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Flux Keyboard
- pdntspa 4y agoI would really like it if these fancypants keyboards came in a layout other than the crunch-all-your-fingers-together-in-the-middle-for-extra-RSI design that the keyboard nerds seem to adore
- pnathan 4y agothe 3 modern higher end keyboard companies that attend to ergonomic concerns are, afaik, - keyboard.io - kinesis - ergodox and then there's maltron keyboards, a bit older-school. I have a kinesis edge and a keyboard.io, I like the kinesis edge rgb variant. the keyboard.io is very hard for me.
- pdntspa 4y agokeyboard.io keyboards look really uncomfortable for long-term use, what with that hard wood looking enclosure. Ergodox and kinesis both do that weird split keyboard thing. All put other buttons below the thumb which I am not sure about. Can someone just please make a high-quality MS Natural Ergonomic 4000? Mine is getting worn out. edit- holy shit it looks like MS reintroduced it! https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/d/microsoft-ergonomic-keyboard/93841ngdwr1h?activetab=pivot:overviewtab https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/d/microsoft-ergonomic-keyboa...
- pnathan 4y agoThe hardwood enclosure hasn't bothered me too much. The thumb cluster and layers bother me more. I also miss the MS Natural 4K. There's a cheap knockoff on Amazon, but I didn't bother with it.
- pnathan 4y agore the edit: > Nevertheless, if there were a world where amazing products suddenly snapped out of existence and were replaced with husks of their former selves, it would be this keyboard. Oh, right. That is this world. Amazon review of the latest gen ergo keyboard. If ms does a MS Natural 4001 or whatever, a genuine successor, I'll probably buy 3. It was _really_ nice.
- pdntspa 4y agoIt's cheap enough that I'm willing to give it a shot. The MS Sculpt wireless keyboard was pretty and unexpectedly comfortable for me once I got used to the chiclet keys
- theYipster 4y agoAlso Dygma Raise, which I love. Best of all worlds -- Ergodox thumb cluster with traditional staggered keys. Upgraded from a Kinesis Freestyle RGB and I will tell you, the Dygma is worth every penny!
- doix 4y agoI feel like you're out of the loop when it comes to keyboard nerds. Check out the dactyl-manuform [0]. The days of tiny 40/60 keyboards are gone, they aren't cool anymore (joking of course, use what you want). [0] https://github.com/abstracthat/dactyl-manuform https://github.com/abstracthat/dactyl-manuform
- tomtheelder 4y agoI mean the layout is more or less a standard qwerty one. It's not any more condensed than any other keyboard, as far as I can tell. You can imagine why an ergonomic layout would make this particular product more difficult, as you'd either need multiple displays for a split board, or a much larger display to accommodate the larger keyboard surface of a more traditional ergonomic layout. Also fwiw I don't think there's any real evidence to suggest that ergonomic keyboard layouts help with RSIs.
- pdntspa 4y agoIt puts less tension on my hands, I can feel that. 12+ hours a day in front of a keyboard, for weeks at a time sometimes for me. I don't have to bunch my elbows into my stomach to use the standard home row posture. I think those are all ergonomic wins.
- johncalvinyoung 4y agoSwitching to a tented split keyboard (UHK v1) effectively saved my productivity from a really bad case of forearm tendonitis a couple of years ago. Was still typing with coldpacks on my wrists, but it was doable in a way continuing on the laptop keyboard every day all day was not.
- robinsonb5 4y agoTo be honest I'd settle for an ISO option!
- vmoore 4y agoAnyone have a specific keyboard they really enjoy using? For me it's a simple affair: Apple Wired Keyboard. I always liked thin keyboards with minimal travel / low profile keyboards.
- jabroni_salad 4y agoMy logitech K860. The keypresses are crisp but quiet, the raisers are correctly at the bottom of the board rather than the top, the split layout is decent enough, and you can pair up to 3 bluetooth devices, so I can use it to type on my phone too.
- nullnix 4y agoI remain obsessed with / utterly dependent on my Maltron (contoured, two-hand, trackball). I have a Glove80 coming: let's see if it wins me over.
- wodenokoto 4y agoThe "hot swap" video is really cute with the team switching from green to red, as the keyboard switches to red type linear switches.
