HACOA's $300 DIY keyboard now shipping: saw included

We're not much for whittling our own keyboards. Then again, we don't think dropping your PC into a vat of vegetable oil is a good idea either. Still, if nothing gets you hotter than the thought of taking a serrated blade to the Caps Lock key then by all means, have at it. The Hacoa DIY keyboard, ready for pre-order in Japan for ¥34,800 or about $300.

[Via Impress]

[Jesse S @ Oct 19th 2007 2:45AM]

Is it possible to get a num-pad? Is it clacky/mechanical?

[mushrooshi @ Oct 19th 2007 2:46AM]

Meh, id rather have an Optimus Prime keyboard. OLED screens > Wooden scrabbles.

[lostpoint @ Oct 24th 2007 6:33AM]

Optimus sucks lots compared to this :)

[bombastinator @ Oct 19th 2007 2:53AM]

I wonder how far you could get on this project with a 15 dollar target keyboard and a bag of scrabble tiles.

[L. Cyphre @ Oct 19th 2007 3:00AM]

You'd have a keyboard without shift, tab, control, or enter.

As for the idea of a wooden keyboard, meh. Don't think it would be very comfortable. And if you want something unique, I'd go for the Steampunk one
http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/23/steampunk-ibm-keyboard-mod/
http://steampunkworkshop.com/keyboard.shtml

Looks waaaay cooler.

[bombastinator @ Oct 19th 2007 3:39AM]

hmmm.... There are only two blanks per bag. I guess you'd need two bags then.

Re: steampunk.
Whenever I hear that word I have trouble banishing the image of a guy in a spiked mohawk branding himself on the chest with an electric clothes iron.

What about just a punk keyboard? Make the keys out of pieces of cardboard cut from cereal boxes and cigarette packs marked with the required letters or something.

[L. Cyphre @ Oct 19th 2007 3:55AM]

...and you'd still be missing alt, space, backspace, brackets, plus, minus, escape, the F-keys... Damn, that could get expensive.

lol at the mohawk+iron, I'm not really that big fan of steampunk itself but it'd look awesome next to a Fallout case
http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16754
I swear I WILL build one like this, one day... ;_;

[seoultrain @ Oct 20th 2007 4:25AM]

u guys do realize if you turn over a tile, you have a blank on the other side, right? With lots of duplicates, the number of tiles isn't really the problem, just printing the blanks to make them look decent.

[bombastinator @ Oct 20th 2007 8:25AM]

But what if you're typing upside down?

[suv4x4 @ Oct 19th 2007 3:08AM]

I was thinking hard for something smart to say about this product, ...but ...the thing is, I flat don't grasp why would you need a small wooden keyboard, ...or why would you need to cut the keys yourself with an included *saw*.

It's just so all Japanese.

[max andrews @ Oct 19th 2007 3:39AM]

Cool idea, but they really needed to think through their process and cut their manufacturing costs. $300 for a DIY keyboard project is way too much -- people expect DIY to be at or below the cost of an assembled product, not ten times the price. If these these guys are listening, sell something that's easier to make and cheap to buy with a big profit margin (think really really simple here, no custom electronic involved, maybe a wooden USB hub?), then use the money you get from this to invest in some manufacturing equipment (laser cutter, cnc mill, etc). This will cut your prototyping and production coss so that you can actually sell the things.

[Oscar @ Oct 19th 2007 3:41AM]

Mmmm...a chocolate flavored keyboard.

Oh wait.

[TEM @ Oct 19th 2007 7:18AM]

I would assume that the only people geeky enough for a wooden keyboard would be those who never took shop class.

Might want to include some bandages along with the saw.

[monstertech3000 @ Oct 19th 2007 9:41AM]

Well, I may be the only one ... but there is one. However: I'd much rather make it a true DIY job by taking the keys off an old keyboard, and placing the circuit board / key base inside a wooden casing I crafted myself (and then carve all the keys, engraving the letter into the top ... aw, man, now I have to do that!).

[Paul @ Oct 19th 2007 8:53AM]

As strange as it sounds my dad is really into wood working and I like the idea of a wooden keyboard, but even if I like the idea, I still think this one is kinda ugly and overpriced.

[HineyWipe @ Oct 19th 2007 10:02AM]

So much for saving the trees!

[jroc @ Oct 19th 2007 1:16PM]

What a woody. I wonder if it swells up and splits when it gets wet.

[JDizzle @ Oct 19th 2007 4:25PM]

Psh, just take scrabble pieces and glue them onto your keyboard.