# Is this a joke - A blank keyboard? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 27, 2005, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734 "2005-05-27T07:49:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/1 "2005-05-27T07:49:32Z")
[www.daskeyboard.com](http://www.daskeyboard.com) Is this site for real? When I read things like _“Das Keyboard is built from premium keyswitch technology”_ or that its _“equiped with 100% blank keys mounted on precision and individually weighted key switches”_ or a supposed quote from a user saying _“it was a joy to type and my colleagues looked at me like I was a superhero!”_ it all made me think that the whole thing was a sarcastic joke, like something on The Onion or PWOT. But I clicked on the buy it button as far as I could and it looks kinda real. Thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/2 "2005-05-27T08:21:19Z")
**Production line manager:** Dammit, the slikscreen process has failed and all the keycaps have come out blank! **Head of manufacturing:** Well, halt the line, back it up and just run them though again **Foreman:** It’s worse than that; see, I was taking my break and the process has assembled and finished six thousand units - they’re lined up for packaging **Production line manager:** This is a frickin’ _disaster_. It’s not going to be much cheaper to rework them than it would be to scrap them and start again \*\*Sales director: \*\*Wait a moment, I have an idea… ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/3 "2005-05-27T08:34:14Z")
It certainly seems legit. Metadot is an actual corporation and the registrant for [daskeyboard.com](http://daskeyboard.com) is the same as for [metadot.com](http://metadot.com). Also, as a programmer myself, I’ll have to admit that we’re the perfect target market for something like that. As an aside, when I learned typing in high school, our typewriters had the letters on the keys painted over to help us learn touch typing, so there is a basis for that claim on their site. ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/4 "2005-05-27T10:41:34Z")
It could so easily be a spoof… but I think it’s genuine. **And I want one!!!** It’s the cool way the black light appears on the black keyboard to let you know you’ve pressed the black Caps Lock key that’s labelled in black lettering. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/5 "2005-05-27T12:57:56Z")
> [@DMC](#): > > It certainly seems legit. > > Metadot is an actual corporation and the registrant for [daskeyboard.com](http://daskeyboard.com) is the same as for [metadot.com](http://metadot.com). Also, as a programmer myself, I’ll have to admit that we’re the perfect target market for something like that. > > As an aside, when I learned typing in high school, our typewriters had the letters on the keys painted over to help us learn touch typing, so there is a basis for that claim on their site. Several of the leading companies manufactured training school typewriters that had blank keys. All of those at my high school had them. ---
**Author:** ![beckwall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@beckwall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beckwall)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/6 "2005-05-27T13:09:16Z")
“Introducing Daskeyboard, a precision instrument that says who you are.” O sn xx, ooffry efo vsmy doojs jgu epfkr lwid. (I am an idiot who can’t find the right keys). Very sleek and dark, like Darth Vader. It looks great, just not for me. ---
**Author:** ![twhitt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@twhitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twhitt)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/7 "2005-05-27T13:22:32Z")
> [@Das Keyboard](#): > > Keyboard Features > … > \* USB straight cable I would have purchased the thing if it were wireless. I’m curious how they might have come to the decision to put a wire on a $79.95 keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/8 "2005-05-27T13:33:18Z")
As long as it has the little markers raised up on the “f” and “J” keys, I’d be down for that… I know where my keys are, I don’t look at the keyboard, and it would look sharp on the desk. And it would intimidate our (L)users. (Starfish if you prefer, and visit that site) -Butler ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/9 "2005-05-27T13:42:51Z")
I taught myself touch-typing (as a ten-year old) on an ancient school reject typewriter with blank keys. It was a real joy. By the time I got to high school and took typing (this was in the 1970s) I was surprised to see real typewriters had writing on the keys. That’s cheating. But I was the fastest in the class. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/10 "2005-05-27T13:48:45Z")
I’m a bit disappointed that the Caps Lock and Num Lock LEDs are labelled. What do they take us for, idiots? ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/11 "2005-05-27T14:25:51Z")
Allways seemed to me a great way to force myself to learn touch typing. Once you are used to it it should put people off borrowing your workstation 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/12 "2005-05-27T14:46:50Z")
> [@Bippy the Beardless](#): > > Allways seemed to me a great way to force myself to learn touch typing. Once you are used to it it should put people off borrowing your workstation 🙂 Or you can be like me and type using the Dvorak keyset on a regular keyboard. So the keys are labeled, just not correctly. This has the side benefit of knowing when someone is using my computer because I can hear the cursing from across the office. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/13 "2005-05-27T15:02:46Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Or you can be like me and type using the Dvorak keyset on a regular keyboard. > So the keys are labeled, just not correctly. > > This has the side benefit of knowing when someone is using my computer because I can hear the cursing from across the office. 😉 I think that’s a big part of why when I learned the Dvorak keyboard my typing speed approximately doubled. It’s a bitch to find hotkeys when my fingers aren’t in touch-typing position, though. I end up having to put both hands on the keyboard in order to find them. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/14 "2005-05-27T15:32:53Z")
It’s the modern equivalent of having an HP RPN calculator. No one ever asked to borrow it twice. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/15 "2005-05-27T16:10:57Z")
Any keyboard is just one coke can away from the garbage can. Why spend so much when you can just paint over the keys of what you already have? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/16 "2005-05-27T16:25:03Z")
> [@Padeye](#): > > It’s the modern equivalent of having an HP RPN calculator. No one ever asked to borrow it twice. True. My 15C is nearly twenty years old and heartily fends off all other would-be borrowers and users. Just watch out for the finance guys - they use 12Cs - same RPN, but with finance instead of science functions. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/17 "2005-05-27T16:26:00Z")
> [@twhitt](#): > > I’m curious how they might have come to the decision to put a wire on a $79.95 keyboard. WAG: because only people who don’t use their keyboard as much as the target demographic would waste money on a wireless keyboard? Nothing like a late night debugging session only to have your keyboard start going dead on you, with no fresh AA batteries in sight. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/18 "2005-05-27T16:56:31Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > Any keyboard is just one coke can away from the garbage can. Why spend so much when you can just paint over the keys of what you already have? Why wouldn’t you spend $80 on a piece of equipment you interact with directly for \>8 hours a day? Actually $80 seems pretty cheap for a fancy geek keyboard. I’ve spent that much for an IBM keyboard with TrackPoint. I know people who spent much more for a [Happy Hacking Keyboard](http://shop.store.yahoo.com/pfuca-store/). And how many keyboards and laptops have you destroyed with cans of Coke over the years? I’ve never actually seen that happen, and I’ve never had a keyboard break before the computer it’s connected to became obsolete. ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/19 "2005-05-27T17:11:33Z")
> [@Futile Gesture](#): > > It’s the cool way the black light appears on the black keyboard to let you know you’ve pressed the black Caps Lock key that’s labelled in black lettering. Nice! ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2005, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734/20 "2005-05-27T17:45:58Z")
I want one. Then I can put my own damn letters on it. Canadian Multilingual/Esperanto keyboard, here we come! 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-joke-a-blank-keyboard/305734.md?page=2)