
New Bloomberg Terminal Keyboard - dmmalam
http://www.bloomberg.com/professional/hardware/
======
omarish
The majority of complaints here:

\- Ergonomics sucks!

\- I can't re-map caps lock to be escape, what trash!

\- This is so old!

\- Too expensive!

\- Dell makes cheaper monitors!

\- Fingerprint authentication can be hacked.

But what everybody is not considering is:

1\. You _have_ to have a Bloomberg keyboard to work in finance. It's not even
a question. It's a COGS for anybody who wants to work in finance or trading.

2\. Bloomberg chat is Facebook messenger for finance people.

3\. If your trading desk is bringing in $10M in profits/year, four Bloomberg
terminals are a rounding error.

People who berate Bloomberg and it's tech need to have more empathy and ask
why things are the way they are.

~~~
coliveira
Bloomberg software is certainly important because of the large ecosystem they
created over the years. The keyboard and hardware around is not so. It's just
Bloomberg way to advertise themselves using physical presence in every trading
desk. It is a disrespect to customers, because if I had to pay I would require
that a proper keyboard and hardware be used.

By the way, I have used Bloomberg terminals before with a traditional
keyboard, and know that there is nothing special in that keyboard that cannot
be done by similar hardware.

~~~
stzup7
They made one thing annoying: without a bloomberg keyboard you have to bring
your B-Unit in front of your screen for 2fa instead of plugging it in the
keyboard. Except for that, I fully agree with you. I find the bloomberg
keyboard to be very heavy and frustrating to use. I returned it when it was
delivered to my desk.

~~~
whatok
Isn't there a standalone USB version of the B-Unit?

------
davegauer
I've often found it very peculiar that while many industries have specialized
input hardware, it is still the norm for developers to type awkward key
combinations* for common programming symbols such as (,),{,},[,],=,<,> etc.
which are be used in mass quantities all day, every day.

I understand how we got where we are, but it's nevertheless surprising that
something like a modernized space-cadet keyboard isn't standard for
developers. Or at least a programmable keyboard with a thumb-activated
modifier key plus a home row key for the most commonly used symbols.

* SHIFT+<anything other than letters> is awkward if you have to do it enough. Especially laptops, which enjoy deviating from ANSI or ISO layouts. I've also heard it told that some international layouts make "[" and "]" especially unhandy.

~~~
jerf
Take control of your keyboard. At least Windows and Linux let you remap pretty
freely. You probably have more than enough keys to do everything you want
already, start remapping! A common path in is to remap Caps Lock to do
something useful. (I favor Backspace, one of the keys that never shows up on
the list of keystrokes if you just analyze text, but YMMV.)

However, it is still the case that even programmers will likely have the
symbols off the beaten path a bit. Programmers still do a lot of not-
programming, so it's hard for a symbol to displace even unpopular letters from
the most convenient spaces. Your local written language will still end up
dominating the keyspace.

~~~
consto
If you are using Windows, how are you rebinding your Caps Lock key?
AutoHotKey?

I've made my own keyboard layout using Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator which
unfortunately doesn't support rebinding the modifiers.

~~~
throwanem
> AutoHotKey?

It sort of works, but you're much better off doing it in the registry:
[https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/MovingTheCtrlKey#toc18](https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/MovingTheCtrlKey#toc18)

------
dontscale
Talk about your SaaS. $24,000 a year for one of these babies. I think it's how
he made most of his fortune.

Edit: corrected for year

[https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-
instant&ion=1&e...](https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-
instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=how%20much%20is%20bloomberg%20terminal)

~~~
6stringmerc
Regarding the amount he makes from the terminals and service, I don't doubt
that's the major haul of any given year, year after year.

Not coincidentally, that's why I take his pontificating about finance and
economics with a grain of salt - he was a tech savvy info delivery man who
lucked into trapping people into a dog-shit ugly, expensive, and industry
ubiquitous device.

It's along the lines of "I'll view Google as more than just an extremely
successful ad agency when they make money on their other projects" which might
not seem fair, but cuts through a lot of the enigma-like perspectives
regarding tech firms.

