(Bah. I accidentally reloaded. Second attempt)
Some good ideas I have collected, that I'd like more keyboards to have:
• Programmable. Stored on keyboard. Available as file on mountable file system that also has firmware (Kinesis Advantage2, if they haven't patented it). File system becomes available with a key combo, so as to not auto-mount all the time.
• Universal USB Type C hub. Ports on left and right (vintage Apple, Sun, etc...), and middle, all of which could connect to the upstream host, or daisy-chained peripheral (mouse, numpad, etc.). No more cable gutter.
• Has DIP switches (or whatever) to swap Caps Lock and Control, or even to make Caps Lock an additional Control, and comes with
keycaps to match this. (KUL). If there are lock-lights under keycaps, they are under
both keycaps and only one gets lit to reflect the setting (also Ducky)
• Similarly, the "Nordic" layout version of the keyboard comes with additional keycaps so we don't get a weird jumble of symbols. (Some cheap rubber dome keyboards do this! Why can't you?)
• USB suspend means
suspend for real, following the USB spec. The backlight goes off. The hub shuts off (so that a jittery mouse on a shiny surface would not automatically awake the machine).
If backlit (although I'd rather see Das go back to its roots and do BLANK keyboards):
• Have keycaps that are readable with the backlight off
• Use switches with light guide that lits up the centre of the keycaps (Omron Gamma-Zulu, Flaretech), or invent some light-guide for Cherry MX-style switches that transfers light to the keycap and not to the sides.
• Use an ambient light sensor to adjust intensity and colour temperature, but do also allow intensity and colour temperature to be configurable: away from everything else.
• Allow configuration of backlight to change on press of Fn, to highlight that layer.
• Proximity sensor to shut off backlight when user AFK (Logitech Craft)
• Allow configuring change of locking state to change colour and/or blinking state of sideglow. (A more visible indicator that that pesky Caps Lock has been activated again ...
)
If wireless:
• Fn+Ctrl+0,1,2,3,4 to switch between USB host, BT 1, BT 2, ... It's the best scheme I've seen. (HHKB Hybrid, but not only).
• If the keyboard has a USB hub, act as USB host and compound BT device in BT mode. (only when USB-connected)
• Battery compartment that fits both AA/AAA
or a rechargeable battery, but not both at the same time. The keyboard would charge a rechargeable battery but not attempt to recharge AAA batteries.
Other:
• Make it low. Not with low-profile switches. I just prefer to avoid unnecessary bulk under the PCB/plate sandwich. (But you
could bully Cherry to develop tactile, damped "Cherry MX Low Profile" switches.
and then make a semi-low profile keyboard)
• Consider gasket mount of plate with PCB hanging down from it. USB port/s should be on breakout boards anyway.
• I've heard about some Outemu Ice switches that should be tactile with damped sliders (similar to Zilents but less expensive), but I have not been able to get any. I would like to see a switch like this become more mainstream.
• Make it classy looking.
davkol wrote: ↑02 Jan 2020, 23:52
I come across people who just want a MS Natural (Ergonomic 4000) clone but "mechanical" almost every day.
...tenkeyless ... keycap compatibility ... modular...
XMIT wrote: ↑03 Jan 2020, 01:00
But an ergo board isn't currently on the product horizon.
I have been working on a design that would satisfy
most of those requirements but I'd want to let it be available for the DIY crowd. Might still be too radical for Das also, but I suck at getting things done.