Those of you who have had or used an (old) Logitech K400 You probably have a discreet opinion of that product. Despite its good intentions, this manufacturer’s keyboard with integrated trackpad did not have a remarkable feel or function.
There was some decent option like the Rii Mini i22Sbut the market seemed to have forgotten that more and more users have a living room PC at home but not an adequate peripheral to take advantage of it.
That’s where Framework wants to solve the problem for us. These days have announced some newsand among them is the new Framework Wireless Touchpad Keyboard. They themselves say it clearly: “Finally a wireless keyboard with an integrated touchpad that you don’t hate.”
A keyboard that smells of Open Source everywhere
The keyboard is very thin and is aimed at use with HTPC (Home Theater PC) and also for another area in which this type of peripheral comes in handy: when using a Raspberry Pi type miniPC. The manufacturer has teamed up with an old acquaintance in the sector: Lite-On, which has been working with them for years on their keyboards for their Framework Laptops.
The keyboard and touchpad design inherits the virtues of Framework laptops. The touchpad has dimensions of 68.8 x 85.6 mm and has multitouch support. For their part, the keys have a travel of 1.5 mm.
It can be used wired, but also with a Bluetooth connection or with an independent wireless connection via a USB-A adapter. It is also possible to use with up to four wireless devices.
The ultra-efficient Nordic nRF54L20 wireless SoC is integrated inside (the 28 I/O pins are exposed to be able to take advantage of them), while the “operating system” of the keyboard is the ZMK firmware, which is Open Source and that will allow us to change the behavior of each key with all kinds of parameters.
This includes the integration of complex macros or operating layers that, for example, when editing video, make each key perform a certain specific command.
Framework will also publish the CAD designs (custom cases as an option), and the electronic board that uses the keyboard will also be sold loose in that traditional Framework commitment to repairability.
The manufacturer still No date or price has been specified. of availability. It is also not clear if it will appear in several languages, but this is a very curious and, above all, very welcome launch.
In Xataka | The mechanical keyboards I had tried did not convince me. Until I found the ideal model for me
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