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

Microsoft's new foldable keyboard

blogs.microsoft.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 251 posts

Re: Microsoft's new foldable keyboard

#31

Post by seanp2k2 »

bcg1 wrote: post #23
cbeach wrote: post #2

It's neat, but Microsoft has not reinvented the keyboard. There's much prior art: https://www.google.co.uk/search?safe=off&client=safari&hl=en... I wonder how much MS paid Time.com for that article?

Seriously, you're more than correct. To say this is a straight up advertisement disguised as a puff piece would be kind. That said, I do regard the Microsoft Natural keyboard one of the greatest keyboard designs I've used, but even that was only a slight variation on prior art. My only gripe is that I've never found one with mechanical switches (so I'm pretty sure they never existed). PS - here is a plug for another…

You might like https://www.trulyergonomic.com/store/index.php or a Kinesis with the height adjusters http://m.thewirecutter.com/reviews/comfortable-ergo-keyboard...

Edit: reviews of other mechanical ergo keyboards: http://www.anandtech.com/tag/ergonomic

Re: Microsoft's new foldable keyboard

#32

Post by barsonme »

doczoidberg wrote: post #27
walterbell wrote: post #8

Microsoft once made an awesome trackball and then discontinued it, leaving the remaining supply to be auctioned at high prices on eBay. If you're lucky, you can now find one of these extinct $50 MSRP rarities for the low price of $550 on Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-D68-00007-Trackball-Explorer... Why they won't bring this trackball back to the market is a mystery.

I don't understand why the trackball died. I can move a mouse pointer much faster with it than with a trackpad. Google's G1 had also a trackball. I think this was the only smartphone with a trackball.

Blackberry curves had it.

Re: Microsoft's new foldable keyboard

#34

Post by to3m »

emirozer wrote: post #21

I guess MS is late by 19 years. PFU Limited reinvented the keyboard in 1996 :-P http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Hacking_Keyboard

That doesn't fold though. It's a foot wide and 4cm thick. The whole point of this new keyboard here is that it folds, and that it's really thin, so that it's like 6" x 5" x 1cm, and can go in your handbag or coat pocket.

Much better prior art here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Palm-Vx-Portable-Keyboard-105Keys/dp... (has 2 fold points, feels like a laptop keyboard)

Re: Microsoft's new foldable keyboard

#35

Post by kristopolous »

hcarvalhoalves wrote: post #28
walterbell wrote: post #8

Microsoft once made an awesome trackball and then discontinued it, leaving the remaining supply to be auctioned at high prices on eBay. If you're lucky, you can now find one of these extinct $50 MSRP rarities for the low price of $550 on Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-D68-00007-Trackball-Explorer... Why they won't bring this trackball back to the market is a mystery.

Because it's a sure way of getting a RSI? I've used of the thumb type and it was awful, couldn't stand a week.

the thumb type cured me of rsi. i swear by them ... can't go back to the dragging type.

Re: Microsoft's new foldable keyboard

#38

Post by kstenerud »

joshuapants wrote: post #24
jacobolus wrote: post #5

Reinvented is pretty strong language here, this idea is far from new. I think this new keyboard looks convenient enough for those needing extreme portability, but also probably a pretty mediocre typing experience. In any case, this time.com post is just blogspam. Here’s Microsoft’s page that all the content comes from: http://blogs.microsoft.com/firehose/2015/03/02/get-more-done... And here’s another third party page…

The TextBlade looks fascinating. There were only demos of it running on iOS and Android devices, but I hope it can be compatible with OSX, Windows, and Linux too.

It's bluetooth so it's compatible with any bluetooth capable OS.
Post reply on HN