14 DAY TRIAL // Datamancer (Richard Nagy) has posted one of his new designs online. Adding to his impressive steampunk collection is the Scrabble Keyboard, for use with an Apple Macintosh.
“This keyboard was commissioned by a couple of friends of mine from back east (NJ) who are avid Scrabble players,” Richard says. “Most of the keys are made from real Scrabble tiles that were all hand-beveled (truly an exercise in patience/masochism!) and built onto a USB, clicky, mechanical-switch keyboard.”
Evidently, no other computer system but a Mac would have been worthy of the Scrabble Keyboard. “This keyboard was going into a Mac environment, so I decided to use brushed aluminum for the casing and round all of the corners to keep with the sleek, simple Macintosh styling,” Nagy continues.
“Near the end of the build, I decided that the keyboard looked a little too minimalist, so I added some silver hardware and a seam to put a slightly industrialized twist on the design,” the designer explains.
Also making a lot of sense was Nagy's approach on the backlit keys, such as the Num, Caps, and Scroll Lock buttons, which sport LEDs that shine through the carved lettering.
Those looking to purchase a Scrabble Keyboard, or any other model of the dozens made by Datamancer, can hit up the guy's site right here. Also, a FAQ page for pricing and availability is available. To save some of you the trip...
“Due to the broad range of customizations and configurations, it is difficult to simply put a price tag on each keyboard, but they usually range from about $1200 to $1500 or more, depending on the complexity and intricacy of the design, the choice of metals, options, finish, etc,” the designer says. If you go through the details posted by Richard, you'll find that the keyboards are actually priced quite low, in contrast with the amount of work that goes into making them.
