AlphaGrip iGrip keyboard review (controller button things)
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- Опубликовано: 25 фев 2023
- Skip to 13:26 for a typing demonstration.
This must be the most insulting keyboard I've ever reviewed. I feel personally attacked. Enjoy.
Intro by Kyle Carter
Outro by Facundo Cabanne
My keyboard reviews: bit.ly/1TbOtft
My switch teardowns: bit.ly/2C1QGHz
My TOP X videos: bit.ly/2FmpZfd
My XL typing demos: bit.ly/2OoAW3w
My tutorials and featurettes: bit.ly/2OrkLUh
My unboxing videos: bit.ly/2TSrr0m
I'm Thomas and I do videos and reviews on mechanical keyboards ranging from the most sickening modern RGB gaming keyboards to vintage hardware relics, or sometimes keycaps or keyswitches ranging from Cherry MX to Alps SKCM to IBM buckling springs and anything in between.
Follow me on Twitter for updates on my keyboard videos! / chyrosran22 
Наука
![mgk - I Think I’m OKAY (with YUNGBLUD) (Sad Version) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/7AC1uqQLIg4/mqdefault.jpg)
I'd say the USB passthrough is actually for connecting a real keyboard for when the user inevitably stops using it
Lmao
It's remarkably silly. I think it's there as a result of mistranslation - there's already a trackball built in, but the extra port was intended for daisy chaining a mouse, ADB style.
I swear the layout is the absolute worst. The ones at the back are useless!
I'm glad people liked the new Waning intro! Surely no one will think we've misspelt it now considering it's completely over produced for what it is.
We did. We really did.
I could literally feel the anguish in Thomas' hands during the typing demonstration which also surely must be a contender for one of the longest.
Not even 10 seconds in the demonstration, a soft "fù$k it" displays his frustration
Unplanned rhyme
Yea, Let us all buy Thomas an anvil plus sledgehammer to rectify this dog turd of contraption.
the new WANING intro had me in tears, cinematic masterpiece
It looks like a great device, it just needs about 10 more Shift keys to be fully usable.
Finally, a keyboard for Emacs and Vim users!
-Nano Superiority Squad.-
@@XanthinZarda
Vim doesn't have chorded shortcuts.
@@torsten_dev !x could still be chorded.
It could use a bunch more fine tuning elsewhere, like the up and down index finger buttons, but yeah, shift keys is an issue. Unfortunately the PCBs are hardwired so it can't distinguish the shift pairs nor use most keys as shifts.
The new WANING intro have no business being as good as it did
Fun fact: this inspired the steam controller,
But that had an infinitely better typing experience
Because it was basically like typing on a touchscreen keyboard
The fact that something that is basically like typing on a touchscreen keyboard is an infinitely better typing experience than this thing is quite damning for this thing.
There was also the daisy wheel option, which seems like a much better method for text entry than this (stick selects letter group, button selects letter)
much better to type than a phone, 100% better. Now valve with the new big picture UI threw all the improvements in the trash and have to rewrite again
Weird that this abomination has dna that leads to the steam deck.
You know it's fun when the typing demo is 1/3 of the video 😭
And he used it for a week!
This looks like something an image gen AI would come up with on a "horrific hybrid of a controller and keyboard" prompt
this looks like the result of when you ask ai to desgin a computer keyboard
This is like the AVGN controller review we never got but absolutely deserved.
Let's be real, AVGN isn't funny anymore
@@ozzie_goat you try and keep up a series with that kind of consistency for 19 years and running. he's 40. Give him his flowers and a fucking break for not being young anymore.
Love the command and conquer reference at the start
Bro I modded mine with Holy Guacamole (tm, 200$ per switch) switches and its pretty good idk what you're talking about.
i like to imagine engineers for one of these products clicking on this video thinking something like "i can't wait to see how this guy known for hating on ergonomic keyboards will praise our ingenious design" and hearing "WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?" just 4 minutes in, out of 20
And don't forget that the typing demo takes up just under half the video
This man keeps taking the bullets for us guys, what a saint!!!
I mean maybe there is someone in this universe that actually likes this controller/keyboard.
We need to lock them up
Ooga booga! Believe it or not, this was the first keyboard I hooked up when I set up my gaming PC last week. And I just sought out an OTG adaptor to connect it to my tablet.
the slow march of the clock in the background really makes the typing demo, lol
Ah, this was developed in the good old days of PDA's with styluses (styli?) when everything vaguely portable was crap. Well, at least the company also offers more modern products like sleaves for the iPod Nano 5th gen from 2009....