~~~
whatok
I don't agree with a lot of his political views but I'll trust him on the
finance and economics front over a majority of politicians given that he
worked for Salomon Brothers and arguably was an extremely well-accomplished
mayor. Bloomberg is arguably a technology company delivering a product for the
finance sector but he absolutely had the prerequisite domain knowledge to
launch the company and propel it into what it is today.

~~~
6stringmerc
Oh I agree regarding the business savvy and intelligence to put out a
successful product and maintain a market share. The guy did an absolutely
fabulous job of it, and I'm not sure it could be replicated.

Although, having worked in municipal finance on the Street for a couple years
(somewhat back office, somewhat deal support) I can honestly say that a lot of
the systems and information in certain sectors is pretty dated. As in, not
very good by modern standards. The MSRB is trying with EMMA - but because
there's no fiscal / competitive reward like in Bloomberg's info providing
case, rather it's for regulatory and market stability - but a lot of stuff was
still pretty old school.

I've designed an "Information as a Service" program targeting some of the most
lucrative sectors in public finance (construction, transportation, education,
etc) but still haven't mastered the design / handshakes with needed sources
(ex. Thompson Reuters) to really call it ready to debut. Another issue is
finding the right price point - Bloomberg's got a racket going, I'd just want
to hit a good spot where most businesses could afford access, or put it at a
value premium where having the information before others (arranged/conditioned
by the system) would be worth larger expense. Eh, good times!

------
vegabook
Oh puhleeze.

I have been a subscriber to the Bloomberg terminal for a full 17 years, the
keyboard has been changed literally 4 times in that period, and I have yet to
see one that is not a _regression_ from the one that went before. Today you
get a plasticky, flexy, Asia-made, chicklets device with capacitor touches
whereas the original was a monstrous, metallic, mechanical beast, IBM-style.
It would have made the massdrop community swoon, with its retro vibe and
indestructible build.

For the past 10 years I have not used a bb keyboard. They provide a separate
finger sensor if desired (as they should - it costs 1800 dollars a month for
subscription), and you can always use your b-unit.

The bloomberg keyboard is a dinosaur that dates back from the UI of
Bloomberg's 1980s ethos -> the mainframe. It even has the command line in the
top of the screen, old System/360 style. The colour coded keys are almost an
embarrassment, reflecting the embarrassingly bad UI. Bloomberg is 10 000
different pieces of functionality of which the average user uses 1%. It's a
catastrophically badly done taxonomy of (what is, underlying, awesome)
functionality. That's why they have so many Bloomberg "reps" who come over
constantly to show you new stuff. These poor guys are compensating for the
fact that all the good stuff is extremely difficult to find.

Thanks Bloomberg for the new 80 dollar toy. That'll be about 5% of my monthly
subscription price then. Doesn't hide the fact that your entire UI is
prehistoric.

~~~
xixi77
The original was nice, but this one is definitely a big step up from the one
that came before, which (while still heavy and monstrous) was one of the worst
keyboards I've ever used, with complete lack of feedback. This one is actually
quite decent, better than most desktop keyboards.

------
nodesocket
Bloomberg terminals are super powerful and basically the defacto standard for
traders. There is a great tutorial video on YouTube[1] that shows how to use
the terminal and its functions. It is a really interesting watch.

[1]
[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LE8HiHZcgEE](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LE8HiHZcgEE)

------
alva
This keyboard has been out for ages, unless I am missing something here?

On a side note, hated my B-unit, always took 5+ lengthy swipes to register.

~~~
gherkin0
> This keyboard has been out for ages, unless I am missing something here?

Not everyone works in finance and/or is familiar with Bloomberg terminals
(like me). I think this is pretty interesting since Bloomberg, unlike most
application developers, has taken their UX to the point where they're building
application-specific hardware (though I understand a lot of that is basically
legacy inertia).

Also, programmers seem to be far more interested in keyboards as a subject
that most people.

I also thought the B-unit is interesting, it's different than any other
authentication device I've used.

[http://www.bbhub.io/professional/sites/4/2015/03/b-unit_3_us...](http://www.bbhub.io/professional/sites/4/2015/03/b-unit_3_user_guide.pdf)

~~~
melling
"Also, programmers seem to be far more interested in keyboards as a subject
that most people."

They worry about keyboards because it's one of the professions where RSI is
common.

