of the best" is a matter of personal preference. Matias' switches are modern clones of the vintage Alps switches. They have a poor reputation for reliability though, sadly.
  - iamevn 5y ago
    I love my keyboard with Matias quiet click switches but they absolutely did have a bad batch that die super quickly. Had to buy a bag of spares to swap a few switches out. These appear to not be Matias though based on the stems https://deskthority.net/wiki/Matias_switch https://deskthority.net/wiki/Matias_switch
  - chevill 5y ago
    The creator sells boards with either matias or vintage alps. There's a limited supply of the vintage ones though. You can also buy a kit and provide your own switches of IIRC when I emailed him he said you can also send him the switches if you wanted a variant of the Alps that he doesn't have. I've tried modern and vintage and even modern ones modded to feel like vintage in various boards and the real vintage ones are far superior.

zcam 5y ago

The price tag is ridiculous

McSinyx 5y ago
Seconded, I had to double check if it was really the euro symbol because I couldn't believe my eyes.
- rodneyzeng 5y ago
  Me too. I watched that symbol for about 1 min.
Hamuko 5y ago
Apparently they didn't lie about the "Seriously Over-Engineered" part.
duped 5y ago
The bulk of it is the custom keycaps (a keycap run is seriously expensive, especially if you're using weird key sizes), the enclosure, and the switches. They're probably being hosed by their suppliers too, since I can't imagine they have the money to invest in serious volume. That said the board looks seriously under-engineered. It's a bit ridiculous to invest so much in high quality switches and an enclosure built like a tank without spending any time on designing the board to withstand any forces, passing the buck onto their customers to make sure everything is soldered correctly... I'd be confident the enclosure survives a fall and lasts a lifetime but certainly not anything inside it.
- xondono 5y ago
  I’m not that sure. Nowadays you can get runs on the cheap, that’s why group buys are even possible in the DIY community. The fully machined aluminum case probably plays a part in there too.
  - duped 5y ago
    The fact you need group buys at all is evidence to how expensive it is. There really aren't that many places you can go for quality either.

bloopernova 5y ago

I really want to like this, but there's several negatives in my opinion. * No arrow key cluster * Alps rather than Cherry switches, which in my opinion means much less choice of switch and keycap. * No QMK firmware (I think?) But all those extra keys could be really nice to customize. I'm really looking forward to getting my Keyboardio Model 100. Going to have fun customizing the keys and getting used to a split keyboard. I'm definitely going to get another small macro pad so I can have arrow keys.

spindle 5y ago
I love QMK, but IMO it's not so vital to have it now that there's a good alternative at the OS level: https://github.com/kmonad/kmonad#features https://github.com/kmonad/kmonad#features
Findecanor 5y ago
* The keyboard is a recreation of classic keyboards from Symbolics that had this layout. [1][2] * It does support QMK. 1. https://deskthority.net/wiki/Symbolics_364000 https://deskthority.net/wiki/Symbolics_364000 2. https://deskthority.net/wiki/Symbolics_365407 https://deskthority.net/wiki/Symbolics_365407
lispm 5y ago
For the original keyboard layout of a Symbolics Lisp Machine keyboard see: https://twitter.com/rainerjoswig/status/1464675225061240836?s=21 https://twitter.com/rainerjoswig/status/1464675225061240836?...

utopcell 5y ago

This kind of products bothers me. At >$1400, they are clearly a money-grab on the back of the very innovative and vibrant diy keyboards community.

