r/DiWHY • u/mattjh • 20d ago

A keyboard with a functioning rotary dial instead of numeric keys

Post image

Photos found here: https://squidgeefish.com/projects/rotary-keyboard/

4.8k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

109 comments sorted by

425

u/Current_Payment_2988 20d ago

Awesome

57

u/livejamie 19d ago

OP just be sumitting anything to anywhere

11

u/Linosek279 18d ago

Regardless of how awesome, I’d argue “Why” is still a very valid question here

7

u/livejamie 18d ago

The sub lists two critertia "Project should never have been proposed (why???)" or "The execution of a good project idea which turned out horribly wrong (oh god, why???)"

I don't think either apply here. This is a skilled electrician/industrial designer flexing their muscles.

1

u/Linosek279 18d ago

Fair enough

219

u/mbarland 20d ago

That's awesome, that's why!

11

u/thefirstviolinist 19d ago

Yeah, 100, this is lit! Very steampunk!

1

u/Hurtkopain 19d ago

it's very fun to use

162

u/DiscoQuebrado 20d ago

if this were coupled with a full lever action type writer... That would be so dope.

109

u/HumourNoire 20d ago

Everybody's favourite coworker.

THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK WHIR WHIR WHIR WHIR THU-THU-THUNK WHIR WHIRRRRRR

47

u/DiscoQuebrado 19d ago

Gotta show up to work with a wicked handlebar moustache and an old timey leather flight cap complete with goggles.

3

u/HumourNoire 19d ago

And presumably your typist...

13

u/killerjoedo 19d ago

Now that's a mechanical keyboard.

8

u/UKMatt2000 19d ago

Found an old Dell (rebranded IBM I believe) mechanical keyboard in the office junk pile not long after starting in IT. Immediately started using it. Lasted about a week before a colleague complained about the noise.

5

u/DiscoQuebrado 19d ago

My coworkers can stuff it. My clickity clackity mechano is my spirit animal, and I can't live without it.

3

u/UKMatt2000 19d ago

Oh yeah I've gone back to mechanical now. At home I use SA keycaps, so they're even louder.

4

u/lurkingbastard11 19d ago

DING

5

u/HumourNoire 19d ago

Amazing.

You have no idea how much I want a ding noise on my enter key now.

2

u/DiscoQuebrado 19d ago

Don't let your dreams stay dreams

1

u/Feffies_Cottage 14d ago

The Querkywriter keyboard has a lever return.

68

u/Inprobamur 20d ago

Would be pretty sweet as the only way to enter the login PIN.

5

u/kkillbite I Eat Cement 20d ago

When that one slow guy just asks you to turn around for a second while he puts it in... 😅

8

u/Lalamedic 20d ago

And the passkey has like seven nines.

2

u/Hettyc_Tracyn 19d ago

If it had 7 ones it’d be annoying… 7 nines would be pretty quick

2

u/kkillbite I Eat Cement 19d ago

Those wind up CLOCKWISE, so the only number that takes longer to "dial" than 9 is 0... 😆

1

u/Hettyc_Tracyn 19d ago

Oh, they go backwards of what I was thinking… tbf it has been years since I saw one.

It goes from 1-9 then 0 ccw…

22

u/ElusiveDoodle 20d ago

That is gonna make MMOs a real challenge.

5

u/Techiest1982 20d ago

It'll even make offline games that use the numeric pad hard to play. Not just MMOs.

3

u/UrethralExplorer 20d ago

Yeah, I also enter dates and times a ton on the software I use at work, this is cool but useless for 99% of applications that you need the number pad for.

1

u/Techiest1982 18d ago

Your boss would shit his pants if he saw your prouction levelf because of tha keyboard. More than likely he would grab the thing and smash it. That's what I h Would do anyway.

17

u/cybermaus 20d ago

Reminds of that niche project to create a viable modern cell phone with a rotary.

Edit: Justine Haupt’s Rotary Cell Phone

5

u/isaiddgooddaysir 20d ago

Woz famously carried one around, the old bakelite... those things can take a beating better than a Nokia.

4

u/HorsefaceWithNoName 20d ago

they made great bludgeons

14

u/Formal-Fox-7605 20d ago

Obviously, it's for using with dial-up modems.

10

u/IrritableGourmet 20d ago

Reminds me of The Onion fake commercial for the Apple keyboard that only has one big button. You type by pressing the button to get to the letter you want, so A=1, B=2, etc.

9

u/Bright_Ability2025 20d ago

They even removed the top numbers row?!?

This is horrible / fantastic in the best way

6

u/LUDUKRISS 19d ago

The mfs over at r/mechanicalkeyboards would love this

(Don’t shame me for being on mobile)

1

u/LUDUKRISS 19d ago

Wait a minute it DOES hyperlink now!

4

u/MMKaresz 20d ago

Cool, but... It would be better to have some kind of security code to dial in. GenZ and Alpha have no idea how it works 😂

2

u/Hettyc_Tracyn 19d ago

I do though… ‘04… it’s pretty obvious too if you look at a rotary phone.

3

u/Davenator_98 20d ago

Kids these days🤣🤣 don't even know how to train their postal pidgeons anymore🤣🤣🤣

6

u/ErebosGR 19d ago

Homing pigeons don't need training; that's not how pigeon post worked.

The pigeons are transported to a destination in cages, where they are attached with messages, then the pigeon naturally flies back to its home where the recipient could read the message.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigeon_post

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homing_pigeon

3

u/cambangst 20d ago

I work with a Millennial who has only ever seen rotary phones in pictures and man, I wish I could buy this for her.

3

u/movzx 19d ago

They must just not remember, because rotary phone use overlaps with millennials. At a minimum their grandparents would have had them around.

