Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Keymacs: Modern Symbolics-Style Keyboard

keymacs.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 68 posts

Re: Keymacs: Modern Symbolics-Style Keyboard

#21

Post by lispm »

minimilian wrote: post #5

Wow; finally a keyboard with enough modifiers and no false assumptions about their names. Does this use the same kind of switch as the Space Cadet? How does it compare to the buckling springs of the IBM Model F? Can one flash QMK onto it, or another free firmware that allows one to do all configurations in plain text (for those of us who hate graphical interfaces)? While I like the layout and the keys and the legends…

I think the original looks best, especially connected to a real color Symbolics Lisp Machine like this:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CWrArcZBNRQ/

Re: Keymacs: Modern Symbolics-Style Keyboard

#23

Post by 1MachineElf »

utopcell wrote: post #16

This kind of products bothers me. At >$1400, they are clearly a money-grab on the back of the very innovative and vibrant diy keyboards community.

Normally I would agree with this sentiment, but then look at the prices of artisans which hover between $50-$150 each, then consider the fact that every key on this keyboard was individually custom made. At ~87 keys in a $1400 kit, this is already a steal for resin-cast Alps keycaps.

https://youtu.be/VIRkCXVwoXk

https://youtu.be/LY2dbQ_M06g

Re: Keymacs: Modern Symbolics-Style Keyboard

#24

Post by danachow »

utopcell wrote: post #16

This kind of products bothers me. At >$1400, they are clearly a money-grab on the back of the very innovative and vibrant diy keyboards community.

It bothers you? Then don’t buy it. I doubt they’re making very much money on something like this - at these prices the volumes are obviously going to be small and the custom keycaps and machining for a short run are not cheap.

If someone is trying to get rich quick there are far more effective ways then selling a handful of keyboards to a few nerds with disposable income.

Re: Keymacs: Modern Symbolics-Style Keyboard

#26

Post by apocalypstyx »

pnathan wrote: post #17

Not sure why "some assembly required" is so popular in higher end keyboard circles. I'd rather buy something that was repairable. I'm not a skilled electronics worker - my skills are elsewhere. I'd probably introduce my own defects into the keyboard... These days I'm using a Kinesis Edge with lifters: comfortable, ergonomic, and, likly, reliable. Anyway I would probably get a Kinesis Advantage or Maltron 3D keyboard…

You could get (in US dollars) 3 Kinesis Advantage 2s for the price of the basic kit here. As an Advantage user (I also built a couple of Maltrons from scratch at one point) I'm not giving up symmetry to fulfill what I suspect is a fundamentally hauntological desire.

Re: Keymacs: Modern Symbolics-Style Keyboard

#27

Post by xondono »

duped wrote: post #20
zcam wrote: post #8

The price tag is ridiculous

The bulk of it is the custom keycaps (a keycap run is seriously expensive, especially if you're using weird key sizes), the enclosure, and the switches. They're probably being hosed by their suppliers too, since I can't imagine they have the money to invest in serious volume. That said the board looks seriously under-engineered. It's a bit ridiculous to invest so much in high quality switches and an enclosure built l…

I’m not that sure. Nowadays you can get runs on the cheap, that’s why group buys are even possible in the DIY community.

The fully machined aluminum case probably plays a part in there too.

Re: Keymacs: Modern Symbolics-Style Keyboard

#28

Post by 1MachineElf »

minimilian wrote: post #5

Wow; finally a keyboard with enough modifiers and no false assumptions about their names. Does this use the same kind of switch as the Space Cadet? How does it compare to the buckling springs of the IBM Model F? Can one flash QMK onto it, or another free firmware that allows one to do all configurations in plain text (for those of us who hate graphical interfaces)? While I like the layout and the keys and the legends…

The Keymacs uses Alps-derivatives, while the original used Hall Effect switches: https://youtu.be/oDozftThFMw

Re: Keymacs: Modern Symbolics-Style Keyboard

#30

Post by xondono »

I see a lot of red flags here. They claim it’s “over-engineered”, but it looks like the opposite.

The cheaping out:

1) 2 layer board with two modules (one of them a DIY arduino board). Given the price tag they could have spent $2 in going 4 layers and add some ground planes.

2) Charging extra for N-key rollover? Seriously? Who though that would look good?

3) No cable?

The overspending:

1) Fully machined two part case. There’s a LOT of excess everywhere. More weight doesn’t make thins stronger. There were easier ways to build a case like that.

2) Every single piece aside from the switches seems to be fully custom made. “Custom” is only good if it brings value, for a lot of the pieces involved there seems to be little if any improvement.

3) from the pictures it looks like they surface finished the insides of they case, and even the support plate. Why would I care to add a brushed look to an internal part?

Post reply on HN