Any new keyboards like the Darwin Smartboard?

[Throckmorton]

http://www.geek.com/hwswrev/dksmrtbd.htm

I had a Darwin, but some of the keys broke. I haven't found any keyboard like that, with the keys aligned to finger movement, instead of slanted diagonally like a typewriter.

 

[Ika]

You mean just the natural keyboard layout, or something about how the keys on the Darwin were aligned relative to each other?

 

[antillean]

.

 

[Peter]

The point (and the patent) of the Smartboard is that keys are aligned to finger movement, not to the mechanical needs of the original, mechanical typewriters from a century ago.

What's the problem?

Get a standard keyboard (straight or 'natural' doesn't matter). Put your fingers into the touch-type starting position ASDF JKL:

Move your right middle finger up one row. You're on the I key now, only a bit to the right of the key center.
Now move your left middle finger up one row, again without any sideways movement. You're exactly inbetween E and R now.

This is what the smartboard fixes - key rows aren't all left slanted, but instead fanning out to match how each hand's fingers open up and curl down. This minimizes sideways motion (except for index finger and pinkie, obviously), and drastically improves your typing speed. The drawback is, you'll soon notice how awful the standard layout actually is, and you're going to buy more of the smartboards.

The smartboard still exists as a product - USB only now, PC or Mac version. www.datadesktech.com should be able to sort you out.

 

[Throckmorton]

I don't think you can actually get them. I thought they were discontinued. I'll have to call Datadesk.

 

[Peter]

There have always been periods of no availability, but they keep coming back with yet another production run.

 

[MadAmos]

check here also more discussion a couple entrys down in the forum.

Amos

 

[Throckmorton]

I had a Typematrix too! I have no idea what happened to it... which is weird. I liked it but now that I think about it, I did wish the left and right keys were angled like the Smartboard.

 

[Throckmorton]

I have a hard time understanding the Natural keyboard, by the way. They went through all that trouble to split the keys, but they left the diagonal slant-- why? You have to relearn anyway, so why not fix the keys?

 

[Peter]

There is a huge amount of resistance, particularly from 'pro' typists, secretaries and the likes, against any rearrangement what-so-ever. This is what brought the slanted key arrangement to computer keyboards in the first place. This is why the Control key swapped places with CapsLock, and it's why CapsLock mutated into the much less useful ShiftLock.

Only now that general health and fitness are on the decline and RSI becomes a major issue, only now does this group of people realize how wrong this all is. Slowly. One by one, not in masses, not even in large enough numbers to sustain a couple of 'specialty equipment' makers. Sad but true.

 

[Throckmorton]

Originally posted by: Peter
There is a huge amount of resistance, particularly from 'pro' typists, secretaries and the likes, against any rearrangement what-so-ever. This is what brought the slanted key arrangement to computer keyboards in the first place. This is why the Control key swapped places with CapsLock, and it's why CapsLock mutated into the much less useful ShiftLock.

Only now that general health and fitness are on the decline and RSI becomes a major issue, only now does this group of people realize how wrong this all is. Slowly. One by one, not in masses, not even in large enough numbers to sustain a couple of 'specialty equipment' makers. Sad but true.

That happens with everything apparently. The worse system always wins! Now we have off road vehicles with independent suspension, Bose gets government contracts, Stryker beats better vehicles, etc.

 

[0x0BADF00D]

www.plum.bz

Weird, I know, but nothing you can't remap. ML short-travel mechanical switches, but, IMO, the keycaps are too big, so if you press on the edge of a key, the motion becomes very stiff. Get 2, and make yourself your own ergonomic keyboard. Mechanical boards don't get any cheaper than that.

There was also this thing: http://www.dansdata.com/edkb.htm . Apparently a fairly mediocre membrane. Alas, recently discontinued. BTW, I'm pretty sure they still make the Smartboard. It's just that they do so in fits and starts. I believe they've recently changed their manufacturer, so perhaps the new one will not feel like the old one. My guess is they'll be using Cherry MX linear switches instead of Alps. Pretty much all new mechanical keyboards nowdays use Cherry MX switches.

You can also get yourself a POS keypad and program it however you like: http://www.cherry.de/english/products/point_of_sale.htm.

My hope is that given the way that MS is introducing the comfort curve and the gull wing in its natural keyboards, it's slowly changing customer expectations as to what a keyboard should be like. Perhaps the next Natural Keyboard will do away with slanted rows altogether. Of course, if Apple ends up the one shaping our expectations, then the whole thing will become moot, since we'll all be typing on touchscreens with whatever layout you fancy! (But zero tactile feedback, of course. That would be too practical.)

 

[Throckmorton]

Interesting ideas. I wouldn't want to use one of those POS keyboards for typing but it would be sweet for games.

 

[0x0BADF00D]

Originally posted by: Throckmorton
Interesting ideas. I wouldn't want to use one of those POS keyboards for typing but it would be sweet for games.

Why not? You can relegend/reprogram them however you want. Can use 2 or even 3 of them at the same time to have just the kind of ergonomic setup you want. I like this idea (but with 2 POS USB keyboards):

http://www.thecraftstudio.com/bcboy/keyboard.html

They also last forever.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Originally posted by: 0x0BADF00D
You can also get yourself a POS keypad and program it however you like: http://www.cherry.de/english/products/point_of_sale.htm.

Do they realize how horrible that acronym is? "You can also get yourself a piece of shit keypad..."

 

[Throckmorton]

Originally posted by: 0x0BADF00D

Originally posted by: Throckmorton
Interesting ideas. I wouldn't want to use one of those POS keyboards for typing but it would be sweet for games.

Why not? You can relegend/reprogram them however you want. Can use 2 or even 3 of them at the same time to have just the kind of ergonomic setup you want. I like this idea (but with 2 POS USB keyboards):

http://www.thecraftstudio.com/bcboy/keyboard.html

They also last forever.

If you use two the setup would be too wide

 

[0x0BADF00D]

If you use two the setup would be too wide

There are smaller keypads available from other manufacturers. Also, you don't want your hands to be in a palm-down position, but closer to a hand-shake orientation. To achieve that you have to "tent" the boards. That reduces the width. The most extreme solution is to have the boards down by the side of your legs as in that link I posted. IMO that's probably the most ergonomic setup.

 

[Throckmorton]

I just googled to make sure the Darwin Smartboard was really discontinued, and the first result was my own 3 year old thread!

I'm bumping this because I think we need to discuss ergonomic keyboards, and most importantly the stupidity of the persistence of staggered keys!

 

[sinewave88]

I agree with you that the SmartBoard really improved the key layout greatly. It is one of those innovations that really should have gone farther into the mainstream. I'm actually typing this on an old SmartBoard model. Datadesktech took over the product many years ago. On their site, they suggest a new model is coming out. I'm not sure how current that information is.

 

[Throckmorton]

The website for the Smartboard hasn't changed for years

 

[ther00kie16]

Supposedly, you can try calling but no guarantee on any time frame within which you may get an answer. Some blog I found from 2007 mentioned a change in the microcontroller which meant a delay but no news since.

 

[Throckmorton]

http://www.trulyergonomic.com/preorder.html

Posted by zagood here http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?p=30668579&posted=1#post30668579

 

[muskie32]

$200

 

[tweakboy]

Yes, go to www.razerzone.com and choose what keyboard you like. Quality made for gamers not logitech pos,,

 

[Throckmorton]

I'm bumping this 2 year old thread because the Truly Ergonomic is now out! Not that I can afford one... but it's pretty much the only option with aligned keys now.

http://www.trulyergonomic.com/store/index.php?route=product/category&path=82