Laptops May Get MagLev Keys
You may know magnetic levitation, or maglev, as one of those weirdly ethereal "future things." One of the technologies that we all collectively know from movies and television but have only figured out a few useful applications for. This year at Computex we saw one of the first big steps to moving maglev into the mainstream – putting them in laptop keyboards.
Much like mechanical keyboards, maglev keys avoid the drawbacks of traditional contact-switch membrane boards. Their resistance can be user-adjusted, and best of all they can fit in an impossibly tiny space. That's the main goal of the push for including maglev tech in modern laptops – the potential for tiny, super-thin laptops that come closer to tablets than even the MacBook Air and its ilk.
CNET reports that some manufacturers have already started placing orders for them with the hopes of having the tech in laptops by the end of this year.
It takes a strong magnet to do anything to a hard drive. The inside of a desktop computer likely has more EMI than these keyboards will.
It takes a strong magnet to do anything to a hard drive. The inside of a desktop computer likely has more EMI than these keyboards will.
I know right? It does seem a bit odd that something so small can defy the gravitational pull of the planet earth. But they do work, so why question it?
I embrace the death of membrane keyboards. Can't wait. I hope they make replacements for existing laptops.
Plus, what if you accidentally put something that is sensitive to magnitivty on it, like a jump/zip/whatever drive? Or even your credit/debit card?
It takes a strong magnet to do anything to a hard drive. The inside of a desktop computer likely has more EMI than these keyboards will.
Thanks for that heads up
Who in his right mind buys a PC/Laptop without an SSD nowadays
Who in his right mind buys a PC/Laptop without an SSD nowadays
People who just need a pc.
People like me, who already has a few SSD's and doesn't feel like paying the €200 manufacturers fee to put an SSD in that new laptop?
As long as it still has the nice clicky feel of a mechanical I'd be willing to try it. I have a strong suspicion that people who suck at typing tried to learn on a membrane keyboards.
I know right? It does seem a bit odd that something so small can defy the gravitational pull of the planet earth. But they do work, so why question it?
I embrace the death of membrane keyboards. Can't wait. I hope they make replacements for existing laptops.
The pull of gravity is relatively weak; you can easily overcome it every time you stand up or throw a wad of paper across the room (before it lands in the trash).
I'm not sure if something like this could be retro-fitted into existing laptops, but it would be a nice upgrade.
Between Coulomb's law and how close the keys would be to the electomagnet, it looks like it'll barely use any power at all.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coulomb's_law