- von_lohengramm 4y agoThis is exactly what I've been dreaming of ever since Hall effect switches came back. It's very reminiscent of the old school Zboard keyboard that had physical overlays tailored towards specific games. This digital approach seems a touch more scalable.
- adolph 4y agoAlso that the keys are "maglev" Each key is magnetically suspended with rare earth magnets allowing them to be 97% transparent and ultra low friction. Each switch has 4mm of travel and will be available in linear and tactile variants. They also feature a software adjustable actuation point in 0.1mm increments and rapid trigger functionality through analog hall effect sensing. The keys contain magnets along their perimeter which are attracted by magnets in the frame which surrounds them. This magnetic attraction suspends them in place and provides the return force which makes the key bounce back after depressing - similar to a spring.
- zoklet-enjoyer 4y agoI have a magnet in the pad of my left ring finger. This keyboard would likely be uncomfortable for me
- jaywalk 4y agoWhy do you have a magnet in your finger?
- timdiggerm 4y agohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_hacking https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_hacking probably
- zoklet-enjoyer 4y agoYep. From that link "Rich Lee is known for implanting headphones in his tragi in 2013, as well as for his work on a vibrating pelvic implant called the Lovetron9000. His biohacking activities were used as a justification to remove his parental custody rights in 2016." I got the same implants after talking to him about it on IG. It barely worked. An array of magnets on the skull would probably work. I had to get the magnets in my ears removed when the casings failed.
- donutdan4114 4y agoThis looks awesome. I'm curious to see what additional modules they make for it.
- nayuki 4y agoSome other times this was tried: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimus_Maximus_keyboard https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimus_Maximus_keyboard , https://liliputing.com/the-poly-keyboard-uses-tiny-oled-displays-as-keys-diy-work-in-progress/ https://liliputing.com/the-poly-keyboard-uses-tiny-oled-disp... , https://www.alphr.com/united-keys/united-keys-oled-display-keyboard/30705/united-keys-oled-display-keyboard-review/ https://www.alphr.com/united-keys/united-keys-oled-display-k...
- skyyler 4y agoThis looks like one big screen with transparent keys instead of a single small screen for each key like all the examples you linked. Should be much cheaper to produce, and cost is always the problem with projects like this.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- ics 4y agoGiving me major nostalgia for the Optimus Maximus (https://www.artlebedev.com/optimus/maximus/ https://www.artlebedev.com/optimus/maximus/) keyboard and its successors. This one looks like an interesting take now that displays are even higher resolution, have haptic feedback, etc.
- anoonmoose 4y agoI was coming here to say this- one of those, "everything old is new again" moments.
- qubex 4y agoAlso came here to say this — I wanted to love the Optimus Maximus (perhaps because of a bad case of buyer’s regret generating a counter-force to maximise cognitive dissonance) but as a keyboard it was awful. (Combined it with a BMW-designed Level 10 case; quite the looker but monumental and monumentally oversized.)
- insonifi 4y agoSame here :). But original Optimus has a screen in each key. This technically similar to a later design https://www.artlebedev.com/optimus/popularis/ https://www.artlebedev.com/optimus/popularis/. Which also had a single big LCD and transparent keys on top of it.
- JonathonW 4y agoElgato's Stream Deck is a more mainstream application of the same approach, with a single LCD under all of the keys. The Stream Deck isn't doing anything particularly exotic with its key mechanism, though (from what I can tell, there's a frame between the LCD and buttons with the actual contacts on it; no Hall-effect sensors or anything like that).
- fmajid 4y agoI have the midsized Stream Deck. The mushy feel of the keys is awful.
- LordDragonfang 4y ago>How much will it cost? >The keyboard will cost between US$299 - $350 after discounts for pre-orders with a retail price of US$450. That's... not as high as I thought it might be, considering how expensive mechanical keyboards can get and how esoteric of a product this is.
- nomel 4y ago> considering how expensive mechanical keyboards can get I would claim that there’s nothing expensive about mechanical keyboards, there’s healthy profit margins, and passionate people.
