I tried OpenAI’s new AI keyboard – which will be fun for some coders and confusing for everyone.

OpenAI launched its first piece of hardware last week – a nifty little keyboard designed to pair with ChatGPT. The Micro, which was developed in collaboration with the specialist keyboard designer Work Louder, is actually a new workplace that will be loved by many technology enthusiasts and can leave everyone a little confused.

OpenAI’s entry into the hardware market has not come without drama. A few weeks ago, Apple sued the AI ​​lab and accused it of trade theft – starting what is sure to be a protracted legal battle. Meanwhile, news of another smart home product being developed at OpenAI has also raised eyebrows, as the said tool – designed to pair with ChatGPT – was reportedly developed by former Apple engineers.

Until the legal battle succeeds and OpenAI’s broader ambitions for hardware materialize, most startups have to offer the Micro – a fun little keyboard clearly designed to entertain code monkeys in the tech industry.

OpenAI sent TechCrunch a small test unit. The first big thing you notice when handling the keypad is that it’s a sturdy little device – enough so that if the AI ​​thing doesn’t end up working, it can easily double as a paperweight. Another thing you might notice (and I’m not the only one who pointed this out), is that the packaging – a pure white box with a crisp, clean aesthetic – has a nice Apple code. Do what you want.

The keypad layout includes six “agent” buttons frozen across the top of the pad, which can be customized to perform specific functions within ChatGPT or its Codex agent tool. Below it are six command keys, which can be used to control those programs. You can pair your Micro with your computer via a Bluetooth connection or via a USB cable.

Perhaps the most convenient thing that Micro offers is the voice command button – which means you simply tell the app what you want it to do and it will get busy doing it for you. Just hold the call button and start talking. When you’re done, tap the “submit” button next to it to submit your request.

You can customize your Micro keypad within ChatGPT itself, where the Micro tab allows you to adjust everything from the lighting of the keys to the specific commands and projects you want bound to those keys.

Hard codes – the device’s target audience – have not received it well. Redditors’ reviews are pretty negative, with one Reddit user calling it “just a game and not a real product,” and others saying the core codes won’t touch it. The review of the small independent store Aftermath was even more difficult, calling the $230 price tag hard to justify next to cheap DIY and off-the-shelf alternatives. (The title of that review: “OpenAI’s expensive macropad feels designed to outright annoy me.”)

Of course, new users may need time to figure out how Micro works and what to do with it.

Once I figured out how to program the keypad to my liking, I discovered that it was actually quite fun. You can assign different ChatGPT sessions to specific keys, allowing you to easily switch back and forth between all of your various projects. When you combine that with the call button, it makes the whole experience more efficient and enjoyable.

But there is still a learning curve. Micro buttons are color coded. White means the agent is not working, blue means its thinking, green means the job has finished, and red means an error has occurred. You’ll need to remember that, as well as memorize which specific projects are coded for each key.

The big question is whether the Micro keyboard is easier to use than continuing to work on your laptop. In short: Why spend a week learning how to program and use this thing when I can already use my computer’s mouse and keyboard?

Ultimately, your experience with Micro will largely depend on how much you use ChatGPT. Since I don’t use AI much day to day, I’m probably not the target audience.

That said, if you’re a ChatGPT power user, you’ve got $230 to spare, and as old-fashioned looking desktops with clickable buttons go, the Micro probably isn’t the worst purchase you can make – it might even brighten your day a bit.