[http://www.looknohands.me](http://www.looknohands.me)

[http://markmcb.com/2014/10/13/severe-hand-rsi-pain-and-
recov...](http://markmcb.com/2014/10/13/severe-hand-rsi-pain-and-recovery/)

[http://web.stanford.edu/~ouster/cgi-
bin/wrist.php](http://web.stanford.edu/~ouster/cgi-bin/wrist.php) \- Stanford
professor and creator of TCL

Here are plenty of other stories:
[https://github.com/melling/ErgonomicNotes](https://github.com/melling/ErgonomicNotes)

~~~
gherkin0
Oh, I'm not criticizing that interest. It has a legitimate and practical basis
given the amount of time programmers spend using keyboards and how integral
they are to the performance of their job.

------
nsxwolf
It may get a lot of negative comments but I think it's interesting something
like this still exists, a custom piece of terminal hardware, that hasn't just
been eaten by some iPad app or web app.

~~~
aakilfernandes
IMHO the reason it hasn't been turned into an app is to justify its price.
Psychologically, people will pay more for hardware than software even if it
does the exact same thing.

~~~
thescriptkiddie
It has been turned into an app, they don't even sell terminals anymore. The
keyboard, monitor, and biometric unit are just accessories that you plug into
your existing computer, which aren't even necessary to use the software. This
makes the shittyness of the keyboard even worse IMO, because they are trying
to push these expensive, unnecessary things as a superior experience to the
keyboard you already own. It's blatant marketing bullshit.

------
davidcollantes
Is it new? It just looks the same to the ones we have been using in our
College for the last four years or so.

~~~
jweir
The video was posted over two years ago:
[https://vimeo.com/90701077](https://vimeo.com/90701077)

------
walrus01
I wonder if the biometric fingerprint thingy can be defeated with a gummy
bear.

[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/05/16/gummi_bears_defeat_f...](http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/05/16/gummi_bears_defeat_fingerprint_sensors/)

[http://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-and-
threats/apple...](http://www.darkreading.com/vulnerabilities-and-
threats/apple-iphone-5s-fooled-by-fake-finger/d/d-id/1111637)?

------
vostok
These keyboards are so unpleasant. At one point I wished I could get keycaps
printed for a different keyboard, but now it doesn't matter as I've memorized
the keys anyway.

------
jacobolus
These keyboards are ergonomically awful: an undifferentiated mass of
completely flat buttons, with crappy keyswitches. Makes them slow and error
prone. You can tell no one involved in the design process spent any time
thinking about human hand anatomy. On the upside, production costs should be
pretty cheap.

People making devices for “professionals” should take inspiration from
keyboards produced in the 1970s–80s, which are generally much nicer than
anything on the market today.

In the same general market, WEY makes much nicer keyboards than Bloomberg,
e.g. [http://www.weytec.com/en/products/wey-
keyboards/mk06-keyboar...](http://www.weytec.com/en/products/wey-
keyboards/mk06-keyboard/highlights/)

~~~
bullfightonmars
> keyboards produced in the 1970s–80s, which are generally much nicer than
> anything on the market today.

If you haven't picked up on it there has been a resurgence in
engineering/design around mechanical keyboards. From switch design to keycaps
and board layouts.

* Boards like the KBC Pok3r, the Happy Hacking Keyboard Professional2 are readily available on Amazon. And novel designs like the Ergodox or The White Fox are available through group buys on massdrop or desk authority.

* Keycaps of many makes and profiles are being designed from a couple companies, designed by enthusiasts for group buys and made Signature Plastics and Tai-Hao.

* Mechanical Switches are being made by the Cherry which has been around forever, as well as new entrants Gateron and Kailh

Check out r/MechanicalKeyboards there is a lot of interesting stuff going on.

~~~
jacobolus
Yes, I have been an active member of geekhack and deskthority for a few years
and have way more ebay keyboard purchases than I need cluttering up my closet,
have tried pretty much every ergonomic keyboard ever mass produced, have
designed keycap legends for Massdrop and proofed various Signature Plastics
designs, have prototyped a couple dozen novel ergonomic keyboards, am friends
with the keyboard.io and input.club people, suggested some ideas to Matias
about their ErgoPro before it shipped, etc.

