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Coolest keyboard ever?

Vorlons in my HeadVorlons in my Head The Vorlons told me to.
in Zocalo v2.0
[url]http://www.primotechnology.com/index.php?art=articles/0705/optimus/index.htm[/url]

Saw this at one of the news sites. I can't believe no one has thought of this before but is seems like a really cool idea.
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Comments

  • Data CrystalData Crystal Pencil Artist
    Well sure, not a bad thing as long as the price is cheap. Which means that we won't be seeing these for a while.

    I wouldn't want a keyboard that'd cost over US 100$ in case I'd do something to it. :p

    If you could easily take it apart and spare parts would be easily and with a reasonable price made available, that'd be a whole other barrel o' fish...

    And yes. Coolest. Keyboard. Ever.
  • Morden279Morden279 Genius
    I wonder what the "pr0n" button would be displayed as? ;)

    Regards,
    Morden
  • E.TE.T Quote-o-matic
    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Data Crystal [/i]
    [B]I wouldn't want a keyboard that'd cost over US 100$ in case I'd do something to it. :p [/B][/QUOTE]This "might" be more durable than standard keyboard at least considering frame.

    [i]The body is aluminum-wrapped.[/i]


    But I think Thrustmaster HOTAS Cougar will retain its place as champion of "hard"ware input devices with its 8kg total weight.
  • Random ChaosRandom Chaos Actually Carefully-selected Order in disguise
    beautiful

    I wonder how the keys stand up to hundreds of thousands of finger rubs. I know most keyboards begin wearing away.
  • BekennBekenn Sinclair's Duck
    This is just awesome. There hasn't been a lot of development in keyboards over the past twenty years; it's nice to see something like this finally happen.
  • PSI-KILLERPSI-KILLER Needs help
    Nice..
    That is cutting edge.
  • Data CrystalData Crystal Pencil Artist
    I've one more idea for you to chew on. ;)

    Think about screensavers. The buttons are essentially displays, and although they wouldn't probably need a separate screensaver, it could be easily done. :) Just think about the keyboard, showing different portions of the same animation running on and on when your computer is on idle. A simple round swirl of color shift between green and blue would be enough to stare at for quite some time. :D
  • SanfamSanfam I like clocks.
    And would further ensure that potheads could not possibly get *anything* done, ever. :D
  • MessiahMessiah Failed Experiment
    If you could get the buttons to display animations, you could have the keyboard shift in colour all the time. As long as the letters are visible.. :)
  • RubberEagleRubberEagle What's a rubber eagle used for, anyway?
    hey, you could even use it to show subtitles while watching a movie on your pc.....
  • MessiahMessiah Failed Experiment
    LOL. That would be awesome. :)
  • PJHPJH The Lovely Thing
    Pretty nice. Although I wouldn't find much use for that feature personally. But still, cool it is. :)

    Still my next keyboard is going to be Saitek Eclipse: [url]http://www.extrememhz.com/eclipse-p1.shtml[/url]

    Finally someone is making a good quality True-Vu illuminated keyboard with a standard layout and not some freaking weirdo reduced or some other way strange layout. What's taken so long all you companies out there, eh???

    It should be in stores by the end of the month.

    Next they should do one with multiple switchable colours and preferably with black keys (in that case though the light should be on all the time, or the characters would be pretty hard to see), as I'm not so fond of those silver keys. Looks very nice still. :)

    - PJH
  • Morden279Morden279 Genius
    I'm pretty pleased with my Microsoft wireless keyboard and optical/wireless mouse combo. The F keys on the keyboard don't seem to work, but it's a minor niggle. ;)

    Regards,
    Morden
  • Vorlons in my HeadVorlons in my Head The Vorlons told me to.
    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Morden279 [/i]
    [B]I'm pretty pleased with my Microsoft wireless keyboard and optical/wireless mouse combo. The F keys on the keyboard don't seem to work, but it's a minor niggle. ;)

    Regards,
    Morden [/B][/QUOTE]

    Thats because the f-keys can be toggoled on or off to enable the keys to do other special functions. Enable F-Lock on the upper right hand of the keyboard to enable the traditional function key mode. The F-Lock light will come on on the transceiver when its active. I'm a big fan of MS keyboards and Mice.
  • Morden279Morden279 Genius
    Oh yeah!!! Thanks, mate! :)

    Just out of interest, the first light on the transceiver has a framed "A" above it, but is currently unlit. May I ask what it reprsents and what occurs when it's lit?

    Regards,
    Morden
  • SanfamSanfam I like clocks.
    My assumption is that the framed A is the caps lock light. A framed 1 or # is the num lock light, and a downward-facing arrow flat against a line is scroll lock.
  • Morden279Morden279 Genius
    Ah yes, so it is, cheers Sanfam. :)

    One last thing, only a few of the Special/Media/Internet buttons at the top of the keyboard seem to work. Do I have to configure the keyboard to access all of them?