1MachineElf 5y ago
Normally I would agree with this sentiment, but then look at the prices of artisans which hover between $50-$150 each, then consider the fact that every key on this keyboard was individually custom made. At ~87 keys in a $1400 kit, this is already a steal for resin-cast Alps keycaps. https://youtu.be/VIRkCXVwoXk https://youtu.be/VIRkCXVwoXk https://youtu.be/LY2dbQ_M06g https://youtu.be/LY2dbQ_M06g
- fllsdf 5y ago
  You can get 2u modifiers key for 2$ a piece on PMK [1] Sure they're not alps but if you're buying in any capacity i'm 100% sure you would pay maybe 1/10 to 1/100 of the price, case in point [2], even if you had to buy a set of 24$ you could extract 5 2u each for ~5$ a piece,given 16 modifiers that's 80$ in keycaps while being extremely generous about the price they would actually pay about them. Even if you're paying 5$ a piece for every single key that's ~450$ in keycaps, which is not even half of the price. And i just discovered that they are making you pay 150€ for the privilege of having a qwerty layout, which can be found in [2] for 24$, it's a nice keyboard but unless the case itself is worth 800€+ it's a ripoff [1] https://pimpmykeyboard.com/sa-2-space-pack-of-4/ https://pimpmykeyboard.com/sa-2-space-pack-of-4/ [2] https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=2144 https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_det...
  - 1MachineElf 5y ago
    I think you're missing the point here. Each link you posted are for keycaps that are made using injection molding. The process used by Keymacs is resin casting. The costs and customization involved aren't the same. It is an apples to oranges comparison.

pnathan 5y ago

Not sure why "some assembly required" is so popular in higher end keyboard circles. I'd rather buy something that was repairable. I'm not a skilled electronics worker - my skills are elsewhere. I'd probably introduce my own defects into the keyboard... These days I'm using a Kinesis Edge with lifters: comfortable, ergonomic, and, likly, reliable. Anyway I would probably get a Kinesis Advantage or Maltron 3D keyboard for these prices. Fully assembled, with a warranty. :) I look forward to another iteration of a symbolics keyboard...

apocalypstyx 5y ago
You could get (in US dollars) 3 Kinesis Advantage 2s for the price of the basic kit here. As an Advantage user (I also built a couple of Maltrons from scratch at one point) I'm not giving up symmetry to fulfill what I suspect is a fundamentally hauntological desire.
AnimalMuppet 5y ago
> Not sure why "some assembly required" is so popular in higher end keyboard circles. I have heard that Betty Crocker cake mix initially wasn't very popular. Housewives didn't like it. They reformulated it so that it wasn't "just add water" - you had to add an egg as well. That made it a lot more popular, because people could still feel like "I made that cake". I wonder if this isn't the same. "I built that" gives more pride of ownership than "I took it out of a box.".

nomdep 5y ago

WTF?! More than $1400 for a unknown brand keyboard made of plastic?

1MachineElf 5y ago
The case is made of aluminium.

bombela 5y ago

This website randomly scrolls one line at some interval. It makes reading quite an unpleasant experience.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

xondono 5y ago

I see a lot of red flags here. They claim it’s “over-engineered”, but it looks like the opposite. The cheaping out: 1) 2 layer board with two modules (one of them a DIY arduino board). Given the price tag they could have spent $2 in going 4 layers and add some ground planes. 2) Charging extra for N-key rollover? Seriously? Who though that would look good? 3) No cable? The overspending: 1) Fully machined two part case. There’s a LOT of excess everywhere. More weight doesn’t make thins stronger. There were easier ways to build a case like that. 2) Every single piece aside from the switches seems to be fully custom made. “Custom” is only good if it brings value, for a lot of the pieces involved there seems to be little if any improvement. 3) from the pictures it looks like they surface finished the insides of they case, and even the support plate. Why would I care to add a brushed look to an internal part?

rowathay 5y ago
Basically, this is “Juicero: The Keyboard.”
- Animats 5y ago
  Juicero was cheaper. This is "Starting at €1,262".
alpaca128 5y ago
> Why would I care to add a brushed look to an internal part? The custom keyboard community includes people who indeed care about such details. Also it's not unusual to get no cable with such kits; Custom cables are popular too. I'm not sure how this compares to known brands in that price range as I'm not exactly an expert in case manufacturing, but I've seen designs that I find more appealing.
- xondono 5y ago
  > The custom keyboard community I like to consider myself part of that community. I don’t have the cash to spend into a collection of keyboards, but mine still cost me around $300, which I think is fair given the customizations. This is the fist time I see a brushed support plate.

