Unicomp SSK... for real this time?

[Muirium]

As they are a company, there can be also a 3rd choice - a "let's check interest" announcement - half true, half false - if they arouse enough excitement (quantity, people), then it becomes true, otherwhise it becomes false. Net result looks like a group buy, but in a commercial skin.

Whoah now, steady on there, you're making far too much sense for an 8th bit!

[8bit]

true, sense overflow detected.

Pls. check date of following document and section 2.

http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc3514.txt

normality restored

[E TwentyNine]

Still absolutely nothing about it on their website, this is a aprils fools. It would have been so nice.

There is something about it on their website:

http://support.pckeyboard.com/PR/APR2014/

They're just *terrible* at any kind of marketing.

[E TwentyNine]

As they are a company, there can be also a 3rd choice - a "let's check interest" announcement - half true, half false - if they arouse enough excitement (quantity, people), then it becomes true, otherwhise it becomes false. Net result looks like a group buy, but in a commercial skin.

If this were their approach, they could at least put up a poll somewhere saying "would you buy this keyboard?" or "how much would you pay for this keyboard?"

Doing some kind of crowdfunded approach has been an option for years that they haven't taken. Put up a page, take orders, say product will only be produced if X units are ordered by a certain date.

[Th3KAS]

Not an SSK, but Unicomp are now selling full keycap sets with RGB legends:

http://pckeyboard.com/page/Buttons/FullRGBKeys

At least they're making something the community asked for...

[Hypersphere]

Not an SSK, but Unicomp are now selling full keycap sets with RGB legends:

http://pckeyboard.com/page/Buttons/FullRGBKeys

At least they're making something the community asked for...

Yes, I saw this yesterday and was glad to see this move on the part of Unicomp.

[Muirium]

Anyone know if they're single piece? I'm down an ANSI set, but don't have the spare "under caps" or whatever they're called, either.

[7bit]

Sorry, but this isn't new. Please notice that 102 and 122 are missing, so still no red 1.25 units Shift key available.

Nevertheless: As far as I know, they sell them including the stems (under caps), at least the last time they came with them.

[scottc]

Anyone know if they're single piece? I'm down an ANSI set, but don't have the spare "under caps" or whatever they're called, either.

If you're short, I've got a few spares at home. Not a full keyboard worth, but maybe about 20-30 to spare. I won't be home until mid-June, though.

[Muirium]

Thanks. I'm mostly after ANSI mods, as I ransacked a 122 key Model M to remap my Kishsaver.

[alinh]

Anyone know if they're single piece? I'm down an ANSI set, but don't have the spare "under caps" or whatever they're called, either.

I recently got a set from Unicomp and it comes with both pieces (though the "under caps" are different colors)

Should have got an extra ansi "|\" key

[Muirium]

That's an ANSI mod I don't need. (Well, \ is surrounded by mods anyway.) We might end up sharing! ANSI Return and Shifts are what I'm looking for.

[ollir]

http://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeybo ... _and_take/

This is the news you're looking for?

[E TwentyNine]

That's old news. Look at the first post in this thread.

[Miko]

It was announced for the holidays, and I do not find i on their homepage, so this can be seen as confirmed aprils fools?

I wrote a email to unicomp about this, but I don't have hope for a answer.

[seebart]

It was announced for the holidays

right for the holidays 2024!

[Miko]

SP, Unicomp and 7bit are actually the same entity. I have never seen them in the same room at the same time.

[seebart]

if 7bit and Unicomp were the same entity we would at least have a Unicomp SSK prototype by now!

[E TwentyNine]

It was announced for the holidays, and I do not find i on their homepage, so this can be seen as confirmed aprils fools?

I wrote a email to unicomp about this, but I don't have hope for a answer.

Last I heard they were shooting for mid-year 2015.

We'll see...

[Compgeke]

We're going to get into the future and start counting back to year zero, then after that back up to 2015 again and then we'll have a SSK prototype.

[seebart]

delorean.png (107.08 KiB) Viewed 5638 times

[vometia]

I'm glad this topic has come back to life, I was just recently wondering about their new project myself. I feel that the buckling spring world needs some new activity...

[Muirium]

All true.

Sadly, our only hope is… Unicomp. I wish them all the best, but let's just say my expectations are not high for this one. The irony might be that they were serious with their April 1 announcement, but just never did succeed in making the product they announced. I'll start believing when I see photos, not just Emmer's concept renders.

