On Tue, 06 Sep 2005 09:56:28 -0400, Peter T. Daniels
<grammatim@...> wrote:

> The 128-key is $300, and "call for availability" suggests they're
> custom-made. Mass production would lower the price considerably, and
> dedicated functions, rather than "programmability," might reduce the
> cost still more. Also eliminating the "8-position key" -- i.e., it's
> locked like a cash register.

All good points. Could be that the design was made for one customer, but
is also sufficiently un-specific to be offered as a product.
Programmability shouldn't add more than a few percent, if even that, to
the cost. Although one seems to almost never read about it, modern
keyboards must contain embedded microprocessors (single-chip
microcomputers), optimized for the job, and really low-cost, probably tens
of cents in lots of a million. Programmable embedded micros. would be more
costly, but (guessing) only a few doalrs each in modest quantities,
possibly less. (There is a huge variety of embedded micros., it seems.)

>> <http://www.xkeys.com/xkeys.php>

> Of course it's just a rectangular grid, so rather unergonomic, but has
> definite possibilities for Vai and maybe even Yi.

Glad to read that; thought the info. might be useful.

Just remembered that I own a Gateway programmable keyboard, with (iirc) a
conventional key layout. Probably does not require a battery to maintain
its data.

Fwiw, when I swapped keycaps to create a Dvorak layout, on the old, heavy,
semi-wonderful IBM kbd., it took me iirc about half an hour.

Btw, if you get yourself a keycap puller, don't try swapping keytops on a
regular keyboard unless you're sure the different rows have the same "top
tilt"; they probably don't, afaik.

Thanks, Peter.

--
Nicholas Bodley /*|*\ Waltham, Mass. (Not "MA")
The curious hermit -- autodidact and polymath
Pretty evening sky show: Go see!
<http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/26aug_sunset.htm>