Tag Archives: keycaps

Mini 1980s Macintosh Computer Keycaps: Nostalgia at Your Fingertips

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Drawing direct inspiration from the Macintosh 128K of the 1980s, this mechanical keyboard escape and tab keycap set brings the nostalgia back to your own modern computer. Gosh, they sure don’t make them like they used to, do they? No, they don’t, because they used to make them with a ~6MHz processor, 128kB of RAM, a single-sided 400kB floppy drive, and no internal storage. Even my toaster has more processing power.

Handcrafted by Etsy seller CCcoolArt and available through their store for $24, the escape key features the Macintosh computer body with a translucent screen and five interchangeable screen stickers (Apple logo, light face, dark face, Tetris, and heart). The tab key features the likeness of the old Macintosh keyboard and mouse. Could you imagine trying to use one of these computers now? People go nuts when the internet is slow; what if everything was slow? It would be a total global meltdown.

One of the best things about the set is that if you have an RGB light-up keyboard, the monitor will glow thanks to the translucent screen. How about that! With an escape key like that, you’re sure to be the talk of the town. Or at least the talk of anybody who sees your keyboard. I mean, I’d definitely say something. Probably something along the lines of, “Hey, cool keys, I’m going to take them.”

Stunning Pokémon Keycaps Are Like Tiny Worlds Inside Your Keys

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Crafted by artist and Etsy seller Hirosart, these custom Pokémon keycaps feature miniature worlds inside your keys. Not satisfied with just the pocket monsters alone, Hirosart creates tiny landscapes that reflect the areas in which the Pokémon live. How about that! Thank goodness I don’t own any, or I’d get so lost staring at my keys I’d never get anything written. It’s already hard enough, and my keyboard is missing keys.

Individual Pokémon keycaps start at around $50 apiece and go up from there depending on key size, with a spacebar running around $174. They’re certainly not the cheapest keys, but they’re definitely some of the most stunning. And can you really put a price on pounding your Charizard return key to send a particularly fiery email to someone? I would argue not.

I just bought a set not realizing they wouldn’t be compatible with my laptop keyboard because I don’t think about these things, I just get excited, grab my wife’s credit card, and spend. Now I need to buy a separate keyboard in order to use them and, wouldn’t you know, I accidentally bought a musical keyboard instead! She’s going to kill me.

[via Kotaku]

Clear Resin Moon and Mars Keycaps: The Eagle Has Landed (on Your Desktop)

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To celebrate some of humanity’s greatest achievements in space exploration (and sell some cool keycaps in the process), these are Moon Keys. Compatible with Cherry MX switches and clones, the keycaps are available in five varieties: a 1u Eagle Has Landed, Lunar Lander, and Curiosity Rover ($49), and 1.75u Eagle Has Landed ($52), and 2.25u Curiosity Rover ($58). You know, I was just thinking my keyboard could use more of a space theme.

Which is your favorite? I think I’m going to get all the moon ones. And all the Mars ones. That’s $258 in keycaps for those of you keeping track, instantly making it the most expensive component of my computer. Also the best looking.

The keys are available for pre-order now with an estimated shipping date of November 12th, or just in time to show up in the mail, and for me to have completely forgotten I ordered them in the first place. Like a time-traveling surprise gift to myself.

GMK Dualshot 2 PlayStation-themed Keycap Set: 108-bit

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Keyboard accessory maker Omnitype’s latest keycap set features the dull gray base color of the original PlayStation, along with the colors of the OG PS logo. You can almost hear the startup sound when you look at it. If you’re wondering why it’s called the Dualshot 2, that’s because this is the second run of the set. It’s easy to see why it’s back. The base set is all gray, with only the lettering on the modifier keys bearing the PlayStation logo colors. There are however specialty keys sold separately that are entirely coated in bright red, yellow, teal, and blue. There’s also a variant of the base set with katakana characters, and a novelty set that features PlayStation button names and terms.

