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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: TacticalCoder on Sat, 02 July 2011, 13:07:14
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I totally forgot I had this board... Long story short, after reading Geek Hack recently I realized all my mechanical keyboards were POS and thought that I probably had an old $5 rubber dome laying around in my basement.
My plan was to find a $5 rubber dome keyboard (anyone would do) and quit touch-typing: it was all being "open minded" and typing with two fingers in a "hunt and peck" style because it's all a matter of personal preferences anyway. Really, all the trolls ^H ^H ^H ^H ^H ^H nice people here had me convinced: old rubber dome was to be my new way of typing.
Then behind boxes I noticed a keyboard and thought I had my old $5 rubber dome!
But then no luck, it turned out to be a board I totally forgot I had (I think I've got it since 1998): a "Darwin Keyboards ltd" model "SmartBoard". It's a split-mechanical keyboard using white ALPS. On the back there's a website: http://www.darwinkeyboards.com but apparently nowadays it's just a link farm.
Maybe that Darwin Keyboards ltd became DataDesk?
(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=19977)
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Wow interesting find! Can you post a pic?
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Wow interesting find! Can you post a pic?
I thought there was a pic with my post. It has two led keycaps: "Num Scroll" and "Caps Lock".
Here's the pic again and a pic of the back. It's really weird because the model number says "SKR-2233" (but it does not corresponds at all to the other SKR-2233 references I've found). I think I remember it's a keyboard I received from the company: at that time I was writing articles in french computer magazines and wrote them asking if they could lend me a board so that I could review it in case we were making a special issue with keyboard tests and they gave me that thing.
(edit: added two more pictures -- all the pictures were taken with my MacBookPro's integrated webcam so they s*ck big times ; )
[ATTACH=CONFIG]19979[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]19980[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]19981[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH=CONFIG]19982[/ATTACH]
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Wow interesting find! Can you post a pic?
The logo on the right of the "SmartBoard" writing is a hand under which it is written "DARWIN".
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Hi All, I am the founder of Darwin Keyboards (we sold the company in 1999). Happy to answer any Qs you might have! -- Michael Blend
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hmm... interesting.
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Hi All, I am the founder of Darwin Keyboards (we sold the company in 1999). Happy to answer any Qs you might have! -- Michael Blend
Hi and welcome to Geekhack! I have tried the Smartboard (I think it was branded Datadesk Smartboard, so I guess after you sold the company), but unfortunately the keys were a bit hard to press, and would bind if you didn't press them in the center. Also I did not like the fanning so much (outer columns having progressively wider keys). However I did like the straight column layout! Too bad not many keyboards have the keys in straight columns, because it's a much better design than the pointless zig-zag staggered keys.
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Hi All, I am the founder of Darwin Keyboards (we sold the company in 1999). Happy to answer any Qs you might have! -- Michael Blend
Howdy! #1 question any Smartboard user will have is where can I buy more? I've got a couple that are wearing out, and I can't imagine switching to a "normal" keyboard. I'd love to buy a couple more of them!
In any case, thank you for designing the Smartboard! As a programmer and part-time writer, the Smartboard has made a huge difference in my life. Thank you!
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Howdy! #1 question any Smartboard user will have is where can I buy more? I've got a couple that are wearing out, and I can't imagine switching to a "normal" keyboard. I'd love to buy a couple more of them!
In any case, thank you for designing the Smartboard! As a programmer and part-time writer, the Smartboard has made a huge difference in my life. Thank you!
http://www.datadesktech.com/desktop_sb.html
Welcome to GH!
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I will buy that keyboard off you, been looking for a replacement FOREVER.
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Jimogeek,
Do you still have the old keyboard? You might be able to get it repaired. Bob - http://www.northgate-keyboard-repair.com/ - might be able to help.