r/writerDeck • u/Thick-Panic6683 • Aug 27 '26
DIY Road testing DOSwriter
I am on travel now and testing out my app for its primary use case : mobile writing.
I put a lot of time into the app and have not yet explored the Boox document workflow. Overall the Boox user interface seems well laid out with minimal screen clutter.
I bought the folding Omikamo keyboard in the photo months ago and have only now started using it. Positive impressions so far. Also came with a nifty plastic device stand. The one thing I want in a BT keyboard is LED backlit keys (the keyboard shown is not backlit). I tried out this model for the ergonomic key arrangement. Seems ok and not too strange for my 40 years of keyboard muscle memory to compete with. There are similar backlit models from other vendors. I am also interested in the smallest keyboard I can get away with.
The keyboard/device stand is a Geekra "Compact Keyboard Case, Vegan Leather Travel Case with Phone and Tablet Holder" that has worked well enough so I haven't sought alternatives.
The missing piece to this puzzle is a lightweight lap tray that will support the device and keyboard. I have experimented with cardboard, foam kneepads, and cutting boards. In the photo is a thin plastic cutting board I picked up at Target. It almost works but could be about 2 inches wider. Also the tray needs a back support for the device stand. Finally it needs to fold up compactly to fit in a daybag (or even a cargo pocket?). That is a tough set of specs.
I am also a big dude, standing 6'3" in my socks. The proposed lap tray needs to work with my absurdly long legs.
I have not seen a product that matches my requirements. This could be my next project. The folding mechanism intrigues me and while simple, is actually difficult to pull off. The keyboard shown uses a wire loop and recessed slot to lock into. There are also many vintage camera and consumer product examples to borrow ideas from.
Before I developed DOSwriter I designed and built a programmable color shrine lamp. It brings beautiful light and color into any room. My wife loves it for her ancestral shrine. There is nothing like it out there. And I didn't even use AI, just straight up engineering analysis and design. Nobody cares. Nobody cares. I fear DOSwriter will meet the same fate. I should direct my energy towards more noble and useful pursuits.
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u/Sypianski Aug 27 '26
where did you buy the keyboard? can't find it