Weytec Smart Touch keyboard review
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- Опубликовано: 6 окт 2024
- Skijp to 11:08 for a typing demonstration.
Today we get to take a look at Weytec's Smart Touch keyboard, a highly interactive multifunctional that can control multiple workstations at once across an integrated platform. Loaded, as per usual with Weytec, with functions and options, this is not an easy type of board to review, but I hope you enjoy the video anyway :D .
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
The practice sentence was: "Hello my name is Thomas and I'm typing on a Weytec Smart Touch keyboard right now. This is such a cool piece of hardware, but it's got such crappy keycaps and switches!"
The horizontal line that moves across the screen is what's called a watchdog line. This comes on when the image is still to prove that the keyboard has not locked up or crashed. High end CCTV systems have this feature when there has been no movement on the camera for a few seconds.
Well, you learn something new every day (:
also helps with burn in retention. I would recon having a line would more evenly wear the LCD panel.
3:10 10-inch LCD or in imperial units.... Wait?
Best part of this review!😹
europe have to start making their own metric standards more widespread, we can't use inches for screen size anymore. Good thing is that there is not an 7 3/4 inch screen (yet)
@@MpSniperM1911 Don't! Metric is boring!
@@NigelMontezuma how can any measure system be fun?
@@MpSniperM1911 If it doesn't use boring decimal points, powers, and zeroes!
@@NigelMontezuma Let's measure everything with the CCC base units
I might be able to help running Doom on the thing. Currently, I'm trying to get Doom to run on the screen of an old inert gas glovebox that my university is putting out of service, so there might be some overlap in those projects.
Edit: Before you ask, yes, the controls would be inside and you'll have to play it with the typical three layers of gloves.
istg doom can run on everything
Frankly, running Doom on things got a little mundane in my personal opinion.
But if someone can run Super Mario 64 on it, now *that* would get my attention.
It's really cool that Weytec took the time to put your logo on and send you this beast. This is a side of keyboards we don't often see and it's awesome!
9:25 Well, they did say it can take any video signal, so... Yeah, I'd imagine it shows up as a display in Windows. All you need to find is a way to switch the screen itself to display mode.
For a person who likes scissor switches, this looks very comfortable to use and easy to maintain. Plus, keycaps seem to be well-thought since they can be taken off easily without apparent damage, which most of scissor keyboards won't even allow you to do that without some of damage on them. In my opinion, this is also definitely a professional piece of equipment, if not less than MK06.
>a person who likes scissor switches
*makes sign of the cross and hisses*
"For a person who likes scissor switches"
... but ... WHY???
@@brkr78 **thinking of a person who actually likes scissor switches** p a I N ! 1 ! ! 1
(i know its a opinion, but still i dont understand that persons mind likes a switch design thats horrendously awful and still enjoyed these type of switch designs but i infinitely disagree with the person who made this comment)
“For a person who likes scissor switches” - nobody likes scissor switches… wait, you aren’t saying that YOU like scissor switches, are you?!
I don't mind scissor switches for gaming, but from the way these typed they looked like awful scissor switches.
switches aside, that thing looks like beast and now I want one. So cool that the company to share this with you. It's definitely a cool product!
Just re-watched this epic review. I genuniely want one of these things now, and I say that as someone who hates chiclet keyboards. The other features are just too cool. If they only made a version of these with normal keys with full travel and good feel, I'd even consider paying full price for it.
Trading floors are densely packed so maybe the smaller keys are to prevent the keyboard from taking all the trader's desk-space. Bloomberg had some epic bad keyboards (shocking given the monthly rental costs) so keep trying to source some of them.
Looks impressive. The display and breakout box seem a little dated, but then the financial sector is probably still using fortran and pascal. Surprised the monitor isn't adjustable.
The keyboard portion looks like it can be taken out and put back in (like in that video)... Maybe we can make a PCB that can be placed in there that contains better switches? :D
oooh, that would be sweet actually. Weytec engineers: "Write that down! Write that down!"
Yes, it can be removed! I can't seem to get mine out though, so I don't know what's under there xD .