- tiledjinn 4y agolooks like the key feel will be very bad
- sj4nz 4y agoThis is interesting... but I can't help but think how much better it might be if instead of a video background just had a simpler e-ink display for indicating what the transparent key caps were for. The animation/videos are very distracting. I never liked the Apple TouchBar or anything that required "active" attention away from the main screen.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- shaunsingh0207 4y agoE-ink is extremely expensive, especially at the size of a keyboard like that. Memory LCD would be more practical, but at that point the lcd costs the same and offers more power for those who want it. There isn't anything stopping you from making the entire screen black except for the legends, probably
- sho_hn 4y agoTrue dat. I recently made this for my home, as a once-a-day automatic newspaper deco thingie (ticking all the latest hype boxes: wrote a custom Rust driver for the EPD controller, and it's now also using the ChatGPT API to trim and style-transfer articles and headlines -- this and also various layout/typography improvements not yet in that album): https://imgur.com/a/PqkhdGd https://imgur.com/a/PqkhdGd $400+shipping for the display panel (a competitive price from the shop). Even at volume (which an enthusiast keyboard won't be) it's still very expensive.
- insane_dreamer 4y agoAm I the only person who wants a Thinkpad type trackpad-button in the middle of the keyboard so I don't have to move over to the mouse or trackpad?
- dschooh 4y agoI even went and got myself a Tex Yoda II. I like it, but sometimes I wish it had real arrow keys. Maybe I'd go for a Shinobi next time.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- calvinmorrison 4y agoI want this but a joystick instead of a nub. More leverage
- pjot 4y agoFor when you need to mouse _really_ fast? Genuinely curious how more leverage would be beneficial
- calvinmorrison 4y agohonestly - IDK I feel like the amount of force on my left index finger is kind of high. Turning up the sensitivity doesn't really help either. My nub isn't even very worn.
- adolph 4y agoOr capacitance enabled keys so brushing across them performs touch input.
- nomel 4y agoDo you know of an example of this? I would assume this would be a terrible experience.
- __MatrixMan__ 4y agoI prefer blank keycaps. Better for posture and focus to not be looking at your keyboard all the time. Also, maintaining the need to see your keys clearly puts arbitrary limits on tent angle. I would appreciate something which could understand both my keyboard firmware and whichever app has focus, and summon a hotkey helper on screen which mirrored my key layout.
- anoonmoose 4y agoI've been using a blank Das Keyboard [1] at work for years. Besides all of the benefits you've listed, I've also found that it's the most effective deterrent for keeping people off my desk/off my computer that I've ever deployed. [1] https://www.daskeyboard.com/daskeyboard-4-ultimate/ https://www.daskeyboard.com/daskeyboard-4-ultimate/
- dkersten 4y agoI used a blank DAS to learn to touchtype. I now use a non-blank Kinesis Advantage2, but it has qwerty keycaps while all my devices are colemak so it has a similar effect to blank with the added bonus of confusing other people even more because the keycaps don’t match what is typed.
- __MatrixMan__ 4y agoHa, awesome. It makes me want to get some keycaps in some obscure language like klingon, just to mess with people.
- asoneth 4y agoI ended up going with blank but I did consider getting "Linear A" keycaps https://shop.keyboard.io/products/linear-a-keycaps-m100 https://shop.keyboard.io/products/linear-a-keycaps-m100 for my Keyboardio Model 100.
- pascal_wizzard 4y agoI like to use symbol only space cadet keycaps https://mkultra.click/gb-kat-space-cadet https://mkultra.click/gb-kat-space-cadet
- Kukumber 4y agoFinally an evolution of the keyboard People hated on Apple for the touch bar, but this is the natural evolution of the keyboard, why stick to fixed physical keys when you can have them digitalized to be context aware The problem will be the price Mechanical keyboard market already is a scam where 90% of products are greatly overpriced, that will not encourage them to offer a reasonable price unfortunately EDIT: The keyboard will cost between US$299 - $350 after discounts for pre-orders with a retail price of US$450. Yeah, the price of a console-tier GPU, way too overpriced to be a successful product
- modeless 4y agoPeople didn't hate the touch bar because it had a screen. People hated it because capacitive touch sucks for keyboards.
- Enginerrrd 4y agoI actually suspect it's too cheap for what they are promising.
- zuminator 4y agoAre you kidding, I saw a mouse the other day selling for two hundred bucks. Provided that by some miracle this has a good keyboard feel, I can imagine entire shops switching over to this in specialized industries, plus loads of gamers, translators, people wanting it as a status symbol. It could even be something of a security measure by obfuscating the keys during login. Even perhaps a laptop manufacturer can license their tech for dual screen laptops like the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i. It wouldn't even be a $400
- Kukumber 4y agoIt's no wonder companies out there have an insane burn rate, something important got lost in the process
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- roflyear 4y agolooks awful for ergonomics :/
- mthomasmw 4y agoAgree. Would be interested if horizontal rows. Still happy with my kinesis which I never look at.
