Blank Keyboard

Raynach writes "A friend of mine recently sent me a link for Das Keyboard, the keyboard for UberGeeks. This keyboard is unique in that it has no inscriptions on the keys, which the maker touts will make you type 100% faster in a few weeks since it will keep you from looking at the keyboard. This keyboard also features individually weighted keyswitches, "The keys are divided into groups and their feedback springs are weighted differently; from 35 grams to 80 grams, which correspond to the strength of the finger that touches the keys." But is this "UberGeek" keyboard really worth the high price tag?"

a tip

[professorhojo]

here's a tip that can save you around 80 bucks:

BUY PRIMER -- take off cap -- spray.

Obligatory

[mukund]

Does it have the `any' key?

Calculator key?

[Anonymous Conrad]

Nowadays keyboards come with an extra row of buttons along the top: email, internet, volume and so forth. The mute key is pretty useful but the real piece of genius is the calculator key.

I don't care how funky your keyboard is: if you don't have a calculator key I'm not buying it. I'm used to it and I've come to expect it. Five years ago, sure, but get with the program. I'm not willing to remap and lose a regular key.

Only 80g?

[Anonymous Coward]

The keys are divided into groups and their feedback springs are weighted differently; from 35 grams to 80 grams, which correspond to the strength of the finger that touches the keys.

Why not 500 grams? Sure, it'd hurt for a few weeks but then the jocks'd have to welcome their new muscle-nerd overlords! Muahahaha!

Re:a tip

[justforaday]

Great! Now all my keys are sticky and have fingerprints on them and my fingers are covered with gunk...Got any other bright ideas, professor?

i have such a keyboard

[Anonymous Coward]

it worjs perfevtky wekk anf i'n revommenfing it to everuone#

great product!

[baldmaggots]

iarealdy got one of the and itsx awsome, i cani tye much faste rnow

Next step

[__aaveti3199]

Blank monitor screens to stop us constantly checking our work. Then we'll be flying.

So What?

[TuataraShoes]

I've been using a mouse like that for years.

Already invented...

[Teechur007]

If you are a TRUE uber-geek, your keyboard will already be missing most of the markings from using it so much...and the ultimate uber-geek will usually be missing the markings from only one side... ;)

Re:a tip

[utexaspunk]

...you might want to point the can at your keyboard. alternatively, you could huff it, which might make it impossible to see what's on the keys as well (or anything else for that matter, but hey- think of what you'll save on monitors!)

Re:a tip

[tomhudson]

Great! Now all my keys are sticky and have fingerprints on them and my fingers are covered with gunk

... and how is this different from any true geek's keyboard?

Re:Obligatory

[RaisinBread]

It *is* the any key.

Priceless...

[sintacks]

Money spent to replace malfunctioning keyboard: $10 Money spent on cover so soda doesn't affect it: $5 Taking a step back in keyboard production and watching them charge more: $80 more than priceless.

What would be really handy...

[XxtraLarGe]

I don't usually look at the keyboard, except for some keys I don't use very often. It would be cool to get a Braile keyboard without the keys printed on it, so I could subconsciously learn Braile while I'm typing. You never know when or if you're going to go blind.

Similar to Samsung's new LCD monitor...

[Anonymous Coward]

...featuring 100% dead pixels. The monitor is unique as each pixel is black, which the maker touts will make you see and game 1000% faster as you don't have to wait for all those pixels to refresh.

Re:a tip

[The-Bus]

Luckily, all my keys have grime on them so I don't look at it to begin with.

Re:Obligatory

[XiQ]

Press the black one.

Das Display

[catdevnull]

Also available from the makers of "Das Keyboard" is "Das Display." It keeps you from looking at porn while trying to get work done. You'll find that you concentrate much better--mostly because you'll have to use "The Force" or some form of transcendental meditation to imagine WTF might be on your screen.

Coming soon: "Das Hard Drive" which has nothing on it also. You memory and recall could increase by 100,000,000,000-fold!* (*Results not typical. Void where prohibited. Some restrictions apply. See dealer for details).

