1800 layout with Trackball boards are coming

[JaccoW]

I came across these on Reddit and I thought I'd share.

So apparently both Tesoro as well as iOne are coming with a G8*-1800 layout board with trackball.




I'm actually really curious about these boards so I might scoop one up if I come across them.
Anyone else planning on buying these?

[Jokrik]

If they use Cherry or at least Gateron, it might be interesting thing to buy from my POV
But as far as I know Tesoro uses Kailh

[JaccoW]

If they use Cherry or at least Gateron, it might be interesting thing to buy from my POV
But as far as I know Tesoro uses Kailh

Kailh would make it less interesting, but if the price is right?

[suicidal_orange]

The Teseoro caps are hideous and the layout is strange, (F keys mashed together, indicator LEDs on the wrong side) but at least the the iOne claims to be Cherry MX and they're offering OEM builds so surely the Tesoro is going to be too?

It's not for me as the spacebar isn't big enough, or maybe just not in the right place...

[ander]

Woo—it looks like HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

[JaccoW]

Woo—it looks like HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Show Image

Confirmed:

[jerue]

If this has non-linear Cherry MX switches, I will probably buy this board and give it a run. G1800 layout is interesting, not the easiest layout to get caps for but not too hard either.

[merlin64]

I'd buy it for the novelty and get someone to design a keycap set based on HAL!!

[FoxWolf1]

Great to see Trackball boards making a comeback! The layout and some of the details indicate that this is probably a descendant of iOne's Scorpius-35 model (which has been around for forever), so there's at least a chance that it'll use Cherry switches-- although, at the same time, there are clearly some changes, so I wouldn't put it past them to have opted for Kailh on this version.

I hope we see more experimentation in this direction. As someone who already has a trackball to the right of the keyboard (though, not attached), I wouldn't derive that much of a benefit from this layout, though. I'd like to see manufacturers play around a bit with other ways of integrating a trackball (or other pointing devices), and in particular more investigation of ways of integrating a pointing device into or near the arrow key area. Variations on this sort of idea:


Also, it's a shame that they backlit the keyboard but didn't go for a backlit trackball (meaning, a clear ball with LEDs to make it glow a color). The new illuminated CST L-Tracs look pretty awesome...

[VoteForDavid]

a) I hate that profile of trackball body in particular, with the tall, flat sides
b) I had an old Logitech (orbit? ) with a translucent blue ball, that I put an LED in a long time ago.  The glowing ball was awesome.

The modern trackballs use dots inside the (opaque) ball for optical tracking.  Next million-dollar idea: use a frikken LASER like even cheap mice have for the optical tracking and make translucent trackballs again.  With LEDs.

As for the Tesoro board, it's a big meh from me.  The layout is strange.  If you want people to go different, maybe try a little less different.  I prefer the above trackball-with-arrow buttons even with the ancient-beige and bigenter key, to this new offering.

[Norman_the_Owl]

But...there were actual 1800s with trackballs...

[CPTBadAss]

That trackball looks a bit like the Slimblade

[JaccoW]

But...there were actual 1800s with trackballs...

The SkiData boards had them but other than that I don't remember any other ones. If you mean the 11800 and 11900 models, well I wouldn't call them real 1800 boards as they have several keycaps that simply won't fit and have a completely different profile.

[njbair]

Great to see Trackball boards making a comeback! The layout and some of the details indicate that this is probably a descendant of iOne's Scorpius-35 model (which has been around for forever), so there's at least a chance that it'll use Cherry switches-- although, at the same time, there are clearly some changes, so I wouldn't put it past them to have opted for Kailh on this version.

I hope we see more experimentation in this direction. As someone who already has a trackball to the right of the keyboard (though, not attached), I wouldn't derive that much of a benefit from this layout, though. I'd like to see manufacturers play around a bit with other ways of integrating a trackball (or other pointing devices), and in particular more investigation of ways of integrating a pointing device into or near the arrow key area. Variations on this sort of idea:

Show Image

Also, it's a shame that they backlit the keyboard but didn't go for a backlit trackball (meaning, a clear ball with LEDs to make it glow a color). The new illuminated CST L-Tracs look pretty awesome...

Show Image

My L-Trac has all the electronics for backlighting (thru-holes for LEDs, etc.) but the chip is not currently providing power to those solder points. I've emailed CST to see if they have any plans to support DIY-ers who want to add their own backlighting, but it's been over a month without a response.

[demik]

Are they using the Harry Potter typeface?

[jerue]

Are they using the Harry Potter typeface?

This keyboard will make you a wizard, Harry!

[vivalarevolución]

They need to make it bigger

[Firebolt1914]

I don't like the non standard function row placement, however I'm curious to see what these will be like.

[engicoder]

Whats old is new again:



Qtronix KT-30 with vintage MX blues.

Wouldn't be surprised if Tesoro were made by iOne, which used to be Qtronix.

[IvanIvanovich]

I was just about to say that too... just an updated revision of a board that has been made by iOne for just a few decades now. Tesoro is clearly made by iOne OEM, whether they want to admit it or not.

[JaccoW]

Interesting. But how does the layout feel? Does it work? Or do you prefer a separate trackball.

[njbair]

If you're going to build it all into a single device, it would make more sense to put the trackball in between the alpha and nav/number clusters.

[Findecanor]

Fentek's intermediate model with the same retarded bottom-row layout.
Lots of people who press the space bar with their right hand would hit right Alt by mistake.

[IvanIvanovich]

It has the same layout, because it is 100% the same keyboard PCB.

Now... if they would have made this keyboard trackball model with bluetooth or even old wireless... it could have been a killer for htpc and maybe casual gaming on the sofa.

[ander]

I'm sorry, I can't do that, Dave.

[katushkin]

PSA:

KAILH AREN'T BAD