Author Topic: [IC] Noble by Twobit (Read 5261 times)

TwoBit · « **on:** Wed, 21 April 2021, 06:15:13 »

TwoBit "Noble" Keyboard

IC Form: https://forms.gle/JwbX73qb37LQjdhY9

Introduction
Hello, my name is Danny/TwoBit and I recently stumbled upon this community. As I was fascinated by the designs and varieties of keyboards I decided to create my own. With almost no experience in engineering/CAD this seemed to be impossible. Yet I made this post here today to introduce my brand new company, TwoBit with my first Prototype of the "Noble" Keyboard. The aim was to design a very unique but minimalist keyboard to feel premium, heavy and sound elegant.
Due to the high costs of creating my own business, I will start a kickstarter campaign to crowdfund this keyboard project.

Specifications:
6061 Aluminum Case
Color Options: E-White / Anodized Black
Mirror Polished or Sandblasted Brass Weight
Default Brass Plate

Features:
Top-Mount
Custom ANSI and ISO Hot-Swap PCBs (Prototypes in progress)

Seamless Case Design (Design changes in progress as I need to rework the plate, some measurements, deepening of the screws)
USB-C
Compatible with QMK

What’s in the box?
"Noble" Keyboard Case
Default Brass Plate
PCB
Foam
Stabilizers
Screws

Extras/Addons
Extra PCBs (with USB-C)
Extra Plates (of different Materials)
Current candidates for plate materials are carbon fiber, brass, aluminium and Polycarbonate. Make sure to fill out the IC form, so I can pick the plate materials with most interest.

Sale Info:
Prices: TBA
Quantities: 200-250 Total Units
Kickstarter Campaign

Prototype Information:
The color for this prototype is Anodized Black, but I am not very happy with the look as it is not dark enough.

Connect with TwoBit
To stay up to date with this project and any future projects, fill out the IC Form or join my instagram page below!
Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/twobit.design/
Website in progress : http://twobit.design/

Thank you for your time and feedback. I really appreciate any comments as I have very little experince in designing a keyboard.

Full list of Prototype pictures:
https://imgur.com/a/vn0JQRU

PS. I am still looking for somebody who can do renders. Feel free to contact me.

Diggidy · « **Reply #1 on:** Wed, 21 April 2021, 06:36:26 »

A kickstarter campaign? Have you actually paid attention to this community? Have you seen anyone else using kickstarter to sell their keyboards? Also, if you have a prototype, you should have an idea of what the price is going to be.

Tom Sparrow · « **Reply #2 on:** Wed, 21 April 2021, 06:40:02 »

Quote from: Diggidy on Wed, 21 April 2021, 06:36:26

A kickstarter campaign? Have you actually paid attention to this community? Have you seen anyone else using kickstarter to sell their keyboards? Also, if you have a prototype, you should have an idea of what the price is going to be.

Kickstarter is unusual, but AngryMiao sold their Cyberboard through Indigogo, I guess it works but is indeed unusual.

I like the exploded approach and the bottom.

GLWIC

TwoBit · « **Reply #3 on:** Wed, 21 April 2021, 06:45:31 »

Quote from: Diggidy on Wed, 21 April 2021, 06:36:26

A kickstarter campaign? Have you actually paid attention to this community? Have you seen anyone else using kickstarter to sell their keyboards? Also, if you have a prototype, you should have an idea of what the price is going to be.

Hello Diggidy, thank you for your comment and feedback.
Of course I paid attention to the community, nevertheless I've decided to go with the kickstarter campaign instead of using group buy vendors as I need the crowdfunding to create the company, produce the parts, ship them and also to pay engineers to help me in redesigning the product in order to be perfect. The price is not fix yet as it depends on the market situation and on the number of people who are interested in the product. The price will be anounced as soon as I can estimate the mass production quantity.

Have a nice day and stay safe.
TwoBit

JonoColwell · « **Reply #4 on:** Wed, 21 April 2021, 07:14:05 »

Unless you're doing something stupid like I am, creating a company is cheap wherever you are, and it shouldn't cost all that much.

Just eat the initial costs like everyone else and make them back over the course of the group buy.

Or just waste your money and accept you'll never make it back.

Kiclstarter is for scams.

goddream · « **Reply #5 on:** Wed, 21 April 2021, 07:17:02 »

why do you even need to make a company to sell keyboards

TwoBit · « **Reply #6 on:** Wed, 21 April 2021, 07:24:49 »

Hello everybody,

actually I am more interested in feedback about the product itself instead of feedback about the crowdfunding/group buy or company formation.
I acknowledge that there has been feedback and will reconsider it, but let's focus on the product now, as I this is my first design.

