If Apple has proven anything with their incredible run during the past ten years or so, it’s the fact that people love good-looking objects. It doesn’t matter how utilitarian an object is, people are going to like it a whole lot better if it’s all manners of pretty. Same goes with that ever-essential computing peripheral, the humble keyboard, which, we have to admit, just looks a whole lot more exciting when it takes the form of the Oree Board 2.
The second generation of the company’s full-size wooden keyboard, it gives the familiar desktop accessory an undeniably refined and sophisticated feel that’s a refreshing break from the colorful LED backlighting you’ll typically get with traditional premium keyboards. Sure, we doubt it will type any better than the mechanical keys on high-end gaming keyboards, but you can, at least, spend every minute of the workday admiring how beautiful the keys are as you type.
The Oree Board 2 is a handcrafted keyboard that’s fashioned from a single piece of solid wood (your choice of maple or walnut), which it uses for both the case and the actual keys. Naturally, it’s got the traditional set of electronics underneath the all-wood façade, but all exposed sections are made from the unusual keyboard material (save for the light-up LED indicators, of course). Each one comes coated in a food-safe varnish that’s designed to protect the wood against casual stains, with a sanded-down surface that’s totally smooth to the touch.  It pairs with all OS X, iOS, and Windows devices via Bluetooth, drawing power from two AA batteries that can last five months on normal use.
Available now, the Oree Board 2 is priced at $190.