Photojojo Mac keyboard editor hotkey stickers overlays
Photojojo is selling these rubber, stick-on overlays for Mac laptop and desktop keyboards with hotkey information for Photoshop, Aperture, or Final Cut Pro. They make new keyboards look like the dedicated editing suite keyboards of yore. They're $30 for laptop versions, $40 for desktop — a lot of scratch for fancy stickers.
Update: Amit from Photojojo corrects me:
One quick note: They're not actually stickers! They're thin, flexible rubber overlaps, custom-fitted to each of five or so different kinds of Mac keyboards. They don't stick on (they're no adhesive) but they stay on because they're molded to fit the keyboard shape. They're also washable and keep crud from getting under your keys.Sorry about that!
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I'd rather see this technique used to skin a keyboard. That's still the dullest part of a computer, and the new Mac design is the first that's really conducive to the same kind of sticker skinning that laptops and handheld game consoles enjoy.
I agree it's a little spendy, but they are skins not stickers. Another company sells them for $50 or 60 at the Apple Store. Plus, it would be pretty great for workflow-- can't seem to remember every shortcut.
They're made by KB Covers - - www.kbcovers.com - - just happened to buy one last week, already finding all kinds of dirt, crumbs, and dust that's not getting into the innards of my laptop...
There are even more options available on the kb covers website including dvorak, european, large font, world of warcraft, etc...
This stuff is useless. If I had to look at the keyboard in search of a hotkey, then the whole point of *being* a hotkey is kind of defeated. For the less used commands that I can't remember or don't have muscle memory, the regular menus work fine without hindering productivity.
Of course, if the idea is to prevent the keyboard innards from getting dirty, then it's a fine (yet too pricey, even for a poor man's Optimus Maximus), well executed idea.
Cool idea, but what does it do to the feel of typing? I imagine it would add a bit of resistance to each key-press.
Besides, it's just a work-around while we all wait for the Optimus Maximus to come out (and then maybe come down in price).
"If I had to look at the keyboard in search of a hotkey, then the whole point of *being* a hotkey is kind of defeated."
I've used the keyboards Digidesign makes for ProTools, and they're very useful for the learning curve. i.e., if you remember that the first four F-keys are the different modes, but don't remember which is which, labels help you get up to speed in that way. Also, color coordination. I'm very fluent with hotkeys and I definitely find my efficiency increased when I use a labeled keyboard.
As for the overlays, I think those would be great - because the labels are incredibly distracting for any and every usage besides ProTools.
One question: The keyboards Digidesign makes have labels not only on the top of the keys but also on the sides. Since the new mac keyboard is a lot more like a laptop keyboard in that the keys are not very tall, are they labels gone? I know I could probably figure it out myself by looking at the site... but as I've already established with looking at shortcuts, I'm lazy.