- inerte 4y agoyeah, came here to say something similar. It looks super cool and the features, wow... but unfortunately when I don't use an ergonomic keyboard (my Microsoft Sculpt has been with me for 10 years), pain starts pretty much instantly. If they ever release a more ergonomic version that would be interesting!
- tomtheelder 4y agoNo worse than any other standard keyboard that the overwhelming majority of people use.
- ahelwer 4y agoWell, the bar is in hell. Nobody should be using flat slab keyboards. They are objectively terrible for your wrists. Absent space constraints like inclusion in a laptop this flat design is a nonstarter.
- moremetadata 4y ago[dead]
- RajT88 4y agoThey should have sent a poet
- mickdarling 4y agoI have used a LOT of custom keyboards, looking at an Ergodex DX1 on my shelf now. I wish this is something I could be confident in. but, them not treating the screen as a display I think significantly limits the utility of this. You have to go through their software to customize the screen, layout, and customizations. Many of us know how hit-and-miss esoteric keyboard software tends to be. If they stuck to making it an external display managed by the OS, polling the keyboard layout from the OS, and maybe just have their app apply custom functions like emojis and tool graphics I would have some confidence. They are trying to tie up too much to their software which they will eventually stop supporting, like my DX1 paperweight.
- daveidol 4y agoI see your point, but I actually had the opposite concern when I was first looking at the product page. I'd actually rather not have to worry about how my OS treats the extra "display" - plus I don't want running my keyboard to eat into my computer's resources in any significant way. For me, this approach is better. Although I do have some concerns about the software eventually going EOL unless they open source it.
- ryukafalz 4y ago> They are trying to tie up too much to their software which they will eventually stop supporting, like my DX1 paperweight. This is precisely why I probably won't buy one despite it looking honestly very cool. Hardware manufacturers these days seem to be allergic to telling their customers how to actually talk to their gadgets, in favor of proprietary bundles of software that inevitably go unsupported within a few years.
- paledot 4y agoHere I really don't understand why nobody open-sources their drivers when they end-of-life a product. I know some chips are covered by patent agreements blah blah, but that doesn't cover all cases. And part of a code base is better than none, even if the bits covered by the agreement need to be censored. I also think software companies should/should have to open-source products when they discontinue them like Dropbox did with Zulip (the only example I can think of offhand), but I understand why the profit motive discourages it. But surely for hardware even that tenuous rationalization goes out the window.
- kristopolous 4y agoGlad people are trying to do something new! I really like how it's Not derivative. It doesn't look like an Apple knockoff product or some other coattail riding project. Refreshing. Keep at it! This is the kind of innovation we need!
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- pcurve 4y agoYes! I don't care if it doesn't type as well as mechanical or rubber keyboard. The cool factor is enough for me to buy one!
- gerash 4y agoI really like the idea. This is touchbar + tactile feedback. This could reduce the mental burden of remembering keyboard shortcuts.
- tommiegannert 4y ago> Truly hot swappable 84-key keyframes to switch between tactile keys and linear keys in just 2.15 seconds. I think I love everything about that sentence. An easy-to-clean keyboard could definitely find its uses in dirty environments. Even if the screen is glass, the keys should protect it pretty well. Depending on how scratch-resistant they are. For CNC, being able to customize the keyboard seems really useful. It's interesting that they say you can play video on it due to the built-in 8 GB storage, but it's not available as a display to the host. Their point that the "mouse cursor could get lost on the keyboard" is a nice rationale, but it does feel like an odd limitation for such a powerful device. I wonder how complicated it would be to allow customization based on SPAs. Their list of initially supported applications suggests they are not tackling web apps at launch. E.g. the Google Docs/mail suite would be interesting to me.
- fwlr 4y agoThere are upsides to the “not a display” approach: it means the display isn’t being driven by the host, so it’s going to be consistent even when your system is under load. I’m sure that was the original rationale for putting in its own ARM chip. I feel like they could totally add a pass-through mode, flip a switch to make it a display for the system to drive.