[seebart]

All true.

Sadly, our only hope is… Unicomp. I wish them all the best, but let's just say my expectations are not high for this one. The irony might be that they were serious with their April 1 announcement, but just never did succeed in making the product they announced. I'll start believing when I see photos, not just Emmer's concept renders.

Yep I´ll put it this way: if does happen it would suprise me more than anything else.

[Lunatique]

When I asked Unicomp about the SSK version, they told me what they've been telling everyone else who asks--that it's taking longer than they predicted, and it's coming later in 2015.

Everything about that company feels like they are out of touch with modern standards, including marketing, company website design, customer service/relationship, manufacturing, quality, etc. It's either that the CEO's seriously lacking or there are other on-going problems plaguing the company. I know they pride themselves on their "heritage," but seriously, there are better ways to package/present a company's heritage than what they're doing now.

We have new small companies springing up left and right that are kicking their ass. These companies develop new products with fresh modern designs, experiment with new technologies, new materials, have great marketing, engage with the keyboard community, etc.

BTW, if they actually go with that mockup they posted, then Why the hell would they put the Home/End keys with the Function keys without any space between them? That is just bad ergonomics/design. The Home/End keys should be moved to the right and look at least more like they are somewhat a part of the navigation cluster, like so:
http://ulva.com/images/LeftHandKeyboardBlack901x676.jpg

[Muirium]

The renders are our good (and stormed off in a huff) friend Emmer Forever's:

http://deskthority.net/keyboards-f2/a-p ... t6977.html

If you read the thread (especially the bits where people quoted him) you'll see how, um, opinionated he was. Sure enough, most of us would be quite happy with something more like the original SSK than his particular layout. But the overall vision is sound. He did some nice work before blowing his top!

[Lunatique]

The renders are our good (and stormed off in a huff) friend Emmer Forever's:

http://deskthority.net/keyboards-f2/a-p ... t6977.html

If you read the thread (especially the bits where people quoted him) you'll see how, um, opinionated he was. Sure enough, most of us would be quite happy with something more like the original SSK than his particular layout. But the overall vision is sound. He did some nice work before blowing his top!

I think we're talking about two different mockups/renders. The one I was referring to is this one:


Personally, I'd be happy with a standard TKL layout, but I wish Unicomp would trim those thick borders around the frame, since they take up precious desk space and serve no function. We have plenty of keyboard designs today that don't even have any borders around the frame and they are plenty sturdy.

[Muirium]

There's a whole lot of renders in the thread. I'm pretty sure Emmer did that one, too. (He collaborated with them for a while after giving up here.) In fact, I'd be surprised if Unicomp has any ability to make renders of their own. As you noted, they're firmly stuck in the past. A new project like this is an enormous undertaking for them, and I'll only believe it when I see the final result.

Bet it's not 2015! Although I'd love to be surprised.

[Lunatique]

There's a whole lot of renders in the thread. I'm pretty sure Emmer did that one, too. (He collaborated with them for a while after giving up here.) In fact, I'd be surprised if Unicomp has any ability to make renders of their own. As you noted, they're firmly stuck in the past. A new project like this is an enormous undertaking for them, and I'll only believe it when I see the final result.

Bet it's not 2015! Although I'd love to be surprised.

I see.

Just curious--why did Emmer blow his top?

Unicomp really needs to hire a new CEO. Businesses must adapt and they need to get their asses up to current standards.

[Hypersphere]

The renders are our good (and stormed off in a huff) friend Emmer Forever's:

http://deskthority.net/keyboards-f2/a-p ... t6977.html

If you read the thread (especially the bits where people quoted him) you'll see how, um, opinionated he was. Sure enough, most of us would be quite happy with something more like the original SSK than his particular layout. But the overall vision is sound. He did some nice work before blowing his top!

I think we're talking about two different mockups/renders. The one I was referring to is this one:

Spoiler:

Personally, I'd be happy with a standard TKL layout, but I wish Unicomp would trim those thick borders around the frame, since they take up precious desk space and serve no function. We have plenty of keyboard designs today that don't even have any borders around the frame and they are plenty sturdy.

If Unicomp were actually going to build an SSK, I really hope they wouldn't go for the version shown above. They would do well simply to use IBM's original SSK design. And if they really wanted the units to fly off the shelves, they would resurrect the Model F switch.