Tenkeyless ALPS models from Matias — USB for PC, Bluetooth for Mac

[Hyde]

Yeah basically on a PC Keyboard from left to right you get:

Ctrl  ->  Window  ->  Alt  ->  Spacebar  ->  Alt  ->  Window  ->  Ctrl

On a Mac Keyboard from left to right you get:

Ctrl  ->  Alt/Option  ->  Command  ->  Spacebar  ->  Command  ->  Alt/Option  ->  Ctrl

While Window = Command, Alt = Alt/Option.  So location wise they're swapped between PC and Mac.

So for example, if you plug a Mac keyboard into a PC computer, the window key will be next to the spacebar, instead of 2 keys away.

[aviphysics]

Thanks for taking the time to write up your wishlist for a home theatre mechanical keyboard.  It sounds very cool...

I'd love to do a product like that, but I fear that the cost of integrating a pointing device into it would probably price it out of most peoples' budgets.  Also, I'm not sure how many people out there would want something like that, given how compact and convenient the current offerings are.  That Lenovo keyboard especially looks nicely done.

Regarding the modifier keys, "Option" generates the keycode for "Alt", and "Command" generates the keycode for "Win".

Thankyou for answering my questions.

It is a shame integrating a pointing device would make it too expensive.

Regarding the current products, I think the only good one is probably the Logitech K400. The rest all have various problems. For example, the Dinovo Mini has some strange connectivity issues (sometimes we have to take out the battery and put it back in), several keys on the Lenovo are starting to fail (I have had it for less than a year), and we have had a few others that just had poor wireless range (unreliable connectivity at 10 ft).

If the Lenovo gets much worse, maybe I will try breaking it open and seeing if it would be useful for modding into another board.

[deepthawt]

'Quiet mechanical keyboard'.

Why?

BECAUSE QUIET, SOMETHING THAT IS APPRECIATED BY OTHERS.

[Matias]

Regarding the current products, I think the only good one is probably the Logitech K400. The rest all have various problems. For example, the Dinovo Mini has some strange connectivity issues (sometimes we have to take out the battery and put it back in), several keys on the Lenovo are starting to fail (I have had it for less than a year), and we have had a few others that just had poor wireless range (unreliable connectivity at 10 ft).

That's interesting.  You don't find the Logitech K400 too big for a home theatre keyboard?

[aviphysics]

I don't. Using a large TV that can be easily read from the couch, a keyboard only needs to be small enough to easily tuck out of the way and comfortably sit on a lap. Smaller ones can be nice when you are using a small TV and need to stand to get close enough to the screen, but I also haven't found a small one that is reliable and performs well. Don't take my word for it though, you can just look at the customer reviews for the ultra compact multimedia boards and see that there isn't really any single one that people are overwhelmingly happy with. I also think it is pretty telling that there is a problem when the "people who bought this also bought" listings on Amazon are full of very similar products.

Maybe I am just really demanding though. The Favi, which I have had connectivity problems with, has reasonably decent reviews on Amazon. The Dinovo Mini and Lenovo I mentioned also have reasonably good reviews. The other possibility is that quality has gotten better. I bought my Dinovo Mini back in 2009 so who really knows. The final issue is that I have children and roomates, so something the size of a remote needs to be ably to take a lot of abuse. People are less likely to toss around a larger keyboard.

Here is a picture of someone holding the K400 for size
http://i.imgur.com/c42TMuy.jpg

It really isn't very big. Looks about the size of a TKL.

[Pyrolistical]

Mine came.

It feel like something between mx cherry blue and brown, but much quieter.

The first issue I found with it is the lower right rubber foot isn't touching the table, so the keyboard is sliding around a bit.

One nice touch was a short and long came was included.  This way if you had an iMac you can use the short one, otherwise the longer one if your mac mini is further.

[ValerieV]

I am jealous. Still waiting for my keyboard to come. Which model did you get?

[uzoc]

Mine came.

It feel like something between mx cherry blue and brown, but much quieter.

The first issue I found with it is the lower right rubber foot isn't touching the table, so the keyboard is sliding around a bit.

One nice touch was a short and long came was included.  This way if you had an iMac you can use the short one, otherwise the longer one if your mac mini is further.

I'm waiting for the the Mini Quiet Pro (black), to go down to $100 (probably when Amazon gets it) and then buy a white one, so I can start doing some keycaps swapping (black & white of course).

[Pyrolistical]

I

I am jealous. Still waiting for my keyboard to come. Which model did you get?

