geekhack Community > Ergonomics
Who killed the M15?
ErgoMark:
I patented this idea in 1990 and over the next couple of years made mock-ups and prototypes. In early 1993 after contacting almost all the major keyboard makers in the US and some off-shore, I ventured off to visit these companies on a protracted journey. Some of the companies visited included: Lexmark/IBM, Maxi Switch, Keytronic, Honeywell, Cherry (Germany) Apple, Alps Electric, Compaq, Dell, DEC… This undertaking was supported and inspired by my wife Liz.
Within one year copies of my prototype began to surface. Lexmark made the Select-Ease and IBM Options, Maxi made prototypes of the Ergo Max and Cherry produced theirs. Cherry also shared my information with Siemens and they went on to produce that ergo keyboard which was also re-badged the Kinesis Maxim (ironic indeed).
The patent situation was a bit of a quagmire but without delving too deeply into it; Apple’s keyboard splayed but was flat and hence no issues there, and the Lexmark patent claims were very narrow due to my prior art and disclosures and so their patents claimed only the feet construction and the way the two keyboard halves held the ball, from top and bottom - very limited scope.
Actually, both the German companies and Maxi identically copied some artwork I had made up and hence the resemblance between the Ergo Max and Kinesis.
Honorably, Alps Electric took a one year license to try to sell the concept to Apple their primary keyboard customer. Apple already had theirs and this didn’t proceed.
Liz and I decided to assert our patent rights when the patents issued. Lexmark took a license to produce and Cherry was forced out of production. Lexmark was a spin-off of IBM and was their exclusive keyboard manufacturer until 1996 when their contract expired and Lexmark had to compete against all others for the IBM business. As the buckling spring technology was far more costly than rubber domes they could not compete and sold the keyboard to their employees who then formed Unicomp.
Lexmark begrudgingly took a license under duress from us and our lawyers and a fairly lousy license was signed after a fairly hostile negotiation at their offices in Lexington. Compaq’s engineers (thanks to Jay and Dave) were helpful in this regard as Compaq were going to start selling the keyboard in larger quantities and would not proceed with Lexmark until they honored our IP rights.
In the closing of Lexmark’s keyboard division the tooling for the Select-Ease/Options keyboard went to Maxi, however, Unicomp had the buckling spring technology, The tooling needed extensive modification to make it work with rubber domes and Maxi didn’t have the gumption. And I had the patents which were non-exclusive to start then became exclusive to Goldstein/Goldtouch when the companies were formed.
There were attempts to get the tooling from Maxi and have it made by Unicomp under license from me but Maxi was too difficult to deal with and last I time I spoke with their lawyer, the tooling could not be located.
Liz and I lost Goldtouch in 2004 in a hostile takeover and the patents went in that nasty episode.
Commercially, while it is true that the biggest competition came from the very much cheaper flat regular keyboards with rubber domes that are given away with computers, it was the politics of that time that influenced our keyboard’s destiny to a much greater extent. The Clinton Administration introduced much stricter OSHA laws that were to decrease RSI injuries and that legislation drove Goldtouch sales tremendously. As an example, Chevron/Texaco was buying a Goldtouch keyboard (and keypad) for every computer they had and we had other major companies about to do the same when Bush got in and within a few weeks of taking office overturned the Clinton OSHA initiative. This returned the RSI issue from prevention to rehabilitation. Our sales dropped to pre-Clinton days leaving us vulnerable to the takeover.
Then there is the Goldtouch Mouse that Liz and I created… copied by many. Two major patent lawsuits…
Both the Keyboard and Mouse are still in production in their various guises almost 20 years and 15 years later.
Mark Goldstein
ErgoMark
Computer-Lab in Basement:
--- Quote from: ripster;244370 ---The Ergonomic keyboard market needs more Razer babes.
Show Image
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Holy ****, that guy looks exactly like my bi-sexual cousin, excpt without the mustache... ****in creeps me out!
iMav:
--- Quote from: ErgoMark;266472 ---I patented this idea in 1990 and over the next couple of years made mock-ups and prototypes . . .
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Mark Goldstein
ErgoMark
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Now THAT is a great first post!! Welcome to geekhack!
It would be great to capture some of this history in our wiki. Glad to see you here Mark and I hope you stick around. ;)
elbowglue:
Wow, thanks for the interesting read Mark - it's really interesting to hear that part of the story. Welcome to geekhack btw, I hope you stick around and provide more insights and stay around, at least for some laughs.
Computer-lab, yer a douche, how can you follow Mark's post with that crud?
Computer-Lab in Basement:
My apologies...
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