Keyboard hacks

[Nightmare03]

Hey, i was thinking of hacking a bunch of keyboards and put a labeled connector block where you would put the wires in ( i mean like I-pac has ) and then selling them for cheap, do you think people would buy them or am i just wishing ?

[NoOne=NBA=]

Probably not.

Keyboards have problems dealing with too many keys pressed at once.
This causes inputs to be dropped, or changed, during multi-player games.

That feature, rather than ease of installation, is what makes the encoders so attractive.

[SirPeale]

Somebody did this on eBay.  I know they sold, but with the work involved the profit margin couldn't have been much.

[eightbit]

Prolly cost you more in time than it would be worth.

[Stingray]

Hack one, put it on ebay and see what happens. If you make enough to make it worthwile, then do some more.

-S

[GadgetGeek]

What kind of keyboard you using?  I picked up a $4 belkin at office max this weekend (free after rebate) and the pins are all under an epoxy bump in the center of the circuit board and I can't get anything to stick to the "connector" to the mylar.  Suggestions?

[Sephroth57]

well considering you can get a brand new ipac for 39$ which includes massive technical support from a lot of people on these boards plus Andy if anything was wrong, plus the programming and shift functions. youd have to sell yours for like 20$ and i doubt that would be worth it

[meta87]

knowing people on ebay you could probably charge 50 and they would still go for it.

[Nannuu]

I would as I seem to try to do way more than I can get done, my keyboard hack is still sitting on my computer desk that I'd started months ago.  If you sell them for less than $10 and can get 12 or so non ghosting inputs out of it I'd be interested.

[paigeoliver]

If you want EASY to hack keyboards then hit up the thrift stores/surplus places and look for "clicky" keyboards. Specifically look for heavy keyboards that make a nice click with each keypress.

These are an absolute dream to work with. They will have a full size PCB inside that will let you easily select the exact keys you want to use, and then even put the thing back together afterwards.

I have used these several times, and never had a problem with them.

One note though, I DO NOT suggest using a keyboard for a multi-player control panel. Use them for single player ones only, no chance of blocking that way.

[Stingray]

Piage is correct. You want the type that has an acutal board with switches soldered to it and not the newer type that has some kind of sheet of bumpy plastic in it. I don't even know how those work.

-S