Behind the Keys: The Design and Engineering of the WhiteFox Eclipse

Meet the Keyboard for Creators

We’re thrilled to take you on a journey behind the scenes of the WhiteFox Eclipse, a keyboard that wasn’t built to fulfill a cost objective but to fulfill a mission. Our aim is to explore and celebrate the path that led us here, the choices we made in design and functionality, and what you can look forward to in the future. This blog post is just the beginning; we've got a whole series lined up to dig deeper into every facet of this amazing keyboard.

A New Vision for Mechanical Keyboards

At Alpaca Keyboards, we embarked on a mission far beyond the ordinary. Our goal wasn’t to design just any keyboard but the ultimate tool for creators—an incredible blend of superb typing, exceptional sound, wireless connectivity, cross-platform compatibility, and unparalleled ease of customization.

Making Cross-Platform Compatibility a Reality

Ah, Mac users—lovers of seamless design and plug-and-play functionality. Yet when it comes to mechanical keyboards, they're like guests at a party who discover there's nothing for them to eat. They're often forced to cobble together make-shift solutions, feeling like second-class citizens in the mechanical keyboard world. Picture this: you’re a Mac user, knee-deep in forums, practically begging for compatibility advice. You download one firmware hack after another, each a roll of the dice that risks bricking your beloved keyboard. Not anymore. We developed new firmware to ensure that the WhiteFox Eclipse is fully compatible with PC and Mac operating systems right out of the box.

No-Tool Customization for the Perfect Sound

You know the drill, or rather, you're tired of actually needing one. Customizing a keyboard's sound usually feels like performing surgery—requiring precision, tools, and time you simply don't have. With traditional keyboards, it's like cracking open a safe just to adjust the click of a key. The WhiteFox Eclipse is different: our magnetic gasket-mounted design makes your keyboard float within its case. Lift it up—no tools, no sweat—and you're in. Enjoy tool-free tinkering so straightforward it feels like magic.

Bringing Bluetooth to Customizable Keyboards

You’re caught between a rock and a hard place. On one side, there's the dream of ultimate keyboard customization—macros that streamline your workflow, layers that intuitively switch between functions, hotkeys that obey your every command, and RGB customization that sets the mood perfectly. On the other side, there's the undeniable allure of wireless freedom, the Bluetooth-enabled world where your desk isn't a snarl of entangling cables. In the current market, these two worlds are galaxies apart, as if choosing one means exiling yourself from the other. But now, we've shattered that barrier with the WhiteFox Eclipse. Our groundbreaking firmware unites these divided realms, allowing you to cut the cords without cutting the features.

Machined Aluminum Anodized Case

Have you ever felt like the Goldilocks of the keyboard world, perpetually searching for a case that's "just right"? The market has been a one-size-fits-all game, leaving you to settle for something that aligns with a manufacturer's singular vision rather than your own unique preferences. Some folks are die-hard fans of plastic's lightweight charm, while others lust for the cool, industrial allure of machined aluminum. And let's not forget the eternal debate between low-profile and high-profile designs. With most keyboards, you're stuck with whatever case you get, but not with the WhiteFox Eclipse. Our game-changing, modular design incorporates a floating gasket structure, making it ludicrously easy to swap out one case for another. We offer three meticulously crafted options: a lightweight low-profile plastic, a high-profile anodized machined aluminum, and a low-profile anodized machined aluminum.

What’s Next?

After seven months filled with numerous machined metal prototypes and discoveries, we’re ecstatic to announce that the first batch of WhiteFox Eclipse keyboards is close to being shipped. Over the following weeks we’ll share our incredible journey of bringing the WhiteFox Eclipse to life. Here’s what you can expect:

Modernizing the WhiteFox: Discover the quality-of-life upgrades we've integrated and why they eclipse other keyboards.
The Aluminum Odyssey: Learn about the intricate process of adding machined aluminum cases to our Kickstarter campaign and the months we spent perfecting them.
Software Synergy: Get the scoop on the proprietary firmware that makes the WhiteFox Eclipse a breeze to set up on both Mac and PC, right out of the box.
The Eclipse Ecosystem: Find out how we’re planning to take the WhiteFox Eclipse from a one-off product to a continually evolving ecosystem.

We’ve poured our hearts into creating the WhiteFox Eclipse, and this is just the start. Stay tuned: we can’t wait to show you why the keyboard for creators is the best keyboard you’ll ever own.

Team Alpaca Keyboards