In brief: While using a touchscreen keyboard has some advantages, such as being able to quickly change the layout or use the display for other purposes, typing on one can never replicate the feeling of a real physical keyboard. The DS Pixel Keyboard, however, takes an innovative new approach that could go some way toward addressing the problem.
The keyboard, which has passed its Kickstarter goal by more than ten times with 31 days still to go, looks to combine the best elements of touchscreens and physical keyboards by including an electrostatic capacitive keycap frame.
The hot-swappable keycap frame, which consists of transparent keys, fits on top of the display. The touchscreen is still visible underneath the keycaps, so you can continue utilizing effects like customized keys and animations.
The frame triggers key presses by detecting changes in capacitance due to shifts in the distance between the electrode plates. The keys have a short travel distance of 1.2 to 1.5mm, trigger forces of 40g and 50g, and an 8,000Hz polling rate – there's also a version with a 1,000Hz polling rate. Each key has a lifespan of up to 1,000,000 presses, and the keycaps can be cleaned by running water over them.
While the frame isn't going to precisely replicate the feeling of typing on a mechanical keyboard, it's likely still the best way to type using a touchscreen.
The display itself is a 14-inch IPS LCD touchscreen with a 3,840 x 1,100 resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate. It boasts 300 nits of brightness and 100% coverage of the sRGB color gamut. There's also an HDMI port so it can be used as a standalone display or a secondary monitor, a pair of stereo speakers, and a 20,000mAh battery that's supposed to keep it running for up to 12 hours after a three-hour charge.
The keyboard connects to other devices via USB-C, Bluetooth, or a 2.4GHz wireless connection.
The Kickstarter page adds that the DS Pixel Keyboard also has a built-in GPU and CPU. Use case examples include writing documents or checking emails on your main screen while browsing reference materials or running real-time data monitoring on the keyboard's display. You could also sketch on one screen while viewing color samples or palettes on the keyboard. For gamers, the keyboard could be used to show in-game maps or chat windows.
The DS Pixel Keyboard with a 1,000Hz polling rate can be reserved for $349 (plus shipping). If you wait until the final retail version arrives, the price is expected to be $580. The 8,000Hz version is available for $419, whereas the retail version will likely be around $640. Shipping is estimated to be early February.