When I read the thread, that bottom row seemed to be pushed for by a few very vocal people and in line with Mathias' vision. Many people spoke out against it. I don't think anyone expects it to be changed, but many people do not like it and won't be buying it for that reason. I know for me that bottom row was the thing that killed it. Anytime you make a non-standard board and layout, you're going to have a harder time getting people on board with it.
I’m not sure what your point is. The main vocal person was Edgar Matias himself, who explained several times that (a) they want to try to offer similar features found in the ErgoPro in a rectangular keyboard, since they need to make various 1.5u and .75u wide keycaps anyway, and (b) they want to do something that other keyboards don’t already do... there are several other OEMs interested in using Matias switches in various standard-ish layouts, so if that’s what you want just buy one of those instead.
Hopefully in the future other keyboards will also switch to using the new stabilizers, so that both MX and Alps can be properly supported on the same keyboard, including support for keycaps from old 80s keyboards.
Either way, the near future looks fairly bright for keyboards with Alps compatibility:
- There are of course Matias’s other keyboards, like the Tactile Pro, Quiet Pro, Mini Quiet Pro, Ergo Pro, etc.
- I hope that if KBParadise makes another iteration of their new 60% Matias-switch keyboard, they can switch to the new stabilizers & plate cutouts for them; currently they’re compatible with most old Alps caps, but not SP’s caps.
- I’m sure the Infinity keyboard is not the end of MassDrop’s MX/Alps keyboard ambitions – they want to make an MX+Alps Ergodox, and whatever layouts people are willing to buy. I’m guessing there will be a standard TKL board sometime given the current state of their poll, and presumably other stuff after that. I suspect that sometime within the next few months they’ll come up with an Ergodox that supports Alps switches.
- The stenosaurus (open source stenography keyboard) is planning to use extra-light linear Matias switches,
see here- I’m not sure if the keyboard.io folks have made a final decision of what switches to use, but I know they were at least talking about using Matias switches, and used some on one of their prototypes (the Alps keycap mount makes it easier to make prototype keycaps).
- Matias’s new linear switches should be particularly attractive for makers of “gaming keyboards”, since they have clear housings to support surface-mount RGB LEDs underneath, and are much cheaper with better availability than MX switches (especially cheaper and more available than MX “RGB” switches). I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see some blinged out light-up Matias-switch keyboards sometime in the next few months.
- Personally I think Alps / Matias switches work better than MX switches for prototypes / DIY keyboards, e.g. with a 1/16" acrylic plate (backed by another thicker plate), or with a 3d-printed or CNC milled plate/case. With a metal plate, they’re about equally effective.
- Hasu’s tmk_keyboard firmware is a quite effective ADB to USB converter, so the various widely available and high quality old Apple keyboards (The 658-4081, M015, M0116, M3501, etc.) can be easily made compatible with modern machines.
- Other old Alps boards from Northgate, SGI, Dell, SIIG, etc. are starting to be a bit better known (and better cataloged) by geekhack/deskthority members than a few years ago, but prices for used keyboards are still low enough for anyone interested to easily dip a toe in. Matias switches are available to replace broken or poor-condition switches on any such boards.
