Miniguru progress

[jonlorusso]

I don't think open sourcing this project and getting some return on your investment are mutually exclusive. Yes, some will build their own based on the designs and firmware, but the wide majority likey lack the motivation and/or the know-how. And I agree with David, the miniguru's innovation is its hardware.

Have you considered a Patreon profile. I'm sure people would be willing to support your efforts that way.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

Personally, it's a bit awkward. I use a five button mouse: left, right, wheel to both scroll and click/drag (open link in new tab, close window or tab, start duplicate process, zoom and pan in Inkscape), back and forwards (browser/Explorer) as well as mouse gestures overloaded onto button 4.

I don't know how anyone could survive trying to operate a browser without a pointing device, which is where something like the Miniguru would help help keep your hands over the keyboard. Firefox's type-to-find is awesome but it's nowhere near enough to actually use a web-based interface, and even many graphical programs are not suitable for keyboard use. The worst atrocity I ever saw was BeAnywhere, which had a totally make-believe interface where absolutely nothing responded to the keyboard. Nothing. You couldn't even press Y/space/enter for Yes in a dialog box — it was dire.

Forwards/back can be done in the keyboard, and the mouse gestures I use fit my single-device pattern (I find it easier to use either the mouse or keyboard but not both, so minimise is either a gesture or a keyboard shortcut depending where my hands are, especially as I can't use my Poker II single-handed — minimise is F10 but I can't smack that with my free hand).

Scrolling however is just really awkward with keys, and having a "wheel" (more like a cylinder) in the centre would really help: scrolling is, to me, an analogue concept and a scroll roller would let you modulate the scrolling speed readily. Not too wide, otherwise the L and R mouse buttons would be out of reach!

[shreebles]

Have you used the scrolling button on Thinkpads, Daniel, did you not find it a decent replacement?

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I seem to recall some way to scroll with the trackpoint, but I can barely manage a trackpoint at all — it would be a learning curve just to move the cursor at all! A tiny fingertip trackball would be far nicer IMO (for cursor movement, not scrolling). My ThinkPad and Latitude both have a regular trackpad as well as the trackpoint and that's what I use.

[Sigmoid]

The reason is that company money went into this. So as long as I have a chance to get some of that back, I have to try it.

A friend knows a guy who does firmware programming. Currently looking if he's interested.

Really, there are plenty of companies getting profits out of open source hardware. Arduino, Adafruit, OpenBCI, the list goes on.

DIYers are not competition for you - they will still need the keycaps, the housing, the PCB, getting all that fabbed will cost more than just buying it from you built or as a kit. Chinese knock-offs would knock you off regardless of open source status, and if you did open up, you can count on community goodwill to choose you over the knock-offs.

As for firmware, as long as it's not gplv3, open source is actually far preferrable to anything you could afford to get built. (gplv3 is okay as long as you won't add a hardware lockdown - and I hope you don't want to anyway)

[lowpoly]

Sorry for the long delay.

We're going to open-source the project. Case design files, KiCad files, (unfinished) firmware, Node Webkit host app, etc.

Took me some time to realize we're not going to finish it. We had 2.5 developers working on this for a few months, well, you can do the cost-related math yourself.

Any recommendations for the best os license?

Never disclosed secret: we've been working on a bluetooth version. The main reason why it took so long. Rev B has been working. Current Rev D is still untested, firmware related.

And the best thing about this: f*ck EMC regulations!

[Daniel Beardsmore]

I was playing with the trackpoint on my ThinkPad the other day — it's not as hard as I thought it was.

[lowpoly]

>> it's not as hard as I thought it was.

Some sentences just shouldn't be taken ouf of context.

[Menuhin]

Great to have to open-sourced!

But most people still need to source their TrackPoint. I miss the TrackPoint every second I am used a "normal" keyboard. Modern pointing devices all do not mix well with typing except the TrackPoint.

[lowpoly]

I'll disclose my trackpoint source as well.

Hopefully, it's still available.

[Daniel Beardsmore]

>> it's not as hard as I thought it was.

Some sentences just shouldn't be taken ouf of context. :P

I see my gay admirer list has increased by one. I only came back to Deskthority to assuage one gay admirer, and now I have another.

[lowpoly]

[jonlorusso]

github?

[lowpoly]

Yes, will do. I have to collect the components.

[sohalt]

Any update? I'm really curious about your trackpoint source.

[lowpoly]

No, sorry, nothing at the moment.

[Phenix]

Any update? I'm really curious about your trackpoint source.

Thinkpad keyboards..
i need one as well..