How useful can a phone keyboard be?

I'm on a search to find the fastest way someone can write stuff down. Awhile ago I was 100% certain the device I was looking for is something like Kindle Scribe, or Remarkable. So I bought one of those. It's from a different manufacturer though, and it's called Boox. A great device, but it disappointed.

It's not the problem in manufacture, I believe remarkable or kindle would be the same. I was expecting that somehow I would be able to write and translate my thoughts faster with it. But that wasn't the case when the same method of writing with hand is used. I can write much faster on a keyboard than I can with pen on paper. The problem with writing on a keyboard if the goal is to write equations, then we got a problem. Writing something math heavy is best done with a pen. However, there are substitutes. LaTeX Project is a way to write math equations with a keyboard, and do it fast.

LaTeX Project: "LaTeX is a high-quality typesetting system; it includes features designed for the production of technical and scientific documentation. LaTeX is the de facto standard for the communication and publication of scientific documents. LaTeX is available as free software."

The one device I always have with me is my smartphone. But writing on it with two thumbs can be fast, but it's just two fingers typing. Physically it's not possible to write faster than on keyboard. But the phone is always besides me. The great thing with phones is that there are apps that support LaTeX writing. To fully utilize we just need to connect a keyboard.

Here is where the idea starts to form. If we had a small keyboard that can be carried around, and it has a place where phone can be placed and quickly connected to the keyboard. It's still a niche product, however if the keyboard can be used as a normal computer keyboard and then if needed it can support phone. Well then what's the difference between normal keyboard and this one? It's the place to hold the phone and connect it easy.

Now that I think of it, it would be convertible writer deck. What's a writer deck? It's basically a small workstation that has a main purpose as a writing machine. There is a great Subreddit for that called r/writerdeck.

Onwards. What would the transportation of that look like? How big would a keyboard be? I can only guess the exact dimensions, but it would go something like: 23 cm long, and 9 cm wide. The average smartphone is about 16 cm * 7 cm. So the keyboard would be about 7 cm longer, which is not that much. It could easily be placed in a bag that is meant for carrying books and notebooks, or a medium size purse I guess.

While writing this I got bored and started looking through r/writerdeck, and I realized this is not an original idea. Actually it's a well known device on that Subreddit. There is even one guy that makes and sells devices like that. For example, I found this post:

Someone is selling the exact device I'm explaining, maybe a little less bulky in my mind. But the person referred to its name (Micro Journal Rev 3) as if it was well known device. And it probably is on that subreddit. Other people in the comment just continued the conversation as if it's a device like Iphone or Samsung phone. So who is the person that makes these devices? Turns out I have stumbled on him on a website called Tindie.com. It's a market for DIY electronics:

All the products look cool. Onwards. When it comes to construction, the problem will be in how thick that keyboard will be. Cherry MX key switches which are the cheapest type currently. Well they are thick buttons. There are low profile switches, however the price is higher. If the goal is to make the cheapest device possible then regular MX switches would be used.

Let's say the PCB is about 3.5mm thick, the switch is additional 15.2mm, and keycap would add 2mm to it, and lastly the casing at the bottom of the keyboard would be at least 2mm if not higher. Adding all that up is 22.7mm or a bit more than 2 cm. It's quite thick for transportation. But that's how it has to be if the project will be realized. The next big problem to tackle is how will that keyboard look like. Ideally it should be looking good as a PC keyboard, and as a phone keyboard.

The first thing that comes to mind when trying to figure out the design is an additional part that attaches itself to the keyboard that can hold phone or tablet. The bad thing is who would like to carry spare parts with him just to use a keyboard. So the keyboard should be as it is, with a slick phone holder, so it looks cool even when the phone is not there. I wish I know how to use Blender better so I can make a render out of that keyboard. I can do it in KiCad I guess, but it's too much work for an idea of a project. Or maybe it's just an excuse.

That's it for an idea.

Currently, I ordered a PCB of a 40% keyboard that serves a different project, however I might try and making a nice case for it that can hold a phone. If it goes well maybe it can be a cool gadget for writing blog posts like this.

Thanks for reading.