I just set up my tilde key to change the right half of my keyboard to a numpad when held down, so I'm not missing anything. Seems like a good tradeoff.

I'm waiting for a keyboard with eink key caps because I struggle to remember where all of these invisible keys are.

Ah, reminds of the Optimus Maximus: https://vimeo.com/4294567

I also remember owning a Samsung Alias 2, which had e-ink keys so you could use it in either vertical or horizontal orientation.

The problem with all the existing products is they seem to be crowdfunding scams or they are essentially some clear plastic domes over a large touchscreen eink panel. I'm guessing that no one is able to source the 1x1cm eink screens that would be needed for a mechanical version.

Small screens on buttons are somewhat readily available: https://www.mikroe.com/oled-switch-click

They are $100 each though.

And you still couldn't cram that inside a key cap. I'm starting to think the only way this could possibly be built with current tech is a regular keyboard with white keycaps and a projector. But this idea is getting more and more insane and the macbook touchbar is sounding like a better idea.

Wow, that is steeeep.

Cooler master has a keyboard which they call a hybrid ten key less where they combines the numpad with the arrow and home buttons. There are probably other brands with a similar layout, seems like a good compromise.

I use a ten key less keyboard so I can put the mouse closer to it.

https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/cdn.coolermaster.com/asse...

https://www.coolermaster.com/catalog/peripheral/keyboards/ma...

That's interesting, how do you pick which one you want to use?

I had it set up so that pressing caps down enables num lock, releasing turns off numlock. This is great unit you need to use Remote Desktop, since the autohotkey script doesn't work remotely. So now I bought a new keyboard with a numpad.

Ah, right. I can recommend a QMK-based keyboard, even just the scriptability is worth it.

Numlock.

That sounds like a good compromise.