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

Reply via email to