Hasta La Gadget!

Are you in the market for a spanking new keyboard at the moment? Assuming you have answered in the affirmative, then you might be on the lookout for the usual suspects from Microsoft, Logitech, or even Genius. Well, how about taking a few steps off the well worn path, and settle for a totally different trail instead? Surely you have heard of Art Lebedev’s range of insanely priced computer peripherals, but fret not, we are not asking you to blow your year’s vacation budget on one of Art Lebedev’s tech installations. Thing is, you will still need to fork out a rather hefty amount for the Executive Keyboard from a certain Datamancer. The asking price for the Executive Keyboard? We are looking at $750, and that is without the custom add-ons and what not.

Why would a keyboard warrant such an insanely high price tag? Well, you have got to ask the good people over at Datamancer, who have put up their ware on Etsy. The Executive Keyboard will ship with an aluminum body that is always stunning to look at, even if it does not carry the “Apple” logo, while the presence of mechanical switches and typewriter keys will surely make every dollar of the $750 you put in well worth it.

The Executive Keyboard attempts to justify its price tag by being a hand-crafted keyboard, and the default layout remains a standard US ANSI 104-key QWERTY, although for folks who happen to live in Europe, you can always settle for an European layout. Needless to say, it would be the keys in the layout which function as the actual centerpiece of this computer peripheral, all done up in the style of antique typewriter keys. Since it connects to a computer via USB, expect the Executive Keyboard to play nice on any PC or Mac. There seems to be only nine for sale at the moment, so get them while they’re hot!

Product Page
[ Datamancer rolls out Executive Keyboard copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

I’ve always thought that the computer keyboards you can buy at most stores are pretty dull. I’m really surprised that there aren’t more really custom keyboards available given the fact that each person really has their own style. Me, I’ve always been a fan of the Art Deco styles of the 1920s through 1940s, so this keyboard is perfect for me.

The Executive Keyboard was custom made by Richard “Datamancer” Nagy, and it is quite a lovely build. It’s got a sleek black and silver theme, along with round keys reminiscent of mechanical typewriters from days gone by. Though these keys are made with modern day mechanical switches, rated for millions of presses each.

No detail was spared in the construction of this keyboard, from the black leatherette background behind the keys to the perfectly retro-styled typeface on the keys themselves.

Of course, all of these good looks and elegant craftsmanship come at a price – the Executive Keyboard sells for $750(USD) – making it truly for executive geeks only.