Show HN: I spent 2 years designing a mechanical Magic Keyboard

To everyone who is about to pile on regarding the lack of a fingerprint sensor: you know it's not possible, we all know it's not possible, the creator of this project knows it's not possible.

What are you adding to the conversation when you complain about it? So it's a dealbreaker for you, don't buy it.

To @aemerson_: Congratulations on taking a risk. On first look this is great work. The attention to detail on both the keyboard and the website is really impressive.

Impressive. I have a thing for low profile keyboards

I agree that some aspects of the design are disagreeable, but it was an instant buy for me anyway.

I loved the idea of mechanical keyboards and tactile feel; etc etc. But I type faster on Magic Keyboard. Being able to have both is potentially a dream come true. Even if it falls short, I want to financially reward the effort.

But I am also very interested in the haptics - I like the haptics on Magic Trackpad and would like to see that part of the system advance further.

For context, since it is such an underused feature, on Magic Trackpad allows haptic feedback for non-force touch actions; key examples are snapping in pages/keynote and the snap-to-north on two finger rotate in maps.

There is a bug where this only works for internal trackpads on macOS Tahoe.

I can’t wait to try this keyboard.

Great looking keyboard but why are the numbers on the number keys so large? They stick out like a sore thumb.

I've built about 10 mechanical keyboards so far, including a bunch of split ergo ones and low profile variants too. From that, I know the layout matters a lot, as well as the switches themselves; the programability and other features to me are nice but ultimately can be worked around.

I'm curious about the switches you're using. On the tech specs it says: "Dual steel arm scissor switch w/ retention spring, 40gf actuation force"

Are they custom switches then? If so, are they most similar to current Magic Keyboard switch feel, or something Choc or MX low profile, or their own thing altogether?

Amazing. Magic Mouse Next please : ) Again, this is just amazing.

LOVE the industrial design. HATE the font, especially on the number keys. But, great job overall!

Love the design and have also wanted a super low profile mechanical keyboard like this! I have one question though - what is the travel or activation distance of the keys?

The one thing I actually like about the magic keyboard or Microsoft's designer keyboard is that the "click" is immediate and the entirety travel distance of the key is the activation bump. I dislike any amount of the "extra" travel distance (I'm not sure if I'm using the right words/description, but I hope you get what I mean) of regular mechanical switches and is the main thing that turns me off from them.

Oh also, is it possible to get a Windows version or switch the keys around to accommodate Windows as well?

This is phenomenal. I know everyone is asking for their pet feature in this thread, but I would really like to see this in split keyboard format. They are much more comfortable to use since they put your wrist in a more natural position. And there are hardly any good split mechanical wireless keyboards – and certainly none this thin.

Great work on this and congratulations on the launch!

Love the keyboard, looks solid. Out of curiosity, why did you make the numbers so big? It looks like an intentional design choice and I don’t know if I like it, but I’m wondering if there’s reasoning behind it that could change my mind

The promo website is something to behold and by itself is sufficient reason to chuck a buck at the possibility of Altar II coming into existence.

Thank you, good luck, and looking forward!

Looks great, but at this point I’m too used to HHKB layout on custom MX/topre boards to go back to full time typical 65%/75% layouts. Standard Delete/Backspace position in particular is almost grating now. Totally understand if that’s too niche of a market to serve, though.

The switches look a lot like the new ultra low profile Cherry switches that Alienware was putting on their laptops a few years ago, is that what they are?

Looks very interesting, love to see the innovation/effort to go beyond the usual. What would be great for me is a version with Mac/vt-100 style number pad. Even mechanical keyboards that claim to be Mac focused largely have PC number pad layouts, and that is a pain with some software like Pro Tools keyboard shortcuts, and some legacy DEC terminal emulation needs.

Is the battery replaceable? Or is the keyboard going to be tethered-only when the lithium battery degrades after 5-10 years?