The beautiful irony of mistyping the word 'typing' as 'typo'
Seen many pictures of this "keyboard" years ago, and I always thought this thing wasn't real. I'm not sure if I'd want to try this, even in a doomsday situation!
4:34 it’s hilarious how the photo shows a man trying to play WoW on that thing XD
Interesting, left grip has the keys arranged in touch-typing positions, but the right one doesn't. So like when you touch-type, left pinky does A,Q, ring finger is on S,W, middle on D,E, and pointer on F,R,G,T. That kind of makes sense - they are selling this to people who know how to touch-type, but want to do it from a position where they can't use a normal keyboard, e.g. I briefly considered getting one of these things for typing on the media pc. But then the right grip is a complete mess. It should be : (semicolon), P, then L, O, then K, I, then, J, U, H, Y to match the keys that you type with your right hand. But no. What the hell is B doing there?? Like, I am someone who touch-types, as I'm a programmer, so I had to learn, plus I got some strain on my fingers, so I can tolerate some ergo... but real ergo, not the idiocy that maltron &c were doing. And still looking at this device I'm left flabbergasted. This isn't anything like what I would want for its intended application. Talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory...
P.S. that "typo" was on point, lmao.
There are many changes, certainly, but GRTFEDWSQA HNMUIOP,./ are still on the same fingers. There's intent behind the changes too; B and P are both bilabial and nearly as frequent, JVXZ are infrequent, symbols are arranged in pairs like ,; .: () {} [] ?! "' and red shift has both period and comma on index-down. Scroll up/down are on the same keys as arrow up/down. Unfortunately all this rearrangement is made under the assumption of US keymaps, so it does weird things like hitting shift to type : or releasing to type ;. LY and CK can be rolled. I haven't really used the thing for a year, and never was very good with it, but it did let me type some when my wrist was really bothering me.
"how in the name of Jesus Christ's marinated mingewaffle" fucking dead
I take these episodes like those wonderful creatures that are found, discovered, in the abissal seas, deep down there, where the light does not reach. A big THANK YOU for the typing chunk of the video, I could not think on other thing that in eagerly willing to watch you, being compelled to type on this marvellous gamepad-ified keyboard.
You know it’s going to be a good video when the typing demonstration starts, and there’s almost half the video remaining!
The new waning intro >>>>>>> marvel intro
Anything with Command and Conquer music is better than anything else.
you never disappoint on your reviews of these oddities - I do agree that this has to be some new form of torture device.
Command and conquer Red Alert opening was awesome.
This looks like one of those random computer accessories/devices that were shat out all over the place in the 90s, made by companies who ended up going bankrupt or folding within a few years after the products actually released.
I'd like to see the house of the person who designed this.
The passive-aggressive clock makes its appearance once more
Kudos to the creators of this keyboard! Thanks to them Thomas created possible his most amusing, colorful language rich video.
I totally expected this to be LGR Oddware with a weird game pad from the thumbnail. That thing looks horrendous. I struggle with the black and white buttons on the Duke so I cannot imagine how difficult that thing would be.
Just hearing you use your oh-so soothing voice to swear like there is no tomorrow, is something I keep coming back for. ;)
It is ergonomic for the wrist angles only, nothing else.
Like the Orbitouch or the one-handed Maltron, it is like a device for those few people who have already suffered damage, and can't use anything else
I don't have any damage and even I can't use it for more than a few minutes xD . This thing is painful to use, man!
A normal full keyboard is already better than this specialist gizmos for these people.
For me the hardest keys to reach are the green shifts, and my main frustration came from impossible combinations like Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V or Ctrl+Shift+Esc - both keys in different clusters for the left thumb (and Shift is on top). You can half ass it by awkwardly shifting the right thumb over to the front left cluster. Most important is to let your fingers reach around the thing, meeting in the middle; it's not designed to use fingertips on any of the back buttons. It's terrible on a desk, I only really used it in my lap or standing. The firmware is also very hardcoded for US layout. The front legends were included as stickers in case someone thought a less cluttered look was more important than the ability to read the legends. Leaving them off leads to the most amazing newbie experience of flipping the whole thing over and splaying fingers to find where things are, half the time failing because they were looking for something on top, not back.
That was a very roundabout way to inflict pain in a youtube content creator, cheers to the donor.
That was one of the most entertaining typing demos yet
It's the Wimp Lo of keyboards. "We have purposely designed him wrong. As a joke."
I came for the review, I stayed for the new and innovative swearing 😂
Such an exquisite language. I couldn't come up with half of those eloquent phrases in a month.
