By Daniel Cooper / Source: Engadget

There are plenty of ergonomic keyboards, but the creators of Keyboardio believe that theirs is the only one that a serious typist should buy. It’s been created by Jesse Vincent, a name familiar to anyone involved with the Perl community, who has spent more than two years researching the most comfortable way to type words. That’s why the hardware comes in this exaggerated butterfly-style layout with heavily customized keycaps covering mechanical keys. Surrounding the outside is a maple wood exterior that, Vincent believes, makes it the first computer accessory made to “heirloom grade.”

Open-source and customization are at the heart of everything behind the Keyboardio, so you can set the Model 01 at a variety of heights or split the two halves completely, should you choose. Beneath each of the custom keycaps you’ll find a programmable LED as well as a mechanical keyswitch from Canadian company Matias. In fact, these are the same switches that you’ll find in that company’s Quiet Pro, combining a great feeling with office-friendly clickiness. The system’s open-source software is also available for tinkering with, and users will be encouraged to share their tweaks with fellow users online.

As much as you may want one of these, you won’t be able to sprint down to your nearest store to buy one. That’s because, as always, the company is looking for your patronage on Kickstarter, with $299 securing you a Model 01. If you’d prefer something a bit fancier, then a small group of mahogany-enclosed variants will also be crafted, setting you back $999 a piece.

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