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Comment by zmmmmm | Hacker News Reader

If you want a full size foldable keyboard with function keys and a trackpad, I can recommend the ProtoArc XK01[0]. This is a good enough keyboard that I use it as my main keyboard at home, and it's surprisingly cool to be able to just fold up your daily driver keyboard and take it with you.

[0] https://www.protoarc.com/products/xk01-tp-foldable-keyboard-...

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It's not expensive either, just $46 (EUR. 41). Weirdly enough, they only sell/ship to the five biggest EU countries.

They have a direct link to buy from AliExpress

I tried to follow that link, but AliExpress only lists one product (a mouse jiggler) when I actually went to that website.

German Amazon should ship to me without additional costs but then I'd end up with QWERTZ...

Bol, coolblue, Amazon.Com.be or .nl all deliver to Germany. Actually I often do Amazon arbitrage, same coffee machine fun the same warehouse may be 200€ cheaper on Amazon.fr than in any German shop including amazon.de. and the Belgian store has less choice but often better prices. Makes no sense but true.

That brand doesn't sell their stuff on any of those websites. I have bought in Belgian and German web stores before, but I can't really do that if they refuse to show me their QWERTY product offering.

Thanks I have debated this https://www.bestbuy.com/product/lenovo-thinkpad-trackpoint-k... keyboard-on-the-go

For a similar reason.

I'm a big trackpoint fan and proud owner of an X1 Carbon Gen 7 Thinkpad, but I would not recommend this keyboard.

The build quality is pretty bad. Sometimes the keys fail to type and the keys' mushiness makes for an unsatisfying typing experience. I have two but this was after buying a total of 4 and returning the two defective ones.

If Lenovo were to replace the cheap feeling plastic casing for alumninum, it would be a game changer.

I'm hoping the new framework keyboard can become my new daily driver, replacing the trackpoint keyboards I currently use.

Interesting, but I'd prefer a version that's smaller by omitting the touchpad. (Well, I'd love to have a touchpad, but without physical mouse buttons it might as well not be there at all.)

Does the trackpad make any sense, if you're using it on a device which already has a touchscreen? I'm not saying that the touchscreen is convenient, but a touchpad is mostly as impractical, and makes the keyboard seem to huge.

Using a touchscreen when you have to hold up your arm is very tiring.

Most folding keyboards I've tried felt like travel compromises first and keyboards second

Yes, I would say this keyboard is notable specifically because it is one of the few travel keyboards that is truly at par with a real desktop keyboard. It's not perfect, but the benefits of "one keyboard everywhere" outweigh the flaws for me.

I'm used to having a trackpad below the keyboard

So something like this[1] could be cool then. A actual thinkpad keyboard with touchpad, bluetooth, trackpoint and even a fingerprint reader.

[1] https://sharktastica.co.uk/keyboard-directory/GD2va1CX

need one with a trackpoint-like nipple

On which OS did you try it?

I use it on MacOS mainly, but I also switch it to my phone (Android) if I have to type something longer than a few words and it works well there.

Ok, thanks!

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