Keyboards

I really like looking at keyboards. I have once taken a picture of my workspace in my apartment because I liked the way the light was shining on my Steelseries keyboard. I'm even following r/keyboards where people affectionately post about their favorite keebs. Keyboards really are one of the best and most important aspects of the computer, if you think about it. It is the premier way to interact with a computer.

Keyboards are satisfying to use. When you're typing on a keyboard, work is getting done. Letters are being added to the screen, and you can watch progress move along in real-time as your thoughts are translated from your brain to the computer. It is a satisfying experience, to feel the tactile response of the machine intake the strings of letter coming from your brain, to the movements of your fingers, to the key press, and finally to the signal sent to the computer.

I used to prefer completely silent keyboards. I enjoy the silence of my laptop's keyboard, which makes sense in public or in class when others around you might be annoyed by loud tapping noises. I once even preferred it for gaming. But ever since I got this Steelseries keyboard for free (I found it at work and no one claimed it), I have since grown accustomed to its clickity-clackediness. The response I get from typing is extremely satisfying to me, and it is especially comforting to hear while I type my posts for this blog. It reminds me that I am doing work, that I am progressing.

It's interesting to think about how a technology like the keyboard might progress in the future, and how it has changed (or not changed) already. In the grand scheme of things, I don't think the keyboard's purpose has changed all that dramatically; it's how the keyboard is implemented that has changed. On smartphones, for example, keyboards are digital. They appear on the screen, with tactile feedback given through vibrations. Those terrible on-screen keyboards on "smart" televisions are also digital. Keyboards are even used in virtual reality, but those often don't work great with today's motion controllers (unless you have a headset which uses hand tracking).

Maybe a year ago I learned about a keyboard that was in development called Flux. It was an LED keyboard which could change the keys it displayed on the screen. Essentially, it's just a big tablet pretending to be keyboard. The design seemed innovative to me, especially considering the modularity. You could be typing in English, then switch to a Spanish keyboard and have the Spanish symbols displayed instead of English ones. Ever since I discovered it, though, I have heard nothing about it without looking it up myself. No one seems to be very hyped about it.

No wonder I haven't heard about. They're still selling pre-orders for $450. Either it's a big scam, or it doesn't work as well as it should. It's still a neat idea -- one that I hope gets elaborated on in the future. The intersection of a virtual display with real, tactile feedback from buttons is one that I think has enormous potential. Instead of having silly RGB gamer lights flashing beneath your keyboard, you could instead have anime waifus dancing while you look down to type. Not that I would be the type of person to do that, but the people (or person idk) who designed Litterbox definitely would.

I think that normal keyboards should be celebrated more. In this era of flashy gaming peripherals, RGB-less workstations have become far more appealing and elegant. Having a workstation that is understated and simple speaks to my inner self in ways I still find hard to describe -- it only lives within the design itself.