Clack clack clack DING
June 14, 2010 9:59 AM   Subscribe

 
There was a distinct lack of a satisfying DING! in that video. I'm gonna wait for version 2.
posted by jedicus at 10:00 AM on June 14, 2010


Somehow, Engadget missed the crafter's actual website link, which has a basic how-it-works page, but it seems like there are a number of empty pages as of yet.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:06 AM on June 14, 2010


Internet, I love you.
posted by mhoye at 10:07 AM on June 14, 2010




How can you tell when Steve Ballmer has been using your iPad?

From the Wite-Out on the screen!

Or, something like that.
posted by R. Mutt at 10:12 AM on June 14, 2010 [1 favorite]


Speaking of carpal tunnel: What are the long-term effects of typing on the unyielding iPad screen? They can't be good.
posted by Joe Beese at 10:13 AM on June 14, 2010


Even though I'm never getting an iPad, I was amused by the chocolate iPad thing. I hope the chocolate didn't go to waste though.
posted by kmz at 10:16 AM on June 14, 2010


things achewood predicted years ago: phone balls.

I've got an order in for my android N1? It's gonna make it a strap on, and I'm converting my ipad into a spanking paddle.
posted by boo_radley at 10:21 AM on June 14, 2010 [4 favorites]


Right, someone get cracking on a typewriter keyboard made of chocolate. Go, internet.
posted by pyrex at 10:24 AM on June 14, 2010


Man I have seen some painful looking iPad holding from people using them in cafes... buy the case and accept you might have to put your precious doodad down already, don't holding it hovering above the table like if it makes contact with the surface it'll catch germs.
posted by Artw at 10:25 AM on June 14, 2010 [1 favorite]


I am such an antique. Love my Droid and laptops and all, but still miss my old selectric typewriter with auto correct, as well as my old script typewriter. And that cool smell of fresh carbon paper. This post makes me nostalgic.
posted by bearwife at 10:26 AM on June 14, 2010


The best iPad accessory never.
posted by DU at 10:32 AM on June 14, 2010


Needs more Theora Jones
posted by 7segment at 10:33 AM on June 14, 2010 [1 favorite]


A version for phones incorporating a Brazil style magnifying glass would be fun.

Oh god, I'm turning into some kind of Doctrowesque 30s loving cosplay steampunker type...
posted by Artw at 10:33 AM on June 14, 2010 [5 favorites]


If wanting a Brazil computer is wrong, I don't want to be right.
posted by brundlefly at 10:35 AM on June 14, 2010 [3 favorites]


That's some serious Steampunk typewriter action!
posted by Fuzzy Monster at 10:36 AM on June 14, 2010


The best iPad accessory never.

You can install Android (and thus Linux) on the iPhone. It even mostly works. Here's Android 2.2 running on an iPhone.
posted by jedicus at 10:37 AM on June 14, 2010


A brief history of typewriters - note the "classic" typewriter wasn't around till the 20s. Not that it will stop cosplay fuckers from mixing things up.
posted by Artw at 10:38 AM on June 14, 2010


Having learned how to type on a manual typewriter, I can remember how happy I was to get an electric typewriter as I was going off to college because even on my little portable banging the keys was a big effort.

Personally, I would rather have the IBM Model M keyboard.
posted by briank at 10:41 AM on June 14, 2010 [1 favorite]


boo_radley: "things achewood predicted years ago: phone balls."

Woa, woa, woa. Let me get this straight. The Great Outdoor Fight was FOUR YEARS AGO?
posted by Plutor at 10:46 AM on June 14, 2010


Silly Internet! People didn't get carpal tunnel syndrome in the days of manual typewriters! The yellow fever usually got you first.
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:50 AM on June 14, 2010 [1 favorite]


Oh god, I'm turning into some kind of Doctrowesque 30s loving cosplay steampunker type...

Only if you start thinking it would be better in brass. With extra cogs. Then start worrying.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 10:57 AM on June 14, 2010


Plutor: "Woa, woa, woa. Let me get this straight. The Great Outdoor Fight was FOUR YEARS AGO?"

There have only been twenty new achewood comics in two years.
posted by boo_radley at 10:59 AM on June 14, 2010 [3 favorites]




There have only been twenty new achewood comics in two years.

