WayTools' TextBlade Keyboard to Start Shipping to Test Group Users Next Week

[dabigkahuna]

I received the replacement TextBlade a couple hours ago. More detail is available on the WT site:

https://forum.waytools.com/t/replacement-unit/4723

but the most important info so far is:

The key feel may be very slightly different, but any change is insignificant enough that if you liked the old one, you shouldn't care one way or the other with the newer version.

I did notice that I seemed to be getting fewer mistakes so I did some of my usual typing tests. For some time now I've pretty much been stuck in the 60s on my main test - usually lower 60s at that. Well, in my brief testing, all my tests came out better than usual. For example, I've done most common test twice now and scores 74 and 76 wpm with at least 99% accuracy - and felt more relaxed doing it.

Some probably has to do with the old unit having a problem with a conductive contaminant causing a problem occasionally between two keys, but I don't think that explains it. After all, my scores were lower even when those two keys always gave the correct results. WT said the new versions have improved sensitivity and I think that is probably a bigger factor. In any case, at least for me, the difference is really obvious so I'm very happy about this.

I do wish they had the new PCB / keycap versions ready to send out for testing, but this is still good so far.

 

[Rolanbek]

Summary for those who don’t want to place an order to find out what is going on.


This is an additional update based on an order status update apparently dated September 30th but as the information is held on WT servers and is impossible to verify. that is the best we are going to get.

I would love to provide a link to the source text, but you can only see it after you have ordered and paid full price for a Textblade.


Top lines

· Our hand picked testers are giving positive reviews
· TREG has allowed us to outsource product testing that was necessary for free.
· We are going to keep adding things to this product as we go
· We are going to continue adding TREG users until General release

Keycaps

Despite picking the best material to hand we designed our keycaps so poorly that they broke in normal use. We did not test it sufficiently well to spot this prior to releasing the product external amateur testing. We are making new ones now and have thrown the old ones away.

Nanostand

Despite picking the best material to hand we designed our keycaps to be thin and light and were surprised that they broke in normal use. We did not test it sufficiently well to spot this prior to releasing the product external amateur testing. We are going to be making new ones when we can get the mould to produce a version without flash lines on it and will throw the old ones away.

Flex PCB

We designed an assembly process that damaged the components during assembly. We did not test it sufficiently well to spot this prior to releasing the product external amateur testing. We have changed the assembly process to hopefully not break this component during future assembly. First components will be available for internal testing next week. (assume 20161003 – 20161010) If everything goes well we will throw away the existing stock of components we cannot guarantee aren’t damaged.

Q-bots

Internal testing is done, we use these things we have spent time making to test our stuff. Someone might think this is impressive. We have spent money on achieving our dream, that everyone throws their old Qwerty away and buys a little keyboard from our patent protected monopoly.

App and Firmware

We added back a delete key to the base keymap, because leaving it out was a mistake as people actually use it.

Home row edit is too fiddly for some applications, have added ‘legacy’ navigation keys on a switchable layer.

We added a numpad to a switchable layer, because we didn’t consider numpad users in our original design.

Jumps, that’s a thing. We had originally stated it would be in an update after release but as things drag on it’s here.

Timing

Replacement PCB’s land next week (20161003 – 20161010)

Installation and testing is stated as “Several weeks” (more than 2 and less than infinite)

TREG testing stated as “shipping to customers” in Q4 but no end date, estimated duration, or bracket stated.

Of course these are based on there being no further discovered issues during testing


Happy October Everyone

R

 

[dabigkahuna]

Our hand picked testers are giving positive reviews

Yep, not just random people testing. And that the reviews are virtually all positive could be taken as a good sign! Pretty sure if they were making negative comments about the TB (They do say negative things about WT communication and other things), we'd see that pointed to with derision too. Can't have it both ways.

TREG has allowed us to outsource product testing that was necessary for free.

I do wish people would get together on their complaints, because we are also told by the critics that we are "paid" because we got the device early. But, for the record, I'm happy to help them out.

We are going to keep adding things to this product as we go

Which they always said they would be doing - just that now, during the delays, they aren't having the software people sitting around doing nothing as the hardware is worked on. Pretty sure it would be foolish to waste that time!

We are going to continue adding TREG users until General release

Yep, because they want to keep bringing in new eyes to the testing process. Any group of people eventually tends to get into habits of usage. Having new people - which also means more people - benefits from the increased number as well as the different approaches.

surprised that they broke in normal use

A very tiny percentage. What was the percentage of Samsung batteries that blew up? How did that high tech company miss that? Surely problems only happen to poorly run startups!

We designed an assembly process that damaged the components during assembly.

