Some PCBs, holidays, a new case revision and a theme

[rygD]

Unless you're planning to use it in the dark with the screen off, I don't see how it affecting your dark adaptation is of any significance at all.

That is why I made my joke/comment.  However, I agree that red coming from the keys will be less bothersome and irritating than white when looking at the screen, regardless of if you have the screen blasting you with full brightness or very dim.  Looking at the keys in the dark, which is the purpose of the backlight, will be less like staring at a bright light in a dark room.  It may be different when it is diffused.  Also consider playing a game that is dark on screen, or anything else where the display isn't mostly white, yet you may need to look at keys occasionally.  I personally change settings on most of my computers so I am not staring at a bright white screen when I am using them.

Since ED said we are getting white LEDs for the keys, aesthetically I prefer red and orange for Pyra's additional key markings over blue.

 

[Grench]

Also use less power, but that's because they're generally not as bright as well.


which is another reason to suggest red over white: red doesn't blind you in the dark the way white does. Of course, that's a moot argument if the light is diffused through red filtered rubber.

But the brightness of those LEDs can be set in the OS, so they will not blind you.

I still wish they could have been independently color controlled too - but I understand why they're not.  That would be a ton of wasted money in IO controls.

 

[klapse]

I think red would have been cooler, but white is ok I guess.

 

[Glyph Reader]

Also use less power, but that's because they're generally not as bright as well.


which is another reason to suggest red over white: red doesn't blind you in the dark the way white does. Of course, that's a moot argument if the light is diffused through red filtered rubber.

But the brightness of those LEDs can be set in the OS, so they will not blind you.

I still wish they could have been independently color controlled too - but I understand why they're not.  That would be a ton of wasted money in IO controls.

B-but the pretty lights...

-Glyph Reader

 

[EvilDragon]

I still don't understand why red LEDs would be cooler when you can do red letters with white LEDs as well...?

 

[Granitehead]

I still don't understand why red LEDs would be cooler when you can do red letters with white LEDs as well...?

One thing mentioned is this: If the keyboard just has transparent labels without any color, then it's possible to solder in other LEDs to get other colors.So red (or whatever. I don't really care for red, thought it would match the name well) LEDs with clear keyboard labels would be more hacker friendly than with the color on the keyboard.

This is something to consider, in my opinion.

But what I would like most are individually controllable RGB LEDs with clear keyboard labels.

 

[cinaeco]

I am finding this conversation confusing too. White LEDs = colour of keys controlled by the colour of the key mat. Surely this is way more preferable than forcing the emitted light to only one colour (in which case changing colour involves re-soldering LEDs, rather than just swapping one piece of rubber/plastic). Using any LEDs other than white would be a downgrade it seems.


Also, thanks ED for the update. Excited to see how the Solomon chip performs!

 

[rygD]

I think red would have been cooler, but white is ok I guess.

I still don't understand why red LEDs would be cooler when you can do red letters with white LEDs as well...?

If it is true that they use less electricity for the same amount of light perhaps they are more efficient, leading to a lower temperature.

 

[cinaeco]

I still don't understand why red LEDs would be cooler when you can do red letters with white LEDs as well...?

One thing mentioned is this: If the keyboard just has transparent labels without any color, then it's possible to solder in other LEDs to get other colors.So red (or whatever. I don't really care for red, thought it would match the name well) LEDs with clear keyboard labels would be more hacker friendly than with the color on the keyboard.This is something to consider, in my opinion.But what I would like most are individually controllable RGB LEDs with clear keyboard labels.

Wouldn't It be easier to just tint the back of the key mat with something like a light marker, rather than change the LEDs? Also the LEDs light regions, so you could only have groups of keys different colours, which would look kind of weird.

 

[Granitehead]

I am finding this conversation confusing too. White LEDs = colour of keys controlled by the colour of the key mat. Surely this is way more preferable than forcing the emitted light to only one colour (in which case changing colour involves re-soldering LEDs, rather than just swapping one piece of rubber/plastic). Using any LEDs other than white would be a downgrade it seems.