- data-ottawa 4y agoFor CNC use I would worry about magnetic bits of metal getting into the keys and scratching the display below.
- daniel_reetz 4y agoYep. Magnets and magnetic cleverness are a real problem for those of us doing any kind of metalwork. They suck up all kinds of conductive metal chips and grinding dust. Even the speaker in a phone can be problematic.
- russdill 4y agoFrom a cleanability aspect if this maglev system works well I'd just want this without the LCD and clear keycaps.
- mhitza 4y agoI like the swappable modules idea. If it would support Linux, and was hackable I miight consider it (no mention of open source).
- junon 4y agoIf this didn't support something like QMK I'd be shocked. They seem to know what will drive sales and the keyboard community will be huge on hacking. If they're tone deaf enough not to have that ability then.. well, we'll see.
- balaji1 4y agoSurprising this toy doesn't exist yet. People will use(buy) it. 450$... fine, it is an expensive toy after all.
- dgdosen 4y agoWould the mechanics of those switches be any good?
- junon 4y agoThey're supposed to be, yes. Maglev and hall effect is a hot topic in keyboard modding communities.
- thih9 4y agoI wish there was a version without the screen. I’m fine with blank keys, I’d even enjoy them.
- qwery 4y agoAs far as I know the "other times this has been tried" all have had individual displays (and controllers) in each key. The difference being that here there is just one panel under the whole board with most of the parts above the display being transparent. This approach should be far less complicated to build, more robust and cheaper. Honestly, I don't think I need an LCD in my keyboard but I'd quite like to have a go on some mAgLeV hall effect switches! On that note, if you like magnets and/or keebs you might be interested in Void switches[0] -- 3D printable hall effect switches [0] https://github.com/riskable/void_switch https://github.com/riskable/void_switch
- snapplebobapple 4y agoIt's basically a big streamdeck...
- Groxx 4y agoFor a simpler but different-feeling option, you can also use rubber domes and glue, e.g. https://github.com/geoffder/dometyl-keyboard/#another-dactyl-inspired-keyboard-supporting-mx-choc-and-even-rubber-domes https://github.com/geoffder/dometyl-keyboard/#another-dactyl...
- nerdponx 4y agoIt's a shame that attempts to build open hardware and firmware for Topre/Niz-style capacitative rubber domes haven't gone anywhere over the years. Unless I'm out of the loop, people are still stuck yanking PCBs and controllers out of their Realforces and HHKBs to use domes in custom builds.
- sodiumjoe 4y agoThis is the closest I've seen: https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?t=11734 https://deskthority.net/viewtopic.php?t=11734
- nerpderp82 4y agoOne could use those silicon popper OCD toys as a keyboard construction method. Still might need some sort of compliant spring mechanism with hysteresis.
- shaunxcode 4y agoIs my decades long quest for a keyboard that can switch between space cadet lisp mode and APL finally coming to an end?? I hope so. Hyper super meta alpha!
- bmn__ 4y agoYou can have that today. Rough outline to get you hacking: Run `setxkbmap -print | xkbcomp -xkb - -` and edit super/hyper/meta keys to your liking. Install result with `xkbcomp my-cool-layout.xkb $DISPLAY`. IMO APL is best implemented as a new input method rather than a layout, add a new .mim file into /usr/share/m17n.
- freedomben 4y agoAlways great to see innovation in the keyboard space! Looks like a pretty neat product. I was hoping to see some sort of mouse layer or mouse control like on the UHK. The UHK totally transformed how I use my desktop. I literally don't even have a mouse to plug in now if I wanted to because it's been so many years since I needed it. If the UHK ever broke or went out of business, I'd be in a world of hurt. Shipping times for the UHK are abysmal. I think it took almost a year to get my UHKv2. I spent some time searching for a similar product but couldn't find it. I don't think implementing that in software would be too hard, although it would not be cross platform like the UHK is. Anyone know of "mouse with the keyboard" solutions?
- nahuel0x 4y agoHow do you control the mouse using the UHK?
- dividuum 4y agoThe default way is like this: https://ultimatehackingkeyboard.com/manuals/uhk60/mouse https://ultimatehackingkeyboard.com/manuals/uhk60/mouse. Additionally there are addon modules for a trackpoint, touchpad or trackball (https://ultimatehackingkeyboard.com/shop https://ultimatehackingkeyboard.com/shop)
- freedomben 4y agoYep exactly. Basically you hold a modifier key and then certain keys will control mouse movement instead of their normal function. Think of it like how <Shift> changes keys to upper case. It takes a little getting used to but it quickly becomes muscle memory and you never have to think about it.