Re:Calculator key?

[lxs]

Real geeks use a sliderule.

Why stop there?

[Nothing Special]

I am selling a premium 20" monitor that will not turn on.

For $799.99 you can have the ultimate in distraction free typing. after a few weeks you will intuitively know where on the screen the cursor is and your speed will increase at least 100%. Plus, without those distracting Graphics, you will be able to focus on kicking ass when gaming.

Order today, and I will throw in a Dolby 7.1 certified speakers that have no jack!

Re:Obligatory

[Mikey-San]

Does it have the `any' key?

Yeah, but I can't find the damned thing!

Re:a tip

[jargoone]

Here's a tip that will save you three bucks worth of primer:

Grab moderately sharp object -- stab eyes out.

This thing is just a dumb idea, plain and simple.

Re:What would be really handy...

[biglig2]

Why not just wear a bag over your head all the time to get the full effect?

Copyright Warning

[Alien54]

All the blanks will be copyrighted. It's a plot to to take away our keyboards.

All you folks with worn keys are now under arrest.

type 100% faster in a few weeks

[3D Monkey]

Yfah amd in thre measntimme miy bosss git's emails that mwke np fpcklng s3nse

I had a better suggestion

[ksw2]

[email to daskeyboard...]

Hi,

Can I get a version that has the letters on all the wrong keys, so I'm
punished if I get weak and look at the keyboard?

----
[reply...]

That's a great idea. I will let you know when we can send you your punishment.

Thanks
Birgit

Re:Calculator key?

[Dun Malg]

d'uh it's not about mapping keys. if you knew how Dashboard works you'd know you wouldn't lose another key, just gain more options from that key.

Technically, that's still mapping keys. It's mapping an unused key or combination of keys to another use. He wants a single keypress to pop up his calculator. Even OSX can't do that without using an extant key, because even 10.4 is missing the ability to grow new keys on the keyboard.

Re:Calculator key?

[dajak]

Nowadays keyboards come with an extra row of buttons along the top: email, internet, volume and so forth. ... and shutdown/standby. My cat loves that key.

Re:Calculator key?

[ArsonSmith]

you obviously have no idea how dashboard works. There is NO MAPPING. No loseing keys. Using special monior frequinces and motion detection it can project a new key onto your keyboard that when tapped it will do what ever you wanted it to do at that time.

(Actually I have no idea how Dashboard works. I just thought it was funny how the original poster was trying to say you had no idea.)

Re:Spray Paint...

[Anonymous Coward]

Quite frankly I wouldn't give a dull butterknife to an eighteen year old who didn't have a driver's license.

Re:What would be really handy...

[Idarubicin]

You never know when or if you're going to go blind.

I think it may be a consequence of one-handed typing, actually....

Re:a tip

[uberdave]

Hey, painting keyboards looks like fun. Can I have a turn?

A true geek kbd has only 2 keys

[PaneerParantha]

A true geek kbd has only 2 keys anyway - 1 and 0. No matter how you place them, you'll be able to memorize their position in a few seconds.

Re:a tip

[trb]

BUY PRIMER -- take off cap -- spray.

Be careful to take the caps off, spray them, and replace them one by one. If you do them all at once, you won't be able to see the printing any more, and you won't be able put the right cap back on the right key.

Re:QWERTY Touch Typing

[Shanoyu]

You mean to tell me that other people have keyboards where the letters stay on?

I for one am baffled. This is like buying jeans with holes already ripped in them!

Re:Calculator key?

[nsushkin]

Ubergeeks have a slide rule button on their keyboards.

Re:Spray Paint...

[pthisis]

I think they're mistaken about the REASON you cant but pain... at least, here in California -- its becuase gangs use them for grafitti (sp?)...the only person it really stops from getting paint is kids who wanna spray paint their models and toys.

No, no, no, it _is_ because of the huffing! Huffing is a drug. And remember, drug money supports terror--if we don't stop children from buying spray paint, then the terrorists have already won!

Besides, you've got to think of the children! Won't someone please think of the children?

Only that..

