Glow in the dark keys

[pengo]

Don't really prefer keyboard with light leakage from underneath the keys. Perhaps, a single piece keypad (similar to the current Pandora keymat) with backlight concentrated only behind the letters would be ideal or just an LED (with adjustable brightness using hotkey configurations) positioned on the hardware that beams light onto the keyboard.  The glow in the dark keymat sounds fine too if the material is durable.

 

[Neelix]

URGH!   Nice for some perhaps , but to me it just sounds really nasty.  Me, I want my backlighting to be uniform,  or close to it, and I want my indicators to be discrete from the backlight.

Sorry but how important are these discrete indicators?  For me, I don't see the importance of them.  I always have all these lights (Power LED, SD cards LEDs, Wifi LEDs, Bluetooth LED) off and they don't affect anything.

For me, quite important. They should also be visible when the unit is closed. Just because you personally don't use them doesn't mean they aren't useful.
An example: I frequently use the radio LEDs when I realise that a short period of inactivity (with the unit closed) is going to turn out to be longer than I initially thought. If I've left the wifi on I'll open the unit at this point to turn it off. If not, then I know I don't have to worry about running down the battery.

- Neelix

 

[Klumpen]

I've found a video and a picture of my backlight:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/J92ZtI4FvK4?feature=oembed

That's all I want and if Pandoras successor costs a bit more because of it, I wouldn't have any problem with it.

These keyboards have just gotten a lot cheaper btw.

I've paid 40€ back then and now you get them for 22€.

There are other layouts available, some with the touch pad and mouse buttons in the middle.

 

[MrConfusion]

Instead of backlight, some little bumps on F and J keys would go a long way to assist finding keys in the dark. Perhaps similar bumps to a couple of number keys --> problem solved... well, for me, I do realize this solution is far from a proper backlight and I know many people do not type enough with this device to start remembering key positioning "like a reflex".

I have gotten a lot more familiar with the keyboard now and aside from the lack of such bumps find it still "odd" (action, lack of some keys, especially tab), but increasingly comfortable.

(

For me (too) an IBM ThinkLight-style thing at the top left or right corner of the display would be right about perfect. Though I know it would be difficult to direct the light in such confined space (are flashlight LEDs directed these days?). Also I practically never use the Pandora "fully open", so naturally the thinklight thingy simply would not work if I did.

Display is not enough to illuminate the keyboard when it is dimmed and even at lowest backlight level it is actually too bright in the dark (white on black) to my taste.

)

 

[Fzero]

That Rii mini does look pretty nice to me too.


I'd pay a little premium for that

 

[fusion_power]

That's all I want and if Pandoras successor costs a bit more because of it, I wouldn't have any problem with it.

These keyboards have just gotten a lot cheaper btw.

I've paid 40€ back then and now you get them for 22€.

There are other layouts available, some with the touch pad and mouse buttons in the middle.

FANCY!  :wub:

This is how I imagine a P2 keyboard light, especialy with the flat, dense keys. White also looks pretty good as light, nobody really needs RGB lights.

Any idea how this kind of key light exactly works?

 

[Seany]

i personaly use pandora to work in busses, so int he noght time i could use a backlit key

 

[xiongxioi]

^^ I have a keyboard like that for ages, but never had any chance of using it. 

It feels very loose, not much better than tapping on a touchscreen. 

I fear that cost is not the main concern here, finding a supplier is. It all depends on whether ED can find someone who's willing to make those in a small number. 

 

[spud42]

That's all I want and if Pandoras successor costs a bit more because of it, I wouldn't have any problem with it.

These keyboards have just gotten a lot cheaper btw.

I've paid 40€ back then and now you get them for 22€.

There are other layouts available, some with the touch pad and mouse buttons in the middle.

FANCY!  :wub:

This is how I imagine a P2 keyboard light, especialy with the flat, dense keys. White also looks pretty good as light, nobody really needs RGB lights.

Any idea how this kind of key light exactly works?

it will probably have a clear plastic "frame" running around all the keys with a few strategically placed white LED's . they are called light pipes.

 

[PokeParadox]

I've found a video and a picture of my backlight:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/J92ZtI4FvK4?feature=oembed

I'd be happy if the keyboard looked like this when backlit. It should be able to turn it off completely and obviously try to draw as little power as possible...

 

[vcoleiro1]

Wouldn't the 5" screen produce enough light to see the keys anyway?

 

[fusion_power]

Wouldn't the 5" screen produce enough light to see the keys anyway?

I only use the Pandora with 180 degrees opened lid so the screen can't light up the keys. In a dark room I have to adjust the lid to maybe 90 degrees like I do right now to see the keys. And typing this way is very uncomfortable.

