Ergodex DX1 input system

http://www.bit-tech.net/gaming/2006/11/17/ergodex_dx1_input_system/1.html

 

Funky, but for hardcore game players only.

 

I saw this a while back. It's a great idea, but it's a bit too expensive unless you really hate using a keyboard for games.

 

Great idea and one that could catch on if marketed in the right way and to the right section of the gaming community (possibly hardcore gamers).

The price does have a say in whether this product will be a success and its to high in my honest opinon, if its to compete in the same sector of the peripheral market then it needs to be priced around where the zboard keyboard is, but as its twice the price and as most people are used to the standard keyboard layout there going to have a hard time selling it.

 

This would be great for World of Warcraft, I can never get the positions right on my keyboard for all the spells and abilities.

 

I could see it being useful for someone like our AutoCAD / 3DS Max guy, or other professionals who need customised keys for macros. I might see if we can get a few in as a trial, and well... if one finds its way home with me to more fully test the benefits, then so be it....

 

I've got one Ergodex for about a year. I think it's a great product.
In the beginning you should use a setup that's not too different from the normal key layout and then gradually add a key at a time (dead easy with the on the fly record buttton) and relocate them as you get used to the new setup. It's not easy to quickly depart from the WASD layout.

I would like to add a couple (triplet?) of points that were not presented:
- you can press any 6 simultaneous keys (try that on your keyboard)
- you can record macros with timing information
- you can print your layouts and put them under the acrylic cover

 

I have seen this before but the price has always put me off

Thank you. The first of those was one of my biggest questions - It's not unusual for me to have at least 5 keys active at once (my old IBM keyboard allows this but I had trouble with a the Saitek "gamer" keyboard)

 

One question:

Does the adhesive wear off after a while, or leave a residue on the surface of the mat? That's one thing that would put me off, after you've moved the keys around many times - it would be annoying if they lost their 'stickiness'. Minor really, as the product looks grea.

 

there was no residue on the surface of the mat after removing them... They're not your typical sticky surface - if the adhesive gets dirty, you can clean it with water and then it becomes sticky again. I must've replaced a couple of keys well over 20 times and they were still sticking just as well as they were when I first stuck them down. All you need to remember is to twist the keys when removing, pulling straight up will cause the adhesive surface to tear.

Here's a quote from the Ergodex FAQ:

 

Good to know - I suppose my question was fairly obvious, otherwise they'd receive a tonne of complaints from customers, that have lost the stickiness on their keys.

 

Reminds me of the old 'concept keyboards' i used in primary school...

 

its to cheap for my pocket...... in reverse.

 

Didnt Bit do an article on this before a year ago or somehting because this is very old and I can only think it was Bit where I seen it first.

Must of been the time I seen the Optimus Keyboard

 

Whoa. That thing is almost as cool as my USB wigi board.

 

VELCROBUM! i'm such a child!!!

... I used one ... or tried to for a week, just couldn't get used to it. keys have a decent amount of travel, but i'm used to slim-line keyboards, going to this felt like gaming on an oracle reference book!

 

Working with Photoshop with mouse only is SO MUCH slower that using keyboard shortcuts... I'd say DX1 has HUGE potential in that area...

 

neato

 

You're right, it does - I just wish I could spare the time to learn all of the keyboard shortcuts.

 

The Ergodex isn't cheap :s But I think you get what you paid for. Excellent quality and ergonomics. Even Falcon-NW offers it as an option.

And if you try to get a keyboard that allows you to press any 6 keys simultaneously, you'll only find "old" keyboards, costing much more than an ergodex and too much noisy for my taste (click click goodness for some). And forget abou customizing the layout to your hand.
You can build your own controller, www.xkeys.com sell the basic components for you to go crazy, but you still end up with a fixed layout.

To my knowledge, ergodex is the only controller with "wireless" keys, and this is it's defining feature.

Some layouts:
http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/Article_Ergodex.html


Some guy have even modded the ergodex:

http://www.ergodex.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=257