I received my TREG TextBlade unit today, so these are my first impressions.
Firstly, a disclaimer: I'm typing this on my regular Apple keyboard - I have tested out the Textblade but have only typed a few sentences on it. It does take some getting used to because the keys are so close together. I'm sure I'll adapt to it quickly, but I wanted to take a few photos and get my thoughts out of my head quickly.
First thought: this thing actually EXISTS. I admit to having doubts - I ordered in March 2015 and it's been a long time. I popped into the forums here and there to see if there were any updates, and there were times that I questioned whether it made sense to continue waiting. I couldn't find anything out there that was as small, though, so I decided to just sit it out and hope for the best. I'm truly grateful to have been picked for the TREG group, and I know how frustrating it must be for other people waiting for this gizmo.
I put together a photo album of the unboxing and first few minutes here:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/CtvgrtzX2Wo9obs03
Initial impressions are that it's exceptionally small and light. It feels solid but the weight of the thing makes me fearful of breaking it. That said, it may be just the initial caution of trying out a new device - I'm usually really careful with anything new, so it may just be me. The hardware is absolutely beautiful, as is the packaging. It's all first-class.
The lights on the spaceblade are pretty cool - it's amazing how much information some flashing LEDs can convey.
I'm bound by the TREG agreement not to disclose the 'early adopter' gift (this is why the box text is blocked out on in my photo, but I will say that it's something that will be appreciated by everybody who has ordered and waited (and waited and waited) for this new device.
Setup was a breeze. I didn't need to check any documentation, and within a few minutes I had it connected to my phone, iPad, and Macbook in the first three 'jump' slots. The jumps truly are excellent - bouncing between devices is super fast. It was charged out of the box and ready to go, so I didn't need to charge it. Actually, as I write this I realize I should probably confirm that the charger attachment is present...
Yup, it's there, tucked into the space bar - it pops out when you knock the spaceblade against your palm.
I had no real issues getting it set up and connected to my Mac and iOS devices - the only thing I needed to fiddle with was the hardware keyboard settings on my iPhone and iPad - I use Colemak as my key layout, and the "hardware keyboard" setting in the iOS devices was set to Colemak. It made more sense to switch the layout using the maps in the Textblade app. I'll bring it with me to work tomorrow and pair it to my work computer (Windows), but I suspect it'll be just as easy. Really it's just a matter of holding down the buttons corresponding to the "slot" and putting the TB into pairing mode, and then following whatever pairing requirements are needed for that system.
Changing maps was pretty quick and easy - just select the new map, and it prompts you to choose which jump slots to use for that map. I switched all my slots to Colemak.
I have my 'walkthrough' call with WayTools tomorrow night, so hopefully by then I'll have a chance to practice typing and acclimatizing my fingers to the smaller set of keys.
I haven't had the thing long enough to come across any problems or glitches. I'm hopeful that I don't find any, because that'll speed release to get this thing into more people's hands.
If anybody has questions I'd be happy to answer them.