Honestly I would love to have one of these since I have a bunch of workstations at my desk and KM/KVM switches are a lackluster option for switching between them all
I can't wait for Linus Tech Tips to recommend this beast as a "great alternative" to a stream deck, in his usual comically-out-of-touch-with-the-average-Joe fashion.
I was thinking of that just looking at it! Honestly it's fun to know the extremes with tech.
Jokes aside, I think Linus has been getting more informed about what the average joe wants, especially after he hired many younger people to work for him.
I like how well rounded the review was. Like, it would've been easy to write this off for having scissor switches, but instead it was judged as a good keyboard on its other merits (albeit not as cool looking as its predecessors.)
This is insanely cool, I never seen anything like this and I'm a software developer hahah
So glad they sent you one and we can see it! :D
as for keys and keycaps i think the logic behind this choice are quite simple. most of a people nowadays are used to work on laptops most of a time and when they type on a full sized long travel keyboard they actually do it much slower and do more typing mistakes.
i remember my frustration when i bought my first laptop for work and constantly switch between it and my PC. it was awful. then i changed my PC keyboard to low profile one and work like that till now.
Imagine this as a streaming keyboard, you could have your scene changes /stream start/stop or maybe custom sounds/graphic playback on the macro pads, the chat on the screen…
maybe you can do that with an old tv editor keyboard or whatever.
USB Transcription pedals. Thank me later.
I think it's fairly obvious that they chose the function row layout to align the F keys with the screen. Not saying that's a good or bad thing, but clearly not without reason.
I did not even imagine keyboards this sophisticated existed.
dear lord, what have you gotten yourself into
Your voice is extremely soothing...excellent presentation and gadgets
The keyboard is clearly appearing as a monitor to windows. That means it has to have a setting to display itself in monitor mode. Then you can run doom on it.
If you run Doom eternal, you can run two Doom!
I was checking for this comment to make sure somebody mentioned it. I imagine that thing came with a manual that would explain how to switch inputs.
That line was bothering me *so* much (it looked like a symptom of bad frequency sync, which didn't make *any* sense at all.) Thank you for finally explaining that it was a "screen saver" sort of thing.
My God that thing is awesome! I want it! Just need to change those keycaps and rubber domes and this beast would be perfect!
This is really cool. Interesting to see redundant power supply. They market it for trading floors, but I think it is more suitable in other areas like power plants and industrial monitoring control rooms, or traffic management, and air traffic control. There some other Weytec products that are suitable for trading floors, which definitively makes it suitable.
I think I heard of them before. I think they have really nice products, and made in Switzerland. They have a showroom in Zurich (and in few other places) , Switzerland, where I live, so maybe I will visit ;D
This is definitely how modern gaming keyboard should have been, look how cool this keyboard is and how much the macro keys and touchscreen could have done for 'gaming' purpose!!
I think many of the undesirable changes come down to targeting "what people expect" instead of "what is good". For what it is, it is exceedingly conventional.
Yes, this is completely true. The contrast is a bit stark when you consider that its predecessors made no such concessions, though xD .
@@Chyrosran22 have you seen the guy who made a miniature Model F with functional buckling springs? He called it the IBM Model D and he even put a metallic IBM logo in it. I guess it might be blasphemous to you seeing a 40% Model F but it’s quite a unique tiny keyboard. m.ruclips.net/video/Gzoi_2tpBJk/видео.html&feature=emb_title
A great review of a superb, albeit niche, product. As an online teacher, I can imagine the macropad and screen being extremely useful - and the KVM functionality, but as someone who is currently wincing from typing on a modern HP rubber dome keyboard rather than the Model F that I am used to, the keyboard part itself is a dealbreaker (not that I have 2k to spend on a keyboard anyway...). Having said that, the keyboard part itself is removable, so *maybe* there is a possibility of a mechanical option in the future.
More like Model A+, am I right? (No; no I'm not.) You sound like a cool teacher; I would have been floored to find out that one of mine drives a Model F.
That’s a beautiful keyboard.
Makes me want to add a 10” touch screen to mine 😆
Enterprise solutions are always interesting to take a look at.
Weytec, reach out, I can make Doom run ont the keyboard itself. I will need one to use however.
Has a pleasing aesthetic all around. Complete beast of a KVM to be real. Most I've used were really janky but this looks like someone with zero tolerance for bullshit made it.