- brigadier132 4y agoThe screen is the least interesting part of this for me and might actually be a negative. The mag lev switches, now that's cool.
- fire 4y agoreplaceable key "frame" had me hopeful, but no, there is no ortholinear support - only staggered layouts. Lame. this just seems to be a new attempt at the ol' Optimus Maximus
- jhanschoo 4y agoMaybe maybe eventually? And perhaps it can be marketed as macropad-like? I'm hopeful but realistically there isn't much of a market for us folk.
- amelius 4y agoCool idea, but I try to not look at my keyboard ...
- generalizations 4y agoThat's going to be hard to keep clean.
- hendersoon 4y agoI don't find the displays particularly interesting or useful on an entire keyboard. What is interesting is they're using hall effect (magnetic) sensors, which have a vastly longer life than normal mechanical switches. That isn't new either, the Dreamcast had them way back in the day, and today Wooting sells keyboard with the same tech. This enables some very useful gaming features. First, you can adjust the initial actuation point, so the keyboard registers a much lighter press, resulting in faster effective response times. Like Wooting, it goes all the way down to 0.1mm. Second and probably more importantly, it supports rapid trigger, meaning the key instantly releases the instant you start to lift up your finger, and then it doesn't have a set actuation point so the key doesn't need to lift up most of the way before you can press it down again. This allows for much, MUCH more responsive controls which is a noticeable advantage in eSports games and some rapid-clicker games like Osu. Thirdly and not very important at all, Wooting supports analog controls, so you can play driving games with your keyboard, or adjust your movement speed in a shooter. There are all kinds of issues with support in games, though, and it's unclear if the Flux supports it at all. The problem with Wooting is it's expensive; the keyboard costs $175. These magnetic switches need to get down to a more reasonable pricepoint. And the problem with the Flux keyboard is, well, it's even more expensive. Starts at $299 in the kickstarter phase, and will retail at $450. I do find it encouraging to see more manufacturers using magnetic switches, and hope prices come down at the low end quickly. They're just plain better.
- Majromax 4y ago> These magnetic switches need to get down to a more reasonable pricepoint. I think that's close to an inherent problem with the bill of materials. Taking a look at DigiKey, the cheapest in-stock linear hall effect sensor that I see still runs about $0.40 apiece in large quantity. Turning that into a usable keyswitch requires at least two more magnets, and I'm sure the assembly isn't particularly easy. Without some great cost reduction in hall effect sensors, I think a magnetic-switch keyboard will always be more expensive than a mechanical-switch keyboard, which will be more expensive than a rubber dome keyboard.
- hendersoon 4y ago
- jetzzz 4y agoThe keyboard itself looks good but hardware vendors (including keyboard manufacturers) have a track record of making abysmal software. In fact, software should probably be their primary focus. From their FAQ it look like they want themselves to add support for every application. Will they have an SDK for other software vendors to add support to their applications? Being more open, e.g. making a github repo where anyone can contribute support for any application would be welcome.
- RajT88 4y agoMark my words. If they release a good SDK for this, and this product catches on, we will have, "Jenna Jameson Teaches Typing".
- jvanderbot 4y ago> Each key is magnetically suspended with rare earth magnets allowing them to be 97% transparent and ultra low friction. Each switch has 4mm of travel and will be available in linear and tactile variants. They also feature a software adjustable actuation point in 0.1mm increments and rapid trigger functionality through analog hall effect sensing. Ok sign me up.
- nixpulvis 4y agoI don't like low travel distances personally :(
- stemlord 4y agoIs the use of a rare earth element really functionally necessary here or are they actually doing it purely for marketing value?
- xvaier 4y agoI would think so. Rare earth magnets are permanent magnets and can be much stronger than iron based magnets of the same size.
- WillAdams 4y agoI was kind of surprised that the keyboard for the Lenovo Yogabook 9i dual-screen folding laptop wasn't so done.
