System76's Launch Lite Keyboard Ditches the USB Hub In Favor of a Smaller Form Factor (betanews.com) 27
An anonymous reader shares a report: System76's "Launch" keyboard has been wildly popular with the Linux community thanks to its open source firmware, ability to be customized, and excellent build quality (it's made in the USA). The Launch keyboard uses a USB-C connector to interface with the host computer, but you can utilize either a USB-C to USB-C or USB-C to USB-A cable to connect it -- depending on what ports you have available. Launch even serves double-duty as a USB hub, allowing you to plug USB devices directly into it. System76's Launch keyboard is already tenkeyless and rather small, but apparently, there has been a desire for an even smaller offering. And so, tomorrow, the company will begin selling exactly that. Called "Launch Lite," the $199 variant is a very similar keyboard to the regular Launch, but in a smaller form factor and with fewer keys. System76 is also launching silent brown and silent pink switch options. Unfortunately, the reduced footprint means the USB hub feature found on the standard Launch is not included on the Lite.
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HHKB is a layout, not just a topre based board. You can buy quite a few with that layout. It's not a gimmick as there are chicklet boards out there sold by the fruit company that use almost the same layout but add tiny, tiny arrow keys. heh.
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I suspect Tesla treat their workers poorly, so they get a poor result from them.
Maybe System 76 treat their people like actual people.
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It's *assembled* in the US.
Straight up advertisement? (Score:2)
First I have heard of it also. I have a Keychron 14 rgb with aluminum case and brown switches that is built like a tank and was half the cost. This might be the original they ripped off or something but it doesnt look built nearly as well.
https://www.keychron.com/pages [keychron.com]... [keychron.com]
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First I have heard of it also. I have a Keychron 14 rgb with aluminum case and brown switches that is built like a tank and was half the cost. This might be the original they ripped off or something but it doesnt look built nearly as well.
https://www.keychron.com/pages [keychron.com]... [keychron.com]
Slashdot covered this in a story last year [slashdot.org]. At the time the price was $285. So it's a better bargain now.
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$200? (Score:2)
$200 for a keyboard that is basically the same size and functionality for what could be had for $100 over a year ago from companies not named System76, and can be now had for $50. But I'm supposed to be thrilled that I can plug it into USB-C or USB-A (just like basically any other keyboard) and I have a nice list of things they've removed from an even more expensive keyboard?
Is Porsche running this company? It sounds like their product management - delete parts and charge more.
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"It stands to reason that the fewer parts you have on your Porsche, the more expensive it becomes. Until you get to the point where someone with no Porsche at all walks past a showroom, theyâ(TM)re gonna get charged a million pounds." -- Jeremy Clarkson
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System76 is a dumb joke. They charge way more than hardware of the same capabilities from any other vendor, all of which ship a normal Linux distribution on their Linux hardware. They created "their" "own" distribution, which is just a knockoff of Ubuntu, and whose functionality could have been implemented through a PPA instead of an entire distribution. In this distribution they use GNOME, which is crap, with a crappy forked version of a non-standard panel that they have altered mostly by removing configur
Not enough space?? (Score:3)
If there is sufficient space for a USB connector to connect to a computer, there is sufficient space for additional USB ports for devices. Sounds more like they want to give users a reason to purchase the more expensive version - and this is not a cheap keyboard.
Now if they had said "lacks a USB hub because of the chip shortage and the low volume production runs" then I would completely believe it. The chip shortage is a major pain in the ass and results in lead times of up to a year for many parts. You now have to design products around those few parts that are available. Previously, you could be assured that any parts that are not currently available would be by the time the product required them. Now you identify available parts, order them to ensure stock, then proceed to complete the design. A major PITA.
Looks like a very... keyboard? (Score:2)
Fine I guess? But there's a lot of keyboard options at $200, and I have no idea why this is more newsworthy than the 100s of other computer related products that launch in a week.
Also, I think TKL is the better layout for programming, though obviously it's not a huge difference. I quite often get into a sort of two-handed rhythm when quickly editing semi-structured text/data, where having another set of separate, easy to find keys (insert and delete) available for copy/paste is quite helpful. And having
just an ad (Score:2)
just an ad, not news at all.
Re: just an ad (Score:2)
what in tarnation is this abomination? (Score:2)
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Things that aren't meant for you aren't abominations.
The layout is optimized for (maybe really old school) Unix/Linux users who are used to a shell/vim/etc setup where they can do most everything without taking their fingers off the home row.
That's very obviously not you, but I am stunned how many people basically take offense because they can't see what a product is for. I mean you answer a lot of your own questions when you point out that you don't want a function key. Other people do. Other little detail
Oh My (Score:2)
Such a waste of money on a keyboard that will spend its life modifying text files in order to make basic shit work (its not like its going to be used for serious programming or even games)
Re: Oh My (Score:2)
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Is there something about this keyboard specific to system administration, devops and whatever fucking with cloud configs is called these days? Do I have to change keyboard in general when I move from farting around with a CI config or build script and start "serious programming". Like... what on earth point are you trying to make?
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I'm... not getting the obsession with stripped down keyboards.
Well, they make laptops awfully wide... and since laptops are probably the dominant form of PC, people have got used to them. I have a full sized keyboard on my desk, with extra keys that I never use (it actually has forward and back keys which I love on my Thinkpad but they're completely useless on this keyboard because they're in the wrong place). I use the number pad for numbers once in a blue moon, enter moderately often because I love bashin
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And I can tell you the biggest thing I've always missed is a proper keyboard. It's one major reason I have a dock right now, and why I used to do "proper work" on my PC when I had the opportunity.
Sure, but you're asking why other people like these keyboards. I don't really miss the number pad on my laptop. Techincally, it has a number overlay but I doubt I've used it in 10 years. Many people are happy with laptop keyboards.
You're having to use Fn modifiers and so on to get basic adjustments done,
Like what?
It's Ugly. (Score:2)
It looks like something that I would find attached to a DEC vt200 from the '70s. Probably a petty reason to some people but I actually like my hardware to look nice. I don't drive a pimped out ride with curb feelers and fuzzy dice, but I like my rig to have some flare to it.
Whoehahahahaha .... (Score:1)