Yep, a very tiny percentage. I've worked in manufacturing - some percentage of pieces don't pass inspection. Problem was, the intermittent nature of the problem made it very hard to tell which would would be fine and which ones would not be. So they played it safe and replaced them all. Guess they could have taken a chance and given people devices that had a chance to fail. I mean, it isn't like they might have exploding batteries!

We added back a delete key to the base keymap, because leaving it out was a mistake as people actually use it.

No idea that that is based on - it isn't in their detailed descriptions on the new status page. The only reference to a "delete key" is in reference to adding a FORWARD delete key to the GREEN EDIT layer. This is not the main layer or the normal editing keys on that layer, which have always had a delete key. It refers to an additional layer for when you just need editing commands and not other things. IOW, it's a bonus capability.

We added a numpad to a switchable layer, because we didn’t consider numpad users in our original design.

Didn't they? There are a lot of things there now which were always planned (like jumps) which are being done while hardware is being done. Seems better than not doing anything. BTW, the number pad has been there for a long time.

Let's also consider the snarkiness of the "we didn't consider numpad users" comment. I have an Apple wireless keyboard. In spite of having 78 keys, there is no numpad. The TB has 9 keycaps, but most of 3 or 6 keys on them so, going with the larger number, just 37 keys. Yet I get a number pad. And a special edit layer. Both of which can be locked. Also other layers which do require holding some other key(s). But the thing is, the way it is designed, I can, without those locked layers, do editing, symbols, and numbers far more efficiently than on the Apple keyboard. Those locked layers are, once again, a nice bonus that Apple doesn't have. Not only that, but in comparison to keyboards which do have numpads, the TB allows you to arrange the numbers and other things related to numpads however you want. I changed mine quite a bit (though only one number actually moved - but lots of the other stuff).

amateur testing

Yet we have done a great job of finding and often even figuring out why a problem is happening. Pretty sure being good at the job is more important than snarky adjectives about us. You see, the TB is going to be used by ordinary people. WT has some serious automation for certain kinds of testing. And they have their in house team or others doing testing. Treg just reaches the ordinary user. If there is a criticism to be made, it is that they should have done it sooner. But they have learned from it as they have said they plan to keep using testers on other products down the road.
[doublepost=1475316841][/doublepost]Concerning "delete", here are the standard editing options, but you can customize it to your liking:

You can lock this if you expect to do a lot of editing stuff, or you can just use simple modifier chord to access it briefly, much like you might hold the caps key to get capital letters. You have a ton of stuff here. Moving cursor by character, line, word paragraph, page, document, etc. And, yet, there is a regular delete on the main layer of this and a forward delete on the green layer of it. Green layer stuff is really easy to access - just hold the space bar down. You thumbs are right there anyway.

 

[Kabeyun]

After checking in again on this pitiful thread I've concluded the following:

1. TextBlade is done. Tech has passed it by. There is an abundance of fine BT keyboards out there, and Apple fans who want serious text productivity (writers, editors, coders, etc.) will do fine with an iPad Pro + Smart Keyboard.
2. WayTools is done. Best case, after they refund their ponzi capital to misled customers, is insolvency. Worst case is the court system.
3. dabigkahuna, all alone here, is a WayTools shill (ignore subsequent protestations and "evidence" otherwise; would a shill really admit it?).
4. Justifications for WayTools sound like Neville Chamberlain circa 1936.

 

[Mac128guy]

After checking in again on this pitiful thread I've concluded the following:

4. Justifications for WayTools sound like Neville Chamberlain circa 1936.

Ha! This is funny!

Like you, I just checked in for fun after languishing as a TexBlade customer starting in January, 2015 for over a year (and finally getting my money back for 3 orders I placed!) and I can hardly believe my eyes that they still don't have a finished product. Guess I made a good call to bail and get my money back when I did!

You are probably right that they are done once the pre-order money dries up but of course, after Chamberlain declared peace in our time, full war didn't break out for another few years so who knows, maybe they still have a bit of time left in them!

 

[Rolanbek]

Yep

Thanks for your comments!

No actual disagreement with any point I made, so we can all see you agree!

Love you calling WT "a poorly run start up."

Let me know when someone from WT who knows what is actually happening responds in public to any of the above.

R

 

[KaliYoni]

Justifications for WayTools sound like Neville Chamberlain circa 1936.

At least Chamberlain got a piece of paper to wave from his oppressor. TB purchasers, other than a scattering of hand-picked TREG-illuminati, don't have anything to show for the years WT has held their money captive.

 

[dabigkahuna]

> 1. TextBlade is done. Tech has passed it by. There is an abundance of fine BT keyboards out there, and Apple fans who want serious text productivity (writers, editors, coders, etc.) will do fine with an iPad Pro + Smart Keyboard. <

Really? True, lots of fine BT keyboards available, but which one can do all that the TB can do, be as small, and connect to all your devices? The smart keyboard is all you mention and it doesn't come close and can only be used with one device!