Thank you kindly for your understanding.

superdoedoe · « **Reply #7 on:** Wed, 21 April 2021, 07:28:26 »

if you want feedback on the board itself maybe remove the crowdfunding part because that's what everyone is going to be focusing on.

Nuap · « **Reply #8 on:** Wed, 21 April 2021, 07:33:38 »

Quote from: TwoBit on Wed, 21 April 2021, 07:24:49

Hello everybody,

actually I am more interested in feedback about the product itself instead of feedback about the crowdfunding/group buy or company formation.
I acknowledge that there has been feedback and will reconsider it, but let's focus on the product now, as I this is my first design.

Thank you kindly for your understanding.

I will give you some feedback on the product.

You call it a seamless case, yet I can see a very clear seam between the top and bottom pieces.

TwoBit · « **Reply #9 on:** Wed, 21 April 2021, 07:40:10 »

Quote from: Nuap on Wed, 21 April 2021, 07:33:38

Quote from: TwoBit on Wed, 21 April 2021, 07:24:49
Hello everybody,

actually I am more interested in feedback about the product itself instead of feedback about the crowdfunding/group buy or company formation.
I acknowledge that there has been feedback and will reconsider it, but let's focus on the product now, as I this is my first design.

Thank you kindly for your understanding.

I will give you some feedback on the product.

You call it a seamless case, yet I can see a very clear seam between the top and bottom pieces.

Hello Nuap,
that's why design changes are in progress. Also in the full gallery on Imgur I wrote below this picture "Gap between Top and bottom need to be fixed."
Thank you for your comment though.

Have a nice day and stay safe.
TwoBit

Artemie · « **Reply #10 on:** Wed, 21 April 2021, 07:47:26 »

Damn, this would've been the perfect IC if only it was posted 20 days earlier.

VellFlamm · « **Reply #11 on:** Wed, 21 April 2021, 07:55:44 »

I know that you want some feedback about your design, but let me say one thing.
Introducing a domain parking page as your website is just so unprofessional.
You shouldn't even mention that you have a website until it's 100% done.

clonetropboi · « **Reply #12 on:** Wed, 21 April 2021, 07:55:51 »

If this is your first design why is it in IC. Also I think that a kickstarter campaign is something for very innovative or far better than the average kb products.

hali · « **Reply #13 on:** Wed, 21 April 2021, 08:12:54 »

don't include stabs nor kickstarter jfc

P103 · « **Reply #14 on:** Wed, 21 April 2021, 08:20:24 »

Starting the hobby journey with a 'I want to sell you things' and a kickstarter project, pretty spicy stuff here. For real tho, if you already want to sell the keyboard through kickstarter there's no need for an IC, this is just a marketing post.

dexie · « **Reply #15 on:** Wed, 21 April 2021, 09:00:37 »

Can we focus on questions about rampart, please

Jokes aside, you claim to design it to "sound elegant". Anything specific you did with your design to achieve this goal, or you just hope that top mount with some foam inside will sound "elegant"?

Also, what about those included stabs

dededecline · « **Reply #16 on:** Wed, 21 April 2021, 10:23:49 »

Please show some disassembled prototype pictures and/or get an exploded render that actually shows details of the board, nowhere do I see what the internals of the board look like. I'm particularly interested in the mounting points. I would also recommend sending prototype(s) to reviewers, as people will be skeptical without third parties having talked about it with firsthand experience.

I won't beat the dead horse here but part of the reason people are skeptical of your kickstarter is because vendors offer a level of protection to buyers by way of assurance that their money won't go to waste and knowledge of how to properly produce boards. What you are doing takes all of those assurances away and honestly could prevent many people from joining your group buy.

Kokaloo · « **Reply #17 on:** Wed, 21 April 2021, 10:34:35 »

So, okay
I'm trying to wrap my head around a lot of this.
You have no prior experience in engineering or 3d modeling but still want to jump to making a kickstarter, that's really bold. On top of that you anticipate selling 250 of these for your first designed keyboard/buy.
I also don't think this keyboard offers a lot in terms of "good" design. M2 screws to fasten the top and bottom pieces together are really lackluster, everything about the keyboard seems extremely sharp and under-designed from the huge square bezels, to the seem, the huge bottom, etc. If you already had plans to change the design of this you should have waited until those were finished before posting this so you can show your idea of a better board.
There's a lot to work on and consider before attempting your first design, and this screams that it was rushed by someone without experience.

BarfightSpectator · « **Reply #18 on:** Wed, 21 April 2021, 10:44:30 »

well I for one am interested.

i'm not a big fan of the fact that the arrowkeys and buttons above it don't align on the right. if it was my design I'd put a bigger blocker next to the left arrow and not focus on having a continuous spaltmaß.

TwoBit · « **Reply #19 on:** Wed, 21 April 2021, 12:22:21 »

Hello everybody,

Thanks for the factual criticism and... also the less factual one.

