Show HN: I spent 2 years designing a mechanical Magic Keyboard
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A sub-5mm fully mechanical keyboard for Mac with a detachable dial and haptic feedback.
The Altar II is a 4.75mm-thick mechanical keyboard with steel scissor switches offering 1.8mm of travel. It includes a magnetically detachable M-Dial for volume, playback, and custom shortcuts. A Harmonic Synthesiser provides haptic and audio feedback. The NiteLite backlight uses red LEDs to preserve night vision. The keyboard is machined from a single block of recycled aluminium and uses 50% recycled plastic. It has a 30-day battery life, USB-C and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, and a native macOS companion app. Pre-orders are $249; retail price will be $349.
What commenters are saying
Many commenters praised the design and engineering, comparing it favorably to Teenage Engineering. A common wish was for a Touch ID sensor, but the creator explained Apple's Secure Enclave makes this impossible without full Apple support. Some users asked about the typing feel; the creator described it as similar to a MacBook keyboard but with more travel and a more definitive actuation. Others requested ISO layout, split ergonomics, or full-color backlighting, which the creator explained would compromise power efficiency.