Fujitsu LiberTouch keyboard lets you have it your way

If Fujitsu has its way, typing on a keyboard that you're uncomfortable with will soon become a thing of the past, and hopefully your children will never have to know what it was like to work on an input device that you wanted to smash against the nearest wall. For those affected by such problems, the company has created a semi-modular system called the LiberTouch which lets you customize the key-layout, as well as attenuate the sound and tactile response of the keys. The board also has a single USB port, and a somewhat surgical looking "tool" used (presumably) to make "extractions" -- so you don't get your hands dirty. No word yet on street date or price.

[Steve B @ Jun 29th 2007 4:40AM]

Whilst I can appreciate that it could be a beneficial idea to aid understanding of the keyboard for younger kids, perhaps easing learning by amending the key layout; I'm not sure if I can see any other uses for it. Surely this will disrupt the standardization that Dvorak and QWERTY provide?
I wonder what would happen to an admin assistants WPM if you reversed the keyboard. :)

[J. Chung @ Jun 29th 2007 5:47AM]

'A bit more/too keen gamers' could see this as a good idea. Faster shortcuts and customizable so that you can use different layouts for each game and so on. Customizing the sound and response could also be a good idea.
I think customizing layout is a bit lame. If people learn their own keyboard layout (in order to type texts, not play games), it would be time-wasting situation when they have to work on another computer or even with another keyboard.
I see people confused by two most widespread layouts, why make it even worse?

[L. Cyphre @ Jun 29th 2007 5:50AM]

Gamer keyboard?

[Compulim @ Jun 29th 2007 6:05AM]

It's not a gamer keyboard nor making nice macro out of it. What it talks about is the tacile response of the keyboard. It points out that most keyboard got a fundamental problem that, when the computer detects a key is depressed, you are hitting way too much to it. That means, a light touch with appropriate power will usually, don't trigger a key.
Different color means different "heaviness" of individual key, they comes with 35g, 45g and 55g.
Check out the link, and you'll come with a graph that talks about how hard you push (Y-axis) versus how deep to key go (X-axis). And the point in cyan represents when the computer detect the key is triggered. The left graph shows FKB8540, and right one is general keyboard, which got a pretty bad trigger point.
With more appropriate typing power, you can do touch-typing much faster with a 40% more silent keyboard.

[Tom @ Jun 29th 2007 8:46AM]

Word - I think it's an excellent idea. Some typists have resorted to adding lead to the inside of their keys in order to fine tune the feel of their keyboard - or so I've heard. I own a Deck keyboard - kinda opposite of what this Fujitsu keyboard is going for (big, loud), but this keyboard looks like it would be a dream to have. Assuming you have the time and ability to properly adjust the key weights into an ergonomic layout.

I like it! Hope this becomes a reality.

[Steve B @ Jun 29th 2007 6:06AM]

if you're a gamer, moving the keys about isn't really going to make much difference. Surely you'll still use the old "wasd" key combination, or whatevers in its place. Thus, defeating the point in actually moving the keys in the first place?

[Chuckles McGee @ Jun 29th 2007 8:47AM]

Oh my, misread "lets you have it your way" as "lets you have your way with it"

[Maxime Rousseau @ Jun 29th 2007 8:55AM]

Its an orginial idea, but I don't know how much people would like to have the q key stiff and the w key soft. Just buy a keyboard that you like, and let co-users of your machine deal with it.

[Gadget Extremist @ Jun 30th 2007 2:05AM]

It's not an original idea. A few companies did this back in the 1980's when the keyboard was the supreme way of interfacing with a computer and people would often put high emphasis on a quality board by spending a few hundred on one.

[kombizz @ Jun 29th 2007 11:29AM]

Why now?
Why do we need to change?
isn't it too late for this so called new idea!

[Boynamedsue @ Jun 29th 2007 11:41AM]

"and a somewhat surgical looking "tool" used (presumably) to make "extractions"

what do you mean presumably? its a key puller. you seriously have never seen a key puller before?

[TheBigB @ Jun 29th 2007 11:43AM]

U'd really prefer this one:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/input/77ba/

[egghat @ Jun 29th 2007 11:50AM]

Uh, finally a keyboard for my Mac with all those special keys (([]|{}öäüß@~ etc. pp.) printed on will get possible? Really?

I dare not to believe this ...

[kryptonite987 @ Jun 29th 2007 1:01PM]

The Razer Tarantula already does this. And has been out for HOW long?

[Shawn @ Jun 29th 2007 2:17PM]

lol. Finally now those anti-caps lock people can shut up.

[johnxmzzhang @ Jun 29th 2007 7:08PM]

This is where the saying dont try to fix what isnt broken... and the keyboards now are perfect, the keys arent programable because if each person had their own style or placing of the keys than we would need to learn even more arrangements to type on other people's computers. What is the difference if we are just going to learn the placements of the keys anyways the order that they are placed in by default is the only order we should need to learn. Dont fix what isnt broken :)~

[Desmond @ Jun 29th 2007 9:52PM]

I would just use a broken pen to pry out the keys in my computer class to rearrange them.

It's great to do to the typing class' keyboards.