No function keys? This was ahead of its time! If it launched today, it'd be on every other tech influencer's desk and become the only style of keyboard any of the enthusiast brands catered to!
Yea pretty annoying that it was decided enthusiasts didn't want anymore than a 60%, and I'm pretty sure most people only bought one so they didn't have to buy more switches
@@CAMSLAYER13 Yeah, I can understand TKL as those keys are duplicates/redundant, but as soon as someone starts saying "well, you can still access them via chords and layers..." about the function or even CURSOR(!) keys, I start looking at them like someone who cannot possibly do anything with their computer beyond browse the web. Which is especially strange when they're tech influencers!
@@LeoDavidson Meanwhile, us VI users are astonished that you'd want to have the cursor keys far from the home row (UHK has them on IJKL, using a thumb for the Mod key). They're all red shift on the alphagrip, by the way, up in the top thumb clusters. There's a red shift lock mislabeled as numlock, since the digits are also red shift. Fn Lock is used for function keys.
By the way, the numeric keypad is sorely missed when working with spreadsheets, Blender or MuseScore.
You have the patience of a saint. How the hell where you able to even type without smashing this abomination to pieces.
The Red Alert intro was the Chef's kiss
Thanks :D
Worth it for the Hell March cover
I loved the Red Alert-themed intro! And what an absolute abomination of a "keyboard"!
Oh fun, I have this garbage.
WHY?
@@ToumalRakesh I collect a lot of controllers and keyboards, and this happened to be on sale on ebay at the time when I checked lol. Was pretty pristine too with logo being white instead of the piss yellow here. Genuinely awful, but it came with a stand to prop it up so I can keep it on a shelf as a conversation piece, since no way in hell I'll actually use it in any long term capacity.
Thinking about it, they have missed an ergo trick or three that a "controller" shape could bring to the table! The next model should include movable arms so you can squeeze and stretch as well as press and fumble.
You're not wrong. The design principle is taken from the accordion. By the way, check out lftkryo's commodordion.
I admire your restraint in not ending the video by punting it through a nearby window.
The fact that you did not give up at the very end is admirable.
1:50 I'd be intrigued to what you think of the Steam Deck's built in controls, which is a sort of updated Steam Controller designed to be capable of controlling M+KB games.
Thanks to their configuration software and unique inputs like the trackpads and capacitive sensors, it can be adapted to most M+KB games, including complex ones like Vintage Story or Guild Wars 2 (though I don't play the latter).
And it's duel-trackpad onscreen keyboard is interesting, after getting used to it with the Trigger Click settings.
But this does have severe limitations requiring closing it and using a complex layout frequently and until a recent update had some annoying bugs (random-ish return keypresses and the alt-layer not working).
I typed this on that onscreen keyboard, the mistake I edited out was caused by my layout outside of it.
I'd like to see Thomas review voice recognition software were it tries to type in his swearing.
Thank you Thomas. Your videos are always a deep source of inspiration to learn a lot. This time I increased my vocabulary of new fresh English bad/funny expressions I'd never imagined to find on any repository in the world. thanks a thousand pungent dog shit ass meatballs tom. :-D
New WANING logo, the hero all we needed 😂 Worth the wait
Ladies and gentlemen, the SECOND longest typing demonstration in the channel's history! Bask in its "glory"... 😈
So I gotta know, after using the Alphagrip for a week did you yeet it out a window? Or order it to return forthwith to its place of origin or to the nearest convenient parallel dimension?
I bought this years ago. I feel less ashamed of my failure to transition to it after watching this. 🙌
One of the least used key (print screen) is at one of the best reachable locations.
You're underestimating how huge that thumb move from the top to front clusters is. And yes, combos like Alt+Tab are horrible on this thing.
This intro is incredible
I'm surprised the last shot wasn't you throwing this piece of somewhat hilariously irritating technology against the wall.
Finally a decent video on this thing. As a controller person, this did pique my interest at one point, mainly for the amount of inputs it has, as I'm always advocating that controllers do need more inputs especially as games become more complex; though API limitations are a larger issue. I don't think typing on this is really all that comparable considering layout, most digits get two keys, index fingers get four keys, and the thumbs get two clusters each, compare that to a typical alpha cluster of three rows, indexs getting +1 key per row, left pinky getting +1 key per row, and right pinky getting +1, +2, and +3 keys; it's an apples to potatoes comparison, it's no different from comparing QERTY to Dvorak, or comparing a controller to a sim rig for racing games. While I do think the iGrip is dogshit, just as anyone else, I think most of it's issues stem from the fact that this was clearly designed in the late '90s or early '00s, just look at the sculpting, look at how things don't make too much sense in practicality, the full-sized type B port, the weird composite HID thing they're doing with a separate mouse; which I think replaces input for the trackball at the hardware level, so that the device still shows up as a singular device to the host. As for controller keyboards, I think radial menus will always remain king, they're the simplest to implement and use. As for a controller, again this has some design aspects that could work modernly, though implementation is terrible, such as putting multiple inputs under a singular digit on the backside of the controller.
