Wait ... the TP2 had HHKB-like functionality (http://www.matias.ca/tactilepro2/optimizer/index.php)!? :O
Wouldn't it be great if the TP3 made the most of that by shrinking the size.
I know, not what they are aiming at, but a nice thought.
Is anyone else looking forward to the Tactile Pro 3.0?
Recently, I've found having volume controls on the keyboard to be pretty useful, especially when using separate speakers and subwoofer (necessitating the use of the Windows master volume). "Use the mouse", you say? Fine, but you can't do that whilst in the middle of a game.
Volume buttons are the only buttons I missed on my mechanical keyboards. I don't care much for the others.
This (http://www.mega-nerd.com/erikd/Img/hey_dell.png) was the one I was thinking of.
That's the keyboard I was using while my 'e' key was repeating. It was horrific to type on.
My volume knob (http://farm1.static.flickr.com/83/241528633_a2fc6506a2.jpg) isn't on the keyboard, but it's close enough. I'd rather use a mechanical keyboard and use something else for that task. Besides, I've had bad luck getting everything integrated with extra keyboard hotkeys. I usually have no patience to run special hotkey drivers or anything like that.
* Picture not of my own equipment, found it in Google search.
ScrollLock:: Send {Volume_Down}
Pause:: Send {Volume_Up}
[b]Pause & ScrollLock:: Send {Volume_Mute}[/b]
I've been playing with AutoHotKey. I know that it can do a lot of fancy things, but I'm just using it for something nice and simple:
Scroll Lock = Volume Down
Pause/Break = Volume Up
Winkey + Scroll Lock = Volume Mute
I've put off trying AHK because of potential conflicts, but I see that Shift + Scroll Lock still works to enable/disable Scroll Lock, and Winkey + Pause/Break and Ctrl + Pause/Break still do what they originally did. I can't think of a single time I've used the Pause/Break key by itself.
I wanted to do Scroll Lock + Pause/Break to be Mute, but it stopped the holding down functions for Vol Up/Down from working. Any ideas?Code: [Select]ScrollLock:: Send {Volume_Down}
Pause:: Send {Volume_Up}
[b]Pause & ScrollLock:: Send {Volume_Mute}[/b]
#NumpadAdd::SoundSet +5 ;Master volume up 5%
#NumpadSub::SoundSet -5 ;Master volume down 5%
#NumpadMult::SoundSet,+1,,mute ;Toggle master mute
The wait is almost over and we appreciate your patience! Matias has begun
the first production run of our new Tactile Pro Keyboard.
The keyboard features include:
• Option key characters laser-etched on each key, for easy reference when
typing special symbols and no fading
• Caps Lock Key in the traditional location, with Caps Lock Light
• Volume Control Keys & CD Eject Key
• One cable to connect the keyboard to the computer
• 3 USB 2.0 ports: one located at the extreme left and right of the
keyboard, plus a third one at the back of the keyboard
• Premium quality Alps mechanical key switches, for maximum comfort & speed
We anticipate the first stock of keyboards to arrive early January 2010
and are accepting pre-orders for North American clients via our head
office in Canada. You can fax your credit card and shipping info to us at
1-905-265-8744.
Pre-orders will be billed in Canadian funds at time of fax receipt. The
price is US$149.95 plus US$10.00 shipping and will be converted at the
XE.COM exchange rate on the day of the transaction so your credit card
bill may be slightly over or under US$159.95.
Alternatively, you can mail us a US Dollar cheque for US$159.95 to: Matias
Corporation, 221 Narinia Crescent, Newmarket, ON, L3X 2E1, Canada.
Note: Ontario residents please add 8% PST and 5% GST.
Residents of other provinces in Canada please add only GST or HST to the
cost of your order.
A notice will be posted on our web site once shipping has begun. The
Tactile Pro will be available through our online store if there is any
stock left after pre-orders are fulfilled. However, we have approximately
2,000 people on our Tactile Pro waiting list, and due to production
constraints our first production run is only 1,250 keyboards. We will
fulfill purchases in the order in which they are received. If you miss the
first production run, our second production run will likely be in March
2010.
Thanks again for your patience, and we look forward to providing you with
our best Tactile Pro Keyboard yet!
As much as I want to get one, I think I'm going to sit on the sidelines until at least the second batch to ensure that this keyboard is everything they say it is.
$160 is a little steep for an Alps (well, any) keyboard. It looks like it'll have some good features, though.
I'd never pay $160 for ANY keyboard. Even an industrial gray model F.
It better have dampeners at that price. I don't see any compelling features.
I'm holding out hope. One of their original aims with their Tactile Pro line was to be the modern version of the classic AEK keyboards.
I have nothing to contribute to the original thread, but if you can snag one of these for cheapShow Image(http://kb.o2dazone.com/powermate01.jpg)
They're pretty awesome. Especially at rolling through open applications
I'm surprised no one has made a combined 'desktop volume control" plus "desktop speaker power switch". That would be handy for external speakers that dont come with a wired remote.
Real volume controls are absolute, not relative. Anything that works in volume up/down increments is a poor substitute for a control you can spin instantly and continuously to the level you want.I agree with you on this. These days it seems like a lot of rotary volume knobs are just in front of a digital mixer with fixed steps. I've seen some good implementations of this which try to take into account how quickly you spin it, and a lot of bad ones which are completely linear. Even for the good ones, you still can't spin it round to a particular value. But on the other hand, I've never had a digital volume control go crackly (but I have seen one that was similarly dirty and would drift up or down if set to certain positions).
I bet there's an entire generation growing up who've never even laid hands on a proper volume control.
I'm waiting patiently. Someone mentioned that they had contacted company recently and were told its coming out in a matter of weeks. But then they've said this before apparently. The website says Fall '09.