Is this a joke I don't get? I just counted...there have been 20 Achewood comics since April 2 of this year.
posted by Ian A.T. at 11:41 AM on June 14, 2010


Best iPad accessory. What's the term for 80's steampunk?
posted by ericbop at 11:43 AM on June 14, 2010 [3 favorites]


he is a far less prolific artist than he used to be. that is the joke.
posted by boo_radley at 11:43 AM on June 14, 2010


> Speaking of carpal tunnel: What are the long-term effects of typing on the unyielding iPad screen?

It's a touch screen. If you're hammering on it the way you might hammer on a keyboard, you are doing it eight wrong ways to Sunday. Nevermind that hammering on an electronic keyboard is also doing it wrong.

That said, if I have to type more than a dozen words, or enter a password into a form field, I usually pull out a bluetooth keyboard. And then the risk of carpal tunnel injury is about the same as with any other keyboard.
posted by ardgedee at 11:55 AM on June 14, 2010


Would this count as steampunk? Cause if it does, I'm here to say it stinks.
posted by littlerobothead at 12:06 PM on June 14, 2010 [1 favorite]


What's the term for 80's steampunk?

Electropunk. Not to be confused with Synthpunk or Electroclash.
posted by filthy light thief at 12:12 PM on June 14, 2010


MetaFilter: It even mostly works.
posted by Mister_A at 12:27 PM on June 14, 2010


The best iPad accessory ever.
posted by BeerFilter at 12:51 PM on June 14, 2010


The only drawback is the inevitable buildup of Liquid Paper all over the screen.
posted by chococat at 12:58 PM on June 14, 2010


Anyone remember the computer terminals in "Max Headroom?"
posted by ZenMasterThis at 1:18 PM on June 14, 2010 [1 favorite]


Beautifully retro styled, handcrafted wooden tabletop arcade cabinet and MAME emulator for your otherwise useless iPad

Heh.
posted by Sparx at 1:29 PM on June 14, 2010


How can you tell when Steve Ballmer has been using your iPad?

From the Wite-Out on the screen!


I originally heard this as a Commodore 64 versus Sinclair Spectrum joke.
posted by Artw at 1:33 PM on June 14, 2010


From the Wite-Out on the screen!

Oh man I'm lame because I made that same tired joke 3 hours after you did.
Completely missed it.
posted by chococat at 3:59 PM on June 14, 2010


Ballmer would smash it with his hulk-like fists anyway...
posted by Artw at 4:11 PM on June 14, 2010


You know—I get that this is probably one of those sort of Make-magazine/Instructables/cool kids making neat stuff for the heck of making neat stuff, but this is almost exactly like something I would use. I've got 26 manual typewriters in my apartment, I write my first drafts on a manual (no internet, no erasing, no distraction from the constant urge to edit as I write), and having something sit there and keep a digital record would be quite nice. Heck, I need to learn to work with Arduino boards to customize one to take this data and store it in a long text file on an SD card, so I could be away from the computer altogether until editing time.

Neat.

I have to chuckle, reading the various comments about this thing on sites around the net, at how many people think of a manual typewriter as this sluggish, clunky, painful tool for writing when it's actually a breezy, visceral, pleasant interface. Your mileage may vary, I suppose.
posted by sonascope at 7:18 PM on June 14, 2010


That is pretty cool, but it would be cooler if it was Bluetooth rather than USB.
posted by rodgerd at 3:30 AM on June 15, 2010


As a former typographer and a person who has used many, many keyboards, I think the best keyboard of all time came with the Quadex system (which was one hell of a powerful phototypesetter in its day and was eventually bought by CompuGraphic). A chum who also worked in the industry agrees. Sadly, few had the pleasure of operating one. Great feel, nice bouncy-clicky spring to the keys. A good operator could go blisteringly fast on a Quadex.

The golden age of keyboards was probably the 70s or 80s... now, designs skew towards economy of space rather than user comfort. A good example is the current iMac keyboard, which looks sleek but is an abomination to use.
posted by kinnakeet at 6:42 AM on June 15, 2010


I miss my old late 90s Thinkpad. Great keyboard on that. If I could have it back, scoop the guts out and put a netbook inside of it I totally would.
posted by Artw at 6:53 AM on June 15, 2010


Am I the only one that actually searched for the iCade app in the App store after that MAME cabinet link?

It isn't there. No iCade. *sniff*
posted by misha at 11:40 AM on June 15, 2010




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