I'm glad to receive some feedback and also some good ideas from interested persons in the IC Form as well as in the forum. This is helping me a lot.
Of course this might seem all a bit rushed and underexperienced and I admit that this is the case.
As told before I have experience in keyboards in general, but none experience in designing it.
This Interest Check therefore is the help I need in terms of a market research/design change proposals etc.
I understand the points concerning the funding, design and presentation of the product and will evaluate your answers for the next updates.

I will leave this Interest Check open till end of the day and hope to receive more factual criticism.
After that the design is going to be reworked and I hope to be back with a more convincing keyboard.

Thank you very much for your words and honesty.
TwoBit

UGunaLOSE · « **Reply #20 on:** Wed, 21 April 2021, 13:07:15 »

I personally think this looks like a great start. Love the exploded arrow cluster, thicc boi bezels but definitely do see a need for some re-tweaks and future prototyping. As you have been doing, take in the feedback (good/bad) and adjust where necessary.

GLWIC!

OtherAndrew · « **Reply #21 on:** Wed, 21 April 2021, 13:12:36 »

Quote from: TwoBit on Wed, 21 April 2021, 12:22:21

Hello everybody,

Thanks for the factual criticism and... also the less factual one.

I'm glad to receive some feedback and also some good ideas from interested persons in the IC Form as well as in the forum. This is helping me a lot.
Of course this might seem all a bit rushed and underexperienced and I admit that this is the case.
As told before I have experience in keyboards in general, but none experience in designing it.
This Interest Check therefore is the help I need in terms of a market research/design change proposals etc.
I understand the points concerning the funding, design and presentation of the product and will evaluate your answers for the next updates.

I will leave this Interest Check open till end of the day and hope to receive more factual criticism.
After that the design is going to be reworked and I hope to be back with a more convincing keyboard.

Thank you very much for your words and honesty.
TwoBit

lurk more

huey · « **Reply #22 on:** Wed, 21 April 2021, 15:44:45 »

I'm so glad you've given us the opportunity to fund your start-up. Never in my life more have I ever wanted to give someone money so they can fund their business opportunities. /s

I'm fed up of people scalping from this market. You can just be a member of the community and make things.

ggggggg · « **Reply #23 on:** Wed, 21 April 2021, 16:24:10 »

Jesus the amount of vitriol in this thread. Lock this, OP, rework the design, come back another day.

Also stop being so needlessly mean everyone, I'm glad I rarely have to interact with people this self-righteous in real life.

Cubic // esc lab · « **Reply #24 on:** Wed, 21 April 2021, 16:50:44 »

Quote from: ggggggg on Wed, 21 April 2021, 16:24:10

Jesus the amount of vitriol in this thread. Lock this, OP, rework the design, come back another day.

Also stop being so needlessly mean everyone, I'm glad I rarely have to interact with people this self-righteous in real life.

OP, highly recommend you spend some time understanding and observing how people run group buys and ICs, then come back fresh with your learnings.

Kickstarters generally aren't used, if not at all not used, in this community.

I would also focus on the product rather than your company.

This community has always revolved around the product being first, and that should be your focus.

Ignore some of the vitriol you read here. It's not healthy for your brain. Some folks here just need a hug and some CBD

Just focus on the constructive feedback and come back stronger later.

GLWIC.

Altain · « **Reply #25 on:** Wed, 21 April 2021, 18:58:03 »

Quote from: ggggggg on Wed, 21 April 2021, 16:24:10

Jesus the amount of vitriol in this thread. Lock this, OP, rework the design, come back another day.

Also stop being so needlessly mean everyone, I'm glad I rarely have to interact with people this self-righteous in real life.

This. OP, take the idea to the "Making Stuff Together" and start working on, since you claim to have no experience in designing a mechanical keyboard before.
At that forum I' more than certain you will get better feedbacks.

Also, approaching a project with kickstarter is way too unorthodox. I highly suggest you to revoke it. Regardless of your true intention,
it will be more than enough for people to see it as scalping. And I don't blame them.

Artemie · « **Reply #26 on:** Thu, 22 April 2021, 00:26:14 »

Just some glaring problems without even going on about the use of kickstarter:

1. MX + Alps plate - offer it only when there is intention to support alps.
2. "Seamless" design isn't seamless
3. Screw placement is right near the the edge of the board when the board has side bezels larger than 1u .
4. PCB is excessively pimply due to all the vias.
5. Website doesn't exist.
6. Bezel larger than exent, hence pcb will require a gigantic extension to even be at case edge. Consider the use of daughterboards.
7. No mention of board angle

If this a product intended to sell, and not to meme, then it needs more rework. Props though to getting a prototype.

News:

Author Topic: [IC] Noble by Twobit (Read 5261 times)