I like the "Oh, crap, I spilled something on the keyboard, and the boss is coming!" Disable Keyboard for 2 Minutes function.
I think I have this keyboard, but it's the tenkeyless version without the extra top stuff , and it's made by a different company and comes with RBG colors under the keys. It's very good, I recommend it.
I am now saving money to purchase this and run a Nintendo switch on it. Thank you for the review
I want a keyboard based around this kind of design. Keyboard, macro pads, and a display, preferably touch. Though it'd be nice if there was a way to fully separate the display so that an OS doesn't pick it up as a second monitor, say if there was a way to use a Raspberry Pi as a peripheral with a discrete display out. But at the same time, an RPI keeb with a built in display on its own would be cool.
If only OLED was more power friendly, or if only E-Ink existed within the size of keycaps. Imagine what you could do combining the touch display, the macropads, and a layered keyboard with changing legends. For example, say you need a lot of symbols for math/engineering workflow, memorizing alt codes is inefficient, custom macropads work but that's an extra peripheral, imagine if one of the macropad keys or a touch input could switch your keyboard from alphanumeral to symbols. Or, for another example, different languages. Or say if there was a way to do this like phone keyboards do, where you can hold a key and have a selection of alternate inputs; though this may need analog switches with dual-actuation, say a 75% actuation for normal keystrokes and a full actuation (or vice versa, but put the partial actuation on a hold timer) for this alternate input scheme, where neighboring keys become the alternates. Imagine what an already potentially feature-rich peripheral could do with even more functions.
Now if only there was a decent way to split ergo this with pointing devices, that would be the absolute end game for me. I remember seeing a review or unboxing of theAngry Miao Am AFA, and it's central module gave me similar ideas with the whole display and macros thing; but it also gave me the idea of what if you meshed a split ergo unit, along with mesh expansion for other peripherals such as a spare macro pad, pointing device, input devices such as a SpaceMouse, etc., where the central module was the mesh host with a discrete connection to a PC. Extrapolate that to this, have the display portion be the central module, with a wireless split ergo setup with room to expand. And yes, I know, batteries galore, overcomplicated, etc., I just like my freedom from wires when everything isn't connected within a singular housing, especially when those peripherals are split and not necessarily on an open desk where wires can exist without being a hinderance, or where long cables are require for a clean and usable setup otherwise, not to mention wireless allows for free movement from a setup where unplugging and replugging isn't always the best solution. If there's ever a day where this could be pulled off (especially with display keycaps), this really would be end game for me, just throw in some Cirque circle pads with Steam Input functionality and it'd be golden; what more could anyone possibly want, this would be the utter most complete all-in-one peripheral possible. Though in this case, the display portion would be more of a control station than just a Stream Deck -like addition that also acts as its own monitor with its own UI.
Imagine if you could thin/thick this thing, hopefully Intel Continuous Compute (assuming that project ever sees the light of day) will provide a simple solution to this; where this would be a very low-end low-TDP processor, basically enough to run a file system and the display, with beefier hardware on the thick side. Along with wireless display capabilities, with the newer WiFi specs that allow for higher throughput. If I could move from office, to couch, to bedroom, with a good wireless network and this kind of setup, I'd be set, nothing would top this, unless it could also thin/thick with multiple hosts, meaning a solution for a home-work-school ecosystem; where the thin client is 100% personal and the thick server is 100% processing with no exchange of personal files, the only exchange being processing for certain programs and an identifier for the device, somewhat similar to the hotswap drive thing people used to do waaay back in the day between work and home. Honestly the next step up would be a full laptop with a decent keyboard, but given how many portable devices are coming with detachable keyboards (desktop tablets?) what's the point by then. Ideas like this are what keep me excited for tech, because this is the kind of stuff I would've loved to have years ago, one personal device with off-device processing for more intensive stuff. I guess in a way we got t his with cloud-based software/services, but I _hate_ those, mostly because corporations do anything to screw you over (looking at you, Autodesk, always stripping free licensing of features, absolute Autocucks), so thin/thick with standard programs is preferable; I guess things like Samsung DeX, or any similar mobile-desktop OS switches, could be considered similar, especially with DeX on PC, but that's still lackluster and will never be as powerful as a thin/thick setup, which is why I want Continuous Compute (or competing software from AMD, Windows, whomever) to exist as a simple solution.