The point remains though, the keyswitches and keycaps common in the 1970s are
much nicer than Cherry MX or its clones, or anything easily available today.
All the currently available keycap profiles are noticeably worse than e.g. the
profile IBM used on Selectric typewriters or beam spring keyboards in the
1970s.

As far as keycaps are concerned, you might enjoy these little props I made
last year: [http://i.imgur.com/kFxqOm8.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/kFxqOm8.jpg)
[http://i.imgur.com/M3tQybL.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/M3tQybL.jpg)

My own preferred fix to the Ergodox concept is something along the lines of
[http://i.imgur.com/puH1Ge4.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/puH1Ge4.jpg) (ignore the
legends; my keymap is unrelated)

------
CaHoop
I used a bloomberg terminal at work. Yes it is a bit annoying if you dont use
it everyday, but it is really nice when you get used to it. It has nice
chicklets which have more action than a mac one.

------
princeb
I have been thinking about getting a filco mech keyboard to replace the
bloomberg keyboard at work - and I would just need to make custom keycaps with
the yellow keywords printed on the f keys, but i'm just wondering what do i do
with the row above the f keys- menu, news, message, and the fractional
shortcuts - those seem quite important to me too.

oh yes and the fingerprint reader too that i forgot. what a pain.

------
syngrog66
On a related note does anyone have recommendations for free/open CLI tools or
APIs for accessing public financial data? Ideally also executing trades.

And no, I don't think I could build my own little hedge fund, or beat the
market, but it would be interesting to know what one could build on top of if
one wanted to try that. Or build custom info dashboards.

------
cannam
Just looking at that page gave me an irresistible flashback to the legendary
Elan Enterprise home computer:

[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/10/24/elan_flan_enterprise...](http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/10/24/elan_flan_enterprise_micro_is_30_years_old/)

------
AstroJetson
Why not a OLED or similar keyboard that displays the special keys? They are
after a small space on the desk being able to remap the keys would be a huge
bonus. Back in 2013 people demoed these, I would think that now they would be
something that would fit in Bloombergs price range

------
whatok
Really hoping my older white one doesn't break. Love how loud the keys are.

~~~
h1srf
The white ones feel indestructible. The newer black ones just seem flimsy to
me.

------
digi_owl
While the keyboard seems like you bog standard one except for an extra row
above the function keys, i find the terminals themselves interesting.

This in that the UI reminds me of one of the tile based ones found on *nix.

------
jsprogrammer
> To authenticate your access to the Bloomberg Professional service, your
> finger image is scanned and associated with your account.

Does that mean that anyone with a picture of my finger can access my account?

------
spoinkaroo
Strange title, this looks like the current keyboard I use. On a side note, the
new keyboard is much lighter and feels cheaper than the older ones, which used
to be made of heavier duty metal.

------
rodionos
One-key functions is nice but there is more to be done:

1) Voice controls, e.g. Amazon Echo

2) Pluggable custom key extension sideboard decoupled for the main keyboard so
that extension board can be easily customized.

~~~
JBReefer
You don't want to be speaking orders or audibly asking questions about
securities in many, if not most, situations

~~~
rodionos
I think entering orders manually is a use case that is getting obsolete very
quickly. There are plenty of use caes outside of trading. How about calling a
chart for a ticker, e.g. Equity AAPL GO

------
loup-vaillant
The sheer quality of the marketing video is eerie. It elicited a mix of
fascination and disgust I don't get to experience often.

------
mephi5t0
They need to upgrade terminal itself, not the keyboard. Anyone who works at BB
will tell you how outdated their stack is

------
bonaldi
Not mentioned here are the built-in speakers. Exclusive to Bloomberg, those,
as they have a patent on it.

------
erikb
"hardware is more expensive to produce than software"

This was posted as a joke here, right? People here actually know tech (and
therefore don't believe stuff like the quote) and many people may never have
heard of a brand for Wallstreet guys (so no impact from the "big" name, at
least from all people I showed this to and laughed about it together).

------
0003
I was really hoping for built-in hand sanitizer. Maybe next time.

------
mapcars
Modern keyboard with 100-years old keys alignment. WOW.

