Luxeed U9 indiegogo campaign: mechanical individually RGB backlit keyboard, 200$

[_Rick_]

They're looking for 1000 backers (200k in pledges), after their first attempt on their website with little to no publicity failed to reach the target they aimed for. Maybe with this they'll have more luck.
Luxeed is a relatively small Korean brand, known mostly for their individually controllable backlighting (each key is a full RGB pixel). Their current line up is based mostly on chiclet style keyboards, but they've been looking at implementing the technology in mechanical keyboards, and will start a production run if enough people sign up.

Disclaimer: I own one of their Numpads, and will probably not participate in this campaign, because I'm not sure it's worth it for me, but find the concept still to be very seductive. With a mechanical, at last the typing experience should be on par with the visual experience. Not linked in any other way with them though.

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/u9-next-gen-mechanical-keyboard

59 days left as of today!

 

[Ben90]

That keyboard is going to suck if it looks like the modeled one they show on their site. The throw on MX switches is far too long for that board to accommodate. In addition it doesn't look to use PBT keycaps, so not the best buy for those of us who can type and don't need to look at the keys.

 

[corkyg]

Yo clarify, Indiegogo is an international version of Kickstart here in the USA. This can be considered a form of spam since the end game is asking for money. I'll let it go for now, but it raises some Forum issues. MNy advice, follow Ben90's lead and keep the discussion technical.

 

[_Rick_]

Well, it was intended to be spam - in that I think it's an interesting product nobody heard about yet. And as I saw their last campaign fail, I was eager to make sure this one has a chance. Purely because I find it an interesting product though (that may interest others who wouldn't otherwise get to know of it), and not because I stand anything to gain.

Regarding technical discussion - looking at the development time indicated, and their inquiry for comments from backers regarding technical aspects, I think there's some potential that they could get the board right - at least to a level that it will compete in feel with more traditional backlit keyboards. As for the key caps: I don't even know what PBT means, but the caps on my numpad are mostly fine, except what appears to be some soft touch plastic not being properly applied. I would expect them to reconsider the material, given that the underlying mechanism changes.
I only use the pad for gaming, but there feelingwise it is okay.


This is currently still a very early concept from what I can tell, so I doubt they have a complete technical solution in place. On the other hand they're the only people taking backlit keyboards to the next level. So I'm willing to give them some benefit of doubt.

Also, this isn't going to be a board designed with typing in mind as principal use. That much should be clear. It's more of a gadget thong, that finally can also be used for typing without too much awkwardness. But the real-time backlighting is still the main selling point, and while they're trying to do a more grown up version by going with MX springs, it's not going to be engineered the way a Filco is, not for that projected price.

 

[gorobei]

cherry has already beaten them to the punch.
http://techreport.com/news/25727/cherry-intros-mx-rgb-key-switch-first-keyboard-due-from-corsair
translucent plastic base for mx switches allows for under-lighting each key with rgb leds. seems to be exclusive to corsair according to the video.

 

[Raduque]

But the real-time backlighting is still the main selling point,

Can you explain to me the usefulness of this over, say, my current backlight Steelseries keyboard?

 

[Doomer]

So do they give you your money back if they don't reach their goal??

 

[Canbacon]

So do they give you your money back if they don't reach their goal??

Yea, it looks like a fixed funding campaign. So if they don't make the goal you don't get charged.

I am really weary of flexible funding campaigns as they have your money right off the bat.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Yea, it looks like a fixed funding campaign. So if they don't make the goal you don't get charged.

I am really weary of flexible funding campaigns as they have your money right off the bat.

that's all well and good yet how do you get funds if its all based on a promise to provide the funds once they reach their goal??

I know of a Catholic church here in California that was being re-modelled and they asked for people to donate over time a certain amount of money but it was not necessary to contribute until they had all the finding promised them ........they had to stop the remodel because it was promised donations that never happened...yet had they had the money in hand before starting the remodel they would have been able to finish the remodel...same principle I am sure...

Pax!!

 

[_Rick_]

Can you explain to me the usefulness of this over, say, my current backlight Steelseries keyboard?

It's pretty!
And if you occasionally look at your keyboard, you can use it to highlight certain keys in color. Given that you have a backlit keyboard, it only seems reasonable to be able to more quickly orient yourself.

Did I mention it's pretty, and you can animate it?

As for the cherry switches - I expect Luxeed to consider using those, when they become available, or even already base their design on the availability of these. Not sure how much preliminary work they have done yet.

But nice to see some competition in the field. I wonder what Corsair can pull off.

 

[_Rick_]

that's all well and good yet how do you get funds if its all based on a promise to provide the funds once they reach their goal??

I know of a Catholic church here in California that was being re-modelled and they asked for people to donate over time a certain amount of money but it was not necessary to contribute until they had all the finding promised them ........they had to stop the remodel because it was promised donations that never happened...yet had they had the money in hand before starting the remodel they would have been able to finish the remodel...same principle I am sure...

Pax!!

I think the campaign host charges the funder, and then refunds or pays to the fundee, depending on whether the campaign reaches its goal, or not.

 

[corkyg]

The chart in this link shows how the funding process works:
http://www.indiegogo.com/how-pricing-works-on-indiegogo?gclid=CPfsqLHPqLsCFclaMgodgWgAKA

 

[_Rick_]

I've just seen, that they've released some (blurry) shots of of their prototype/proof of concept setup, showing how the LEDs are threaded through the actuators.

The campaign hasn't picked up pace over the holidays, so I doubt that this will take off, unless they find some venture capital to start a production run, but at least it looks like they actually have a solution that could be made mass-production capable.

 

[_Rick_]

So, with that campaign pretty much hopelessly foundered, another -- unknown to me -- brand has just released a non-Cherry based mechanical individually RGB backlit keyboard:

It's called the Tesoro Lovera Supreme:

http://www.tesorotec.com/gaming-key...-illumination-mechanical-gaming-keyboard.html

and uses Kalih (never heard of them either) mech. switches. It's also really cheap, at less than 120 euro (USD 140-150?)

My first visual impression is one of quite a bit of peripheral light leakage from under the caps, and there's the complete unknown of how the keys actually perform. Apparently one hardware site I frequent is going to receive some samples soon, which should allow for a comparison with the popular MX switches.


Still no full color product from Corsair on the market. And nothing tenkeyless on the horizon either.

You can trust me to keep you up to date on this niche

 

[jumpncrash]

too bad financing fell through, I jsut saw teh thread today and thought it looked like a pretty nice keyboard