Are you geek enough for it?

[Shockeye]

Review: New Blank Keyboard for Geeks Only

Product Review: New Blank Das Keyboard for Uber-Users Only; Comfortable, but Takes Getting Used To

By MATT SLAGLE

The Associated Press

DALLAS Aug 11, 2005 — Typing on a Das Keyboard is a lot like typing on any other computer keyboard except the keys are blank. Most people, especially those who rely on the slow but steady hunt-and-peck technique, might consider that a problem.

Not Daniel Guermeur, chief executive of Austin-based Metadot Corp. The self-proclaimed "uber geek" says he first came up with the idea for a blank keyboard while attending Stanford University in 1989. It was there that the French native noticed others typing much faster than he was.

"I was an OK typist but I was slowing down when I looked at the special characters," said Guermeur, 41. "One day I said, `If I could just improve my typing I could be much more efficient.'"

Two years ago, he built a prototype to test his hypothesis that a blank keyboard would force him to become a better typist. After many people asked him where he bought it, he decided to start making them commercially.

And recently, Guermeur began selling the keyboards for $80 with a new marketing spin: "Das Keyboard. Uber Geeks only."

For those needing a foreign language primer, "das" means "the" in German, and the name has to do with the fact that it's intended for "uber" (roughly translated to "super" in German) computer pros.

"People willing to buy this are total geeks," says Guermeur, a former tech manager for oil field services company Schlumberger Ltd. "The creme of the geeks."

The black, enhanced USB keyboard has 104 keys all of them blank in a wedge-shaped design reminiscent of the fabled IBM Model M, a keyboard with spring-loaded, clicking keys considered by some to be the greatest keyboard ever built.

As a reporter, my fingers are pretty much glued to the keyboard anyway, so I figured using Das Keyboard for a week would be a minor adjustment.

It is indeed comfortable to use, with five different key weights designed to keep the fingers nimble. The space bar, for example, requires slightly more effort to press than a quick tap of the "c" key.

I've found I don't look down at the keys as much as I thought I would. Yet I still keep a normal keyboard nearby. (Apparently I need more practice before I reach uber status. Certain keys still give me occasional problems, among them the apostrophe, the colon and the squiggly bracket.

My office colleagues remain largely unconvinced.

The conversation usually goes something like this: I say, "Hey fellow worker, look at this new keyboard I'm testing out."

They look down and the expanse of empty black squares, shrivel their nose and ask incredulously, "Why?"

I tell them by using it, I'm showing how cool and smart I am. Then they walk away, shaking their heads (whether it's in humor, befuddlement or jealousy, I can't really tell).

I left Das Keyboard connected to an office PC shared with others. (It's compatible with Windows, Mac OS X and Linux operating systems.)

Sure enough, the next day Das Keyboard had been unplugged in favor of a standard keyboard.

A popular observation: Wouldn't it be cheaper to buy a normal keyboard and either strip off the markings or give it a quick coat of spray paint?

"You could do it," Guermeur concedes, "but it's a pain in the butt to do that, a major pain. Also the paint would wear off eventually."

It might seem a gimmick, but Guermeur maintains Das Keyboard is an invention rooted in logic.

"If you look at a piano, it doesn't have notes on the keys, it's blank," he says. "Writing letters seems like a good help but actually it's not. It's counterintuitive, actually."

On the Net:

http://www.daskeyboard.com

[Margalis]

Wow, that Piano analogy is awful. Piano keys are color coded, have distinct height and spacing pattern, and repeat in sets of 12 or whatever.

[stray]

Lets not forget how much the ear plays a part in the whole "music" thing. "C" on a piano is a distinct noise. "C" on a computer keyboard...Not so much.

[Signe]

Yeah, someone sent me an email on this thing and asked what I thought.  I emailed this back to them:



I don't know why.  Sometimes I do the first thing that pops into my head.

[Samwise]

Wasn't Schild getting one of those?

[schild]

Has a windows key.

So...

No.

[Paelos]

Since when does something being geeky mean pointlessly annoying and tedious?

And I mean besides Star Trek.

[schild]

I take that back, I would buy one if Peter Murphy signed it with the blood of a goat.

[Samwise]

Can't you just pry the Windows key off or something?

[schild]

Can't you just pry the Windows key off or something?

Not good enough. I need it removed as if it never existed. It's not because I'm bashing Windows mind you. I love Windows. I just hate how that key minimizes whatever game you're playing and I always hit it. I use EVERY key around that area of the keyboard with any game that lets me remap.

[Krakrok]

That's not geek, that's nerd.

[Shockeye]

Holy shit I need one of these. Now.

[Margalis]

You know you can disable the windows key right? It's some registry thing you can set. That was a popular thing to do in FFXI since it uses both the Ctrl and Alt keys.

[Sky]

I've removed the windows, menu, and caps lock key off my keyboard. Problem solved in a couple easy steps.

I'm still most interested in that keyboard with LCD screen keys. Too bad it'll draw too much power to be wireless.

Stuck with logitech's set imo.

[HaemishM]

Since when does something being geeky mean pointlessly annoying and tedious?

And I mean besides Star Trek.

Linux.

[Yegolev]

Schlumberger bought some of the servers I built.  That's geeky.  Blank keys are dumb.  Just don't look down.

[Paelos]

Since when does something being geeky mean pointlessly annoying and tedious?

And I mean besides Star Trek.

Linux.

Ah! Touche, sir.

[Sky]

Am I the only one who pronounces that word with a 'D'?