[Anonymous Coward]

Being able to read q,w,e,r,t,a,s,d,f,g,z,x,c,v,b with your left hand, and y,u,i,o,p,h,j,k,l,n,m with your right won't make for easy Braille reading.

Re:a tip

[ikkonoishi]

You can't eat the keyboard crunchies in an emergency...

Re:Spray Paint...

[youlikemonkeytennis]

you need to live in the uk - we hand out glass tubes filled with petrol and green dye to our eighteen year olds so that they can play starwars properly.

Re:a tip

[ryanjensen]

Fu ... eww! Gross man. Gah!!

Oh, how innocent your mind appears to be ...

Re:Obligatory

[Tony Hoyle]

Overkill. One key suffices. 1 and 0 can be distinguished according to the length of the key press. This also will teach you fast typing because if you type too slowly you'll get only zeros (assuming that zero is the longer keypress).

GENIUS!

We can use something similar to send messages between computers.. much less chance of corruption.

Gotta think of a good name for the patent.

Umm..

I know!

Morse Code!

Re:a tip

[Glog]

here's a tip that can save you around 80 bucks:

So what else do you save money on? You probably prefer inflatable dolls over the real thing?

Re:a tip

[Rick the Red]

If I changed my keyboard mapping (with our without painting over the keys) I'd become one of those monkees banging out random Shakespear sonets.

Re:Obligatory

[CreatureComfort]

Once again Apple leads the world in innovation! They did this decades ago... not only that, but they added a position sensor to the bottom of this "one-key keyboard" to allow fast positioning of the cursor on the screen. WOW, now that is impressive.

Re:Next step

[moranar]

Oh, you mean this [kissmyfloppy.com]?

Re:a tip

[tomhudson]

Every yer or so I take my keyboard, hold it upside down, and shake it. Man, the junk that comes out of there ... I'm continuously amazed that it still works. Cookie crumbs, dog hair and drool, small parts, ...

Re:reason for, reason not for

[nCnt++]

Wonder if you've ever had the experience where you are typing something, you think one word, and another perfectly spelled "other" word appears on the screen/paper?

Every now and boobs but it usually happens when my mind hasn't quiet finish another thought.

Bah, thats not ubergeek

[SteyrTMP]

A TRUE ubergeek wears the letters off his keyboard after a few weeks of use.

Hello, World!

[vikstar]

$omv;ifr >dyfop/j?
omy ,som)_ }
[tomyg)"Jr;;p. Ept;d@"_'
tryitm =2'
|

Oh crap, not again.

I can picture it right now..

[cabazorro]

[honker@r11serv honker]$ su -
Password:
su: incorrect password
[honker@r11serv honker]$ su -
Password:
su: incorrect password
[honker@r11serv honker]$ su -
Password:
su: incorrect password
DAMN IT!!

Re:How to remove the lettering?

[Anonymous Coward]

A black sharpie?

Re:a tip

[kelzer]

What we need now is a Slashdot story on somebody's ultimate DIY keyboard mod, complete with about 28 high-quality close-up PNG's showing every step of unplugging the keyboard from the PC, masking the keyboard, spraying the primer, watching the primer dry, digging out the primer that got between the keys, and hooking the keyboard back up. Oh, and about 5 more "action" shots of the keyboard in use, some with the lights off (so you can see the cool green Num Lock LED).

Then in another week we'll see another Slashdot story about basically the same thing, but this time using a wireless keyboard!

Re:a tip

[Anonymous Coward]

QWERTY was designed to keep you from getting the rods connected to each key jamming into each other.

NO. That is only a stupid urban legend that won't die. Just as the belief that Dvorak is "faster" than QWERTY.

Re:How to remove the lettering?

[Anonymous Coward]

Sand paper > 320 grit. start with 320 then work up to whatever.

Re:a tip

[Xyrus]

I imagine if you ever wrote a line of code like in a project, someone would pinata your ass (wrap you in paper mache and beat you with a stick).

~X~

Re:A true geek kbd has only 2 keys

[rastos1]

You forgot the link [rulez.org]