KBTalking Pure - New mini keyboard with smarter layout

[Half-Saint]

Oh dear lord, that tilda/backtick's location is way too good. Now I have to seriously consider what's worth more: buying tickets to see my girlfriend or this keyboard. No fair!

Write a letter to Santa

[Cyclonechuah]

sad news for KBTalking Pure. 2nd Anniversary Edition.

POM Keycaps has been change to PBT Keycaps.
Casing will be CNC Mill Aluminium casing.

[ripster]

Good move. POM is overhyped.

[grasshopper]

The aluminium case sounds nice but surely plate mounting the switches should be a higher priority.

[attarian]

I think i will provide french market with those Keyboard in green and white backlight for the four different switches.

You mean for the whole Europe, right?

No, only for french customers ( or french speaking countries like Monaco...) or previous customers. For european countries Sixty is your guy !

[mSSM]

I think i will provide french market with those Keyboard in green and white backlight for the four different switches.

You mean for the whole Europe, right?

No, only for french customers ( or french speaking countries like Monaco...) or previous customers. For european countries Sixty is your guy !

Yeah, the French are apparently planning to do it like the British...

[attarian]

To do what ? I can ship to the whole Europe for the price of ~88 euros + 18 euros shipping fees (express 48h) or can send 5,10 keyboard at a time too using different shipping methods. (with a discount on the keyboard price for large order).

But it's not correct to sixty if everyone goes into another direction. I already sold 2 KBT to french and Belgium customers. (both french speakers) But i don't want to create troubles.

[Sonny]

Hello Deskthority (first post yay!),

I have a few questions about the KBTalking Pure/Race keyboard.

When will this keyboard be available to order? If it is available to order (to the US), where can I purchase it?
Is there a version with white backlighting instead of green backlighting?
Is this keyboard Mac compatible (read: Without having to use a blue cube and different connectors like the Noppoo Choc Mini? USB -> USB/PS2 -> USB) ? I've tried google translating the KBTalking website and I did see some talk about testing with Macs but I couldn't really understand what they were talking about.

[sixty]

When will this keyboard be available to order? If it is available to order (to the US), where can I purchase it?

Right now. Talk to iMav on geekhack.org or look for their group order thread.

Is there a version with white backlighting instead of green backlighting?

No

Is this keyboard Mac compatible (read: Without having to use a blue cube and different connectors like the Noppoo Choc Mini? USB -> USB/PS2 -> USB) ? I've tried google translating the KBTalking website and I did see some talk about testing with Macs but I couldn't really understand what they were talking about.

It should work fine on Macs as it does not use any controller trickery like the Noppoo Choc. However, I am not entirely certain on that, as my sample has not yet arrived. As far as I can tell, they are made by Costar and feature a much better firmware than the Chocs, made by PLU.

[Sonny]

Thank you so much for replying sixty, I have a few more questions as well.

When will the anniversary edition (mentioned on page 2) be available?
Just double checking on the LEDs, they are only green and cannot be made any other color?

[hargon]

Any news concerning an ISO-EU-Version?

[attarian]

Any news concerning an ISO-EU-Version?

For ISO version you should purchrase 1000 Keyboards. I don't think that any of use has planned to do so...

[GeorgeStorm]

Will there be an EU group buy anytime soon?
And any ideas how it would compare price wise with the RACE?

[Ekaros]

Any news concerning an ISO-EU-Version?

For ISO version you should purchrase 1000 Keyboards. I don't think that any of use has planned to do so...

2 for me anyone willing to take the 998 of the rest?

[prava]

Any news about the Pure? (I wonder why people is talking about the race in here?!).

[ripster]

I was wondering that too. I run my subforum with an iron fist to prevent such tomfoolery.

Lots of info here:
http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?2199
6-KBTalking-Pure-The-OTHER-Backlit-HHKB-Killah

[mSSM]

One thing I simply don't get - why aren't they just killing that bloody CAPS_LOCK off? To be honest, the only reason the HHKB seems so very attractive to me (and I swear, that's the only reason I want to get one), is that they have killed the CAPS_LOCK, put CTRL there and removed LCTRL. That's just genius.

I do like my current layout: CTRL mapped onto CAPS_LOCK, and ESC mapped onto LCTRL, and no CAPS_LOCK whatsoever. I don't understand why no keyboard manufacturer is doing it like that.

[webwit]

Unicomp does (old site). Well it still has Caps Lock.

[sordna]

Stop the Caps Lock hate! It's a useful key. Just see what the fastest typist, Sean Wrona says about it here:

http://seanwrona.com/typing.html

I recommend using caps lock instead of shift to type capital letters to allow more flexibility in the hand that you would normally use shift with.

[byFd]

anyone know when this will be available to us europeans?

I don't like the backlit stuff on the race and also this has more normal keycaps

[Icarium]

Yeah, want.

[AtL]

Here it is! (aluminium version)









http://www.facebook.com/Vortexgear

[Swede]

Here it is! (aluminium version)

http://www.facebook.com/Vortexgear

[JBert]

Is it the same PCB as the Poker? More specific, is the controller simply soldered on as with the Poker, or does it use an extension card like the Race?

[prava]

The aluminum case is just not big enough, they should have done it a bit taller so it'd hide most of the switch.

I'm not totally sure I like it now that I've seen it.

PS: yes, I understand it may be due to cost constraints, but still, this looks nothing like the one Imsto sold.

[zoidbergslo]

Case is cut out of solid block of aluminium it adds a lot of cost to it. Basically you have to pay for full block and there is a lot of material left over. Higher case also adds a lot to cutting time which is not cheap.
It would be another story if that was cast aluminium case but then you have problems with price of tools and such.

[detto87]

What chance do I have to change the whole keycap set on the Pure? Is the right shift key the same size as the TAB key?

And will the Pure use Cherry stabilizers again like the Poker or is there a way to get costar?

[JaccoW]

That is one sexy board. Would love one with brown switches and green backlight.
But as far as I understand the first pre-orders are closed or at least not open to non-EU over at GH?
Will there be a group buy here once they are available?

[detto87]

JaccoW, Id check out http://mechanicalkeyboards.com on monday, theyll probably have it available.

[JaccoW]

Nice, I'll take a look. Thanks!