I got this info earlier from the VorTex contact. I had heard of the new keyboard previously, it looks very similar to the KBC Poker, but has some slight differences:

* Fully backlit with a LED in every switch
* Shorter right shift key with a FN key placed to the right of it.
* Available with ISO style Enter (not confirmed yet, but looks like it)

Impressions below. We will run the European distribution once this thing is released. The product is now in the final testing stages and will be released shortly.

Fn on the right side? Thats bad. To use the fn numpad (if there is one) you would have to use your left hand for typing, on a standard layout

Oj that sounds cool.. and expensive!

Can I replace my Poker with one?

Btw, sixty, is that your modded Poker or the Pure in the photos?

Shorter right shift for a function key is good. LED backlighting is stupid though.

I bet you can program it for noodle timer.

Good idea if the diodes light up just when the switch actuates.
So there's no need for a clicky or a tactile keyboard any more since you get an optical feedback
[irony mode off]

Another keyboard with the switch oriented wrongly.

What they are thinking when designing the PCB ?

what you mean oriented wrongly?

ISO enter!

Are there any pictures of a fully assembled keyboard?

xbb wrote:what you mean oriented wrongly?

Turned upside down like on a featureless board.

This is obviously how they are placed on any backlit board, excluding the poker an this one.

No difference if the key legends are huge and centred

if iso enter actually happens im buying one.

Minskleip wrote:No difference if the key legends are huge and centred

The Xarmor/Qpad/BW/Mionix/Ducky shine aren't huge and centered for a reason, deck uses different keycaps, although huge, the legends aren't centered too.

Am I seeing that correctly? Dedicated Arrow Key Stuffing opportunity!

Finally a TRUE HHKB Killah!

I like it when clones clone clones.

They included a ISO return but not the extra key next to the left shift. I don't quite get it.

That pic may be an older version. I got it from here.

http://kbtalking.cool3c.com/article/40209

No sense layout :S ISO-ANSI layout?

I hope this pic was designed by a korean nerd.

What I would love is a happy hacking layout with cherry switches. Would happy pay some good money for that.

At least the FN key is not to the right if rshift. A bit better than Poker, but not as good as HHKB.

Edit: assuming it's ps2 compatible so you can fix the second layer by Teensying it

If it had the ANSI enter, and some degree of programmability (or at least some sane placement for the arrow keys on the FN layer) then it would be a worthwhile competitor to the HHKB.

They also fixed the other gripe I had with the Poker, the absence of a right hand Alt.

It's funny how they managed to mirror the wasd arrows to the other side..

I was waiting on the Deskthority Mini version of the Vortex keyboard... now that would make them respectable. It would have three leds (red, green and blue), blank keys, and a tasteful duck rendered on the back.

Happy Hacking layout with dip switch to make the fn key a normal key so that every key is remappable (provided the keyboard itself is not programmable)?

PFU Fujitsu will sue them! Also, I don't think this guy is their target audience.

Two keys instead of the large backspace, and ansi return and the Pure is almost there

Minskleip wrote:It's funny how they managed to mirror the wasd arrows to the other side..

Hmm, IJKL would be slightly better than OKL; but still better than WASD (for me) and it does put PgUp/PgDn in a very nice location. I own a Poker (mx red) which is nice, but I like the layout on the KBTalking Pure better (the ANSI, small enter version).
Both the Poker and KBTalking Pure have a better layout than the HHKB, which wastes prime locations for things like PrtSc, and has the arrows in a horrible place. At that price point, the HHKB should at least have the 2nd layer programmable by the user.

The HHKB Japanese has dedicated arrow keys but the SHIFT row is staggered 1/3X off. Weird. This has standard staggering.

Looking forward to this!

webwit wrote:PFU Fujitsu will sue them! Also, I don't think this guy is their target audience.

I'm going to a talk he is doing tomorrow... or rather later today.

do they think europeans are blind?