This would be absolute _peak_ device design. It's a pipe dream, but one that might actually be feasible someday, even as a custom solution, everything needed technically already exists in some form, just certain things need manufactured and certain technologies need to evolve into better standards; it's like a full puzzle except the individual printed squares haven't yet been cut into jigsaw pieces.
For a second I was like who's this Renny, did he design these chiclet keycaps? Took me a while but I got there in the end. Rennie indigestion tablets! :-)
It was Michael Rennie, the switchs are so named because they are like the space ship controls in 'The day the Earth stood still'.
Yeah, that's the ticket!
if they used ML (which I like) for the main keyboard, this thing would be sick
I assume they use rubber domes due to their durability to spills and such.
The keyboard part seems to be replaceable as a panel. perhaps there is an ¨inset¨ that has better keys in it.
The key panel is replaceable, yes, it's done for hygienic purposes. I couldn't take mine off or I'd have shown it, so I don't know what's beneath it exactly, but it might be easier than most to convert to use actual switches. Still, this would probably be a considerable rework overall.
yes. surprisingly little can be found out about it online. But at least this video (ruclips.net/video/On92bQBJ0qE/видео.html) helps understand is as a KVM switch.. Judging from the channel languages (English/German/Russian), perhaps the various keyboard layouts can be easily handled this way.
if it had mechanical switches, I could actually see buying one if I was a pro streamer or content creator, purely on account of ease-of-maintnance let alone feel. But as it is, it's a beast of a keyboard.
yeah, if you could replace the keyboard with a mechanical one, I'd justify a reason for buying one for myself.
3:10 The sudden realization kills me every time.
Real world cyberdeck thing!
This keyboard seems to have it's own thin client, which would make a lot of sense.
Very weird that there's a screensaver line on an LCD screen. I guess it's just there for people who are used to burn in problems on emissive displays so they can feel safe?
"... which is a 1280x800 pixel 10-inch LCD, or in imperial units... wait!"
Honestly £2000 is nothing for an industrial equipment like this. I was expecting something in the £10K range at least.
I don't think this keyboard was a gift to you. It was the payment for your analysis.
That KVM might be interesting.
Taran Van Hemert would love it
For what you get, this is actually a great deal.
hell yeah
description spelling error!
ah yes lets play diablo 2 on one of the most complicated, powerful and well equipped trading/business keyboards
i do wonder if they have aftermarket replacement boards with better switches, cause those switches are a bit lame, but i can see for the sake of selling to an office, keeping cost down while maintaining function for a part that can be replaced
3:13 That should have been metric units.
Monitor nothingness being a second screen? Can it be the second montior?
I would not be surprised if the keyboard runs a ver of windows ce... soo getting it to run doom might be a thing but your not going to be able to emulate a switch on it... or even a ps1 for that fact... maybe a nes though..
3:11 Chyrosran22.exe has stopped working
can you review the new keychron Q keyboard line?
I managed to break one of the keycaps. And now it's annoying me. Do you know where I could get a spare keycap?
I like click switches, so this keyboard just seems cheap junk. It vastly lets down the rest of its design. My main other gripe would be that the typing part of the keyboard would be more natural and comfortable if it was centred with the screen and function keys instead of off to the side. It would have made more sense to have the other option keys down the left side and the numberpad keys down the right. Wouldnt it be a great idea to have nuberpad keys and options keys in modules so you can swap over which side theyre on for left handed users. just a thought.
Now I know what the designer of the Macbook Pro touch has wetdreams about.
as a student in the U.S. taking chemistry, please do not stop doggin on the imperial system. I hate it with a passion
Hahaha I've only ever had to deal with Imperial units a few times during my degree thankfully xD . But it was definitely annoying when I did! Our British PhD student also hates Imperial units with a passion xD .
if this is a battle cruiser, then what is an aircraft carrier?
The Chyron for example.... Trust me, this isn't even remotely near the biggest keyboard I have xD .
Does it have a built-in notebook?