    Regards,
    Morden
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Vorlons in my Head [/i]
    [B]Thats because the f-keys can be toggoled on or off to enable the keys to do other special functions. Enable F-Lock on the upper right hand of the keyboard to enable the traditional function key mode. The F-Lock light will come on on the transceiver when its active. I'm a big fan of MS keyboards and Mice. [/B][/QUOTE]

    I'm not. I detest their keyboards with their stupid button layouts and replacing the function keys with "special functions" so that I have to turn on F-lock just to use them normally.
  • SanfamSanfam I like clocks.
    This is why I think I'mg oing to stockpile MS Natural keyboards of the "pre-ultraergonomic" era. You know the ones (ergonomic but not with the annoyingly different pageup/delete bar configurations)
  • Vorlons in my HeadVorlons in my Head The Vorlons told me to.
    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Biggles [/i]
    [B]I'm not. I detest their keyboards with their stupid button layouts and replacing the function keys with "special functions" so that I have to turn on F-lock just to use them normally. [/B][/QUOTE]

    Yeah that was a bit annoying having the f-lock off. The new recievers by default always have f-lock on and you need to turn it off to use the special functions. It now works like a normal keyboard layout again by default. I actually never really cared much for the natural models but the key feel and palmrest on the standard models which feels great and they last forever. The construction is very high quality. I've never felt really comfortable on other keyboards again. The new wireless explorer mouse also kicks ass although the removal of the click detents on the wheel makes it pretty useless for gaming. I need to break out the good old explorer 3.0 for some games.
  • SanfamSanfam I like clocks.
    One problem I have with MS keyboards is that the keycaps themselves are made of a rediculously soft material. I can scratch and damage them with an ordinary kitchen sponge (scratchy side :p).
  • Vorlons in my HeadVorlons in my Head The Vorlons told me to.
    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Sanfam [/i]
    [B]One problem I have with MS keyboards is that the keycaps themselves are made of a rediculously soft material. I can scratch and damage them with an ordinary kitchen sponge (scratchy side :p). [/B][/QUOTE]

    Why would you do that? I've found windex and a paper towel cleans the crud right off with no damage. Leaves them like new. ;)
  • SanfamSanfam I like clocks.
    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Vorlons in my Head [/i]
    [B]Why would you do that? I've found windex and a paper towel cleans the crud right off with no damage. Leaves them like new. ;) [/B][/QUOTE]

    Just an example. The point is, the scratchy side of non-3m sponges is not particularly scratchy, but that's not even the real point. The *REAL* point is that the keycaps are really soft. After only two or three years of use, a majority of the keyscaps have turned "glossy" and annoyingly slick from wear. the entire right half of the spacebar is equally bad. And many of the keys were damaged by my mother's fingernails! I've got gouges on some of the keys where she had been repeatedly tapping away ('e' is a major victim). Only a very select few of my other keyboards have had this happen, and three of the four in that group are Microsoft.
  • Vorlons in my HeadVorlons in my Head The Vorlons told me to.
    I guess it must change depending on the models. I have one of the original internet keyboards with the built in USB hub I've had for the last 7 or 8 years and the W,A,S,D keys which are obviously the most commonly used :D have no visible sign of wear.

    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Sanfam [/i]
    [B]You know the ones (ergonomic but not with the annoyingly different pageup/delete bar configurations) [/B][/QUOTE]

    Funny now that you mention that that is actually one of my favorite changes on the newer models. I like that they took of the Insert key and moved it way up since its been the bane of my existance forever. The delete key is now very easily accessible and no more ruining posts and not realizing it because I accidentally tapped the insert key (something I do VERY often).
  • SanfamSanfam I like clocks.
    I find myself regularly using the Insert and Home keys, so having one go missing and the other be moved to an inconvenient distance from the arrow keys is just wrong.

    [url=http://www.activewin.com/reviews/hardware/keyboards/ms/office_keyboard/images/keybaordfull.jpg]An image for those of you unfamiliar with this "improved" layout[/url]

    Of course, that keyboard also threw out (well, double-used) the numlock key, which was almost worse than the other changes in my world.
  • MessiahMessiah Failed Experiment
    OMG! What happened to the Enter and Delete keys??! :eek:
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    Microsoft happened. Personally, I consider that keyboard to be one of the worst layouts ever. I hate having to use my parents' computer for that very reason.
  • Vorlons in my HeadVorlons in my Head The Vorlons told me to.
    The numlock only serves the same function on all of their models. Thats the only one I'm aware of that had a double function to it.
    Whats wrong with the Enter key? Looks its the same as every other keyboard out there. Unless you're refering to the old layout from like the Commodore 64 days with the huge enter key and the small backslash next to the right shift. Death to the Insert key! Long live the easy reach delete! :D
  • SanfamSanfam I like clocks.
    the best configuration I've found is the large enter key with the backslash directly to the right of rshift, taking up only one key but most certainly needing no more space.
  • E.TE.T Quote-o-matic
    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Vorlons in my Head [/i]
    [B]Whats wrong with the Enter key? Looks its the same as every other keyboard out there.[/B][/QUOTE]No wonder there's so many of those who don't use divisioning into paragraphs and line breaks when writing...
    Because they can't find enter!


    And [url=http://www.keytronic.com/home/products/specs/euro_kt1000.htm]this[/url] is wrong with enter.


    [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Vorlons in my Head [/i]
    [B]Long live the easy reach delete! :D[/B][/QUOTE]... for easy Ctrl+Alt+Del combo?
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