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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: msiegel on Thu, 07 January 2010, 22:36:21

Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: msiegel on Thu, 07 January 2010, 22:36:21: melty. this design has an interesting way of "getting rid of" the cursor keys :)

just announced:
Gizmodo (http://gizmodo.com/5442670/microsofts-arc-keyboard-is-really-warped)
Microsoft (http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/productdetails.aspx?pid=120)

(http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/4/2010/01/500x_microsoft_arc_2.jpg)
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: AndrewZorn on Thu, 07 January 2010, 22:38:59: wow it is so sleek and has media buttons i will be SURE to pick one of these up
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: HaaTa on Thu, 07 January 2010, 22:40:37: Neat, but it almost looks like something someone left in the sun too long.
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: msiegel on Thu, 07 January 2010, 22:59:19: Quote from: AndrewZorn;149043
wow it is so sleek and has media buttons i will be SURE to pick one of these up

are you SURE?
it doesn't have backlit keys ;)
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: hyperlinked on Thu, 07 January 2010, 23:01:30: Quote from: msiegel;149041
melty. this design has an interesting way of "getting rid of" the cursor keys :)

That's kinda neat. I much prefer that method of saving space than squeezing in the inverted T into an unusual spot or altering the size of a couple of keys.

(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=7122&d=1262926176) (http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=7198&stc=1&d=1263009824)

This way if you ever need a backup D-pad controller for your gaming system, you can just grab your Arc-83 Key D-pad controller.

I don't know what to make of that arc though.
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: ricercar on Thu, 07 January 2010, 23:03:42: Requires Silverlight to see video. Grumble.
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: Viett on Fri, 08 January 2010, 00:12:35: It even fails to be compact.

Desk area of Arc Keyboard: 73.9 square inches
Desk area of Filco 87 key (keys are full size): 74.2 square inches
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: exia on Fri, 08 January 2010, 02:08:24: we should spread the good word of these filco keyboards, it is a shame that tenkeyless isn't the industry standard.
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: DreymaR on Fri, 08 January 2010, 02:34:18: Those ginormously long Shift and Backspace keys are a horrible waste of real estate.

And they're trying to make it look 'ergonomic' without fixing the row stagger. Meh. This is iced crap imnsho; but yeah, interesting arrow key. :)
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: Mental Hobbit on Fri, 08 January 2010, 06:07:47: Quote from: Viett;149059
It even fails to be compact.

Desk area of Arc Keyboard: 73.9 square inches
Desk area of Filco 87 key (keys are full size): 74.2 square inches

But this is MICROSOFT, not cheap Japanese Filco crap!!!!1!11
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: patrickgeekhack on Fri, 08 January 2010, 08:10:34: No numpad?
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: itlnstln on Fri, 08 January 2010, 10:40:43: Dip****s (not DIP switch).
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: arfink on Sat, 09 January 2010, 09:13:46: Hmm, looks like crap. If you buy it in a store it'll be crap in a box, on a shelf. I'll admit, it does look... interesting. But if Microsoft's previous hardware is any indication, this one will stink too. Which is why I find it puzzling that people get excited over Microsoft Natal- it's Microsoft, people. How good can it possibly be?
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: AndrewZorn on Sat, 09 January 2010, 10:26:52: hey, dont rag on natal. they made a computer program that recognizes several different voiced phrases, and animates a child onscreen to react accordingly. that means they invented AI. you will have the most advanced thing in modern technology in your living room.
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: microsoft windows on Sat, 09 January 2010, 10:45:54: Quote from: arfink;149442
Hmm, looks like crap. If you buy it in a store it'll be crap in a box, on a shelf. I'll admit, it does look... interesting. But if Microsoft's previous hardware is any indication, this one will stink too. Which is why I find it puzzling that people get excited over Microsoft Natal- it's Microsoft, people. How good can it possibly be?

Well, they made Windows. And they make some pretty good mice too. But not keyboards.
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: ch_123 on Sat, 09 January 2010, 10:56:21: Quote from: microsoft windows;149456
Well, they made Windows.