 

[jottt]

More light on the screen usually means less visibility around the screen. My laptop has a bright 17" display, yet I cannot see any keys I see them best when I switch of the screen

Glow in the dark (aka phosphorescent) is indeed a bad idea. When I need light on the keyboard it usually have not had any time to charge beforehand. Fluorescent (the streetsign-effect) now would be something different if the light of the screen suffices to activate the keyprint.

Optically speaking the approach of the Razr Lycosa is beautiful (the one posted by pengo). Technically though these keys are terrible to see when NO backlight is switched on. It does not matter on a desktop but matters a lot on a battery powered device.

Taking the current design it probably would be easiest to use a transparent white rubber as a mat (for light transport), clear (or at least kind of clear) buttons with black letters. This way the keyboard is still readable without light. It might look crappy but will work

If you embed transparent letters in a solid key you probably cannot read them anymore (as they are dark without light from below!). Also this is more complicated (if possible at all) to produce with the current design as you have to get the light to the middle where you have the "switch" of the key.

>

One comment on the (nice) Rii Mini:

That looks a lot like a mouse-button-tech-keyboard. This is ok for a few types but the hell for real writing. If you ever tried the N900....not convenient. The current Pandorakeyboard is miles ahead, even though I would prefer "softer" keypresses. But there have been pages of ideas way back in 2008 about that topic

 

[Asiyura]

Technically though these keys are terrible to see when NO backlight is switched on.

Apple use rather similar key system (translucent letters on black keys) and they're perfectly readable even without any backlighting (the letters looks grey).

As I said, we're talking about a backlit keyboard, not about the backlighting of a screen.

There are leds that are pretty bright without consuming gigawatts…

 

[Hồng Thất Công]

Like I said, just use the LEDs for power, wifi, bluetooth, and SD cards and stick them strategically under a black keyboard with translucent letters and we're all set.

 

[jottt]

Technically though these keys are terrible to see when NO backlight is switched on.

Apple use rather similar key system (translucent letters on black keys) and they're perfectly readable even without any backlighting (the letters looks grey).

As I said, we're talking about a backlit keyboard, not about the backlighting of a screen.

There are leds that are pretty bright without consuming gigawatts…

Indeed, Apple managed to light the keyboard very nicely while still maintaining readability. I rest my case However the Apple keyboard is a lot bigger (making it easier to be readable) and probably more manhours where spend on developing said keyboard than time spend on developing the whole pandora

Don't underestimate the powerdrain of a keyboard light though ... Even if it "only" takes 10 Minutes of batterylife I am sure there will be pages of heated debate about it and at least 20 people killing their orders

It might make sense to take a closer look on (good) TV Remotes with a backlight. They should be quite similar to our keyboard and they already exist

 

[Neelix]

Like I said, just use the LEDs for power, wifi, bluetooth, and SD cards and stick them strategically under a black keyboard with translucent letters and we're all set.

*shudders*   Never have I wanted a 'Dislike' button more...

- Neelix

 

[Asiyura]

Technically though these keys are terrible to see when NO backlight is switched on.

Apple use rather similar key system (translucent letters on black keys) and they're perfectly readable even without any backlighting (the letters looks grey).As I said, we're talking about a backlit keyboard, not about the backlighting of a screen.

There are leds that are pretty bright without consuming gigawatts…

 Indeed, Apple managed to light the keyboard very nicely while still maintaining readability. I rest my case However the Apple keyboard is a lot bigger (making it easier to be readable) and probably more manhours where spend on developing said keyboard than time spend on developing the whole pandora

Don't underestimate the powerdrain of a keyboard light though ... Even if it "only" takes 10 Minutes of batterylife I am sure there will be pages of heated debate about it and at least 20 people killing their orders

It might make sense to take a closer look on (good) TV Remotes with a backlight. They should be quite similar to our keyboard and they already exist

I stand my point : 

Even better one :

I always felt that white letters on black keys makes a keyboard feel like it's good quality while black letters on white keys makes it feel like a cheap chinese knock-off.

(I'm not talking about actual build quality, but the feeling it gives to the potential owner)

EDIT: and most of the Harmony line of remotes from Logitech feature backlit white pictogram on black keys…

 

[jottt]

Nice. I like that Harmony-Design. Are they squishy or clicky?

Could we have that in retro-phosphorus-green please?

 

[fusion_power]

I always felt that white letters on black keys makes a keyboard feel like it's good quality while black letters on white keys makes it feel like a cheap chinese knock-off.

(I'm not talking about actual build quality, but the feeling it gives to the potential owner)

I know what you mean. The 2. Remote looks way better than the cheap looking first one. Glowing letters instead of black letters onto a glowing key are the way to go.