I got the mini tactile pro for Mac

[ValerieV]

That's the one i am waiting on. They said they would send me an email when it was being shipped and i did preorder it for the February run. I hope to get it soon. Thanks for the response.

[BucklingSpring]

Matias - Will you be on time for the Feb batch?

I'm really looking forward to that MINI Quiet for PC.

[iri]

when will these be shipped? i ordered mine on january the 9th, and paid for it, and there's still no shipment notice.

[Matias]

Very sorry for the delay.  We were pretty overwhelmed with the number of orders we got for them -- which is good and bad.

We're expecting to get another shipment before the end of March.  Due to the high demand, we'll be flying them in (at great expense) and will ship them out as soon as we get them.

Regarding the credit card charges, that unfortunately is a limitation of our online store provider.  They are not able to do deferred charges.  To compensate for this, we give everyone who pre-orders FREE shipping.

Again, sorry for the delay.  We're doing everything we can to get everyone their orders ASAP.

[ValerieV]

At least this is good because it is in demand so you obviously tapped into something the public wanted. I do appreciate your great customer service. Thank you for keeping us updated.

[danj]

The Laptop Pro looks fantastic. Haven't seen this mentioned anywhere: how does one switch between devices (iPad and MacBook, for example)?

I'm thinking of what the KBTalKing Pro apparently does: http://kbtalkingusa.com/kbtalking-pro-basic-info/

Furthermore, the patent-pending multi-pairing technology allows for instant switching between a PC/Mac (via USB) and any of the paired Bluetooth devices.

That "patent-pending" may answer my question for me. How does the Laptop Pro pair with a device, and does this have to be redone each time one connects to a different device?

In short, will switching between my Mac and iPad with this keyboard be a pain in the neck?

[danj]

...While I apologise for apparently killing this thread with my very first post, I suppose I should answer my own question.

Granted, this is information from a competitor, but assuming this KBtalkKing post is correct (emphasis mine):

The Tactile One uses permanent USB connection to a computer, and connection to one HID supported BT device. Needs re-pairing if changing to a different BT device.

It seems likely that the Laptop Pro is similar, and would need to be re-paired when switching between devices. I'd be happy to know if this is or is not in fact the case!

[fatmav]

It seems likely that the Laptop Pro is similar, and would need to be re-paired when switching between devices. I'd be happy to know if this is or is not in fact the case!

I am typing on a Laptop Pro now. My experience is indeed you need to re-associate every time when you switch devices.

[danj]

Ah, thank you for the confirmation. How do you like the Laptop Pro otherwise?

[fatmav]

Ah, thank you for the confirmation. How do you like the Laptop Pro otherwise?

The keyboard layout of the Laptop Pro is the primary reason why I bought it. So far it has not disappointed me in this regard. I very much appreciate the dedicated page up and page down keys. The forward delete key is also good, but I use it much less often due to far away placement.

The key switches themselves are fine. Not as crisp as I'd like them to be, but my officemate very much appreciates the dramatic reduction in noise. Previously I primarily use an mx brown, and occasionally an mx blue.

The key caps are my main worry right now. The printing on some of the modifiers (such as command) is already fading a bit after a month of usage. What good would having the symbols of the alternative keys (such as the european characters you input with Alt+key) if the symbols fade away?

The bluetooth link has been good so far.

The battery life seems excellent. I have never charged it since leaving the keyboard plugged in on the first night after arrival.

Oh, and the USB ports: they really don't seem to do anything other than charging the keyboard itself and also letting you charge other downstream device. (In theory, you can use the keyboard's battery to charge another device. But I don't know why you would want to do that.)

[CiiDub]

The February production run of the Bluetooth model is sold out, so we're now taking pre-orders for March on that one.  The Wall Street Journal reviewed it on Saturday, & the resulting sales pushed us over the edge.

I saw that article and thought it might have something to do the keyboard being in short supply.

I ordered mine after seeing a write up on The Loop. I've been waiting a while for a compact (ten keyless) + mechanical + bluetooth keyboard. The CES announcement got me pretty excited.  So I for one, am not surprised that you discovered some pent-up demand. I was actually going to give up & buy a Filco for that ten-keyless mechanical goodness

I'm still waiting, still excited & a little frustrated. It's getting to be a very long wait. S**t happens & s**t get's delayed. I've had some correspondence about the delays, but I've had to initiate it. That sucks.

Still I am confidant that I'll love the keyboard. My first mechanical one since my model M via 1992.