Dear xxx,
The wait is almost over and we appreciate your patience! Matias has begun
the first production run of our new Tactile Pro Keyboard.
The keyboard features include:
• Option key characters laser-etched on each key, for easy reference when
typing special symbols and no fading
• Caps Lock Key in the traditional location, with Caps Lock Light
• Volume Control Keys & CD Eject Key
• One cable to connect the keyboard to the computer
• 3 USB 2.0 ports: one located at the extreme left and right of the
keyboard, plus a third one at the back of the keyboard
• Premium quality Alps mechanical key switches, for maximum comfort & speed
You can view images of the new keyboard at: http://matias.ca/tactilepro3
We have not released these photos to the public yet!
We anticipate the first stock of keyboards to arrive early January 2010
and are accepting pre-orders for North American clients via our head
office in Canada. You can fax your credit card and shipping info to us at
1-905-265-8744.
Pre-orders will be billed in Canadian funds at time of fax receipt. The
price is US$149.95 plus US$10.00 shipping and will be converted at the
XE.COM exchange rate on the day of the transaction so your credit card
bill may be slightly over or under US$159.95.
Alternatively, you can mail us a US Dollar cheque for US$159.95 to: Matias
Corporation, 221 Narinia Crescent, Newmarket, ON, L3X 2E1, Canada.
Note: Ontario residents please add 8% PST and 5% GST.
Residents of other provinces in Canada please add only GST or HST to the
cost of your order.
A notice will be posted on our web site once shipping has begun. The
Tactile Pro will be available through our online store if there is any
stock left after pre-orders are fulfilled. However, we have approximately
2,000 people on our Tactile Pro waiting list, and due to production
constraints our first production run is only 1,250 keyboards. We will
fulfill purchases in the order in which they are received. If you miss the
first production run, our second production run will likely be in March
2010.
Thanks again for your patience, and we look forward to providing you with
our best Tactile Pro Keyboard yet!
Best Regards,
etc etc
...and certainly $50 more for the shipping to Europe. Pretty expensive.
Sure no problem here's my credit card number: 1452-2154-2165-5778 exp 10-3124
The lettering looks really sharp :)
Yeah but not sure I like the numpad design.
Yeah too many numbers. What ever happened to good ol' 4 key numpads?
You know, that's the way the AEKII has the numpad. That's probably why it's not more like the traditional IBM numpad.
Mine does. It's made by that other guy, you know, the one that's not a poser.
I know you can't please everybody, but a silver and white (or silver and black) version would be just the thing to match the current crop of Macs (or any of the many Mac inspired designs out there).
They might come out with black/silver later on (They did that with the Tp2 for instance, IIRC). I like the white one but I too would prefer a normal numpad layout.
(p.s., hello fellow Manhattanite! ;) )
To that color suggestion, Beaker says meemeeemeeeeee!
Cheers,
~rn
i don't really see the point of the extra equals sign but it's nothing at all like trying to get used to a keyboard with a backspace/backslash/enter that deviates (shudder) from the ANSI model M layout.
No ghost in this machine.
Most keyboards allow only a certain number of keys to be pressed at once, and often cannot keep up with very fast typists. The result is called ghosting — letters missing from what you actually typed. The Tactile Pro has special Anti-Ghosting Circuitry (also called n-key rollover) to eliminate this problem. You can type as fast as you're able; the Tactile Pro will keep up
Laser etched keys.
All those symbols are handy, but what happens when they wear off?
They won't. They're laser etched — burned into the keys with a laser — so they'll never wear off.
3-port Hi-Speed USB 2.0 hub.
For quickly attaching USB peripherals, nothing beats the convenience of an in-keyboard USB hub. No more reaching through the tangle of wires behind your computer to download photos from your digital camera. Just plug it into the keyboard and you're ready to go. Works great with MP3 players, keyring hard drives, joysticks, and mice too. It won't charge your iPod/iPhone, but for syncing it's perfect.
Support for PC users.
The Tactile Pro is a Mac keyboard, but that doesn't mean you can't plug it into a PC and use it. You can. We even offer a download-able driver to change the Command and Option keys into Alt and Windows keys.
All of our products (except clearance items) are covered by a 30-day money back guarantee. If you are not satisfied with your purchase, you may return it within 30 days for a full refund or exchange.
Technically they meant blocking not ghosting but whatever.
Well, just unboxed one, and trying it now. Let me know if you have any questions.......Later
How smooth are the keys, and how noisy is it compared to the blue cherries?
Unlike last year, I'm not buying any keyboard this year.
Strong. Have you had a chance to use it yet? How do those ALPS feel?
pre-"bigfoot"
... bigfoot ALPS are original complicated... never realized ALPS made a switch prior to the Bigfoot White/Black/Green & Yellows, except for maybe the blues...
Anyway, back to the Matias TP3. Why $150? And why does it look like a keyboard from the 80's?
Hahaha, I'd be happy just going a month without a keyboard purchase.
If you try for none, you'll get a few.
Try for a few, you'll get a lot.
Try for a lot...well, prepare to sell your house.
I would rotate through my collection if I had a collection, but all I've got is a sweet Filco and a bunch of rubber domes, and I don't hate myself THAT much to rotate.
But if you sell me your HHKB I might be talked into some cheating ;)
Does anyone else here rotate often through their collection?
Does anyone else here rotate often through their collection?
Does anyone else here rotate often through their collection?
Anyway, back to the Matias TP3. Why $150? And why does it look like a keyboard from the 80's?
OP: How do you like it so far, given that you have been using it for a few days now?
Also, there's more to it than Apple/Windows labeling. The extra function, volume, and power keys...
Still really enjoying it. My typing speed immediately increased (as I expected). The only thing I miss is the slightly larger option/alt key.