The humble computer keyboard has remained largely the same in design for more than two decades, and while it has certainly been refined and developed, the overall look and feel has remained the same.
The idea behind the new Keyboardio Model 01 is that keyboards can be functional, but they can also be works of art. In fact, the idea is getting a lot of support on Kickstarter.
"We spend our days at a keyboard. Most of our nights, too. The keyboard is how we practice our craft," said Keyboardio on its Kickstarter page. "Something even a little bit more comfortable makes a world of difference. Something even a little bit better designed will help us be happier and more productive."
Of course, split keyboard have existed before this, but never anything quite the same. This keyboard features a beautiful hardwood maple base, with the grain of the wood flowing behind the keys of the keyboard. It's a nice inclusion of nature into a product that would otherwise be totally plastic.
The keyswitches on the Model 01 are likened to those found in the original Apple II, according to the creators of the keyboard. Of course, it does feature a QWERTY layout, so it should be easy to get used to typing on it. They keyboard also can be positioned to perfectly fit the liking of the user, being able to lay flat, be raised on a tripod, tented at at angle, or split. For even more customization, the creators have included programmable LED lights behind each key, allowing the user to decide on the colors they want to light up the keyboard.
It seems as though the general consensus is that the Model 01 is a beautiful, functional piece of art. In fact, the Kickstarter campaign had raised $284,736 as of this writing, far more than the goal of $120,000. Not only that, but it still has 26 days to go.
Of course, the Model 01 isn't for everyone, as Keyboardio is quick to point out, and it will take some time to get used to the split keyboard design.
"Typically, most typists start to get acclimated to a new key layout like ours within a few hours, but true mastery of a new key layout is an investment that can take a month or two to really start to pay off," says the company.
Backers can donate anything from $1, which will get them the source code, to $9,999, which will buy a custom-designed keyboard perfect for the individual user. To simply buy the keyboard, however, will cost $299.
