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Laptops May Get MagLev Keys

By - Source: Tom's Hardware US | B 16 comments

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. 

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Top Comments
  • 14 Hide
    iknowhowtofixit , June 10, 2014 7:19 PM
    Quote:
    I would imagine these laptops would be limited to ssd's unless a solution can be made where the magnets won't damage a hdd


    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.
Other Comments
  • 6 Hide
    danwat1234 , June 10, 2014 3:53 PM
    Does it take significant power to run the magnetics?
  • 0 Hide
    tom10167 , June 10, 2014 4:20 PM
    ****in' magnets, how do they work?
  • Display all 16 comments.
  • 0 Hide
    coolitic , June 10, 2014 4:38 PM
    It would use very little power, at least that's how i imagine it.
  • 4 Hide
    jasonelmore , June 10, 2014 4:40 PM
    very promising technology. I just wanna know if they are backlit.
  • -6 Hide
    usbgtx550 , June 10, 2014 7:05 PM
    I would imagine these laptops would be limited to ssd's unless a solution can be made where the magnets won't damage a hdd
  • 14 Hide
    iknowhowtofixit , June 10, 2014 7:19 PM
    Quote:
    I would imagine these laptops would be limited to ssd's unless a solution can be made where the magnets won't damage a hdd


    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.
  • 6 Hide
    southernshark , June 10, 2014 8:30 PM
    Quote:
    ****in' magnets, how do they work?



    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.
  • -1 Hide
    memadmax , June 10, 2014 8:46 PM
    This couldn't possibly use less power than a "traditional keyboard"...

    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?
  • 2 Hide
    usbgtx550 , June 10, 2014 9:01 PM
    Quote:
    Quote:
    I would imagine these laptops would be limited to ssd's unless a solution can be made where the magnets won't damage a hdd


    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
  • 3 Hide
    dstarr3 , June 10, 2014 9:06 PM
    If you were to take apart a hard drive, you'd find an absurdly strong neodymium magnet that suspends the read/write arm. And that's less than inch from the platters, yet they fair okay. So I wouldn't worry about that. Energy consumption, however, is was gets me. Seems like a waste of electricity, really.
  • 0 Hide
    megiv , June 11, 2014 4:42 AM
    Quote:
    I would imagine these laptops would be limited to ssd's unless a solution can be made where the magnets won't damage a hdd


    Who in his right mind buys a PC/Laptop without an SSD nowadays
  • 2 Hide
    voreo , June 11, 2014 5:17 AM
    Quote:
    Quote:
    I would imagine these laptops would be limited to ssd's unless a solution can be made where the magnets won't damage a hdd


    Who in his right mind buys a PC/Laptop without an SSD nowadays


    People who just need a pc.
  • 3 Hide
    therealduckofdeath , June 11, 2014 5:38 AM
    Quote:
    Who in his right mind buys a PC/Laptop without an SSD nowadays


    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?
  • 0 Hide
    ddpruitt , June 11, 2014 9:00 AM
    I for one welcome our new maglev overlords.

    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.
  • 0 Hide
    Antimatter79 , June 12, 2014 12:50 AM
    Quote:
    Quote:
    ****in' magnets, how do they work?



    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.
  • 0 Hide
    BETAMAX84 , July 18, 2014 8:12 AM
    Quote:
    Does it take significant power to run the magnetics?


    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