Close up high volume keyboard video

[monty]

Can the forum recommend me a video which shows a close up of someone using the keyboard for a sustained period (thumb or desk typing), with a camera angle that focuses on the keyboard, and good enough sound that really captures the click?

I'm looking to get a sense of how tactile the keys feel for real work. I know a lot of effort has gone into making it much better than the Pandora (which had imprecise tactile feedback). However although I have gone through a fair number of videos I can't find one which really gives a sense of the tactile feel when typing. The videos I've seen don't really focus on the keyboard and are mostly a hunt-and-peck job anyway, not sustained typing. Obviously trying one in person is necessary, but a good video with good sound is usually adequate, in a pinch.

Thanks in advance, and apologies for asking people to dig something up that I just can't find myself, I'm hoping someone can think of where one such video is off top of their head, without having to go hunt for it.

 

[Grench]

I have seen this misinterpretation before. People have seen pictures of the Pyra and thought, "Looks like a laptop - must be able to type on it like a laptop."

If you put a Pyra on top of and left edge of the case flush to the left edge of the left edge of the leftmost keys on a standard keyboard, the right edge of the Pyra case ends at half way over the H key. I am sure that somewhere out there will be someone with pixie-like fingers who can actually touch type on it. My index finger is fully two keys wide. For the rest of us, and by the device intention, this is a thumb-typing keyboard device.

Under the keycaps is a rubber dome membrane. It does not, "click", though there is a faint but audible (in a quiet room) sound as the dome bottoms out on the circuit board..

As to 'tactile feel'... It 'feels' better than the buttons on most (nearly all) remote controls. It does not 'feel' as good as the keys on the HP calculators from the 1980s.

If your objective is to have a connected device that fits in your pocket that you can still 'touch type in a pinch' on, Planet Computers makes the Gemini and Cosmo Communicator devices. I can touch type on those fairly well, but not 'at speed'. It has no game controls and lacks the Pyra's physical connections and massive (5TB theoretically possible) storage capabilities.

If you need a 'tiny real keyboard' that you can plug into the USB port on a Pyra, there are lots of those out there. I'm a fan of the Vortex line. I have a Vortex Core (original with WTF legend misprints) and their Rac3 keyboards are my daily drivers - my preference is Cherry Brown switches. None of them are 'small', but they all have great keyboard feel. Even the diminutive 'Vortex Core' is 3/4 the thickness of the entire Pyra (lid closed) and 1.5 times as wide.

Hope this helps clarify.

 

[PowerGod]

@Grench : just post a video of yourself typing on it and shut up !!

 

[λ the β-Redex Reducer]

How width are the keys? I've got really slim fingers so maybe I can type properly on it!

At least I'm glad they're quiet. Often I like to secretly type. Do not ask me why, I would have to kill you if you knew (not really).

 

[monty]

Thank you for an instructive post @Grench, in particular for the "half way between a remote and a HP calculator" reference.

I don't think I was or am labouring under a misinterpretation though. I'm an ex-Pandora-owner, so I know what to expect of the form factor. Let me explain a bit better:

Thank you for the keyboard recommendations. But I'm not expecting a 'proper', uncompromised typing experience.

Some very different miniature physical keyboards, like on the Blackberry Classic or the Psion 3, are very practical and can be used for pretty heavy writing. You can write long reports on them and I have. That's important for some people.

Others miniature keyboards, like on the Pandora, are too spongy and imprecise with feedback to be used for much more than typing in URLs, short messages and for game controls.

Its not the size that's important (see Blackberry as above), its the layout and whether you get accurate feedback. Thumb typing is fine and expected. Typing slower is fine too. I'm interested in whether, within those limitations, the keyboard feels clumsy and imprecise or not.

Presumably there isn't a video of this as I did have a search before posting. However any keyboard review would be really valuable too. If not that either then never mind, I'll live!

Full disclosure: I have put down my pre-order already, which I did largely on the basis of wanting to support ED. This is a late fact finding mission to work out what I'm actually buying.

 

[levi]

I found I was able to use the Pandora's keyboard adequately for typing, but if I ever had to map game controls onto keyboard keys, I'd usually try to find a way to play the game without needing to use them.

