deskthority

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Vote in this round for a chance at winning a MasterKeys RGB keyboard from Cooler Master!

Round 3 rules:
Please vote for the best "other" input device of 2016.

This is the final round. See the first round and second round for reference.

The final round ends on Saturday 10 December, 20:00 UTC. You can change your vote until the end of the round by resubmitting the poll. The winner and full results will be released soon after the vote closes.

Official nominees:

Atreus Keyboard
The Atreus is a small, innovative mechanical keyboard that accounts for the shape of the human hand. It combines the comfort of a split ergonomic keyboard with a small form factor. The DIY kit contains all the parts and detailed instructions you need to put together your own unique, handmade mechanical keyboard.


Many users consider the Atreus a good alternative to the Ergodox. As a standalone 40% it is very mobile.

Microsoft Surface Dial
The Surface Dial is an attempt to create a new user interface concept for things like menu navigation and color selection in art programs. Microsoft, a company that isn't known for being hip, appears to be evolving. The Surface Studio introduction video, featuring the Surface Dial, was much better received than Apple's for its new MacBook Pro.
Time will tell whether it's a gimmick or it will stick, but it's good to see Microsoft innovating.

Kinesis Advantage2
Kinesis updated their famous 24-year-old ergonomic Contoured/Advantage series. The Advantage2 brings a lot of new features including user-friendly keymap/macro configuration, 2 MB of onboard memory, and the ability to share/back up layouts. They also replaced the rubber function keys with Cherry ML switches.
The Advantage2 is available in a number of configurations with either Cherry MX Brown or MX Red switches.

Dactyl Keyboard
The open source Dactyl is a DIY, parameterized, split-hand, concave, columnar, ergonomic keyboard with mechanical switches. It's essentially a lovechild of the ErgoDox and Kinesis Advantage. Emphasis on child, as it isn't much larger than the Happy Hacking keyboard. For all the experienced builders out there looking for something different: is this going to be your next project?


The Dactyl keyboard consists of two completely separate, 3D printed, curved keyboard segments.

Planet 6 Keyboard
The Planet 6 is a custom ergonomic keyboard with an embedded trackball, designed and machined by Kurplop. It's an amazing piece of craftsmanship, from its home-made PCBs to milled metal case and keycaps. This state-of-the-art project took 13 months to complete. Meh, I can do this. Wait, hold my beer.
The Making of Planet 6 - A quest for an ergonomic CAD friendly keyboard.

I'm so sad that keyboard.io is not here. They get my vote when they start shipping!

I would be able to use the Atreus the most, the others seem a little less natural to use IMO. I don't think I would put in the effort to learn such a wildly different typing layout.

Hmm if I look at it that way, the layouts aren't very different.

the Planet 6 just looks like fun.

This was a tough one for me. The atrius only slightly beat out the planet 6.

Voting for a keyboard seems like a cheat for "other" input device. I'm voting for the Surface dial. I love that Microsoft "out Appled" Apple's engineers with that one. I wish I had some real artistic talent so I could have a reason to buy a Surface Studio and the dial. Watching artists work with it just looks so cool.

The fun part is that Atreus isn't even a 2016 keyboard, it would have been eligible for the 2014 awards. proof

^^^ It's going to be okay.

In alphabetical order, the top two contenders are: Please remember to vote!

Hmmmm where my vote is going to go, since I only know Atreus??

The Planet is just insane, love the custom buttons, would make for a great fightstick!

I might've nominated the Surface Dial, but I'm going for the Planet 6.

Because, I mean, goddamn is that thing beautiful. And, it's also a pointing device.

We're just over half way the vote. If you haven't voted yet, vote now on one of these nominees, and let your voice be heard:

• Atreus Keyboard
• Microsoft Surface Dial
• Kinesis Advantage 2
• Dactyl Keyboard
• Planet 6 Keyboard

Planet 6. Awesome work

Planet 6. I am not into ergonomic stuff, but the dedication that was put into this project just blasts me away.