What is SpaceFN and why you should give it a try
The SpaceFN concept - setting up your space key as a layer switch when held - is probably one of the most useful tweaks in the keyboard hobby. Let me explain how it works. My SpaceFN article on kbd.news made some rounds recently - quite surprisingly given the age of this concept. This piece you're reading is a condensed version of the full post. If you're left with unanswered questions, you'll most likely find the info you're looking for in the original write-up. On my imaginary top list of the most useful keyboard features, tweaks and hacks, SpaceFN would deserve a podium finish for sure. But what makes it so special? In short: SpaceFN is easy to implement, easy to learn, costs nothing, can be used with any keyboard, and can improve your productivity instantly. I will list its benefits below, but can state right at this point that the SpaceFN concept, setting up your space key as a layer switch when held, is clearly one of the most useful tweaks in the keyboard hobby....
Apr 30, 2024
After the drop ends, check the discussion page for updates.
It won't be 4 months until the END of October. And as has been hashed and rehashed in the comments, if you did much reading at all you would have realized this is not a completed project, this is a work in progress, the first time for a new firmware and PCB and a redesign of the cases to accommodate the LCD and "better" USB connectors. I'm sad that I won't have it right away, but then again I ordered this and an ErgoDox EZ, and I knew that one wasn't shipping until December.
If you want a product in your hands immediately, go to the local electronics store and buy the best mechanical keyboard you can find (good luck), if you want a fantastic product you won't FIND anywhere else, then be patient, it will come and it will be glorious. Buuuut, hopefully you didn't skip reading the part about "some assembly required" as that seems to have tripped up a number of people who weren't prepared to solder the keys on.
I'm honestly asking, because I'd rather not make such a newb mistake again. By your description of events, I was fore-warned, but I (and more than a few others) totally missed it.
HaaTa and others made some comments that (to me at least) seemed to clearly indicate that not everything was ready to just click a button and make the keyboards appear (I had linked to an example in a previous comment, but am too lazy to find it again). It may be that those who were fully aware read the comments and googled this project before joining. If your research stopped at the description page, that may be why you missed it.
In the Overview paragraph: "... has been completely re-imagined" <-- To me, this says that some significant changes were made.
In the first photo - the LCD screens. <-- Physical proof of case design changes; implied firmware and circuitry changes (can't see the changes in the photo, but having prototyped a few things, I know it needs to be done to be functional)
The close-up of the PCB in the "History" section <-- The processor part number MK20DX256. This is not the same processor used by my current Ergodox (an 8-bit AVR microcontroller), but is instead a 32-bit ARM Cortex M4 processor. Basically, it's an entirely different codebase - but I also knew that HaaTa (Jacob Alexander) had build other keyboards based off of this processor (I'd been working with a copy of his codebase already).
The overall picture of the PCB later on in the "Assembly" section. <-- There are two things here. 1. The traces on the PCB. These look like hand-drawn traces with no particular consideration for common design rules. It's not necessarily a bad thing (a lot of professional layout tools are still stuck in the 0/45/90-degree line ruleset, but that's a different topic - and rant - for another day), particularly when dealing with low-frequency stuff like what flies around inside the keyboard, but it makes me question whether or not proper routing was performed for the USB differential pair. 2. The PCB is partially populated. I've seen this step get screwed up so many times, in so many different ways (supplier can't get parts, or promises delivery on date <x> and then blows it)...
In the "Included" section: The fact that it's using an aluminum mounting plate, but acrylic for the rest of the case. Prototypes I've done in the past had problems with machining tolerances; it seems likely that MD would hit the same thing a time or two. Oh, and the Signature Plastics keycaps. As far as I'm concerned, they're perpetually late on things; I haven't had a single group buy from them come in on time. :)
Just to be clear, I'm not trying to bash the board, MassDrop, or you. Alex has done a pretty good job handling a bunch of disappointed customers (seriously, dude, thank you; I wouldn't have your patience.), and HaaTa and others have jumped in to give us details. These are just the things that I flagged as potential problems and so I assumed that there would be delays pushing the delivery date out. I certainly didn't expect this much of a push. I expected this - from the description - to be production-ready. Clearly, it wasn't. I wish that had been made clear in the description; it's great to have a prototype working, but there can be a world of hurt between that point and when you've actually got everything ready to roll off a production line.
Interestingly, arbitrary trace angles are actually better than the fixed 0/45/90 that you mentioned for high frequency signaling.
You could have easily sourced the parts yourself. But instead you want to have your cake (complain up and down about it) and eat it to (not vote with your wallet).
MassDrop isn't selling the product, they are an e-commerce middle man. The Infinity team is selling the keyboard. They are the ones fully responsible for the stuff you mentioned. And they did mention it. All over their development blog, github and other forums, including MassDrop, where they are incredibly active in.
So I am going to continue to say, do your research and be an educated consumer.
I will backpedal on this comment if you can show me any actual law that could be used against MassDrop. I'll give you until the keyboard arrives...so roughly 6 more months :-P
"The Infinity team"'s website (first link below) does not even state that its still in a prototype phase....
Finally, I must be going to the wrong place because this "incredibly active" forum only has 2 voices with 3 posts ???? ( second link below) . http://input.club/devices/keyboards/infinity-ergodox http://input.club/forums/topic/infinity-ergodox-update
I joined this drop realizing this and with that realization came a realistic set of expectations.
I'm not critical of newcomers, I'm critical of people not taking a few minutes out of their day to go, hmm what is this Infinity Keyboard, let me see what this is all about. Versus going off a 5 paragraph summary.