Am 29.02.2012 um 18:05 schrieb Gerald A: > Hello, > > On Wed, Feb 29, 2012 at 3:27 AM, Dr. H. Nikolaus Schaller > <h...@goldelico.com> wrote: > > [Leadup discussion pruned] > May I ask why you need a (mechanical) keyboard? > > Some people like it.
Yes, I know and want to better understand why. It looks as if they like them because they feel better than on-screen keyboards. > While I do like a mechanical keyboard, I find the ones in most mobile devices > too small. I can touch type, so now I have to relearn all over to "thumb > type", which I don't like so much. > > And, onscreen keyboards suck. :S They are fine for typing a few words, but > not e-mails or conversations. > > One thing that is important in a mobile device is tradeoffs. The big plus of > such a device is that it can fit in your pocket. I haven't yet seen a decent > keyboard that is foldable (but lots of crap ones). > > So, in my opinion, the question shouldn't be "do you want/need a mechanical > keyboard", but rather "would adding this bring the subscription rate over > 100%"? If it would, even if it adds to the cost, it's something to consider. > If it's only going to be a feature that will bring subscriptions along 10%, > then it should be something considered for a "future model". Well, I would not put too much focus on the group tour subscriptions only. For the group tour there is neither enough time to develop a mechanical keyboard nor add it to the device. So even if it would increase subscription by 1000%, it is not possible without delaying the project by 1-2 years. And, I expect that the cost is simply beyond imagination... The reason is that we can't go to some catalog distributor like DigiKey or Mouser and buy a keyboard module at 5 EUR. It has to be designed and tested. Nikolaus
_______________________________________________ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community