Keystone’s new keyboard uses magnets to create a true analog experience

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It’s not often that companies bring something new to the party with mechanical keyboard releases. The basic design hasn’t changed for years, neither has the switches used in the keys. In the Keystone, Input Club and Kono Store have managed to create something not seen before – hall effect switches in a modern sized form factor.

Hall Effect switches use magnets and a sensor to measure the position of the switch. That means a few things, not the least being that the switches are rated for a billion or so presses, as there are no physical contacts to wear out. It also means true analog sensing, as if the keys were little controller joysticks. That’s great for gaming, but it’s just as good for productivity and typing.

Keystone promises to be the future of mechanical keyboards

We’ve seen analog keyboards from the likes of Wooting, which we loved here at KnowTechie. Now Input Club and Kono Store are throwing down their interpretation, with the Keystone and its custom-created SILO switches. Due to the Hall Effect, each key knows how far it has been pressed, enabling a huge range of analog input.

• SILO Tactile, SILO Linear, and optional Clicky SILO Beam Spring switches which use magnetic (Hall Effect) sensing to provide per-key analog input
• AI that learns your typing style and adjusts the actuation points accordingly
• Per-key RGB lighting
• 104-key and Tenkeyless form factors
• Open-source software for full customizability

Check it out on Kickstarter, where the Tenkeyless (TKL) version is $149, and the standard 104-key with numpad is $179.

Just remember, crowdfunding campaigns are a way to bring products to the market, and delays can happen, or in extreme cases – not ending up with the product at all. Input Club has a long history of successful campaigns so it’s a fair chance you’ll get your Keystone.

What do you think? Is this keyboard from Keystone of interest to you? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.