Honestly, I think the keyboard controller will hit its peak when someone wraps a macropad around a handle. Something like a LYNX (LYNX Workshop is their channel) or an Azeron Cyro, two of each but combined into a controller, full range of buttons under the finger tips while also having thumb inputs. Or wait until VR finger tracking improves then adopt that on a controller. I do think controllers do have usability, as you don't always have a desk or surface for keyboard and mouse, such as using an HTPC or just couch/bed gaming in general, where lapdesks are large and you have to move them just to get up; there just needs to be a good controller solution for this.
Issue is that windows at least only supports one keyboard and mouse out off the box, with things like AutoHotKey/LuaMacros needing custom solutions to address multiple keyboards and mice. You can create a composite USB device that contains many functions iirc.
@@alext3811 Are you sure about that, because I'm pretty sure multiple pointing devices and multiple keyboards don't cause conflicts within Windows. By your own statement, plugging in a second keyboard or pointing device should cause conflicts within Windows. Or do you mean that Windows only supports one _cursor?_ Because there's been quite a few devices with multiple pointing devices, and expansion for more, for decades. Same with keyboards. And it's not just with Windows itself, it's with any OS supporting the USB HID spec, which is virtually all devices on the market since USB was widely adopted and HID was introduced. Maybe you should look up how the HID spec actually operates. Also, plugging a second pointer into a composite device does the exact same thing as if the two devices were on two different host ports, it just changes where the device is seen, and potentially changes how the middle device operates, such as a mouse input overwriting trackball input on this composite device. Your statement is really no different from stating that a system cannot support multiple Xbox controllers because of Xinput API limitations, when API limitations don't actually exist when multiple controllers are concerned and is actually more of a game engine limitation due to lack of overhead; see how moronic it sounds? Macros are also an entirely separate argument that is irrelevant, why even include it unless you're actually that mentally deficient.
@@Savannah-sd My bad, I meant to say that windows doesn't treat them as seperate inputs, that normally applications are only given inputs. So you can't use multiple keyboards like multiple controllers. Or you can't use two mice like a twin stick controller. I didn't say multiple controllers, my limits were per one controller, sorry for not making that clear. Directinput supports 7 axes and 128 buttons per device.
@@alext3811 It may depend on the app itself. It could just be like plugging in 4 Xbox controllers for games that support it.
It does not do anything weird to the passthrough port. It's on a dedicated hub chip, the MCU can't even see it.
The type test tingled my brain
Frank Klepacki would be impressed by the remix. KKomrade
is it april first?
Haven't even watched the video yet, but this has to be one of the most bizzare designs for a "keyboard" that I've ever seen. No idea how you managed to type on it for a week lol xD
The word "keyboard" is indeed bizarrely challenging to type on it. (left thumb close, left middle far, left thumb far, right pinky close, right ring far, left pinky far, left index down, left middle close)
The typing demo was painful. So using this thing must be even moreso.
Love the ebony and ivory reference, havent heard that song in a very long time
i just watched your Orbitouch video, gotta say though, that typing demo portion tickled my ASMR senses quite well... LOL
Holy crap, that is a long typing demonstration. I wish Hell March was playing in the background during it.
I know this isn't a main focus on your channel but I would absolutely love to see you open this thing up I am so curious to see what the internals looks like if it's just a complete Frankenstein of a mess
I was expecting you to throw that monstrosity across the room at the end.
0:18 what video is it? I wanna see the meltdown on that sugar colorful crap!
Good grief, that typing demonstration is painful to watch. Would be begging to use the laser projection keyboard after this.
But, auto aim was created for keyboard only fps and even lasted after the mouse got introduced for a while! :V
But yes auto aim from some games with controller is just several kinds of magical.
Exactly, it was *created for* keyboard *only* FPS, and persisted because of controllers. Since true M+K shooters, like Quake (1996), aim assist hasn't really been a thing for non-controller shooters.
@@Chyrosran22 I know doodle, I was just making an annoying observation for fun.
