This product is a delightful deviation from the “standard” keyboard that is so commonplace and uneducational. It is camouflaged in the industry standard two shades of grey so as not to attract undue attention from your co-workers, but it hides a wealth of fun and creativity - and productivity. Along with the standard 101 keys, there are fun little gizmos that are function programmable to ease your workload. Spinning the roller scrolls the active window. Turning the dial provides menu navigation, and makes a satisfying tactile clicking noise. Jingling the little bells makes a satisfying jingling noise. Honk the horn to activate the start menu. The function keys have been replaced with squishy buttons in the shape of a cow, pig, cat, dog, etc. They all make a satisfying tactile click, or ding, or squeak. When you press Caps Lock the keyboard says, “moo” (prevents inadvertent typing in all caps).

See link: citation_01

The Activity Center Keyboard also has an “Easter Egg” feature. Hidden inside the keyboard case is an accelerometer-activated switch. Smashing the keyboard five times (hard) against your desk causes the associated software to: 1) compile a list of programs installed on your computer; 2) connect to a certain website containing a list of programs with known Easter Eggs; 3) randomly choose a match between list from 1) and list from 2); 4) activate the Easter Egg with a keyboard macro.

Do NOT, however, press the big red button…
-- xrayTed, Mar 16 2002

(??) citation_01 http://www.fisher-p...product.asp?id=9931
[xrayTed, Mar 16 2002, last modified Oct 21 2004]

(?) Fisher Price Smartronics keyboard http://www.babyuniv...?id=14603&catid=292
Tangentially related. A keyboard which you put on top of your standard keyboard [hippo, Mar 18 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004]

Activity center keyboard - one approach http://bz.pair.com/fun/keyboard.jpg
Unfinished . . . I got tired of drawing. [bristolz, Mar 18 2002, last modified Oct 04 2004]

I don't think I want one... but the idea is funny and could sell so it gets a croissant...
-- RobertKidney, Mar 16 2002


xrayTed, you are hired and I want you to report to my office Monday morning at 9am sharp. Don't wear a suit, I hate suits. Croissant!!!
-- runforrestrun, Mar 17 2002


Ya should be able to get an Easter Egg by twisting a paperclip and inserting it into the keyboard just so.
-- reensure, Mar 17 2002


The description of this keyboard is much what I told them when I was given a computer with Windows XP on it at work. It all looks like it should squeak or go 'moo' or something whenever you click on the big rounded buttons. I took to calling it 'Windows FP', for 'Fisher Price'.
-- StarChaser, Mar 17 2002


I like this. I should be able to plug one into the computers at school, just to make I.T lessons more amusing.
-- kaz, Mar 17 2002


Pretty buttons. Ooooohhhhh look at that big red one! Let's see what happens when I press it.........
-- bluerowan, Mar 18 2002


brilliant, bristolz! I wish that picture was on the halfbakery t-shirt, I would definitely get one then.
-- sappho, Mar 18 2002


Fantastic, gets my vote.
-- IvanIdea, Mar 18 2002


Make sure the keyboard is made of a spongey-rubbery material so the user can chew/teethe on it.
-- PotatoStew, Mar 18 2002


kaz - our school just got broadband = IT not boring now

change cubicles for playpens and make everyone sit on the floor
-- chud, Mar 18 2002


Sorry, I just don't understand how something as boring and uncreative as pushing buttons, the basic impulse-response thing, press here, get that, can be confused with creativity. What are you, a chicken? If you want to be creative, then write creative words. Paint something. Sing. This whole bells and whistle thing is completely missing the point.
-- jutta, Mar 19 2002


I don't use all 101 keys I have (for example the f keys?? as I hate wordperfect I don't have much use for them, others will disagree I'm sure). More keys just add confusion. The teething addition would be handy for those really bad days.
-- rbl, Mar 19 2002


jutta: but that is the point.

btw, you'll notice there is no whistle on the Activity Center Keyboard. Whistle-blowers in the workplace quickly become unpopular - and unproductive.
-- xrayTed, Mar 19 2002


may be good for children, for people that don't feel like working, or slowly typers.
-- leo14m3, Mar 29 2002


jutta - you are forgetting the whole easter-egg thing and of course the big red button
-- chud, Mar 29 2002


Yikes, jutta trolling! Who'da thunk it?
-- syost, May 21 2002


If you're like me, you like things that are practical.

This however, is a very cool idea [+]. I just think after a while it would be more cumbersome than cool. Just like when you replay a videogame or start up a dvd, and you can't skip cutscenes etc.

If their were relatively constant updates or something for a fairly decent price, I would buy one!

: )

EDIT- I didn't realize this was such an old topic, I apologize for the unecessary bump. I've only been here about a month.
-- Night, Jun 14 2005


Thanks for the bump: I hadn't seen it before.
-- FlyingToaster, Mar 07 2009



random, halfbakery