On the slightly more sensible side of the fence, retro-styled keyboards seem to be growing in popularity. We recently came across the Lofree and Ncore Retro keyboards, while the latest design hoping to spend some clackety-clack time on your desk is the Penna, a Bluetooth device with a retro look.
The fact that the Penna has almost quadrupled its $50,000 Kickstarter target suggests your fingers could be caressing its keys as early as August, when it’s due to start shipping.
The Penna will be offered with a variety of customizable options. For example, you can go with a more conventional set of square keys “for more accurate typing,” or opt for the more impressive chrome-edged keys “to maximize the retro styling.” However, the suggestion appears to be that typing on the second model might take a little longer to master.
You can also choose the kind of key response you want with the Penna, from soft to hard. The former offers a quieter sound perhaps better suited for office environments so you don’t wind up your co-workers with a repetitive and audible clacking noise the whole time.
Penna’s California-based maker has built a smartphone/tablet stand into the device, too, so you can rest your iOS, Android, or Windows device upright for a more comfortable user experience. In addition, it comes in five different colors, and there’s a cool-looking wooden design that you might want to check out, as well.
A neat inclusion is the Macro Bar on the side of the Penna that lets you knock out frequently used words or phrases with a quick press. Finally, the keyboard takes a couple of AA-sized batteries that should keep it powered for up to six months.
“We’ve been waiting long for a beautiful keyboard, and when we couldn’t any more, we started this project to make what we wanted,” maker Elretron says of the Penna.
It will sell for a pretty reasonable $99, though it still has some early bird deals left at $89 apiece. If you’re tired of your boring plastic keyboard and fancy something a little more stylish, the Penna may be a bit of kit worth considering.