- roarcher 4y agoIs it possible to give the key tops a concave curve? I find that that helps me be a slightly less mediocre typist, but I'm guessing it would distort the image underneath.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- ris58h 4y agoInteresting. It could be used together with a foldable laptop/tablet. Something like ThinkPad X1 Fold.
- spankalee 4y agoIf they could get the knobs to attach to the screen without metal contacts (maybe inductive power and alignment magnets?) and have a touch screen, this would make an incredible customizable music / midi controller. It would be a joy to make hybrid HW/SW interfaces for soft synths with that.
- kensai 4y agoWhy should one get this and not Nemeio? https://www.nemeio.com/ https://www.nemeio.com/
- Terretta 4y agoAlways missing from keyboard-craft FAQs: - What are your plans for TouchID? I would spend the price of the custom keyboard plus the price of an Apple keyboard to tear down, just to have that feature included. Offer a primary price point without it, add $149 for a TouchID "module", see what happens.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- alecfreudenberg 4y agoI love the pitstop video for the keyframe swap.
- drcode 4y agoThis looks fun, but I worked a long time to get to the point where I never have to look at my keyboard
- nixpulvis 4y agoWhy hasn't this caught on yet? Tiny little OLED displays have been around for a while, and we could standardize a layout that is independent of the glyphs on each key just as ISO/ANSI/etc have... What's the hold up?
- thomastjeffery 4y agoI think it's the wrong move to make this a keyboard, particularly a traditional typewriter layout. My main question is: can the hall effect sensors be read as variable states instead of boolean keypresses? That could be really cool, especially with the display for real-time feedback. I can think of so many use cases: change the volume that hard. WASD like a joystick. It would be even cooler if they were in an even orthogonal grid pattern like a planck keyboard. That would be a lot like the impact-pressure sensitive controllers that are popular in audio work. I would love something like that too use as a macro pad: keys that have arbitrary meaning you can reference. Keys that behave differently depending on context, and show you the context in real-time. That would be incredibly useful. But my keyboard itself? I don't want to look at that. That place is for muscle memory alone.
- amelius 4y ago> My main question is: can the hall effect sensors be read as variable states instead of boolean keypresses? From the article: > They also feature a software adjustable actuation point in 0.1mm increment So probably yes.
- MSFT_Edging 4y ago> can the hall effect sensors be read as variable states instead of boolean keypresses Yes, there's hall-effect keyboards out now that you can configure to have certain keys provide an analog input, for use in things like racing games. Since the actuation point is entirely software, you can keep track of actuation distance.
- thomastjeffery 4y agoNeat! I wonder how difficult and expensive it would be to build one.
- xearl 4y ago> I would love something like that too use as a macro pad: keys that have arbitrary meaning you can reference. Keys that behave differently depending on context, and show you the context in real-time. That would be incredibly useful. You might want to have a look at Elgato's Stream Decks.
- jmartrican 4y agoI would buy this. If anything, just for the aesthetics. I'm stuck on the Logitec MX keyboard cause it can easily switch between my two laptops. I will have to find a solution to be able to do the same with this keyboard.
- yjftsjthsd-h 4y ago> Linux / Android / iOS - Limited compatibility (see FAQ regarding operation without installed software) i.e. no, it can't be run without a Windows or MacOS machine to set it up first. Oh well, $300-450 was a lot for a keyboard anyways. (Well, not bad for what this is, but I have to tell myself something to feel better)
- theodric 4y agoSo basically the Optimus Maximus again, but a decade and a half later. Cool. Everything old is new again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ5rX6WpxTk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ5rX6WpxTk
- shanebellone 4y agoI'll definitely buy one. Very cool form factor.
- skrebbel 4y agoLoved the last FAQ entry: > Where is Flux based? > Flux is based in Sydney, Australia. We are from the future, due to time zone differences.
- 1MachineElf 4y agoI'd love it if they offered an ortholinear keyframe.
- kilgnad 4y agoeasy maintenance is what I really want this for. Even the best keyboard eventually transforms into a crusty mess due to how dirty I am. With this I can I can keep it clean.
- precompute 4y agoLooks like a meme, yet another expensive rectangle. The screen gimmick will wear away in a few days. Also, keycaps will be very difficult to source, and flat keycaps are really uncomfortable.
- l_theanine 4y agoJesus. This is the most tasteful, flexed out but not over the top landing page I’ve ever seen. I love it. I’ve no use for something like this, but I’m in absolute awe at the design on display. Marvelous. I hope Apple or somebody makes this person obscenely wealthy.
