They're not saying it explicitly but it sounds like the software for managing this thing will be closed source. Customizations will only work on Mac and windows. Hard pass from me unless someone reverse engineers the configuration protocol
Flux Keyboard
231–240 of 247 posts
Re: Flux Keyboard
#232Why the fuck do i need video behind my keyboard?
To impress your crush, obviously ;)
I pretty much came to say the same thing.
I want a repairable keyboard that works reliably across OS for a reasonable price. I'm pretty sure I am not the target market.
Re: Flux Keyboard
#233Earlier quoted context omitted.
How do you control the mouse using the UHK?
The default way is like this: https://ultimatehackingkeyboard.com/manuals/uhk60/mouse . Additionally there are addon modules for a trackpoint, touchpad or trackball ( https://ultimatehackingkeyboard.com/shop )
Yep exactly. Basically you hold a modifier key and then certain keys will control mouse movement instead of their normal function. Think of it like how changes keys to upper case. It takes a little getting used to but it quickly becomes muscle memory and you never have to think about it.
Re: Flux Keyboard
#234The keyboard itself looks good but hardware vendors (including keyboard manufacturers) have a track record of making abysmal software. In fact, software should probably be their primary focus. From their FAQ it look like they want themselves to add support for every application. Will they have an SDK for other software vendors to add support to their applications? Being more open, e.g. making a github repo where anyo…
Mark my words. If they release a good SDK for this, and this product catches on, we will have, "Jenna Jameson Teaches Typing".
Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to back your kickstarter.
Re: Flux Keyboard
#235Earlier quoted context omitted.
If I don't want to look at my keyboard, why have a display? If I do want to look at my keyboard, why have it physically resemble a typewriter from 1800?
Have you ever had blank key caps on a keyboard? Do you actually never look at a keyboard? I recently got a moo lander thinking the same only to realize I do need to look at the board in the absence of muscle memory
Yes and no. I do look at some keyboards more than never. If i do, it's to get a frame of reference without feeling around for the bumps on f and j.
I'm definitely not looking to remember where a key is relative to the rest.
Re: Flux Keyboard
#236Not a fan of the idea: 1. I don't look at a keyboard so there's not much point in making it look fancy. 2. I destroy keyboards in 12 months. Even good quality mechanical ones. I probably can't afford to own this. 3. It looks like bits are going to fall off it when I inevitably catch the edge of it moving from my mouse to my keyboard. 4. It doesn't have enough keys on it and the default positioned layout sucks. 5. It'…
> I destroy keyboards in 12 months. Even good quality mechanical ones. Wait how? How do they fail? This is interesting to me.
Not the person you're asking, but for me: I've been buying crap tier mechanical keyboards every ~9 months for the last few years to get a good feel for different switches and layouts, so I don't spend a lot of money on a really nice one I don't like. The quality is a big factor.
The other factor is that I'm a key masher. I just don't type lightly, particularly when I'm gaming - my brain refuses to accept that pressing W harder doesn't make me go faster, and my failure mode tends to be one of:
* switch breaks/wears out
* pcb stressed/flexed by my mashing causes traces or solder joints to loosen. Keys will only work sometimes, and sometimes end up putting out the wrong letter. Pushing hard on the misbehaving key will often make that one work but surrounding keys will start misbehaving. This has happened on a few keyboards!
It's a little wasteful, but for the cost of 1 good keyboard I've found out that I would have chosen the wrong layout and wrong switch type if I has sprung for a good one right away. I also learned I need a good key plate and maybe go with wire wrapping instead of a PCB for the switches.
Re: Flux Keyboard
#237Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I destroy keyboards in 12 months. Even good quality mechanical ones. Wait how? How do they fail? This is interesting to me.
Not the person you're asking, but for me: I've been buying crap tier mechanical keyboards every ~9 months for the last few years to get a good feel for different switches and layouts, so I don't spend a lot of money on a really nice one I don't like. The quality is a big factor. The other factor is that I'm a key masher. I just don't type lightly, particularly when I'm gaming - my brain refuses to accept that pressin…
ah, I totally forgot the gaming angle. FWIW I've broken switches too: I shipped my keyboard with not enough padding and my E switch broke, and the switches under my thumbs died because they had too much mechanical strain on the ALPS style leads with no place to mate the switch body with the PCB. In both cases I put in new switches and carried on since I built the darn thing to begin with.
Well for this keyboard since it's Hall effect sensors rather than switches I actually think it would hold up for you!
Re: Flux Keyboard
#238As far as I know the "other times this has been tried" all have had individual displays (and controllers) in each key. The difference being that here there is just one panel under the whole board with most of the parts above the display being transparent. This approach should be far less complicated to build, more robust and cheaper. Honestly, I don't think I need an LCD in my keyboard but I'd quite like to have a go…
If you don’t have the displays in the keys themselves, the symbols get really hard to see at the angles users typically use. I don’t typically look directly down at my keyboard as it’s not in my lap.
Theoretically the glyph images could be offset. That is, there could be a setting so that they are all shifted upwards slightly so they appear neared the centre of the key when sitting back.
Of course, this does nothing to help if your position relative to the keyboard changes more dynamically throughout your usage.
Re: Flux Keyboard
#239Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not the person you're asking, but for me: I've been buying crap tier mechanical keyboards every ~9 months for the last few years to get a good feel for different switches and layouts, so I don't spend a lot of money on a really nice one I don't like. The quality is a big factor. The other factor is that I'm a key masher. I just don't type lightly, particularly when I'm gaming - my brain refuses to accept that pressin…
ah, I totally forgot the gaming angle. FWIW I've broken switches too: I shipped my keyboard with not enough padding and my E switch broke, and the switches under my thumbs died because they had too much mechanical strain on the ALPS style leads with no place to mate the switch body with the PCB. In both cases I put in new switches and carried on since I built the darn thing to begin with. Well for this keyboard since…
I think the Flux keyboard is a neat idea - personally I would prefer a small version, detached numpad-esque, but still with the changable modules, for ancillary input. Like a fancier stream deck.
As for the keyboard proper, I think its too late - a colleague and I are in the process of speccing out something for me to assemble based on my usage data, and I've caught the bug :) (just yesterday I spent a lot of time looking at keycaps of all things, I don't think I ever envisioned myself spending time on that sort of thing, but here we are)
Re: Flux Keyboard
#240Earlier quoted context omitted.
ah, I totally forgot the gaming angle. FWIW I've broken switches too: I shipped my keyboard with not enough padding and my E switch broke, and the switches under my thumbs died because they had too much mechanical strain on the ALPS style leads with no place to mate the switch body with the PCB. In both cases I put in new switches and carried on since I built the darn thing to begin with. Well for this keyboard since…
I think the Flux keyboard is a neat idea - personally I would prefer a small version, detached numpad-esque, but still with the changable modules, for ancillary input. Like a fancier stream deck. As for the keyboard proper, I think its too late - a colleague and I are in the process of speccing out something for me to assemble based on my usage data, and I've caught the bug :) (just yesterday I spent a lot of time lo…
hahah it's insidious! I built my daily driver in mid 2018 and I've been contemplating the next generation every day since. It's dormant, but never gone. I'm almost ready to get a 3d printer and get cracking.