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Maltron keyboard
Posted: 29 Feb 2016, 20:52
by Chyros
Found this thing; since I can't even touch type there's no way I can make a meaningful review on a ergo macro bio mofo like this :p . So I thought I might as well just post about the find instead.
It's one of my few USB keyboards and appears to be in very good condition indeed.
I don't know too much about this keyboard; I don't even know how common or well-known they are.
The layout is fucking weird xD . It's "3D ergonomic" apparently.
Essentially it's a very thin plastic shell with MX blacks mounted in it. It's not even heavy.
It's got two switches in a hole at the back. I don't know what they're there for.
The sticker is partly hand-written and coincidentally has serial number 11111 xD .
The inside is a huge skein of purple wires welded onto the switch contacts. The controller sits at the bottom.
It would appear this keyboard was made sometime in late 2010.
Maybe anyone knows more about it? It looks pretty funky
.
Posted: 29 Feb 2016, 21:16
by XMIT
What a great find! The Maltron keyboards re reviewed pretty well here on DT and other places.
Are those dye-subbed spherical PBT caps that are *not* DSA?
The case itself looks vacuum formed to me. What a neat idea, I've got access to a vacuum forming machine.
Posted: 29 Feb 2016, 21:27
by Chyros
Not dyesub PBT unfortunately, they're lasered ABS. Thicker than most, but still. They're not yellowed in the slightest though, and I agree the shade on them makes it look like dyesub a bit.
So they're well-received then? Cool, maybe someone will want to take it off me
.
Posted: 29 Feb 2016, 21:42
by XMIT
Oh yes, someone who loves the Ergodox or similar will buy it. You should have no trouble getting a good price for it.
Posted: 29 Feb 2016, 21:46
by HzFaq
http://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard/malt ... ck-usb.asp
They're more or less hand made as I understand it, that's a fucking epic find mate.
Posted: 29 Feb 2016, 22:27
by seebart
The keyboards you manage find...
Now what you need to do is get rid of this ugly thing and get something like this for your next review:
photos-f62/custom-hall-effect-switch-ke ... t2857.html
Posted: 29 Feb 2016, 22:33
by Muirium
He won't be able to use that one either. But not just because he's too dim to learn the layout!
Posted: 29 Feb 2016, 22:35
by XMIT
Um, you may be joking, but he already did:
review-f45/itt-courier-review-honeywell ... 12983.html
It's in the US now awaiting USB conversion.
Posted: 29 Feb 2016, 22:40
by seebart
Muirium wrote: He won't be able to use that one either. But not just because he's too dim to use the layout!
Awe now that's not very nice you scottish brùid !
Let's see a Maltron review then Chyros. The layout is for the cats if you ask me.
No he did not XMIT, Honeywell Hall Effect is NOT Micro Switch Hall Effect. Two different switches altogether.
w/index.php?search=hall+effect&title=Sp ... arch&go=Go
Posted: 29 Feb 2016, 23:08
by XMIT
Fair enough. They are *very* similar but the switch internals are somewhat different, yes. The key feel is nearly identical.
Posted: 29 Feb 2016, 23:14
by Muirium
seebart wrote: Muirium wrote: He won't be able to use that one either. But not just because he's too dim to use the layout!
Awe now that's not very nice you scottish brùid !
Let's see a Maltron review then Chyros. The layout is for the cats if you ask me.
I'm teasing. He should man up and give it an honest go. If not for the day job, then at least for a few evenings' snark on DT. The Maltron very likely isn't for me either — my hands fly all over the place while typing — but you've got to give it a fair shot!
Posted: 29 Feb 2016, 23:17
by seebart
XMIT wrote:
Fair enough. They are *very* similar but the switch internals are somewhat different, yes. The key feel is nearly identical.
I don't think the key feel is nearly identical, I'd say somewhat similair. Switch internals are quite different. But let's not argue, I was very happy to see Chyros Honeywell Hall Effect review. If he was closer to me I'd send him some of my vintage boards for review.
Muirium wrote: seebart wrote: Muirium wrote: He won't be able to use that one either. But not just because he's too dim to use the layout!
Awe now that's not very nice you scottish brùid !
Let's see a Maltron review then Chyros. The layout is for the cats if you ask me.
I'm teasing. He should man up and give it an honest go. If not for the day job, then at least for a few evenings' snark on DT. The Maltron very likely isn't for me either — my hands fly all over the place while typing — but you've got to give it a fair shot!
I know, and I'm not teasing you scottish brùid !
- Cat-Eating-Cake-Meme.jpg (29.88 KiB) Viewed 4761 times
Posted: 29 Feb 2016, 23:22
by Chyros
Seems like this was another £0.50 well invested then xD .
I've love to try the dual magnet Honeywell switches sometime, yes
. Some say they feel much better than the single-magnet ones, while others say they're pretty similar. There's a fair few things I still want to try out really, but the list IS getting shorter and shorter, I've noticed xD .
A review wouldn't work, the layout is utterly wasted on me. A character a second is the most I'd be able to achieve, and that only with practice :p . But who knows, maybe another video tour like with my black-badge model M
.
Posted: 01 Mar 2016, 05:56
by vivalarevolución
I owned one of these, sold it to a buyer here. They can last a very long time because you can hand repairing any issues that occur.
Once you get used to the layout, you will type much faster and your hands will thank you. It was my favorite keyboard for typing on, but I sold it because I realized my pain issues were more associated with my mouse usage.
The MX black switches are not ideal, you have no tactile feedback. Because they require a lot of force, I often would miss keypresses. I switched them out for Ergo Clears, but the hollow inside does not provide firm support. It's hard to get a good feel with a Maltron.
But in my opinion, after trying about a half dozen ergonomic layouts, it is the most ergonomic.
Posted: 01 Mar 2016, 13:42
by jacobolus
You shouldn’t sell it. You should learn to type on it. 100x better than any standard keyboard.
(But if you do decide to sell it, the new price is like $600+ US, and I’ve seen used ones go for $400–500.)
Posted: 01 Mar 2016, 13:51
by XMIT
seebart wrote: XMIT wrote:
Fair enough. They are *very* similar but the switch internals are somewhat different, yes. The key feel is nearly identical.
I don't think the key feel is nearly identical, I'd say somewhat similair. Switch internals are quite different. But let's not argue, I was very happy to see Chyros Honeywell Hall Effect review. If he was closer to me I'd send him some of my vintage boards for review.
Perhaps I can review my TI 914 and Wang boards side by side. I'm not as exciting a narrator as Chyros but I make up for this by having a much nicer camera.
Posted: 01 Mar 2016, 15:07
by tigpha
Looking at the internal photos of the Maltron, I can't see any diodes. Is the Maltron 2KRO only? That seems inappropriate for an ergonomic keyboard, especially one selling new for near half a grand.
Posted: 01 Mar 2016, 15:45
by jacobolus
NKRO isn’t really that big a deal, especially in the Maltron context, where the use case is typing prose, and the primary target market is people with disabilities who can’t type on standard keyboards.
If you really care, you could easily mod a Maltron to be NKRO.
Posted: 01 Mar 2016, 15:59
by seebart
XMIT wrote: Perhaps I can review my TI 914 and Wang boards side by side. I'm not as exciting a narrator as Chyros but I make up for this by having a much nicer camera.
Sure and I can review my boards side by side....
keyboards-f2/micro-switch-sw-10591-t943 ... o%20switch
keyboards-f2/micro-switch-custom-t11720 ... o%20switch