User23 5y ago

I’ve been looking for a modern space cadet keyboard, but this isn’t it. For one the space bar is way bigger than it ought to be and that reclaimed space should have at a bare minimum comfortably thumb accessible control and meta keys. Or whatever you want to progr As it is my thumb has to travel all the way to my pinky just to hit the first modifier key. If you’re calling your board keymacs it should have exceptional ergonomics for default emacs style binds. They did get the parentheses right though which is nice. I want to see this small family business succeed and I would consider low four figures for the perfect emacs board so I hope they iterate on this.

lispm 5y ago
It's not a space cadet keyboard. It's a 'copy' of the Symbolics Lisp Machine keyboard from the mid 80s. https://keymacs.com/img/gh/symbolics-vs-keymacs-720px.jpg https://keymacs.com/img/gh/symbolics-vs-keymacs-720px.jpg It's a newer version of the early 80s keyboard from Symbolics: https://webwit.nl/input/misc/symbolics1.jpg https://webwit.nl/input/misc/symbolics1.jpg The Symbolics computers used an editor called Zmacs.

guenthert 5y ago

Uh, Unicomp offers Symbolics-Style key caps for their (mini) Model-M. Not quite the same, but saves you some $800 or so.

rbanffy 5y ago
Do they? I saw they have an APL version, but I don't think there is anything like a Symbolics (such as the "Squid Game" keys)
- guenthert 5y ago
  No, not those exquisite keys, unfortunately just the more mundane super, hyper, meta modifier keys from the space cadet keyboard: https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/HSM https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/HSM.

psanford 5y ago

While this is intriguing, it takes quite a lot out of the original charm of the spacecadet keyboard. All the mathematical symbols, the roman numberals, the thumbs up/down keys are what make the spacecadet so much fun. If you just want to throw a lot of modifier keys on a keyboard, you could come up with a better layout than this.

tomcatfish 5y ago
I hopped into this thread praying for a spacecadet remake I could buy now that I have some spare money. I was sad and confused to see that this keyboard did not have all the fun symbols on the caps. Quick edit: FWIW, I'm not knocking the keyboard, I just have no attachment to the Symbolics board and was hoping this was a poorly labeled post talking about the spacecadet instead.
- chevill 5y ago
  If you just want custom keycaps for a modern MX board KAT Space Cadet was a group buy from over a year ago and it finally just started shipping. There are likely lots of people in /r/mechmarket that are going to be selling sets. It has the sublegends on the top like the original but not the ones on the front side of the keycap (I don't think modern manufacturers are even willing to try that). If you don't want to go with KAT Space Cadet, GMK has a similar set that should be shipping soon, if not now. Once again there will be people selling them on the aftermarket.
chevill 5y ago
Its not based on the Space Cadet keyboard at all. Its based on a different Symbolics board which is also a very nice looking and highly desired keyboard among collectors (although not as famous as the Space Cadet). IMO its fairly faithful to the one its actually based on: http://xahlee.info/kbd/symbolics_keyboard_pn_365407.html http://xahlee.info/kbd/symbolics_keyboard_pn_365407.html

xbar 5y ago

Is anyone else making Alps keyboards for about $1k less?

chipotle_coyote 5y ago
Matias themselves makes both Mac and PC keyboards using their Alps-clone switches, so, yes. :) Personally I'm using the Mini Tactile Pro for the Mac; I don't love the look, but the feel is fine and I haven't had any reliability problems. (Others have reported Matias switches and/or keyboards as being a bit flaky, but personally my MTP has been fine.) There are other keyboards which use Matias switches occasionally, but they're few and far between. KB Paradise is the other big user, I think.

tgbugs 5y ago

For comparison there is the Hyper-7 r3 which is a very large keyboard, but has some similarities in layout [0]. https://groupbuys.mechboards.co.uk/shop/hyper-7-keyboard-r3/ https://groupbuys.mechboards.co.uk/shop/hyper-7-keyboard-r3/

rbanffy 5y ago
Wow! It's excessive in every single aspect. I'd prefer it to have a plastic shell around all that aluminum, but, even as it is, I want it. I don't even have the desk space to put it, but, still, I want it.