- ideasman42 4y agoAt what point would the magnets lose their strength?
- sleepybrett 4y agoWhy the fuck do i need video behind my keyboard?
- gorjusborg 4y agoTo impress your crush, obviously ;) I pretty much came to say the same thing. I want a repairable keyboard that works reliably across OS for a reasonable price. I'm pretty sure I am not the target market.
- johnvaluk 4y agoAs a touch typist, I can usually adapt quickly to variations in the bottom row (Ctrl, Fn, Alt, super key). But I find it impossible to use a keyboard with undersized, asymmetrical Shift keys. Odd choice for a flexible keyboard.
- unxdfa 4y agoNot a fan of the idea: 1. I don't look at a keyboard so there's not much point in making it look fancy. 2. I destroy keyboards in 12 months. Even good quality mechanical ones. I probably can't afford to own this. 3. It looks like bits are going to fall off it when I inevitably catch the edge of it moving from my mouse to my keyboard. 4. It doesn't have enough keys on it and the default positioned layout sucks. 5. It's got transparent bits. My backlit laptop keyboard already looks like a cat litter tray after a couple of weeks. This is going to require a lot of upkeep. I think the only keyboard I actually like at the moment is the Cherry Stream SX TKL. Costs $26, feels like an old ThinkPad, has all the right keys in the right place, if you break you won't cry, no bits fall off it when you shake the crap out, it doesn't look like a Christmas tree on acid or ever like a cat litter tray. I had 11 keyboards to get to that and it was the cheapest one. Ugh.
- 1-more 4y ago> I destroy keyboards in 12 months. Even good quality mechanical ones. Wait how? How do they fail? This is interesting to me.
- bityard 4y agoSame here, I don't think I've _ever_ destroyed a keyboard in my life. After about a decade on one, I just get tired of it and want to try something new. Right now my favorite is the wired Apple Magic keyboard with numpad. I bought my current one new on ebay during covid at a big of a premium because they stopped making them years ago and are NLA. I don't use a Mac so the layout is funky, but all of the standard-layout knock-offs are bluetooth-only, have poor reviews, or are staggeringly expensive.
- klausa 4y agoNot the OP, but I probably go through a Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic every 24-36 months. The wrist-rest also gets gross after a while. Mostly it's spills, but sometimes also a crumb or something stuck under a key and me breaking the switch in the process of trying to clean it. I think I also have one where I just physically lost the wireless dongle. I have some spare ones from the _other_ ones I killed, but AFAICT they're "securely" paired at the factory and there's no way to reprogram those.
- muyuu 4y ago> The keyboard will cost between US$299 - $350 after discounts for pre-orders with a retail price of US$450.
- hysan 4y agoCool concept but unusable for me due to the shortened right shift key. I dislike how so many custom keyboards like cutting that key to save a tiny bit of space. To me, it ruins the ergonomics and feels like it’s placing form over function.
- foofoo4u 4y agoI'm surprised no one has ever made an e-ink keyboard. By this, I mean each individual key is a mini e-ink display.
- cryptonector 4y agoI really want to try this. I'm guessing that key press will feel weird and will take time to get used to it. But the benefits of this keyboard design are very appealing!
- _nalply 4y agoIt's a pity that they have one column of keys right to the Enter and Delete keys. I need empty space there because it's an anchor point for me. I tend to hit the key right to the Enter key whenever I want to hit the Enter key. My wife's laptop has this layout and it drives me crazy. I already mailed them and I hope they can consider this.
- _nalply 4y agoThey just answered and they said, you can remove the rightmost colum to get a 60% form factor. Yippie! Looking forward to order from them.
- eternityforest 4y agoThis seems like almost the perfect keyboard. Although it feels a little wasteful to always be using 4W on a keyboard. But it looks so !much better than any RGB setup I've seen, and it's got so much potential on things like a Raspberry Pi, it could be the terminal display and keyboard in one! E-ink might be even cooler!
- droningparrot 4y agoThey're not saying it explicitly but it sounds like the software for managing this thing will be closed source. Customizations will only work on Mac and windows. Hard pass from me unless someone reverse engineers the configuration protocol
- opan 4y agoCan the physical key layout be changed to be ortho or columnar stagger?