I'm a fan of controller for a lot of games but noooot FPS or something like Cities Skylines. Auto aim was always weird to me, especially in the Duke 3D and DOOM but now with controllers it's just ...really weird. IDK why it's like that but oh well.
That said, this controller/kb is something I've seen so, many pics of but never an actual thing talking about it. Glad to know it's the jank ass mess I expected it to be.
Great vid, enjoyed hearing a nice bile filled review for something that looks like it deserves it.
Thankfully, gyro aim now removes the need for aim assist
I think the technical description of this video is "load ergonomic nightmare into swear-renderer".
Best typing demo ever!
Reminds me of these extensions for game pads to use in online gaming on console (Xbox 360 era)- little keyboards plugged beneath the controller. Also, once for Christmas I've got mouse-joycon abomination for PlayStation 3. Worked terrible, dpi was low as shit and most games don't even work properly with this.
I flagged this video! The last part of it contains several minutes of disturbing torture footage.
I've been looking for one for forever! Lucky!
Have you ever tried using a regular game controller to type and move the mouse ? I know Steam can be used to do that
Using the virtual keyboard? Already done
This thing looks like it would be good for throwing across the room when your ready to rage quit.
this would probably make a dope stenotype interface, tho
try it again for another week, using plover
Beautiful video, thank you.
This keyboard literally looks like one of those cursed devices that Google Japan makes on April Fools
Presumably there must be someone, somewhere for who this is a solution to an issue
Oof, you can actually hear how nasty the buttons are in the typing demo
I was curious and checked out their website, it looks like something from the 90's or early 2000's
Well done for not smashing it to pieces in frustration ;)
Dude I've missed your fucking videos so much 😂 the most hilarious content ever
you know it's bad when the fucking Steam Controller systematically obliterates this spider seizure
Heh another in the small set of keyboards you've reviewed that I think 'nah, I'll pass on getting on of those'. Good to see you Tom :-)
I love ergonomic keyboards although the decent list is quite small, but I have yet to see one of the ones I like in this channel. Still though by far my favourite RUclips channel 👍
Which ones do you like?
@@kevadu from the most common the corne and kyria. From the least common the Cornelius, which is a much better version of Atreus which has been reviewed in the past without much waning 😜.
i think the backspace should be waaay bigger.
If you really want a controller that can also type the XBox360 controller with the keyboard attachment would be a way better choice.
And besides, the AlphaGrip folks did the same mistake as most "ergonomic" keyboard makers, they didn't ask the target group of such devices what they really want and need. That's the first thing i would do, get some disabled people together and ask them what they need to type comfortable. Do some prototypes with them together and let them use it for a month, iterate the design, rinse and repeat. Then and only then you would get a good product.
I bet it would not be a product for the average Joe but disabled people would love the result.
I remember talking to someone who was slowly growing blind, about phones; they said that smartphone accessibility these days was excellent and having one made an enormous difference. I expressed doubt about how useful a big glass undifferentiated touchscreen was without being able to see what you were doing, and suggested something with actual physical buttons, and they (nicely) laughed at me: it's absolutely true that _conceptions_ of what disabled people want is completely at odds with what they _actually_ want...
Good review 👍 I had one of these and stopped using it after a week.
Hey Thomas, would love to buy this keyboard off you if you still have it.
No, the stupidification of controllers is down to game designers deciding the ideal player controller is a collision capsule with a laserpen doing hitscan. Hitscan is to blame.
I LOOOOOVE the new "Waning! Swears Ahead!" intro. Please keep that.
When you brought those other really shit keyboards, it's really giving me hope that you ARE gonna make a Top 10 Worst Keyboards of All Time video eventually. 😂
Also is it just me, or does this abomination lack the full direct access to the Alphabet? I counted the letters and I don't see 26 letters, and I guess the missing letters are IN A FUCKING LAYER?!?!... that just... UNACCEPTABLEEEEEE!!!!!
What missing letters? JVLYCK are left thumb, XZ right thumb (also space, backspace, tab, enter), GRTF ED SW AQ left fingers, MHNU I, O. PB right fingers (shift . to : and , to ;). There are layers; red is numbers and navigation (including ,.#$+-*/= Enter), green is symbols and scroll wheel, Fn Lock is function keys (yeah, having that toggle only was silly).
The typing demonstration was hilarious
The best typing demonstration, ever!
Just you wait... one day he'll get his hands into the Datahand!
to me this guy is the funniest man on the internet.
"here's your controller bro"
I started laughing upon seeing the combination of subject matter and video length in the thumbnail. I'm (mostly) sorry