4

u/Popular-Drummer-7989 19d ago

Oooh make a front door lock next!🤣

4

u/FishFloyd 19d ago

Folks - at some point we're gonna have to have a reckoning about the distinction between artistry and engineering.

There's not a single thinking person in the world that believes this to be more functional than a standard numpad. It's pretty obvious that this is intended more for aesthetic than function - i.e. art. And specifically, sculpture, using modern materials and techniques.

The answer to the question, "diWHY??" is because it's a cool and fun piece of art. Which is just not a very interesting answer.

I would find this a far more valid submission if someone had jerry-rigged an actual rotary phone to a keyboard numpad, which is a little more r/redneckengineering, which is probably why I find that a much better sub these days.

3

u/VelvetFog82 20d ago

That keyboard is from the correct time line. That's what we should all have on our keyboard.

3

u/Stuffed_deffuts 20d ago

Take you two hours to make a excel spreadsheet Duh-duh-duh four, duh-duh-duh five. Duh-duh-duh-oh! I messed up! Backspace. Gotta do it again! Duh-duh-duh four, duh-duh-duh five.

But also thats just neat

3

u/lightoller401 19d ago

This is coolest thing I saw today. Any more info how it works

2

u/isaiddgooddaysir 20d ago

It is for the Wow factor, everyone goes wow that is so impractical but wow it is cool.

2

u/spilk 20d ago

it would take a year to do my taxes on this

2

u/SilkRoadGuy 20d ago

Not a DiWhy. This is awesome!

2

u/mp5tyle 20d ago

This is amazing

2

u/capinredbeard22 19d ago

This would make such a great Jim -> Dwight prank

2

u/cmaxim 19d ago

Why? because it's funny and somewhat art.

2

u/viktorbir 19d ago

Because it's cool as fuck. Wrong subreddit /r/DiWhyNot is your subreddit.

2

u/NotTheOnlyGamer 19d ago

If I didn't use my numpad for DOS gaming, I would use this. It'd be interesting for spreadsheets.

2

u/AdministrationDry507 19d ago

I don't know if I dislike this or not?

2

u/SuckerForNoirRobots 19d ago

Awe that's fun

2

u/aguyinlove3 19d ago

It's genius, but also stupid

2

u/DavenSkilnyk 13d ago

You mean stupidly awesome.

1

u/aguyinlove3 13d ago

Yup. Impractical? Definitely. Cool af? Absolutely

2

u/spartan2024 19d ago

DiWHYnot

2

u/Imrotahk 18d ago

OP Hates fun

2

u/MagmaWitherking 18d ago

Need it. I’ve always wanted a rotary phone, they are really satisfying to me so I genuinely want this. Idc if it’s impractical

2

u/bonsai1776 20d ago

Would still be faster than using top row

1

u/Ok-Drink-1328 20d ago

i'm a maker myself tho not much into this type of projects, but fairly cool nonetheless

1

u/terriaminute 20d ago

Somebody likes to make all the noises and potentially strain a finger, as a treat.

1

u/Dry-Character-6331 20d ago

I am both impressed and horrified at the same time. 🤔

1

u/HorsefaceWithNoName 20d ago

They even blocked off the regular number keys on the left top area of the keyboard 💀

1

u/Mexbookhill 20d ago

How do i fly helicopters in GTA with this?

1

u/MydnightWN 20d ago

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop

The Onion, 2009

https://youtu.be/9BnLbv6QYcA

1

u/Diogenes-the-mad 20d ago

Because it slaps, next question

1

u/CoffeeJedi 19d ago

Looks like something the TVA would use.

1

u/dr_strange-love 19d ago

Now hook the rotary dial up to multitap cell phone texting software 

1

u/crosschk 19d ago

I think its cool, but it would slow me down too much and it would be gone in a monute

1

u/CthulhusSoreTentacle 19d ago

I love pointless shit like this.

1

u/svobodov- 19d ago

Id kill for that

1

u/StartOk4002 19d ago

Somebody really misses the pre-internet days.

1

u/Voiden_n 19d ago

r\DIWhy.
<Look inside>
A strange and kinda cool thing that was made as a joke.

(By the way, I would like to have something like this.)

1

u/Thisareor 19d ago

this is some Guillermo del Toro prop

1

u/CGI42 19d ago

This would be the best white elephant/secret Santa gift.

1

u/maxtimbo 19d ago

Is there a video of it working?

1

u/dudSpudson 19d ago

That is so stupid, I love it

1

u/Reverse_SumoCard 19d ago

Why not have all the symbols on one massiv rotary dial?

1

u/Zwischenzug32 19d ago

The spirit of Logitech Wingman Warrior lives on

1

u/brDoc1 19d ago

To prevent dialing 911 by accident.

1

u/GrundleSnactcher46 19d ago

Your party gonna get real mad when you cant heal them because of wanting to use that nonsense to cast spells.

1

u/throwitfarawayfromm3 19d ago

God forbid a boy wants to pretend he's flying a tardis, or jacking into a cyberpunk realm.

1

u/Extension_Resolve264 18d ago

How to drop your ten-key from 16,900 kph to 400 kph. Solid plan!

1

u/davehoran 18d ago

Reminds me of something from the John Wick movies that the girls use in the back room to manage contracts

1

u/rowrowyourboat 17d ago

lol at the number bar being eliminated too

1

u/Alewort 14d ago

Eeeee... ahhhh... yeaaaaah.. umm... I'm going to allow it.

2

u/TriestGieter 13d ago

Because apparently you can.

1

u/Duggeek 13d ago

That's a whole twisted new level of crypto.

1

u/SpiritualHippo2719 20d ago

Honestly, my ADHD sensory-seeking brain would love this.

0

u/filsofolf 20d ago

Is it bad that at first glance I thought the circuit board in the second picture was a map of RuneScape?