When I saw that Apple recently file apatent applications programme for transparent keycapsmade of glass , possibly for use in future Bluetooth desktop or MacBook keyboards , I was intrigued . This could be Apple ’s solution to making a longer - hold out and more honest keyboard , something the company has skin with over the years .
In its filing , spotted byApple Insider , Apple noted that keyboard are designed so that a someone can “ physically engage the selected material several hundreds of one thousand of time , if not millions of times , over the life of a gadget . Many visually pleasing solvent lack the durability for such extended part . ”
“ This can be especially rightful when electronic machine and/or associated input devices are made smaller , thinner , or otherwise reduced in dimension , ” the diligence go on . “ contract dimension of keycaps , for example , can lead to keycaps that are less structurally sound and have a short life-time than thicker keycaps made of the same cloth . ”
Photo: Apple
But there ’s one major job with using glass to make keycaps : Imagine the keys breaking underneath your fingertip , smear your keyboard with enough blood to be its own crime scene . ( No ? Just me ? )
Based on the patent lotion alone , it ’s unclear what sort of glass Apple would use in its transparent keyboard , or if the company would employ a unlike variety of glass for a Bluetooth Magic Keyboard versus a MacBook one . There are three main types of glass that Apple might choose from :
Annealed glass is glass that has been thermally treated and then slowly cooled to relieve any internal stresses . It ’s a cushy glassful , mean that it breaks easily , and when it breaks , it cracks into foresighted , jagged shards . No one is going to smash their field glass keyboard against their desk in a fit of passion when they die in an Unreal Tournament or crash their fist through their keyboard , I would hope , but take it from me : I once accidentally break a test tube made of this glass in my hand during seventh grade science glass , and there was a stack of blood . A MacBook ’s keycaps are 1.5 millimeter in heaviness . The test underground that stabbed my hired hand ? About 1.2 mm thick .
Tempered methamphetamine hydrochloride is anneal glass that has been heat - treated , which makes it harder , potent , and more expensive . A lot of modern microcomputer cause come with a tempered Methedrine side panel , which makes it well-fixed to see all those sweet , odorous RGB components . But it will shatter into a ton of lilliputian piece if you drop it , unlike how annealed glass breaks . ( I may or may not have had or order a renewal side jury for my microcomputer case in the past times . )
Laminated methamphetamine is a case of rubber glass made by adhering two objet d’art of annealed glass together with vinyl group . If the spyglass is broken , the vinyl group holds it together , but it ’s not scratch resistant . I doubt Apple would habituate this form of glass for that reason , but it ’s much safe than first two .
But I ca n’t see any of these type of methamphetamine being used . Never mind how much any of these glass materials would drive up the toll of Mac desktops and laptop computer , the hazard of personal injury and breakage is too eminent . Keycaps are plastic for a ground : It ’s much harder to break .
Now , Apple does use strengthened methamphetamine on the iPhone , so it may decide to use that for its keycaps . Corning ’s Gorilla Glass is annealed crank that has been chemically treated to increase its long suit , which make it about six to eight times stronger than regular annealed glass . But anyone who has ever dropped their iPhone only to have the screen door shatter roll in the hay it ’s not indestructible . Gorilla Glass is not a rubber glass , either , and can erupt off in shards like annealed field glass , so may the Apple immortal ( or AppleCare+ ) aid you if you drop a laptop with Gorilla Glass keycaps .
Another significant matter to note about Gorilla Glass ’ strengthening process is that it ’s not heat - do by like anneal methamphetamine hydrochloride , so it ca n’t be warped . According to Apple ’s patent of invention , the company desire to “ delimit a top open that provides primal definition by curvature , grain , ridges , or other external structural features ” for its keycaps , which could rein out Gorilla Glass .
However , consort to the patent of invention Apple file , the caller is look into making the keycaps out of glass or a “ vapourous polymer fabric , ” which includes acrylics , rosin , and other charge plate . That could mean Apple is really looking into make transparent keycaps , whatever the fabric . Its patent diligence is entitle “ Transparent Keycaps , ” and give what we make love about the three main type of glass , I highly doubt Apple would ever create transparent glass keycaps to scale in the hereafter . They could do a few one - offs , like XPG did with itsgold - plate keyboardat CES 2019 , though that be $ 10,000 ( but give Apple ’s propensity for overcharge for its production , its all - looking glass keyboard would probably cost that much , too ) .
But if Apple produces a keyboard with transparent keycaps , we can ( lastly ) welcome the fellowship to the wonderful world of custom PC keyboard keycaps , where many main creative person have been showing their skills for years . A simpleEtsy searchshows beautiful , clear rosin chapiter with cherry blossom , mountains , and even Pokemon inside them . And when you mate them with an RGB keyboard , it makes them that much cooler . Apple is n’t inventing anything Modern here . Inventing something new for their Mac card so they potentially could prevent independent artist from making custom Mac keycaps ? Sure . But , uh , crystalline keycaps are already a matter .
It ’s still tacky to mass bring on plastic unity , and if you ’ve ever purchase a $ 200 RGB gaming keyboard I ’m sure you appreciate how cost - good and farseeing lasting plastic is . Also , Apple ’s letters patent includes a cognitive operation to include a “ easy - stop textile defining a glyph shape ” in the keycaps , which have in mind the glyph would be embed into the winder itself instead of printed on top . Again , welcome to the fantastic globe of gambling keyboards , Apple . TheAsus ROG Strix Flarethat I ’m typing on right now has the glyphs embedded into the keys — except with the way that part of the patent program is word , it seems like the glyph itself would be the opaque part instead of tolerate light to shine through . Either room , embedded glyph have been and are still being done .
Glass keycaps do voice cool , but when you dig into the the main types of glass and their main characteristic — transparency , heat resistance , break resistance , etc.—they’re just not all that secure nor economically feasible . If the keys are low-spirited visibility enough perhaps they would , but again , I ’m sceptical of Apple claiming that by changing the material of its keycaps it ’s extend to increase the longevity of its keyboard . It ’s the primal electrical switch you have to interest about with keyboard , not the keycaps .
And on that note , well , at least Apple finally moved away from itsgodawful butterfly stroke keyboard .
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