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Sonder E-Ink Keyboard

sonderdesign.com

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Re: Sonder E-Ink Keyboard

#191

Post by brudgers »

SonderDesign wrote: post #185
tarikjn wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please consider split keyboards with raisers for future advanced models, I have a Kinesis Freestyle 2 with VIP3 kit, and this is the best keyboard I've ever used as far as ergonomics -- and it doesn't have to have such a large footprint or long travel keys to be ergonomic, though the riser and the wrist rests are almost indispensable. The Goldtouch Go!2 tried to go in the direction of an ergonomic mobile keyboard, bu…

I agree with your points on ergo design, we did a survey with the thousands on community members and only like 4% would buy an ergo design which was lower than expected. It's important for us to address from a design perspective but we want to do incremental keyboard revision, otherwise consumers won't be able to adapt to the massive transition in a dynamic and ergo design.

The Microsoft Natural Ergonomic 4000 might make a good reference design. With all those programmers, they've got a pretty good dog fooding process for keyboard ergonomics. And the 4000's are very modestly priced...another good reason to have one as reference.

Re: Sonder E-Ink Keyboard

#192

Post by riprowan »

blisse wrote: post #128
brokenmachine wrote: post #117

Is it really that hard to remember keys for different applications that you need expensive displays on every key? Learning to touchtype has been the most efficient use of my time ever. As a mechanical keyboard user, chiclet non-mechanical keys just feel like garbage to me now. Like my laptop which I hate using only because of the keyboard. Absolutely no tactile feel at all. Just mushy little islands that my fingers c…

Absolutely it's hard to remember keys. Trying to remember hotkeys when I switch between Visual Studio, Android Studio, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe InDesign is actually quite annoying. More so with Photoshop and InDesign. Anyways it's still nice to have.

But how will the Sonder keyboard help you to remember hotkeys? Maybe I'm missing something. I can understand how it can show me that option-shift-2 is the Euro symbol but how can it show me that command-G is "Paste Only MIDI Notes"?

Re: Sonder E-Ink Keyboard

#193

Post by adinb »

SonderDesign wrote: post #104
ianai wrote: post #5

I really want to like this, but I never look at the keyboard. I wish this were a general purpose display.

You can buy directly from E Ink holdings or PDI without the 50% profit margin from retailers. They come with dev kits too so you can make it into a monitor. Our software guys would like to work on a E Ink dev screen for software developers who stare at a screen for most of the day.

Here's the link to the e-ink holding's dev kits and naked screens: http://shopkits.eink.com/product-category/all/

Re: Sonder E-Ink Keyboard

#194

Post by SonderDesign »

OrthoMetaPara wrote: post #159
SonderDesign wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a small thing but a lot of editors who travel from studio to studio will have their own work process, it's very specific to power users; which this product is designed for. If the feature is a gimmick to you, it's fine; but others really appreciate it and in testing with video editors etc it's something we get a ton of feedback for including.

>If the feature is a gimmick to you, it's fine If I'm familiar with an application, I don't look at the keyboard. If I'm VERY familiar with an application, I don't even recall commands through their mnemonic, but through muscle memory. For example, I've just switched to spacemacs from vim, and one of the first commands to learn is Ctrl+G, which is to exit from any menu. "Escape from menu" is not mapped into my brain…

Thanks for the feedback, some interesting insights from other vim users.

P.s The E Ink display isn't in contact with the actual user, the keys are just a transmissive body for the display.

Re: Sonder E-Ink Keyboard

#195

Post by SonderDesign »

Quequau wrote: post #190
SonderDesign wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Haha, of course, we have an API on the client which comms with the on board flash; the cloud is just a back up of a user profile so if an editor is at a new studio they can dl their profile quickly. It's an option that creative design demographic constantly ask for.

So the keyboard works fine, including all other features, without connecting to the "cloud"?

Correct, the cloud is just an option which is off as standard.

Re: Sonder E-Ink Keyboard

#196

Post by SonderDesign »

beeforpork wrote: post #186

Is the API/protocol to program the key displays open and well-documented so there can be Linux and BSD drivers? (I'm thinking gimp, emacs, and xfig(!).)

I work mostly on the electrical side but we do interact a lot with the software devs (I can code but only in C++), it's not gospel but I think the scope for the software is an open API.

Re: Sonder E-Ink Keyboard

#198

Post by SonderDesign »

PudgePacket wrote: post #160

Heh, tough crowd. I like the idea :) If I hadn't just dropped money on a keyboard recently I'd be strongly considering. The potential integrations with emacs and the keys changing would be fun.

You can only learn from critical analysis, we like a tough crowd.

Re: Sonder E-Ink Keyboard

#199

Post by SonderDesign »

maxpert wrote: post #2

I so much wish Apple would have integrated E-Ink in their keyboard keys. I was kinda hoping from the leaks it to be true but sad :( Instead of removing function bar and putting in a stupid LCD this would have made more sense. If they were dying to put in an Apple watch display in keyboard they could have done it on trackpad! Disclaimer: Despite all this Macbook remains my fav laptop, no other laptop including surface…

I'm one of the engineers at Sonder, if you have questions just ask!

Re: Sonder E-Ink Keyboard

#200

Post by yannickmahe »

SonderDesign wrote: post #197
yannickmahe wrote: post #187

My use case for this will be the switch from French Azerty to Chinese Qwerty (bilingual speaker). I would buy this in a heartbeat if it had an attached numpad.

The second unit is an attachable numpad that can be used as a standalone or connects magnetically.

Nice. I'll be buying.
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