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Comment by falcolas | Hacker News Reader

Like beds, people aren't usually willing to spend lots of money on a good keyboard. It's unfortunate, especially considering how much time you spend typing on one. But the moment you start talking mechanical switches, your keyboard is going to be above the hundred dollar mark (knock-offs notwithstanding). Split the keyboard, another two hundred dollars. Throw in something like Soli, and you're looking at a thousand dollar keyboard.

How many people would be willing to pay over a thousand dollars for a good keyboard?

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People willing lots of them... having the money? not so much.

For example I am from Brazil, currently without any work. But my peak income was 2000 usd month with 1000 usd going straight to pay student debts... I had other things to do with money (like buy decent glasses, I can type on crappy keyboard, but I can't type if I can't see anything).

Now if I had enough money for a keyboard I would use it all to repay more debts.

And I am actually in the elite... the average Brazillian makes around 300 usd per month in total (and yes, the average brazilian can't afford student loans)

Well, when you consider how many hours (days, years) are spent typing on a keyboard, and how important your hands are to your career - hence the bed analogy - $100 for a good keyboard is a steal. Even if it only lasts a year (many will last 5+), that's a pennies a day investment in your body and your career.

Put another way, would you expect a professional mechanic to use a $30 set of harbour freight wrenches?

You missed my point.

I am quite willing to spend 100 on a keyboard, I just literally don't have it.

When you are struggling to pay rent, medicine, food, you don't have much choice... See many people that go years with rotten teeth because they can't afford a dentist, it is obvious they need to go to dentist, and they do want to, they just can't do it.

For example the glasses I mentioned in my post are now very old, and slightly outdated compared to current prescription, yet I don't have money to change them at all either. So I am keeping them, and hoping they will last a little longer.

> I am quite willing to spend 100 on a keyboard, I just literally don't have it.

You're right, that is a very different situation than the one I'm referencing - where people do have the money (or could make their health a priority) but still use crappy keyboards and wonder why their hands ache.

You're doing that thing were you're dragging the conversation to the developing world, which no one was talking about.

There are absolutely lots of people who can afford it.

Most of the 7 people people on the planet would never buy it. There are, however, tens of millions of people who would buy it.

Once any innovation is made, it'll become super cheap within a decade or so then even more people will benefit.

Consider that there are people who pay $10,000 for a mattress. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-175000-mattress-2013-04...

All you need is a sufficient market for a product. It doesn't need to be purchased by everyone in the world.

I prefer using a standard layout, because then I don't have to adjust when I'm using a keyboard that isn't mine. I wouldn't mind having better keys though. I had an old mechanical keyboard at home for many years, but I finally retired it when my wife told me she couldn't stand the noise. I've always felt my typing was better with the mechanical keyboard.

Is there any good reason why splitting a hundred dollar keyboard would have to cost three times as much?

Anyway, I paid 30 euros for my last mechanical (with rgb lighting) shipped to my door. Patent expiration is a beautiful thing.

Extra controllers (and PCBs), cabling to connect the two halves, extra plastic for the housing... there are definite real costs involved. However, once you're above a hundred dollars you're in a niche market anyways, so why not charge more boutique prices? I imagine this is the real explanation for the price.

As for patent expiration - yeah, it can be a beautiful thing for prices, but I'm still quite leery of picking up a cheap keyboard; quality parts that last (and more importantly behave consistently through their lifespan) still cost money.

> Is there any good reason why splitting a hundred dollar keyboard would have to cost three times as much?

Far decreased demand, and that effect on economies of scale. I'm typing on a split keyboard right now, but most people don't want one.

And what that secret model is?

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