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> 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 l

> 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
That assumes there are no discounts to be had by partnering with large companies making switches, doesn't it? Wooting partnered with Gateron to build their Lekker hall-effect switches. I would be very surprised if their BOM for switches alone on the 104-key model was $125 given it retails for $195-- and that includes 104 keycaps, the case, cable, packaging, controller board, etc. No doubt they're considerably more expensive than regular mechanical switches, but it's unclear how much of that expense comes from their being pretty rare right now and not benefiting from economies of scale. That's my hope, at any rate, because again-- they're just plain better.