Microsuction Removed From BulletTrain eXpress Keyboard Platform Second Production Run

Update, October 20, 2019: I have been experimenting like crazy and talking with customers about the removal of Microsuction from the BulletTrain eXpress Keyboard Platform. I have come up with a new solution that will replace the Microsuction. Ironically, the first generation of BulletTrain eXpress Keyboard Platforms used this 3M product, and it worked perfectly!

Also, you can purchase the Scotch Restickable Mini Tabs very inexpensively at many drug stores, and Amazon sells a pack of 72 for $3.56. We will soon be adding these to all the BulletTrain eXpress Keyboard Platforms we have in-stock, at which time I will update this article, and likely remove it.

Microsuction Feature Removed From 

BulletTrain eXpress Keyboard Platform

Second Production Run

We just finished the second production run of the BulletTrain eXpress Keyboard Platform and I wanted to share one design characteristic I changed. I made the decision to remove the 8 circular Microsuction discs each eXpress had, and here are the reasons:

1. Many Customers didn’t to use them, or have a need to use them. I learned this from talking to many customers.

2. Many Customers didn’t even realize they were a feature.

3. It was confusing for many customers who were not familiar with how Microsuciton works.

4. Microsuction is great in many products, but with the eXpress Keyboard Platform becasue of the angles it had a tendency to hold too well, making it a challenge to remove the keyboard and trackpad. Often times after removing the keyboard and mouse, the Microsuction would get torn and become useless. This was the issue that most influenced my decision to remove it.

5. As a designer my goal is to design products that are so intuitive and simple they don't require any kind of instructions to use, and that is now the case with the eXpress Keyboard Platform.

The sole purpose of the Microsuction was that if you regularly travel with the express or move it around in a home or office the keyboard and trackpad could not fall out on the floor by mistake. The issue is that when populated with the keyboard and trackpad, an average person would probably assume it was a whole keyboard and if they were to pick it up and turn it upside down by mistake the Microsuction would stop the keyboard and trackpad from falling by accident.

That being said, we have two great Do It Yourself Solutions that work well, are super easy, and invisible for keeping the Apple Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad from falling:


OPTION 1: The first option is to use regular Scotch tape on the bottom of your eXpress to basically tape the Apple Keyboard and Trackpad in place as seen in the photo below. Doing so makes it so no matter what you can easily remove them if you so desire.

Option 2: The second solution requires double-sided tape as seen in the photo below. You simply put in four pieces of tape, then install the Apple Keyboard and Trackpad on top of them, and press down in the areas where the tape is located to form a stronger bond.

Also, when I first designed the most current generation of the eXpress Keyboard I thought people would never have a need to remove their Apple Magic Keyboard and trackpad once installed, but I found myself wanting to do so on rare occasions as it made it much easier to clean between the edges of the trackpad and keyboard, if something got stuck there by mistake like crumbs or dust.