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This might sound a little bit science-fiction or futuristic:

I am looking for a keyboard of which keys are not physically labeled, but labeled with small LEDs inside them.

Here's my problem: The country that I live in uses a different layout than EN-US Q keyboard. It includes some special characters, like any other country that does not speak English. However, I write scientific papers in English and I am very comfortable when coding with an EN-US layout. In addition, I will soon move to a completely different country for my education.

All these being said, I would like to buy a keyboard whose keys are not physically determined.

Is there any keyboard that fits the following?

  • When I change the layout, the keys automatically adapt and change accordingly.
  • With wide enter key.
  • With numpad.
  • Preferably with extra function keys.

If there is none and you are working in a firm that produces keyboards, I can assure you that I will happily be a tester if you produce that kind of keyboard. Moreover, I will probably buy a dozen of them to use for my life.

To make myself more clear, the keyboard I am looking for is just like a smartphone keyboard. But not like a screen. An actual keyboard whose keys are small screens.

Update:

There is a keyboard just as I described. It is called optimus popularis and costs freaking 1425$!

I of course want something more affordable.

padawan
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  • What type of switches and caps do you prefer and what is your budget? – Adam Oct 20 '15 at 20:07
  • I can pay up to 100-150$. As for extra keys, only volume up/down and pause/play will be sufficient. – padawan Oct 20 '15 at 20:22
  • I haven't run across anything like this. I'd like to see something like this, but I suspect that it's very hard to get a screen with high enough resolution inside a keycap assembly. –  Oct 20 '15 at 22:46
  • Holy Toledo. That Optimus keyboard is nifty. I have strong doubts there is a cheaper alternative though. – Adam Oct 20 '15 at 23:09
  • I'm rather doubtful such a thing exists. As always being proven wrong would be nice. I'd just buy two keyboards or an unlabelled keyboard ;) – Journeyman Geek Oct 20 '15 at 23:52
  • You might take a look at code keyboards, it has dip switches that let you do a good bit of customization and is around $200 (USD). https://codekeyboards.com/ –  Oct 21 '15 at 02:55
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    I've seen those (don't remember the model names), but they're pretty expensive and you don't get a lot of choice. What I did in a similar situation was to learn to touch-type (and I always use the same layout no matter what language I'm typing in, but that's only possible because I only use languages based on the Latin alphabet). YMMV. – Gilles 'SO- stop being evil' Oct 21 '15 at 14:03
  • It looks like the Sonder keyboard might be what you are looking for, but it is not there yet. Preorder price is claimed to be $199 and regular retail $350. but no one knows when (or if ever) it will arrive. Generally you should probably look for e-ink instead of LEDs – PlasmaHH Oct 30 '15 at 16:03
  • Hey, it's down to $1500 now. – NZKshatriya Oct 28 '16 at 05:48
  • I'm confused as to why you need the key labels to change? What does it matter what is says on the keys? Many keyboards allow you to change the functionality (aka re-map) of the keys. Once you change the functions, just use the keyboard; it should not matter what it says on the keys. – Evan Mar 11 '20 at 13:19

2 Answers2

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If you don't need the physical keys to change (and well, a keycap puller and maybe spare keys would fix that), you could get a remappable mechanical keyboard.

I've got an old school Razer BlackWidow - now sold as the BlackWidow Classic, but many keyboards of this sort would have similar features.

  • Has proper switches.
  • Because of this, you can just pull and move most keys around
  • You can buy replacement keycaps, even as a set.
  • Backlight optional, there's models without it.
  • You won't be a membrane-key-using plebeian.
  • You can disable, enable and remap keys to your heart's content
  • You aren't spending several thousand dollars for reconfiguring a keyboard. My key puller costs three dollars.
Peter Mortensen
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Journeyman Geek
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There is an Australian company called Sonder that is putting in the marked a keyboard based on e-ink keys (the same display technolgy used on e-readers), it is in pre-order for 199$ and you can find it here: https://sonderdesign.com/product/sonder-keyboard/

Seems also that Apple is interested in this type of technology. Apple reportedly plans to ship the keyboards in its computers beginning in 2018.

More info here: http://arstechnica.com/apple/2016/10/report-apple-is-working-on-e-ink-keyboard-for-future-macbooks/

Marcs
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