I wonder why they don’t have a blue X and a red O. You can pre-order the GMK Dualshot 2 from Omnitype only until June 4, 2021. The base set, which should have enough keys for most keyboards, will set you back $120 (USD). Omnitype also has other Dualshot 2 merch: a macro pad, a chrome or Rama key, and a desk mat.

Max Keyboard Offer Custom Printed Keycap Sets: Goodbye Group Buy

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Mechanical keyboards have exploded in popularity in recent years, including swappable keycaps. You can easily find mass-produced keycap sets online, but if you truly want to stand out or have trendy or niche designs, your best bets are limited run or artisan keycaps. Aside from being expensive, custom keycaps are often made by small businesses that have to meet minimum orders. That’s why custom keycap designers or shops usually resort to group buys — limited-time full-price pre-orders that are announced in forums several months or even a year before they are produced and delivered. But if you’re willing to make a few compromises, you can design and order your own custom keycap set with Max Keyboard.

Max Keyboard sells entire mechanical keyboards, keyboard parts, and yes, custom keycaps. For the latter, you can choose between a 60%, TKL, or full set. The configurator has a limited selection of keycap fonts, colors, and modifier key names. But its flexibility comes in their downloadable keycap image templates that let you create and upload your own keycap designs, such as the ones in these pictures.

The keycap sets consist of Cherry MX keys. You can choose to have prints on the top, side, or both. You can also choose the size of the spacebar. I have not tried ordering from Max Keyboard, but from what I can see, their configurator has a basic preview and so requires a bit of imagination. But with prices starting at just $25 (USD), this is definitely worth considering.

[via randomfrankp]

The “Smorgasboard” Is a Keyboard with Only Food Keycaps

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Because I write thousands and thousands of words every week, I got myself a fancy $200 mechanical keyboard with good clicky switches and schmancy RGB backlighting just for fun. I’ve thought about getting some custom keycaps too, but I don’t think I’d be able to type very fast if all of my keys were made to look like food.

Artist Tiny loves to create custom keys for mechanical keyboards and has been spending months creating a series of keys that look like miniature foods. She recently completed the collection, and now has an entire keyboard filled with food. And no, I’m not talking about the Cheetos and Doritos dust that some of us might find between our keys.

Among the food keys are a cheeseburger, a cinnamon roll, a pink donut with sprinkles, french fries, and more yummy treats. I especially love how she made the longer keys like the submarine sandwich space bar and the watermelon and hot dog shift keys. Tiny walks through all of the keys and how they relate to their letter position on the keyboard then performs a typing speed test in the video below:

You can check out more of Tiny’s amazing custom keys over on her Instagram feed, where you can find everything from a Spongebob Squarepants keycap to keycaps that look like butts.

[via Nag on the Lake]

UnAlice: An Awesome Keycap Set Inspired by Alice in Wonderland

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Head down the rabbit hole every time you use your computer. That’s the notion behind this keycap set that features imagery inspired by the Lewis Carroll classic “Alice in Wonderland.”

Designed by keyboard enthusiast Rafal Hrynkiewicz, the UnAlice keycap set comes in a creamy Winter White color, with a skinny, easy-to-read typeface. There are lots of neat little details like a backspace key with a backwards “E”, and topsy-turvy Caps Lock key, and all kinds of fun illustrations for function keys and the like.

The arrow keys are mushrooms, while the Cheshire Cat turns up in various spots, along with a caterpillar smoking a hookah, an upside-down flamingo, Alice, the Queen, mouse in a teacup, playing card suits, and other playful images on the available novelty keys. Curiously, the Mad Hatter is nowhere to be found. Hmmm, this just gets curiouser and curiouser.

 

The main set goes for $105, or you can purchase individual key collections for different sections of your keyboard as well. They’re available for pre-order on Pimp My Keyboard now, with a release set for 2/17/20.

[via GeekHack]