Week in Keyboards #43

Wooting Using FlareTech Switches

So this is another thing that indicates that the Wooting Keyboard (The Wooting One) will be worthwhile.

The FlareTech switches were seen a while ago but nothing had really come of them until now.

What use FlareTech switches?

This is a good question and there seem to be two benefits.

Faster Response time.

I have been critical about switches that try to achieve this in the past however, these have the benefit of using light. Something which I know to be particularly fast. They allow for a modular keyboard.

As they do not have to be soldered to the PCB they can be removed and replaced. This is something that has just been emerging for Cherry MX based keyboards.

The wooting keyboard is coming to Kickstarter mid-may.

New Buckling Spring Kickstarter Live



This was mentioned a while back, and there hadn’t been a lot since. I am attracted to this project because it is something that just seems so fantastical. I never thought I’d see the day when there were new modular buckling switches readily (almost) available.

The kickstarter goal is set at $40,000 CAD, and I would say this is more or less the bad news. Price is the biggest issue that projects like these face. Injection moulding and the creation of moulds is not a cheap process. So for this reason the high price is justified. But the high price of course, comes with the inherent issues of having a high priced item.

Backer Goals

$20 will get you one exclusive green switch

$70 will get you 18 switches

$160 will get you 60

$225+ 90-110

As you can see from the prices, it isn’t the cheapest switch you can get. But it is wholly unique.

This is a unique project that I hope to succeed but It’s going to take a lot to get it there.