“The Keybow Kit (12-key) has been very great so far. It was easy to assemble, and I appreciate that the plastic case the pieces came in is designed to be reusable. The software used to program the Keybow is very cool and serves all of the needs that I had. I was able to make several complex macros for CLI usage, and have a few keys left. I'm considering adding a "Help" button macro that prints out instructions for using the other keys.
Overall I am very happy with the purchase.”
“This is a fantastic kit! There are so many possibilities for this device. All of the components are high-quality and the documentation is superb! Thanks Pimoroni!”
“Everything works as expected and the detailed instructions with photos are helpful for assembling the components. Looking forward to customize the keys myself and also hoping the software library will later be enhanced to have more functions such as changing layout from host, etc.”
“For me, the Keybow kit was a bumpy start. Because I paid the premium for shipping it arrived before Christmas. But to my disappointment not all keys were working due the Keybow HAT PCB having solder issues. Thankfully, Pimoroni acted quickly, shipping a working replacement, that arrived only some time later by standard mail.
Assembly is easy, albeit I personally find the blog's instructions for the mechanical assembly to be a little bit too heavy on text. Fewer and short, concise lines of text, one for each numbered step only, would simplify things.
While the assembly goes smooth I see room for mechanical improvements. The most annoying issue is the USB connector with its tendency to not work correctly, not delivering power or cutting it off. I'm having the same issue with a second Keybow unit too. This might be a general problem with the USB micro connectors on the Pi Zeroes, yet the Keybow's mechanical construction with the cutout around the connector doesn't seem to be enough to make the vital USB connection to be mechanically rock solid. I don't like the Keybows loosing power because I moved them during work.
While not a problem so far, the rather very short screws often only half get into the nuts, so there's not much more than a single or one and a half thread windings to hold things in place, so rather on the fragile side of things.
The Keybow software is really easy to use, and here I find the instructions very well written and fitting. After my first attempt at successfully setting up a keyboard layout I was ready to reach for my intended goal: to use the Keybow with multiple keyboard layouts, so I can switch between different application keyboards without having to switch mSD cards and rebooting. On purpose, the Keybow firmware is kept simple in this respect, so it doesn't offer keymap switching, but it allows to do it myself.
In case other Keybow users might be interested in such additional functionality like multiple keymaps and Shift layers on top of the fine Keybow firmware, my work can be found on GitHub (as is Pimoroni's Keybow firmware): https://github.com/TheDiveO/multibow”
Ahoy Harald!
Thank you for your in depth review - I can confirm that we have modified the cut out for the USB cable to make the connection more robust, thanks for the heads up!
If you'd like replacement plates with the new, larger, cutout then just drop us a note to support@pimoroni.com and we'll arrange that for you. :-)
“Positive: easy to assemble. The result is a sturdy and nice looking keyboard.
To be improved: software instructions. Took me a while to get the keyboard going. It was not clear which files of the downloaded zip-file had to be used and where to put them on the SD-card.”
“I got the clicky KeyBow and the keys really do clicky in an addictive way. Even now, it's turned off - I'm pressing the buttons to hear the click! :D
Setup:
Following the guide, the Keybow was a bit tricky to put together. I think some of the photos could be more instructional, less arty. (Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the arty pictures but they don't always help when trying to assemble something). One problem I had setting up was the USB cable - it DOESN'T go into the power slot on the pi, which is not obvious and also mine just doesn't stay in. I'm moving the KeyBow around a lot as I code it and recode it so perhaps it will be more stable once it's setup. But the power cable keeps falling out and needs pushing in before the Pi will light up.
Startup is FAST.
Code:
You have to code the SD card on a computer before plugging it into the keybow. The code is written in lua. I have never heard of lua. No idea how it works. But the download files come with great examples and some snippets already setup for you. Would have preferred a programming language I already know like Python but not a big deal. Having to take out the SD card and put it in my laptop is a pain but it's just an initial setup. Once I have all the keys programmed, I shouldn't have to remove the SD card again.
It works! It really works. And it works on any computer. I've tried the same Keybow on two different laptops and the shortcuts work. There's no installing on the laptop so this is going to be really useful for people with multiple computers at work/home.
Looks:
Like pretty much everything Pimoroni do, the KeyBow is beautiful. It comes with some default light up animations which are fab and examples on how to colour each individual key yourself. I really hope they sell different key caps for it because these clear ones are a bit boring.
Bad Points?
The power cable doesn't reliably stay in for me.
Would love to see the KeyBow using the Pi to connect to the internet and become more interactive. Like when you get an email a button lights up, you press it and it opens your email! That's what I hoped it would do. But it seems that's not a possibility without rebuilding the whole OS. Maybe a future feature?
Finally
The KeyBow is a great little product. It's quite expensive given what it is but it's future potential is quite high.”
