IBI: The layout is Dvorak, so the semicolon key is found on the bottom-left, next to the left shift key.
Beautiful keyboard. Great work. How much did the key cost?
I love the font on the keys, and I think it would be cool to replace the keycaps on my Filco with a set of those (in black, preferably, but white might be nice, too, similar to what iMav did with his HHKBs). Do you know if they have Cherry interfaces?
Everybody sit down for this one. The amount of money I've spent on this keyboard is rapidly approaching the cost of an optimus maximus keyboard (http://store.artlebedev.com/computer_add-ons/optimus-maximus/). For $500, I got two sets of keycaps - the ones pictured, and another set of blank black caps. The case was around $200. Circuit board, when I finally get it made, will be another $250, provided I get it right on my first try. Then there's all the components for the circuit board, and a steel backplate to finish it off.
Signature plastics does have the tooling for Cherry keycaps as well as Alps (and maybe others). I looked again at my original purchase order, and my set of blank black keys was $140. Adding labels adds another $300.
Now that I've had a closer look uou do seem to be missing various other common characters characters though, where is equals for example? On one of the blank keys?
Everybody sit down for this one. The amount of money I've spent on this keyboard is rapidly approaching the cost of an optimus maximus keyboard (http://store.artlebedev.com/computer_add-ons/optimus-maximus/). For $500, I got two sets of keycaps - the ones pictured, and another set of blank black caps. The case was around $200. Circuit board, when I finally get it made, will be another $250, provided I get it right on my first try. Then there's all the components for the circuit board, and a steel backplate to finish it off.
Signature plastics does have the tooling for Cherry keycaps as well as Alps (and maybe others). I looked again at my original purchase order, and my set of blank black keys was $140. Adding labels adds another $300.
It's worth it for a prototype, though. Hopefully you can get it into production and recoup the investment many times over.
what kind of switches by the way? (or did i miss that in the above discussion?)
I hope the final version has StrongMan ALPS whites... IIRC, you can pick up a box of 4,000 switches for ~$520 US
He said he used salvaged blue alps.
classy. Glad he's using alps instead of the ubiquitous cherries.
Are you a hater?
only of light switches :)Show Image(http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/uimages/sf/5-13-lightswitch1.jpg)
Your wish is my demand, sir. Dark switches for you!
Your wish is my demand, sir. Dark switches for you!Show Image(https://www.1stopelectrics.com/image/product/xdi1/1/image_1.jpg)
Your wish is my demand, sir. Dark switches for you!Show Image(https://www.1stopelectrics.com/image/product/xdi1/1/image_1.jpg)
It's also nice to see you used Shapeways. I plan to use them for an upcoming project. How much would it have cost to get shapeways to make the keys? Or is the plastic not of a high enough grade or something?
It cost $200 for a top and bottom from them for the case? Don't they have a thing where subsequent people can order the same design as well? So if we wanted to buy the case from them we could, and you'd get a commission or something?
Who is going to do the circuitboard? Or what are your plans? That's the part that's really going to fascinate me and has held up so many of my ideas....this is really mind blowing to me!!!
its amazing that you can have a completely custom keyboard made at all. I dont think a thousand (or even two thousand by the time its all done) bucks is all that much for a completely custom design from scratch including internal electronics. If I ever have the time I'd love to do something like this from scratch.
It does look very original and neat. I'd have minor quibbles with layout (naturally ;) (for instance, why no home/end keys near the cursor keys? Or are the there and I cant see them?). But if its going to be user-programmable anyway, then even those things wont matter. Also I've never used a non-staggered board, though I did ogle the typematrix for a while.
Really like the concept of multiple Fn keys for multiple layers. My autohotkey layout works similarly (I have "three layers" i guess).
classy. Glad he's using alps instead of the ubiquitous cherries.
This is really awesome. I like the symmetry of it, but it seems like you've gone overboard with the redundant modifier keys. The shifts in the center don't seem necessary to me. You could put ESC there to satisfy the vim users. And what are those blank keys by 1 and 0?
BTW, it seems like you can almost replicate this keyboard with a rectangular POS type board, for example, the Cherry G86-63400, and a lot of software keymapping. But the layout is completely novel. Now I'm thinking about buying a G86-63400 and trying this out.
I expected much more complaints about the layout than I've been getting. There are dedicated home and end keys, btw, just not on the colored image above in the thread. That was a very very early prototype design. Take a look at humblehacker.com,
In a way, you know what might be ideal? This keyboard, but with blank keys, and shipped with no layout whatsoever, so that the consumer programs the layout themselves completlely (it should ship with software to create the layout, then the user plugs it in and it 'flashes' the firmware on it with taht layout).
ie, why not sell a version which is simply _completely_ _blank_?
Because a) its the fantastic key layout that you're selling. That is the selling point. b) you're aiming it at geeks and programmers anyway, who would not only have their own ideas of what keys they want where and on what layer, but would in fact also enjoy the process of programming and flashing it themselves.
At least one version of this board should be like that - a completely blank board (no pre-flashed firmware, no printing on the keys). So geeks can "roll their own".
And what it offers over autohotkey or software solutions? Clearly it offers:
a) the uniquely ergonomic layout, mirrored on both sides. You just cant get that with software.
b) the speed and instant response of a firmware layout solution. yes, autohotkey hiccups now and then - and certain keys cant be captured by it easily (like the Fn keys). All hiccups are bypassed with a firmware solution.
I would totally buy a 'blank' one of these so I can roll my own layout.
Nicely stated. If I were to try to sell these, this is pretty much what I had in mind. I had thoughts of taking it even further and selling it as a kit where the buyer could source their own keys, solder them to the board, and assemble. The firmware and programming software would be available online as an open source project. There's a lot of different tastes in keyswitches out there, so it would be hard to please everyone. But how many geeks/hackers would want a keyboard that they've actually had to solder the keys on themselves? I know I'd buy one ;)
I expected much more complaints about the layout than I've been getting.
"which either comes with some standard switch (blue alps would be decent, for instance;"
I expected much more complaints about the layout than I've been getting.
Except the blue ALPS where replaced with white ALPS long ago, which is why I recommended white Strongmans.
any keyboard that deviates significantly from the standard ANSI qwerty layout is an immediate fail for me. .
Concerning having to work on different machines: If the keyboard was programmed in firmware, then you can just take it around and plug it into whichever computer you need to use. I would imagine that everyone should be allowed to at least plug in USB peripherals.
There's also ssh ... the beauty of never having to leave your own computer.
Is it not difficult to type on the matrix-like board? I have not had the opportunity to try typing on a board which has not got staggered keys and so I cannot tell how hard it might be to make the transition.
Thanks for all the kind words. I've updated the article with more information about the case and keys, and corrected some minor mis-statements (apparently, I can't tell my left hand from my right).
IBI: The layout is Dvorak, so the semicolon key is found on the bottom-left, next to the left shift key.
Holy necro Batman
Holy necro Batman
Why do people shout 'necro' when an old thread is updated... Is it a problem? What is the problem, exactly?
Should the previous person have started a new thread just to praise the work done in this thread? That would be ridiculous.
Threads like this are timeless, and comments about this amazing project should be posted right here, in the project thread. Regardless of the previous post date. No?