Exactly.
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: microsoft windows on Sat, 09 January 2010, 11:34:22: What is so bad about Windows? It gets the job done quite well.
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: ch_123 on Sat, 09 January 2010, 12:22:20: That's what people said about Ox-driven ploughs and gas lighting.
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: keyb_gr on Sat, 09 January 2010, 12:57:09: Hey, I'd rather have an ox-driven plough than a plough driven by an ox...
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: msiegel on Sat, 09 January 2010, 13:55:27: yes... melty :D
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: snerd on Sat, 09 January 2010, 14:07:03: I still think the Microsoft Natural layout is the best I've ever used. I just wish it wasn't a big, key binding creaky pile.
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: cmr on Sat, 09 January 2010, 16:34:38: oh my god it's horrible. a d-pad? really? you expect me to use a d-pad???
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: AndrewZorn on Sat, 09 January 2010, 16:55:08: Quote from: cmr;149600
oh my god it's horrible. a d-pad? really? you expect me to use a d-pad???

a dpad is old news THIS IS A REVOLUTION
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: arfink on Sat, 09 January 2010, 17:35:45: Quote from: microsoft windows;149481
What is so bad about Windows? It gets the job done quite well.

You're talking to the wrong guy for this one...

Let me see, for starters, there's the fact that until recently, Windows should have been called WinDOS, and probably should have been called an operating environment instead of an actual OS, since it was piggybacking on another (DOS) kernel. Until Win 7, it was never fully integrated. Not to mention that they think they can re-invent the wheel as many times as they want, to the detriment of market creativity and their old userbase. Calling this design revolutionary, or calling the Natal revolutionary is like when Al Gore claimed to have invented the internet. It's not true, and the resulting product will probably be just as bad, if not worse, than their previous attempts.

EDIT: and if that's not bad enough, their track record for crappy products being the status quo means that when they finally get something right, people think it's a revolution, when in reality they've been holding everyone back with their own stupidity and should have been whacked for their ineptitude.
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: ch_123 on Sat, 09 January 2010, 17:37:39: Quote from: arfink;149615
Let me see, for starters, there's the fact that until recently, Windows should have been called WinDOS, and probably should have been called an operating environment instead of an actual OS, since it was piggybacking on another (DOS) kernel. Until Win 7, it was never fully integrated.

You're a little bit out of date there. Only by about 10 years, even 20 in some ways...
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: ch_123 on Sat, 09 January 2010, 18:12:47: Technically it was XP, given that this was the first home/consumer Windows based on NT. Bare in mind that ME was released around the same time as Windows 2000 for home users, and was still DOS based.

Either way, I've no idea where the Windows 7 thing came from.
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: ch_123 on Sat, 09 January 2010, 18:20:57: I had heard about that, fortunately a firmware update is all that's needed for the Draft N ones.
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: Findecanor on Fri, 16 July 2010, 14:03:59: Even though, I don't think that I would ever get one, I do find the concept of a "half-ergonomic" keyboard with curve but without hand-separation somewhat interesting. I definitely have got to try this board, as well as the Logitech Wave if I ever get a chance to.

Btw, did you notice the non-standard staggering between the bottom row and the middle row? It is only 1/4, not 1/2 key width.
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: kriminal on Fri, 16 July 2010, 14:42:55: *spit* redneck style
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: Forsaken on Sat, 17 July 2010, 01:04:20: Quote from: Findecanor;203367
Even though, I don't think that I would ever get one, I do find the concept of a "half-ergonomic" keyboard with curve but without hand-separation somewhat interesting. I definitely have got to try this board, as well as the Logitech Wave if I ever get a chance to.

Btw, did you notice the non-standard staggering between the bottom row and the middle row? It is only 1/4, not 1/2 key width.

I don't think it's ergonomic, specially not being chicklet keys. I think it's purely designed to look weird.
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: aegrotatio on Sat, 17 July 2010, 01:57:39: I dunno, Microsoft releases these items after extensive research. I wonder what they came up with that justifies the non-staggered approach for some of the rows. I'm sure there's a white paper somewhere that tells us why they did this.
Title: Microsoft Arc Keyboard
Post by: microsoft windows on Sat, 17 July 2010, 12:46:08: That's why I hate it.

Keyboards should be beige and gray. With NO media buttons.