The best video I've seen using the keyboard is I think Askarus's first video. You can hear the noise of the keys clearly. The best bit to look at if you're short for time happens a bit before 6m in where he opens libreoffice-writer, and types into it, and indeed he rates the keyboard as excellent in that section, and at about 6:30 he shows him typing from above. Since it's an overhead shot it doesn't show key travel very well at all, but it looks to me like he's close to touch typing on it so there's that.

 

[monty]

Thanks @levi, that's helpful.

 

[GreenDream]

Thanks @levi , I’ve been looking forward to the Pyra as an updated note-taker and journal from my Pandora, so this video is a nice treat. While I love typing on the Pandora, the Pyra seems even better! And what a screen

 

[matzesu]

I found the Pandora Keyboard not that bad, you cant exept a big Business Rate Keyboard on a Device that is just that small as a DS,
It was meant for some Old PC Emulation at the Beginning, this whole Linux Thing was just a Bonus on the Pandora because its long development time..
Tipped some small documents on the Pandora Keyboard, but i would recomend something like a Bluetooth Keyboard if you need to write more than just a few pages..

My Plan for the Pyra is to use it as my Main PC at Home and on the Go, but whit some Acessorys like a proper Mouse and Keyboard and TV OUT..

 

[Askarus]

Last week I wrote some pages of my Bachelor Thesis on the Prototype.
Don't worry, the Keyboard is good and typing will be a lot faster than what you see on the video

 

[matzesu]

At least its got a Keyboard Backlight and a Iluminated Lid Logo, somethings even a Macbook Pro lacks

 

[λ the β-Redex Reducer]

Last week I wrote some pages of my Bachelor Thesis on the Prototype.

Can I see that thesis? I'd like to read it.

 

[Askarus]

Can I see that thesis? I'd like to read it.

Sure.
It's German. Maybe I'll translate it to English later.
When it's done I might release it to the public anyways.
It's about building a privacy focused, decentral, open source Smart Home that works completely offline.

 

[Legodude522]

Sure.
It's German. Maybe I'll translate it to English later.
When it's done I might release it to the public anyways.
It's about building a privacy focused, decentral, open source Smart Home that works completely offline.

Not to veer off topic but I do find this subject interesting. I'm considering building a home video security system but I have found it difficult to find a prebuilt solution that does not "phone home"/ go through somebody else's server. I could build my own system from scratch or take a prebuilt system and have that on a separate network offline but I would lose the utility of being able to access my video feed remotely without some creative network engineering.

 

[matzesu]

Moment: wäre das echt die erste Bachelor Arbeit die auf einer Pyra geschrieben wurde?? Auch wenn ich selber nur den Hauptschulabschluss hab finde ich das irgendwie cool ^^
(One moment please: so this is the first thesis wrote on a Pyra?? , Even if I don’t even have a Matura, I find this pretty cool)


Whit best regards, Matthias

 

[Silent-Hunter]

Not to veer off topic but I do find this subject interesting. I'm considering building a home video security system but I have found it difficult to find a prebuilt solution that does not "phone home"/ go through somebody else's server. I could build my own system from scratch or take a prebuilt system and have that on a separate network offline but I would lose the utility of being able to access my video feed remotely without some creative network engineering.

What about OpenHAB?

 

[matzesu]

Was ist denn bitte OpenHAB?? Also ihr schlauen Nutzer seit echt schrecklich ^^
(What the hell is OpenHAB?? )


Whit best regards, Matthias

 

[Askarus]

Moment: wäre das echt die erste Bachelor Arbeit die auf einer Pyra geschrieben wurde?? Auch wenn ich selber nur den Hauptschulabschluss hab finde ich das irgendwie cool ^^
(One moment please: so this is the first thesis wrote on a Pyra?? , Even if I don’t even have a Matura, I find this pretty cool)


Whit best regards, Matthias

Not the whole thing but some parts.
For my last Bachelor Thesis (Psychology) I used the do the experiments with the participants.

What about OpenHAB?

Home Assistant is the way to go.
At least for me it was.