Also, thanks ED for the update. Excited to see how the Solomon chip performs!

The reason you are confused is this:It's hard to produce a custom key mat. So hard you can be pretty sure there will only be one type made by ED. So you get the color the chooses for the labels and nothing else.

So, yes, you can switch the key mat, but only for one of the same color. While it not /that/ hard to replace some SMD LEDs (arguably easier than through hole).

That's why you got it exactly the other/wrong way around.

Edit:

Wouldn't It be easier to just tint the back of the key mat with something like a light marker, rather than change the LEDs? Also the LEDs light regions, so you could only have groups of keys different colours, which would look kind of weird.

That's possible too.But also only if the keymat itself is transparent and has no color already on it.

And of course I wouldn't mix LED colors.

 

[DaMummy]

so its final. Keys will have transparent letters and symbols, and the LEDs will be red, or one of its varients

 

[fusion_power]

so its final. Keys will have transparent letters and symbols, and the LEDs will be red, or one of its varients

Except that the LEDs will be white. 

 

[WizardStan]

DaMummy said final. You can't go back on that now! Do you want to make him out to be a liar?

 

[ShleeDragon]

If I've learnt one thing from the ICP2... it's that LEDs are cursed.. DON'T MAKE RAINBOW LEDs!

 

[Null]

it's that LEDs are cursed..

It's true, I used an LED once and the very next day I was run over by a man driving an electric car, who then proceeded to relieve me of my cash via a process I'd never heard of before, it was called Kacksturter or something.

 

[Majin Wamu]

Awesome news! Now that i understand the joke I guess the the Pyra will be out in Two MonthsTM! Oh and the new theme is pretty sweet! It looks like things are going smoother than perhaps you first imagined. Having prior knowledge with the Pandora really helped out production. I bet you, ED, are more excited than all of us about this new project. My wallet is almost ready for the New Pyra!!!

 

[_wb_]

Why does everyone keep ignoring that key labels do not have one color, but at least two? Like I said before:

The problem with a single-color keyboard backlight is that we need the labels to have (at least) two different colors: one color for the normal key labels and one color for the Fn/Meta key labels. With e.g. a red backlight you can only get shades of red on the labels (remember, light is additive, not subtractive like paint), which would make it hard to distinguish the two sets of labels.

So a red led is not enough because a monochrome color scheme for the key labels would be a step backwards compared to the Pandora.

Also, I think it is important to make sure that the labels are easy to read when the backlight is switched off.

 

[rygD]

Why does everyone keep ignoring that key labels do not have one color, but at least two? Like I said before:

The problem with a single-color keyboard backlight is that we need the labels to have (at least) two different colors: one color for the normal key labels and one color for the Fn/Meta key labels. With e.g. a red backlight you can only get shades of red on the labels (remember, light is additive, not subtractive like paint), which would make it hard to distinguish the two sets of labels.

So a red led is not enough because a monochrome color scheme for the key labels would be a step backwards compared to the Pandora.

Also, I think it is important to make sure that the labels are easy to read when the backlight is switched off.

I personally understand that the larger marking is the normal mode for that key.  I would also figure out pretty quick which modifier is used for other markings, like on the Pandora number keys.  I would not need a color to figure out which is which, especially if there is uniformity of markings on keys, such as big thing is primary, FN is upper right and shift plus keys with a middle marking makes whatever the middle thing is.  others may not pick this up so quickly, or it may take them longer to memorize that.

 

[thatgui]

I personally understand that the larger marking is the normal mode for that key.  I would also figure out pretty quick which modifier is used for other markings, like on the Pandora number keys.  I would not need a color to figure out which is which, especially if there is uniformity of markings on keys, such as big thing is primary, FN is upper right and shift plus keys with a middle marking makes whatever the middle thing is.  others may not pick this up so quickly, or it may take them longer to memorize that.

I guess that the different colors are there to distinguish both markings faster/more easily. Depending on the marking (like both markings beeing text only) I could imagine they are "melting" together if you only take a quick look at them.

 

[EvilDragon]

I still can't understand why hackers can replace red LEDs but not white ones...?