104 Key Ergonomic Mechanical Keyboard Interest Check and Ideas

[john08099]

Hi,

This is actually an interest check for an upcoming ergonomic mechanical keyboard. Hope this topic is acceptable here.
Currently we are having a working prototype and hope to hear more from you!









Spec:
* Wired
* 104 Keys
* Doubleshot ABS Keycaps
* ABS CASE
* NKRO
* RGB (Software available for setting RGB, Marcos, Remap keys)
* 1.8 M braided wire
* USB hub port * 1
* Scroll key to control Valume or Page up/down + multimedia
* System compatibility: Win XP,Win7,Win8,Win10, MAC
* Size:  (L) 487.84mm*250.1*59.49mm ±0.3mm

Switches and price (Feel free to tell us which one you like):
Outemu Hot Swap Brown/Blue/Red US$99-US$110
Gateron/Kailh Hot Swap Brown/Blue/Red US$110-US$120
Cherry Hot Swap Brown/Blue/Red US$130-US$140

Feel free to comment or just submit your ideas to our google form at https://forms.gle/qLD9mpxSgjF71utE9.

Thank you!

[theKM]

not wanting to be too cynical about products playing to the widest interest they can (because that's how things stay in business), but I made this meme a little while back

I do like the idea and position of the, what appears to be a roller encoder in the middle of the board.

[masteraleph]

Looks like about as close to the MS natural keyboard as you can bet (albeit with the 6 key on the other side).  Not sure how much I care about the roller and the other piece at the bottom, but they don't bother me.

The hot swappable piece is nice, but to be honest, I'd be much more interested in Cherry Clears.

[dusan]

For the height and the wrist rest, it can be used only on a low desk (approx. 65 cm in height). So I see it less practical than a low-profile keyboard without a wrist rest.

For the standard (staggered) layout, it can be useful only for users with large right hand, long index finger and pinky. So I see it less efficient than a non-staggered keyboard.

It may be successful in Europe and North America, though.

[abstractkb]

Looks interesting, but the bottom edge of the wrist rest seems like a very strange shape, if I liked that layout the weird wrist rest might make me not want it.

[blighty]

I opened this page thinking I would see my next keyboard purchase.  Then I saw where the "6" key was located and that interesting design choice for the wrist rest.  While neither one of these things in themselves trigger me necessarily, but I don't think those design choices are very eye pleasing. MS ergo inspired, just not quite enough for me.

[jamster]

I'd much rather a full size board with the numpad on the left, so you get the advantage of the closer mouse. As it is, with the numpad forcing mouse placement further out, it's not compelling enough from an ergonomic perspective for me to consider moving to.

Not sure what that cluster of circular controls is on the palm rest is- is it multimedia? I dislike multimedia control on a board used for productivity and would prefer to ditch the palm rest entirely.

I do like the idea of the scroll wheel location.
No interest in RGB.

Hang on, I just looked up the current MS Natural board- it appears to be quite similar, with a centred scroll mechanism. So the main difference is the mech switches with hot swap mounts?

[Zustiur]

For mass market appeal, I can see why this is what it is. For anyone who has spent much time in the ergo world, this is just another example of how watered down the term ergo is.
Split= Partial check because it's a fixed angle
Tented= partial check because it's not adjustable and is a very shallow angle
Tilt= partial check, the default setting is the same positive tilt we know from standard keyboards. The raised photo for negative tilt clearly indicated poor wrist angle because the person is standing for some strange reason.
Key layout=Qwerty. Known to be a problem.
Staggering=traditional row stagger. Known to be a problem.
Size=full size with tenkey on the right. I note the tactical placement of a mouse on the left in a photo, to disguise how bad this is for the majority of mouse users.
And so on.

[Rayndalf]

A version with no tenkey (to be used with a stand alone number pad) would be really neat to see in the future