[Signe]

Am I the only one who pronounces that word with a 'D'?

What word?  Touche?  Linux?  Word?

[Sky]

Doo-shay.

[Fargull]

Doo-shay.

Isn't that vaginal?

[AOFanboi]

What is it with the Windows key hate? My Windows use would slow to a crawl without Windows-D and Windows-E. Perhaps even the occasional Windows-R.

Then again, if it wasn't for games I would be running SuSE or the like.

[Trippy]

What is it with the Windows key hate? My Windows use would slow to a crawl without Windows-D and Windows-E. Perhaps even the occasional Windows-R.

It wouldn't be so bad if there weren't still 3D games that complain violently (i.e. they crash or lockup) if you try and switch out of them (e.g. using Alt-Tab or the Windows key).

[Hanzii]

Don't forget who pointed this out to Schild in the first place..
I got mine the day before yesterday - I unpacked it and promptly gave it to the one guy at the office who still used his IBM keyboard. Fun, but ultimately stupid.
I use a Logitech Bluetooth keyboard, which roughly costs the same as Das Keyboard (at least over here) and still the importer said, that they were flying off the shelves.

[tazelbain]

I was thinking about something like this, because looking at the keyboard is a crutch I just can't seem to get over. I know where the keys are. I just can't stop looking. The key weight stuff seems useless.

[Samwise]

What is it with the Windows key hate? My Windows use would slow to a crawl without Windows-D and Windows-E. Perhaps even the occasional Windows-R.

It wouldn't be so bad if there weren't still 3D games that complain violently (i.e. they crash or lockup) if you try and switch out of them (e.g. using Alt-Tab or the Windows key).

There are apparently keyboards coming out now that let you "lock" the Windows key when in fullscreen mode, which sounds pretty damn handy.  (It's also possible for the game itself to intercept commands like that, but almost none of them do.)

[Big Gulp]

I was thinking about something like this, because looking at the keyboard is a crutch I just can't seem to get over. I know where the keys are. I just can't stop looking. The key weight stuff seems useless.

My best friend is just like you.  He refuses, and I mean refuses, to get used to the home row.  He's a hunt and pecker, but he's a fairly decent hunt and pecker.  He's always bitched about not being able to type, and I've tried to help him out with a number of things; typing tutorials, typing of the dead, etc.  Nothing's worked.  This would probably do the trick unless he just snapped and went out to buy a new keyboard.

[Signe]

I can type with my feet.

[Calantus]

My keyboard has 2 windows keys. I just disable the left one so I don't get sent to desktop during a PVP battle in WoW when trying to hit my left alt key. So I can have my cake (not being sent to desktop randomly) and eat it too (still having a windows key).

[schmoo]

I can type with my feet.

So can my cat.  What's your point?

I disabled my Windows key long ago, along with the capslock key (no more accidently yelling in MMOG chat, thank you).  I am vaguely aware that the Windows key actually does something more or less useful, but I have no idea what, and in any case I don't miss whatever it is.

I kind of like the idea of a keyboard with blank keys, but I'm sure I'd look at it anyway, because I can get the same effect by taking out my contacts and I still look even though all I can see is a darkish blur on the keycaps.

I did learn to type correctly in high school.  I got into the habit of looking at the keys while programming, and never got out of it.

[MahrinSkel]

I started out as a hunt and peck typist, and just eventually reached the point where I rarely had to look at the keyboard (while typing at around 60-80 WPM).  But I still type with just my index and middle fingers (ring finger of my left hand for the 'a' key and shift, ring finger of the right for enter and backspace).  Big hands, especially on this laptop keyboard trying to touch-type properly would be an excercise in frustration, I can't keep all the fingers over the "home" keys without them being so jammed together so tight I can't move them independantly.

--Dave (typed this post while deliberately not looking, just to make sure I could)

[schild]

Those with fat hands have no choice but to get an IBM model M. Save yourself the drama. And sometimes the trauma.

[Arnold]

Lets not forget how much the ear plays a part in the whole "music" thing. "C" on a piano is a distinct noise. "C" on a computer keyboard...Not so much.

Umm, when you play a "C" on the piano, you hear a "C".  When you type a "C" on the keyboard, you see a "C" onscreen.  How is this different?  It isn't.  I think this keyboard is more comparable to a guitar neck though.  Sure, there are a few markers on the guiatar neck, but they don't tell you much, other than the number position.  When I am practicing learning the notes of the guitar neck, I purposefully look away or close my eyes so I cannot have a visiual reference, and it helps.  This keyboard does the same damn thing.

[Strazos]

One problem could be when you need to do encrypted passwords....You want to make sure you get it right, and not having the ability to look at the keys can suck...a lot.


Granted, I sort of hunt and peck...but I can still type at a decent speed while only looking at the screen. It's kinda fun to get into the "zone" while typing up a paper.

[stray]

Lets not forget how much the ear plays a part in the whole "music" thing. "C" on a piano is a distinct noise. "C" on a computer keyboard...Not so much.

Umm, when you play a "C" on the piano, you hear a "C".  When you type a "C" on the keyboard, you see a "C" onscreen.  How is this different?  It isn't.  I think this keyboard is more comparable to a guitar neck though.  Sure, there are a few markers on the guiatar neck, but they don't tell you much, other than the number position.  When I am practicing learning the notes of the guitar neck, I purposefully look away or close my eyes so I cannot have a visiual reference, and it helps.  This keyboard does the same damn thing.

Yeah, I thought about that later. My bad. I just didn't give enough shit about this keyboard to post again.