Epomaker's new $70 keyboard is a contortionist's dream layout

Epomaker has launched the Alice40, a 40% mechanical keyboard priced at $69.99. It features the ergonomic 'Alice' layout, which splits the alpha keys into two clusters, but adds a unique 'columnar stagger' where keys are vertically offset instead of the usual row-based staggering. A knob sits between the two halves, and the plastic case includes flip-out feet for angle adjustment and a gasket-mounted design packed with sound-damping foam.

For typists diving into the compact keyboard world, this offers a specific flavor of ergonomics aimed at aligning keys with natural finger movement, a step beyond the standard Alice layout. However, the real takeaway is the delightful absurdity of the niche-meets-niche market: a 40% board (already missing a number row and many keys) now with an extra layer of anatomical optimization, proving that in the mechanical keyboard hobby, there's always another rabbit hole—or in this case, a very specific, knob-adorned, Alice-shaped hole—to fall into.