Sharon Harding
Which key is a must on your keyboard? Many would say the whole numpad, but some would call for macro keys. Personally, my home office setup needs a volume knob. And as someone who has tested 60% of keyboards without a numpad or arrow keys, I’ll add that the arrow keys are also a must for productivity and my sanity.
There is a market for keyboards without arrows, but for the majority, the lack of arrows on a keyboard is no deal breaker. However, Angry Miao’s mechanical his keyboard announced today prompts us to consider alternatives. Instead of relying on arrow keys or key combinations for arrow input (as most 60% of keyboard users do), the front edge has a capacitive touch panel for thumb input of arrows and other functions is in
Is Angry Meow up to something here?
it’s not about the keyboard
Before diving into this interesting touchpad, let’s figure something out. You probably don’t want to buy the Angry Miao AM Compact Touch Wireless Keyboard. For one, the peripheral is still in the crowdfunding stage (Indiegogo launches on his February 2nd, according to The Verge). Angry Miao is a well-known company among mechanical his keyboard enthusiasts and has released several high-end limited edition products in recent years and has a successful crowdfunding campaign. Other mechanical keyboard companies such as Keychron tend to launch their products through crowdfunding, and some publications such as The Verge and TechCrunch are testing samples of the AM Compact Touch. However, investing in crowdfunding campaigns is risky.
Additionally, the AM Compact Touch has a niche layout with no arrow keys, numeric keypad, or function column. Those still interested will also face hefty prices, reportedly between $398 and $615.
Still, I couldn’t help but be charmed by the AM Compact Touch. It also gives functionality to some of the keyboards that are rarely used.
Do you think you need arrow keys on your keyboard because they’re essential to your day-to-day computing, or just because you’re used to them? Opportunity.
