Skip to content

Instantly share code, notes, and snippets.

@shajra
Created January 10, 2024 03:55
Show Gist options
  • Save shajra/4f337d1498bc4d61a37ffb0d8252f5b8 to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.
Save shajra/4f337d1498bc4d61a37ffb0d8252f5b8 to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.
Okay, second try at a comment.
I was disappointed by this video. I'm unaffiliated with any keyboard company and
generally appreciate distance from the displeasure of capitalism. I just like
keyboards. Building a genuine community brand requires more than just a quality
product. The human element is also your brand. And this includes respect for
those whose work you have built on top of (Kaleidoscope and Crysalis). I suspect
the Keyboard.io folk are too empathetic to participate in this competitive and
unfair teardown, which motivates me to author this response.
A simple guiding light would be this. Would you change your tone or arguments if
Jesse or Kaia were there face-to-face? Let's run through a few points if you
still need to be convinced there's a problem.
First off, you have some petty comments about the cheap bubble wrap. As a
consumer, I appreciate simple packaging that I can recycle. I don't want
pretentious packaging that fills landfills. Bubble-wrap plastic can go with
other #4 thin films. If there's a lower-impact packaging material, I'd prefer
that.
Next up, you missed the fact that the screw hole under each half can support
more than just the tenting stands. You can access various cheap mounting setups
because they are sized for standard tripods. Just get a clamp or tripod from
Amazon. So many options open up when you do this, including anything you'd get
with built-in tenting stands. I even got a nice block of walnut to match the
Model 100. Looks great. Clamps and such may be bulky, but let's not pretend any
of these keyboards are that portable.
Next, you claimed that the homing bumps on the thumb cluster are useless. If so,
I must make an effort to do useless things daily. Either that or your CTO spoke
out of turn with no concrete evidence. Don't worry. It happens with all kinds of
executive types, some more than others. Here's the story as I understand it. The
Model 01 had homing bumps where people might expect them. However, users
complained that they were distracting. So they were softened slightly but also
moved down. What this means in practice is that you can find them optionally.
Just slide your digits down slightly. Once you have comfort in your position,
type away. Is this optionality optimal? I don't know. But I use it effectively.
It's not useless.
Next, you seem distracted by the decision not to turn on LEDs by default. Then,
you present the wrong theory for why it is this way. Yes, it _is_ about power
consumption. But this problem is still relevant even in a wired board that's
always plugged in. Keyboard.io is a compassionate company that wants its boards
to work in as many situations as possible. This includes old USB hubs that can't
handle ample power draws. The Defy takes an alternative route, packing in tons
of LEDs. Does the Defy have a strategy for users with older hardware?
Next, you comment about how you all have to throw away more keycaps because they
are exposed to floating. The implication is that Keyboard.io is taking the easy
way out. But here's something to consider. Floating keycap designs invite more
dust. Beyond that, they affect the pitch and resonance of the aural experience.
I have yet to try out the Model 100 with the best-sounding switches. But the
design has a better starting point with the solid wood body and the non-floating
keycaps.
Some good points were made and reasonably explained. Keyboard.io's thin plastic
center bars _are_ breakage-prone. You have to be careful, even when using them
correctly. Also, the Defy's thumb cluster is one of the best I've seen. But even
this is couched with a petty claim that the Keyboard.io palm button is prone to
erroneous depressions. My experience suggests otherwise. There's enough tension
in the switch that you must deliberately to push through it. I'm sure the
Keyboard.io folk tested this aggressively, probably with prototype iterations
not dissimilar to those used to design the Defy. We should be careful about the
quick judgement of someone who really hasn't used the device for long.
Ultimately, I found this video disrespectful. Objectivity and honesty should be
more than a sales pitch. If you wanted something better, you could have seen if
Jesse or Kaia were interested in a respectful collaboration video. Or, you could
have had an independent keyboard enthusiast trusted by the community to do a
head-to-head comparison. These aren't wild ideas. They happen all the time on
YouTube.
I appreciate your leaving this comment up. But as I said in my previous comment,
I'm also okay if you take this video down. It's in poor taste.
Sign up for free to join this conversation on GitHub. Already have an account? Sign in to comment