Chyrosran22 I need a new keyboard, I'm down to my last model-m. I can't stand the unicomp, have 2, and the feel is just.. wrong. Are there any new keyboards that have a similar tactile feel? Not a fan of MX, although they seem better than most. The model-f seems cool but I like a full-size, and they are myopically stuck to stupid vintage-ish layouts. I just want a new model-m or better with usb-c. I have sent back so many keyboards Amazon is about to ban me (p.s. fuck corsair who attempted to defraud me until I called in the DA). I have even annoyed a few bespoke builders who seem to think lubing shitty switches makes a luxury typing experience. Why can't I, for any amount of money, seem to get anything as good as what was standard in the 90s?!
You can, it just takes a lot of time and effort, and sometimes luck.
There are projects that build F-style switches into an M-type assembly. You can also try some other vintage options, like Alps, or SMK 2nd gen. Or even the ZealPC Clickiez switches, they are the best clicky development together with clickbars in the last 30 years IMO. There's a lot out there, really :) . I'm typing on a super obscure switch that's virtually unknown at the moment and I'm surprised at how good it's turned out to be!
lmao this must be the one keyboard where the macro keys are mechanical and the keyboard bit is rubber dome
A bit off topic, does a locking (ie. for caps lock) MX cherry key switch exist? If so, where might it be obtained?
Used to. According to Deskthority, Cherry MX Lock was a linear latching switch that was discontinued in 2015.
Nice! Put some ram, a processor and a ssd in there, and it's a flash back to some of the early portable computers. Great video as always Tom :D
it does have a processor.
@@nobodynoone2500 Cool!!
Or, in imperial units...
at what point does a keyboard become a laptop?
How much is a metric fuckton of cables in imperial units?
An imperial shitton!
what is your fav mx style clicky switches?
In the narrow sense, MX blue.
like a logitech g15s day-trader brother
Hi
yo new vid
The keyboards equipped with the Apple //c and //gs are among the few examples of excellent chicklet style keycaps, making them among the most comfortable keycaps ever made. Nearly every other chicklet style keyboard manufactured has only helped to confirm the unfair perception that chicklet keycaps are inherently inferior by design.
It always amuses me when they put such crappy switches on an otherwise high-end keyboard. It's not like the switches are a huge percentage of the cost anyway.
Ask LGR to install Doom on it 😛
I love to skijp.
It's so sad that switches and keycaps, the main use of a keyboard, generally are the worst part of any keyboard. If this keyboard was hot-swap cherry MX and not rubber dome or cherry ML, I would actually spend the money to get one.
ahaha he slipped up on the imperial
Swiss precision! XD
It’d be hilarious to hook up 3 raspberry pis to this, the most expensive way to use 3 portable pcs as one!
10:15 OR run a WiiU emulator and play as intended, with 2 screens and one being touch screen
Bro
No kill like overkill. Booo yah!
Has this been designed in North Korea? I wouldn't want one even if I got it for free.
But I understand it's mainly for Swiss bankers, which explains the gold colour scheme.
Where's the key with a washing machine on it? The one for the money laundering.
They offered to sell me an old one for £50, I said thanks I can't wait to hack it. Never heard from since. Don't use the word "hack" at Weytec. They don't get the modern interpretation.
-Oh, just realised, they offered me that one after I contacted them from watching your previous weytec review. The multi coloured thing.
Or rather the very, very old interpretation. The interpretation that predates personal computers.
@@Lemon_Inspector Yes exact. I think it was a block too as no amt of follow-up emails explaining the use of the word (including websites such as hackaday etc) seemed to help.
bloomberg keyboard lol.
WOW! Must be super expensive and with seriously crappy functionality.
What a failure with the membrane keys and the misplaced F-keys... The old model was so, so much better.
it is disappointing they for the money you pay for this thing it will break in like 2 years. they need to go back to cherry mx switches. i know this is just so they can make more sales and pad their bottom line.
Hopefully it's easy to source cheaper and superior switches to MX's by now.
First!
First
1 minute ago hjoly
Hey Thomas! I’m not sure if you’ll read this but I’d really like to send you stuff but I really hate twitter, is there some other way I could contact you to send you some stuff? Like discord dm or email?
You can also find me on geekhack and deskthority as Chyros or Chyrosran22 on reddit :) .