Looks a lot like mistel airone: https://mistelkeyboard.com/products/9a36520f591f4f8b8e1253ab...

I used to use it everyday but the low profile switches sometimes get stuck and it’s also a little bit tiring to type.

I currently use nuphyair 60 HE, and I find the low sensitivity keys don’t tire my fingers.

Is there any way to prop it up so it doesn't lay flat against the table?

I have round foam adhesive dots stuck to the bottom of my current Apple keyboards. It works, but it's an obvious deficiency in the design. Every other keyboard on the market has tilt.

This looks beautiful. While obviously a Mac keyboard, to what extent is it compatible with Linux?

Will there be documentation of its features beyond a standard Bluetooth HID, such that users could potentially develop software that utilizes the speaker and haptic feedback mechanisms?

This looks incredible but I’m skeptical you can actually produce it for $250 and maintain the level of quality and features that you claim. And it appears you’re offering $100 off of that (or is that the post discount price? It’s hard to tell). I guess I will wait and see.

I don't even know if this is going to be a big or a tiny ask, and I don't know if I'm going to end up with this beautiful product at all, but just in case it's going to be trivial to do so, could you add an option or extra keycaps to have Caps Lock key physically engraved as "Control"? IIUC the ctrl-caps swap itself isn't so rare, but actual keycaps engraved as such seem to be relatively rare.

It's apparently a UNIX thing, and old Apple, NeXT, some of DEC, Sun, HP UNIX, Sony NEWS, even IBM XT, many of modern Mac JIS, etc. seem to/did/do have the legends for that key as "Control", "CTRL", or "Ctrl". I think that adds even more to the cool factor.

This is absolutely fantastic, but those gigantic numbers are just bizarre and not at all good to look at. They feel completely out of place there, like you enlarged them by mistake. Not good.

The keyboard looks great in general, but jumping into switch design is a huge undertaking.

If you're willing to share: how many presses are these rated for? What is the yield looking like for manufacturing these?

Opened the site, thought it was teenage engineering... Which is a compliment to me, because I always love their designs! Unfortunately as a HHKB user I'm not a fan of low profile keyboards otherwise I would've bought this.

I’m assuming it’s not possible for it to include a fingerprint sensor?

As much as I’d like a mechanical keyboard for my Mac that’s always the part that gets me. I end up using the one my Magic Keyboard 20+ times per workday.

Otherwise it looks beautiful.

I hate what apple did with the keyboard. They set a bad example with flat keys.

They used to have slightly sculpted keys, where your fingers could find the keys and self-center, leading to accurate typing.

But typical apple - thin is the target - and everyone follows

I can't go back to a staggered typewriter layout, ergonomic columnar is where it's at.

I'm curious what the purpose of haptic feedback on an already mechanical keyboard is?

Cool that you've been able to turn this into a livable business though.

The thing I find most attractive about mechanical keyboards is that they send a keypress when a key is only partially pressed down. When combined with the tactile bump and audible click created by actuating the key, this means that typing on a mechanical keyboard is much less fatiguing than using a rubber dome or laptop keyboard because you're only pushing the key down partially until you feel the bump and hear the click rather than slamming your finger into the bottom of the keyboard. Does your keyboard still have this feature even with the slim profile?

Love the keyboard, great job!

the website however is a terrible experience. There is so much movement whilst scrolling that it triggers my motion sickness.

I would love this in a 60% keyboard, seems great for travel and work. Any plans to support different form factors in the future?

Really cool! I’d love to try those switches. Can’t imagine using a non-split keyboard though. Great work regardless. Stunning.

At this point - make it a tool for agentic work. Leds that tell you that some agent is idle/working and needs attention. Clickable = open the right terminal etc. And dictation button, some cool PTS kind :)

I am a big fan of the original Altar. I like that you’ve been trying new things with that design like the novel keycap profile.

The switches look like cherry ultra low profile switches. I’ve not tried these out, how do they feel compared to the linear kailh choc v1’s you used before.

