Ergonomic keyboards are not new, nor are keyboards made of special materials such as wood, bamboo or gold, not to mention mechanical switches. The keyboard itself is also available in a wide variety of arrangements and as far as the price is concerned, well, we already mentioned gold.
So the costs can quickly run into the thousands. And yet a Kickstarter campaign manages to surprise us with price, functions and materials. What does it make Model 100 from Keyboardio so special?
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Made of wood, special keycaps, an unusual layout and the feet of a camera
The most striking feature of the Keyboardio Model 100 is that it is not an ordinary, straight off-the-shelf keyboard, but an ergonomically designed, curved model, consisting of two parts, one for the left and one for the right hand.
Unusual layout
The key layout differs from other ergonomic keyboards: For example, control, input, deletion, switching and so on are arranged in the middle of a semicircle. In addition, a function key is placed in such a way that it can be triggered either with the palm of the thumb or the base of the thumb of the left or right hand. This is important to ensure the functionality of a full-size keyboard with 104 keys with just 64 keys.
The manufacturer promises that the Keyboardio Model 100 does not need to be relearned from other ergonomic keyboards, but this type of keyboard generally requires a bit of practice. If the worst comes to the worst, keys can be freely assigned depending on your taste.
Special keycaps
The keycaps (i.e. the keycaps) are also not off the shelf, but have been specially developed according to Keyboardio and have different shapes in order to cling to the hand or fingers as closely as possible. The switches can also be exchanged for individual keystrokes. There is a choice of three variants from the manufacturer Kailh (tactile, clicky, linear), which are compatible with the popular Cherry MX switches.
Frame made of wood
The Keyboardio Model 100 is available in two versions. One made of dark walnut and one made of lighter maple wood.
Tripod instead of feet
(Image source: Kickstarter.com)
For the perfect fit and positioning of the keyboard, a tripod is attached under each of the two parts, as is actually more familiar from cameras.
What does the Keyboardio Model 100 cost?
Both the early (pre-release) and the regular version of the Keyboardio Model 100 cost 289 US dollars, which is around 244 dollars. The delivery of the preliminary version is expected in November 2021, the regular version should be available from January 2022.
Custom order for $ 3,000
If you want something a little more individual, you can opt for a $ 3,000 model. Essentially, this is the Keyboardio Model 100, but in detail you should be able to choose from all available switches. There is also an engraving in the desired type of wood.
Anyone who has $ 3,000 or EUR 2,530 left can choose from all existing hardwoods. The freely configurable model should also be available in January 2022.
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