Skip Navigation
InitialsDiceBearhttps://github.com/dicebear/dicebearhttps://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/„Initials” (https://github.com/dicebear/dicebear) by „DiceBear”, licensed under „CC0 1.0” (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)CL
claussen @lemmy.world
Posts 2
Comments 16
Svalboard, 41wpm on day 1? Wowza! [vendor]-ish
  • I offer a pretty generous return policy for a built-to-order device -- returns are honored up to 6mo with a $100/mo refurb fee assuming good condition -- you pay return shipping. So yeah, there's the upfront cost which pays for my time, but you still get the white-glove service I offer because I'm so confident that you'll fall in love with it :D

    But... if you can build something for an eighth of the cost that works for you and makes you happy, you should definitely do that! I hope you DON'T need a Svalboard! Nobody should have to struggle to do their job pain-free, and the proliferation of cheap Cornes and rad BKB kits and everything else is totally amazing and warms my heart 😍

    Niche products are expensive for precisely the reasons you note -- they serve a narrow market with specific needs, and they generally cost a lot to build, or can only make the business work with higher margins due to modest volume. And when they're from outer space, like Svalboard, that is extra true. Maybe the business model doesn't work, but me and about 10,000 other people thought Datahand was good enough to pay 3X this much in inflation-adjusted terms ;)

    That said, I love self-builders, and there is a beta self-print kit coming in the next month or two ;) Join the Discord to follow along, the build guide is still totally WIP and mostly in my head, so it's gonna take some time. I'm hoping the community will contribute to that aspect since I'm trying to focus on core dev right now.

    Beware, though -- this is not an easy print or a simple assembly. ~275 parts if you count all the hardware, tiny-ass magnets -- super tight single-wall tolerances, etc. It's 100% doable on an MK3S but it's not the best FDM starter project.

  • Svalboard, 41wpm on day 1? Wowza! [vendor]-ish
  • Fair enough! Svalboard isn't really suited for folks with generalized fine-motor problems in the fingers. But I can heartily recommend using Tobii gaze trackers to simplify and speed up your mousing -- really amazing tech and not that expensive. Check out Talon too, for voice+gaze combinations that will blow your mind.

  • Svalboard, 41wpm on day 1? Wowza! [vendor]-ish
  • Did you know the original Datahand prototypes included the ability to slide for mousing? Just learned that recently from the original inventor! It's a little weird, I think the modern alternatives are probably better, but he has a working version of it somewhere.

  • Svalboard, 41wpm on day 1? Wowza! [vendor]-ish
  • Mouse switches have substantially more movement and force buildup before the click, these are instant. I think a mouse switch with this profile would be awesome though... Magnets are amazing.

    Using this and Azeron (very mousy microswitches) side by side, it's like night and day. Totally different sensation.

  • Svalboard, 41wpm on day 1? Wowza! -ish

    Another happy Svalboard user is crushing it on day 1! I'm really amazed at how quickly most folks are adapting, users of split ergo boards seem to be getting the hang in a week or so, and transitioning to full-time use after 2-3 weeks!

    Took me way longer twenty years ago on Datahand, but I had atrocious touch-typing form ;P

    Context: Svalboard is my evolution of Datahand and lalboard into a production device. I build them myself here in Pacifica, CA.

    It surrounds the fingers with magnetically actuated keys in 5 directions, with total anatomical customizability through novel fitment mechanisms that can suit any hand size and finger anatomy.

    20g force is standard, and the profile is insanely tactile/clicky, with instant actuation and very fast breakaway of forces (1/x^2).

    It runs QMK-Vial, and is totally modular. Replacement parts can be printed on a Prusa MK3S or equivalent.

    Lots more detail at https://www.svalboard.com

    Come join the Discord, it's pretty lively and I post lots of the day-to-day design and fabrication experiments as I evolve things! :D

    https://discord.gg/DnGcHM4Rg8 !

    13
    Three more Svalboards went into the world this week!
  • I can guarantee you that Svalboard will last as long as you want to type, with anything that breaks also being easily replaceable. The lack of springs and electromechanical contacts is incredible for long term reliability -- my Datahand rigs are 20+ years old and all still basically work perfectly aside from one which I stupidly broke some keys on during travel, and some grunginess in one or two mechanisms probably due to dirt intrusion.

    But with Svalboard the keys just drop right in and pull right out (in the right orientation), there's no mechanism to assemble -- so cleaning is as easy as popping the key out and blowing out the keywell with compressed air. And you can replace individual key clusters and PCBAs individually if needed. And print your own keys, etc. Suuuuuper maintainable. 😀 Tearing down an original Datahand for cleaning is a lot more involved and annoying, and can only be done to a limited extent.

  • Three more Svalboards went into the world this week!
  • Thanks, and fingers crossed! I'm trying out some SLA prototyping houses to see how modest volume runs could go, but of course that will take some time to sample and sort out all the kinks when handing off fab & assembly of the mechanicals to someone other than myself.

  • Three more Svalboards went into the world this week!
  • We have a longtime DH user on the Discord who spent the past year on charachorder. He's giving it up -- reliability is awful with their poorly thought out hardware, the sticks fail super fast -- I think he went through like half a dozen units in a year :wide-eyes:

    He liked it otherwise, but found the speed promises didn't really hold true, especially as a SWE. DH/Svalboard/lal typing is truly superb.

  • Three more Svalboards went into the world this week!
  • If you don't have RSI or fatigue issues, then yeah, QWERTY's fine. I've been using QWERTY on Datahand for years. But the increase in comfort going to Dvorak/Colemak is huge, reducing the frequency of the worst movements. Dvorak basically fixed my dad's RSI issues and he made the change at like age 65!

  • Three more Svalboards went into the world this week!
  • When traditional methods literally cripple you... yeah. This isn't a hobby thing, it's more like a survival tool/prosthesis -- RSI is way more prevalent than a lot of folks realize, and for people who make a living typing, it's worth a lot of adaptation. I wish nobody needed my weird keyboards, but damn there are a lot of us RSI cripples out here! The weird-keeb enthusiasts are just a niche submarket in that context. :)

  • Three more Svalboards went into the world this week!

    I call this one Daisy ;) This set went to a user in Alabama. Units also shipped to Poland and Eureka CA. So hype for more feedback from early users! Current build queue is a couple weeks long, feel free to jump in if you want one!

    Svalboard is my Datahand style small-volume production keyboard -- I build every one by hand here in Pacifica, CA.

    Learn more at [www.svalboard.com] and come check out the Datahand/Svalboard/lalboard discord https://discord.gg/kqNhKjxca where we geek out about this stuff!

    29