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Keymacs: Modern Symbolics-Style Keyboard

keymacs.com

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Re: Keymacs: Modern Symbolics-Style Keyboard

#31

Post by User23 »

I’ve been looking for a modern space cadet keyboard, but this isn’t it. For one the space bar is way bigger than it ought to be and that reclaimed space should have at a bare minimum comfortably thumb accessible control and meta keys. Or whatever you want to progr As it is my thumb has to travel all the way to my pinky just to hit the first modifier key.

If you’re calling your board keymacs it should have exceptional ergonomics for default emacs style binds. They did get the parentheses right though which is nice.

I want to see this small family business succeed and I would consider low four figures for the perfect emacs board so I hope they iterate on this.

Re: Keymacs: Modern Symbolics-Style Keyboard

#34

Post by fllsdf »

1MachineElf wrote: post #23
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

You can get 2u modifiers key for 2$ a piece on PMK [1] Sure they're not alps but if you're buying in any capacity i'm 100% sure you would pay maybe 1/10 to 1/100 of the price, case in point [2], even if you had to buy a set of 24$ you could extract 5 2u each for ~5$ a piece,given 16 modifiers that's 80$ in keycaps while being extremely generous about the price they would actually pay about them. Even if you're paying 5$ a piece for every single key that's ~450$ in keycaps, which is not even half of the price. And i just discovered that they are making you pay 150€ for the privilege of having a qwerty layout, which can be found in [2] for 24$, it's a nice keyboard but unless the case itself is worth 800€+ it's a ripoff

[1] https://pimpmykeyboard.com/sa-2-space-pack-of-4/ [2] https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_det...

Re: Keymacs: Modern Symbolics-Style Keyboard

#36

Post by rowathay »

xondono wrote: post #30

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…

Basically, this is “Juicero: The Keyboard.”

Re: Keymacs: Modern Symbolics-Style Keyboard

#37

Post by psanford »

While this is intriguing, it takes quite a lot out of the original charm of the spacecadet keyboard. All the mathematical symbols, the roman numberals, the thumbs up/down keys are what make the spacecadet so much fun. If you just want to throw a lot of modifier keys on a keyboard, you could come up with a better layout than this.

Re: Keymacs: Modern Symbolics-Style Keyboard

#38

Post by p_l »

1MachineElf wrote: post #28
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

The specific model that Keymacs recreates rarely, if ever, used Hall Effect switches - 365407 used mostly "gundam" aka "space invaders" linear switches that operate somewhat similarly to SKCM used by Keymacs, though some units had ITW mag-valve switches.

36000 keyboard were all Hall-Effect like their predecessor Space Cadet and Knight keyboards.

All of them (Knight, Space Cadet, Symbolics) used linear switches.

Re: Keymacs: Modern Symbolics-Style Keyboard

#39

Post by 1MachineElf »

fllsdf wrote: post #34
1MachineElf wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

You can get 2u modifiers key for 2$ a piece on PMK [1] Sure they're not alps but if you're buying in any capacity i'm 100% sure you would pay maybe 1/10 to 1/100 of the price, case in point [2], even if you had to buy a set of 24$ you could extract 5 2u each for ~5$ a piece,given 16 modifiers that's 80$ in keycaps while being extremely generous about the price they would actually pay about them. Even if you're paying…

I think you're missing the point here. Each link you posted are for keycaps that are made using injection molding. The process used by Keymacs is resin casting. The costs and customization involved aren't the same. It is an apples to oranges comparison.

Re: Keymacs: Modern Symbolics-Style Keyboard

#40

Post by Animats »

rowathay wrote: post #36
xondono wrote: post #30

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…

Basically, this is “Juicero: The Keyboard.”

Juicero was cheaper. This is "Starting at €1,262".
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