This is so sick. I'm almost convincing myself to get it but I feel like I would really miss my 36% keyboard with multiple layers too much. Still tho...

Great concept! I need eu layout with the extra button next to the left shift. Why I would buy is essentially. Thin, premium typing experience, accessibility features. Don't need the fancy dials, stick out buttons, or a speaker. Dim it down, and it would be perfect

For those in the comment section looking for a split alternative to this, there is this Kickstarter(be warned of the usual problems with Kickstarters):

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ryanlpeterman/compose-s...

or this that is in stock but doesn't exactly follow Apple's layout

https://www.ozokeyboards.com/products/jiffy75-wireless-split...

Very cool looking, but there is an ocean of mechanical keyboards already available with the US keyboard layout. I would explore making ISO international versions. That market is underserved. Because I wanted a mechanical keyboard with a CAN/CSA Z243.200-92 layout with Mac modifiers, I had to design my own layout in SVG for a Max Keyboards custom job. Keep in mind, I did not want to design my own, but I had to!

I love this! Though I don't own a Mac anymore. I expect this to work as a standard keyboard in Linux? Which features are mac-only?

Awesome, seeing it's so thin have you planned for the possible battery ballooning ? I guess it is hidden on the left side under the logo ?

I love it when people obsessively iterate over something seemingly trivial until it's exactly what they want. This looks amazing, congrats on the launch. I love mechanical keys, but I keep coming back to the Magic keyboard because mechanical keyboards are so clunky. I would order this in a heartbeat if it was available with a nordic layout

Looks great, but sadly no fingerprint sensor is a deal breaker for me. I know it's not actually possible, so not your fault, but it's not for me. I rely on that thing way too much.

This looks awesome! The thing I'd want to know is how much of the configuration lives on firmware vs. in the macOS app? If the app is a thin config editor and the mappings remain on-device, that's very different than if the dial and haptics stop working when a future macOS release breaks the app. Also, is there any commitment on firmware being flashable/open if the company someday isn't around?

Rarely have I wanted to spend money on a peripheral as readily as on this keyboard. It looks like it's perfection.

Congrats on the industrial design, that is one of the nicest looking keyboards I've seen in a hot minute.

Order placed.

I respect that you're doing a single variant up front, and I understand the business challenges and risks of going wide on a niche product like this... but as a single datapoint, I'll pay double for an ortholinear with similar features and style.

For Apple folks I guess, but would be nice to see a pointing stick. Trackpoint keyboards are becoming difficult to find and a suitable replacement would be an instant buy.

Love what you did, the dedication for 2 years to launch this is awesome. Apple keyboards are near-horrific IMO so you are filling an important niche for sure. I know it is a silly complaint in the mech KB space but the price compared to something like a Keychron K3 makes this a no-go for my preferences. The K3 is very close to what I'd consider suitable as a daily driver at work. Thank you for including audio of the typing!!!! Again this is my preference, the Alter II is not "thocky" enough for what I like to hear. Clacky and Clicky keyboards are just far too distracting or painful to listen to for extended periods. Also interesting to see a speaker built-in. I'd have cut it for cost and space.

An indie dev beating Apple at its own game is some feat. This inspires me. Would purchase in a heartbeat.

This looks wonderful.

I wish it had the option to be ordered with blank keys.

What a beautiful device. Few questions: Will it be okay for someone who switches between devices and OSes often? Can I have layers that I can swap between like on a VIA board?

What is the click latency?

Is USB just for charging or can I use it without BT?

I feel like this is similar to what Work Louder makes? Am I tripping?

I love this. I type with one hand, & I find mechanical keyboards with lots of travel very difficult because of the speed I type at and the depth that you need to make the key activate. It's a shame about the lack of fingerprint sensor - I wonder if there's any projects out there where you could rescue one from a donor keyboard & just put that in a small profile case nearby?