Don't get your hopes up/down on the clicking sound, as we will make some changes in the keypad as well as the domesheet. So little prediction about what will happen and what the result will be.

That being said, there is little I can do to change the clicking sound in the end and there have been little/no voices stating their opinion about this, so at this point it is not on the priority list. We will see.

I know it is too late (for the reasons mentionned above), but let's elaborate on the matter just for the sake of debating! No loud clicking sound is always the best in my opinion: hardware keyboards are *also* to be used in places where being quiet is prefered, like meetings, theaters, or just quiet places of any kind. That makes a lot of situations where quiet keyboard is easier to use and where loud keyboard is terrible. Clicky feel is what is important. N900's keyboard does make a sound for every click, but very quietly, yet the clicky feeling is very noticeable; winner. There are some very loud phone keyboards, like the Bluetooth one I purchased in the hope of atatching it to my N9 someday (which I never did), and it was way too noisy for being used during a meeting; loser.

However, I seem to remember the clicking sounds have been discussed at some point, a very long while back, probably in the thread about the prototype tohkbd1. Not quite sure though.

I disagree.

The clicking sound is what makes the difference between this


and this



Of course, I don't mean any cheap material clicking, but the domesheet clicks. In the first case (N93i, no clicking), one couldn't be sure which key (if any) was pressed and which keys were pressed accidentally in the meanwhile.

Then of course, I am worried that it is going to be too hard to press like here (louder clicking sound and silicone keys):



I have used all three - N93i and HP Veer are on the opposite sides of the spectrum and N900 is the best one in the middle, but I would still take Veer's keyboard over the N93i's any time.

EDIT: The reason why I'm mentioning it that from some videos, I had an impression that the TOHKBD1 was closer to the N93i example, but I may be wrong.

It's funny that you disagree although we both mention the N900 keyboard as a reference of what a good keyboard is. I guess we just have not the same thresholds in mind about what is too noisy and what is not. To me, the N900 keyboard is not loud, 'cause I compare it with the very loud Bluetooth keyboard I bought for the N9. Too loud to be used in quiet places.

The N900 has a very soft click sound, yet a very noticeable clicky tactile feeling when you type on it. That's what make the typing experience better in my opinion, i.e., whether the right key was pressed and whether any keys were pressed accidentally. Not the sound, although a soft sound like the N900's one does help too.

we will see, opinions are noted and agreed to.

further discussion is useless to me, as there is little i can do about it and i dont even know the how it will be in the end.

I guess the device itself could (optionally) provide similar audible feedback to the one it provides for the virtual keyboard ?

That would solve the issue of the keyboard being (too) silent for some users.

I think that regardless of the sound, the feel is the most important factor. The resistance needs to be low so that you can type quickly, but at the same time it should have a distinct 'clicky' feeling. As long as the general resistance is low, a small mid-point reduction in the resistance ought to be enough to create the clicky feeling.

Hmmm, I might have overstated there: The *most* important factor is having a functional, working keyboard! :-)

Yes, I think that it was the misunderstanding - what is most important is the feeling. But since I can't really feel it through video, the clicking sound was a nice indicator. I don't care about the sounds of clicking as long as my fingers have a good feedback from the keys pressed.

All DIY editions will be sent tomorrow, lots of instructions still to come!

FOR DIY'ers. When you get the hardware, you'll might need some software.. here you go:

First install:
Add my repo to the device:
Later on to update
For build-IY, just clone it from my github repo, and deploy as RPM with sdk.

For debugging, verbal printouts again in journal