A good tactile keyboard is a boon for any productive workstation and the options out there are plentiful. Right from the Cherry Stream Desktop and Logitech K380 to the Keychron V6 or Razer Pro Type.
For me, a keyboard should have good backlit keys, a tactile typing experience and a compact design that’s easy to carry around. Not to forget the fonts and the color theme of the peripheral. A minimalist Bluetooth keyboard is just what’s right for me – like The Altar I mechanical keyboard compatible with both Mac and Windows devices.
Designer: Electronic Materials Office
The London-based electronics startup Electronics Materials Office has unveiled its first product made from sustainable materials. To be precise crafted out of post-consumer waste-derived plastic. The low-profile keyboard is a unibody aluminum framed peripheral that has both the U.S. and U.K. layouts with 78 key and 77 key layouts respectively. The Altar I’s keycaps are also forged out of recycled polymers, thereby making it a sensible accessory that goes with the sentiments of nurturing the planet. The company’s vision is to be a “future-oriented consumer hardware corporation” that’ll be centered around designing durable electronics made out of earth-friendly materials.
The font on the keyboard is what lured me to write about this piece, and it’s very crisp and minimalist. Electronics Materials Office uses Tobias font from Display Type Foundry and the GT Flexa font from Grilli Type which go well with the black-colored keyboard body. The accessory tailored for touch typing can be used with two devices simultaneously which is ideal for geeks who switch between their laptop and tablet frequently. Altar I also has Kailh Choc Low Profile v1 Red switches to craft your custom keyboard layout.
The low-profile keyboard will lure many buyers and if you already like it you need to sign up for the waitlist. There’s no word on the pricing or availability as of now, but it should be up for grabs pretty soon.
