Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Researching Keyboards With Adaptive Displays on Each Key
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I'm not a pro user really although I know how to do some pro stuff. So I also thought this was cool and impressive at first and then I realized that I do not even look at the keys when I'm typing, only what shows up on the screen. But, true, like someone said, I'd love to hit the option key and find an international character I forgot the location of.
Last edited:
You may not be aware Apple's customer base is not dominated by so-called pro users.
...yeah, a bunch of people are making great points here—particularly wrt shortcuts and option-key alternatives... that would be pretty handy. My mind is changed. 
Apple has had made comments about this before. Something to the point where the keyboard wouldn't have the T2 security chip to match the biometrics with the desktop and it would be a security nightmare. It probably won't happen.
I believe we'd see Face ID at this point before Touch ID, unless they find a way to bind the keyboard's security to the desktop. The Apple Watch connection / unlock is at least a decent step - although the only thing stopping someone from opening a computer that's already in standby is the physical item and a digit passcode.
That doesn’t quite look like what’s going on here in the patent. That looks like a child’s toy that makes sounds when you press on a farm animal’s picture haha. I can’t tell from this picture but it also looks about an inch thick. Not to mention it’s not laid out like a keyboard, and there aren’t nearly as many keys to be able to press.
...yeah, a bunch of people are making great points here—particularly wrt shortcuts and option-key alternatives... that would be pretty handy. My mind is changed.
people will mostly use the feature as an emoji picker.
people suck.
It’d be great for the keys to change based on application. In photo or video editors editors they could display the actions or tools they control.
Last edited:
If everything else about the typing experience remains the same, I see this as an excellent way to expose pro app keyboard shortcuts without the plastic overlays, stickers or dedicated keyboards of yore, e.g. these Avid beasts: https://www.avid.com/products/pro-tools-custom-keyboard
MacBook with Magic Keyboard Pro Max Extra = US $1,999,999,900.00
[two can play at that game]
Last edited:
I have been asking for this for so long! Apple can use their watch making skills to create screens that are compact to fit a key on the keyboard. The front of the key is glass and the back is metal to receive the data from the computer. The trick is how to fasten the keys on the keyboard while letting them be replaceable if need be to allow for low cost repairs. At this point they need to make their keyboards water proof because it will need it. Nobody wants to replace a $200 keyboard.
I think they first wanted to get rid of movable keys altogether and use a molded screen with tactic feedback but failed to create a keyboard with hardly any travel that wasn't a disaster. This is the more expensive alternative.
This is more for regular users and not power users although for power users who use colored keyboards or music equipment it would be very useful. The ability for the computer to help you use it with on screen prompts and on keyboard prompts is a great feature. Eventually they can do the same thing with the trackpad. If this keyboard fails a video trackpad would be their last option to do something like what they are trying to do. But in any case it would justify the Apple tax some more and allow for people to use more power user features without a steep learning curve, your keyboard will give you the clues you need to figure out the software your using allowing any user to intuitively figure out more than they would have before.
I think they first wanted to get rid of movable keys altogether and use a molded screen with tactic feedback but failed to create a keyboard with hardly any travel that wasn't a disaster. This is the more expensive alternative.
This is more for regular users and not power users although for power users who use colored keyboards or music equipment it would be very useful. The ability for the computer to help you use it with on screen prompts and on keyboard prompts is a great feature. Eventually they can do the same thing with the trackpad. If this keyboard fails a video trackpad would be their last option to do something like what they are trying to do. But in any case it would justify the Apple tax some more and allow for people to use more power user features without a steep learning curve, your keyboard will give you the clues you need to figure out the software your using allowing any user to intuitively figure out more than they would have before.
It is a better option than the touchbar. As a game developer I have given up on keyboard shortcuts for a lot of things as there are so many to remember because I use software that includes game engines, code editors, vector art, raster art, video editors, audio creation, audio editing, 3D modelling, word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and more.
Just having a keyboard that can change to show the options for the current software when I press Command, Shift, Control, or a combination of those, would be brilliant. But there is so much more potential. Context sensitive keyboards are great on iOS. Having that with real keys on macOS would be brilliant.
Just having a keyboard that can change to show the options for the current software when I press Command, Shift, Control, or a combination of those, would be brilliant. But there is so much more potential. Context sensitive keyboards are great on iOS. Having that with real keys on macOS would be brilliant.
It feels more like extending the Touch Bar to the rest of the keyboard. I'm not sure I would like that idea.
I mean, this already exists. I remember some company making this back in the late 2000s, I believe. Did it have art in the name? It's on the tip of my tongue, it was a weird name.
I think this has some cool potential but the downsides are also pretty massive, such as if your keyboard display controller just stops working so you can't see any keys. Also, with OLED, you'd think there would be significant burn-in with keyboard keys that would mostly stay the same. Will they power down all the time? Will there be screensavers for keyboards? I like to imagine all of the little characters bouncing around inside of their key display like the DVD logo on a TV, lol.
I think this has some cool potential but the downsides are also pretty massive, such as if your keyboard display controller just stops working so you can't see any keys. Also, with OLED, you'd think there would be significant burn-in with keyboard keys that would mostly stay the same. Will they power down all the time? Will there be screensavers for keyboards? I like to imagine all of the little characters bouncing around inside of their key display like the DVD logo on a TV, lol.
Lots of people use the option key and other modifier keys, so seeing at a glance how they would modify each key would be a truly great productivity booster. But even having the keys change from displaying upper case to lower case would be incredibly cool. IMO, this is an amazing idea with tons of potential.
And the Germans were trying it 10 years before that.
While typing on a stream deck sound like pure joy, an eInk keyboard with decent switches could be good. But it won’t be.
Edit: the LCBoard project. Imagine ruining an IBM Model M.
This is the first thing I thought of as well. Can’t find the keyboard for sale on their store page though.