Pre-orders open for the cloud-connected Das Keyboard 5Q

[Shawn Knight]

Das Keyboard earlier this year turned to Kickstarter to fund its latest venture, a mechanical keyboard called the 5Q that is billed as the first in the world to be cloud-connected. It smashed its modest funding goal of $100,000 by more than 580 percent and will be widely available very soon.

Das’ pitch is that the 5Q transforms your keyboard into a “dashboard” keyboard. Instead of a simple input device, Das’ vision for the 5Q was to create a keyboard that also serves as an output device by using the board’s RGB LED lighting system to convey messages to users.

The clip above does a pretty good job of explaining exactly what the 5Q is and does.

Visual cues aside, the 5Q is at its heart a mechanical keyboard from one of the most popular and respected brands in the industry. Das worked with Japanese switch maker Omron to develop a switch capable of withstanding 100 million actuations, actuates at 1.5mm and requires 45 grams of force to actuate with 3.5mm of total travel. Das says the switch, dubbed Gamma-Zulu, is modern and fast with a tactile feel that is “incredible.”

Das says it has limited quantities of the 5Q on hand meaning if you want one, you’d be best served to get your pre-order in ASAP. Keeping its word, the Das Keyboard 5Q will indeed retail for $229. That’s quite a bit more than the $109 that early bird backers were able to lock in at but such is the case when arriving to the game late.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/67549-pre-orders-open-cloud-connected-das-keyboard-5q.html

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

If Das Keyboard is so well respected and popular, why do they need to turn to Kickstarter for funding? Surely they'd have enough in their own coffers to go it alone. Anyway the shill in the clip makes this product, one that hardly anybody cares about or even wants, sound like it's something we'll wonder how we ever lived without. Reducing stress??? Indeed.

 

[davislane1]

If Das Keyboard is so well respected and popular, why do they need to turn to Kickstarter for funding?

For starters (no pun intended), KS frees you of the hassle of dealing with VCs. Who wants to deal with VCs when you can just publish a donation button to the web and get all the funding you need?

 

[mctommy]

If Das Keyboard is so well respected and popular, why do they need to turn to Kickstarter for funding? Surely they'd have enough in their own coffers to go it alone. Anyway the shill in the clip makes this product, one that hardly anybody cares about or even wants, sound like it's something we'll wonder how we ever lived without. Reducing stress??? Indeed.

Why use your own money when you can leverage your brand and use other people's money? On top of it, you don't have to borrow from banks or grant vc's any ownership/etc...

 

[MoeJoe]

Rip off.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

So......people kickstarted an RGB keyboard that reacts to emails? Didnt we already have programs that did that?

Also, why do we need everything in the cloud? This is as ridiculous as that razer mouse that needs a "cloud powered driver".

 

[davislane1]

So......people kickstarted an RGB keyboard that reacts to emails? Didnt we already have programs that did that?

Also, why do we need everything in the cloud? This is as ridiculous as that razer mouse that needs a "cloud powered driver".

That would be the deathadder, mamba, and any other mouse in their lineup that uses Synapse.

(However, you can get around that by operating the mice in "offline mode.")

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

For starters (no pun intended), KS frees you of the hassle of dealing with VCs. Who wants to deal with VCs when you can just publish a donation button to the web and get all the funding you need?

I guess it's natural. If it's there, why not use and abuse it.