Maglev Keyboard coming to notebooks

[Kamen Rider Blade]

http://www.cnet.com/news/darfons-super-thin-maglev-keyboard-will-make-notebooks-even-slimmer/

Hopefully, this technology will make a comeback in general

[UnlikeAny]

This is great. If laptops gets thicker, people will have more space to take a good keyboard with them.

[E TwentyNine]

"Darfon says it is also able to tweak the resistance electronically, so the keys will have various degrees of pressure depending on the preferences of their customers."

Here's the patent: http://www.google.com/patents/US20130249658

If the pressure is adjustable wouldn't that imply an electromagnetic assembly?  Wonder what kind of power usage that entails.

[Greeeg]

Probably less than you would think. From the looks of the patent, the switch is held in its neutral position by a permanent magnet.
There is another magnet in the frame of the switch which I assume when you press the keytop would induce an electric field in a PCB/coil below.
Some smart electronics could drive power back to increase/reduce the force you feel while pressing.

So there is no power being used when you aren't actually pressing on a key.

[islisis]

with fast enough electronics, this could make a very versatile tactile switch! first in a laptop

[Puddsy]

if it's expensive, I'll try and find a dead one a year after it comes out.

[dorkvader]

if it's expensive, I'll try and find a dead one a year after it comes out.

you can try to get the replacement keyboard part through the normal channels.

[Puddsy]

But that's a simple, easy thing to do.

Why would I want that?