> 2. WayTools is done. Best case, after they refund their ponzi capital to misled customers, is insolvency. Worst case is the court system. <

Or they end up shipping. Pretty sure that is the best case.

> 3. dabigkahuna, all alone here, is a WayTools shill (ignore subsequent protestations and "evidence" otherwise; would a shill really admit it?). <

If you can't make a rational argument, accuse you opponent of something - make up anything and then declare that they wouldn't admit it so denials mean nothing. I happen to have a long list of things I could accuse you of which you would deny if you were in fact guilty of those things. But I won't. Ethics.

> 4. Justifications for WayTools sound like Neville Chamberlain circa 1936. <

Nope.
[doublepost=1475355213][/doublepost]> No actual disagreement with any point I made <

Wrong.

Besides the things you were actually wrong on, there is also the context you tried to put it in, which was consistently wrong.

> Love you calling WT "a poorly run start up." <

Except I didn't.
[doublepost=1475355352][/doublepost]

don't have anything to show for the years WT has held their money captive.

Except your money isn't held captive

I know reality isn't sounding as scandalous as you statement, but facts are better.

 

[Kabeyun]

Really? True, lots of fine BT keyboards available, but which one can do all that the TB can do, be as small, and connect to all your devices? The smart keyboard is all you mention and it doesn't come close and can only be used with one device!

No one cares anymore.

Or they end up shipping. Pretty sure that is the best case.

No one cares anymore.

If you can't make a rational argument, accuse you opponent of something - make up anything and then declare that they wouldn't admit it so denials mean nothing. I happen to have a long list of things I could accuse you of which you would deny if you were in fact guilty of those things. But I won't. Ethics.

No one cares anymore.

Nope.

No one cares anymore.

Wrong.
Besides the things you were actually wrong on, there is also the context you tried to put it in, which was consistently wrong.

No one cares anymore.

Except I didn't.

No one cares anymore.

Except your money isn't held captive

I know reality isn't sounding as scandalous as you statement, but facts are better.

No one cares anymore.

>bigkahuna

No one cares anymore.

 

[dabigkahuna]

> No one cares anymore <

Weird then, that you posted twice today.

Not to mention all the people who still have orders so, I'd say you are wrong.
[doublepost=1475359607][/doublepost]Today there was a post from a tester giving a good summary of their experiences, good and bad. A key point, for those who feel this is just another BT keyboard is this:

> So, here's the skinny on keyboard switching; I've think I've posted this before, but maybe it bears repeating. You can go back, but you won't like it. To me, the TextBlade is a superior keyboard, both in touch and in function. <

Much more here:

https://forum.waytools.com/t/a-treg-user-update-michaelmcgaw/4731

And in this thread, you can see the observations from the newest tester (the first and sixth post):

https://forum.waytools.com/t/first-impressions-of-a-new-treger-mp3monkey/4724/6

 

[AnthLC]

> No one cares anymore <

Weird then, that you posted twice today.

Not to mention all the people who still have orders so, I'd say you are wrong.
[doublepost=1475359607][/doublepost]Today there was a post from a tester giving a good summary of their experiences, good and bad. A key point, for those who feel this is just another BT keyboard is this:

> So, here's the skinny on keyboard switching; I've think I've posted this before, but maybe it bears repeating. You can go back, but you won't like it. To me, the TextBlade is a superior keyboard, both in touch and in function. <

Much more here:

https://forum.waytools.com/t/a-treg-user-update-michaelmcgaw/4731

And in this thread, you can see the observations from the newest tester (the first and sixth post):

https://forum.waytools.com/t/first-impressions-of-a-new-treger-mp3monkey/4724/6

 

[Rolanbek]

Except I didn't.

Except you did, see your words.

Just saying "wrong", is utterly banal. As the mods have pointed out, they don't want this thread to descend into pointless bickering. Arguing with you is pointless as you fail on every level of discourse, throwing conversation aside in search of cheap outrage. Dull, Dull, Dull.

Honestly if you have a problem with my posts go take it up with Waytools. When they stop posting garbage updates in hard to get to places, I'll stop having to summarise their content.

Not interested in what you have to say. You, as we have established, do not work for Waytools, or represent their interests.

I'm sure you will grace this thread with the monumental trivia of your amateur testing, and your opinions, and your feelings. However, I do not care, and I am disappointed that you failed to keep to your statement that you were going to ignore me.

Knock yourself out, pick a fight with every other poster, it is all utterly meaningless.

R

 

[maflynn]

[MOD NOTE]
This thread seems to have degenerated to arguments and bickering - closing