My Mechanical Keyboard • Hacker News Board

Re: My Mechanical Keyboard

#151

Post by wolrah » Sun, Oct 30, 2016, 4:41 PM UTC

agret wrote: post #30

Skunkleton wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am typing on one of those right now. I love mine, it is just like the model m, but it has a windows key and USB.

Does it come with a PS2->USB adapter so you can connect it via a PS2 port? Better input handling than USB :)

> Better input handling than USB :)

A common misconception. The USB HID Keyboard Boot Protocol, aka the lowest-common-denominator mode, is very limited and is where this belief comes from. 6KRO + modifiers, limited refresh rate, etc.

This mode is only required for compatibility with certain BIOSes and pre-USB operating systems, though some "gaming" keyboards start in this mode and only switch when they've been twiddled by their driver because a subset of those certain BIOSes won't even boot properly with a keyboard that goes beyond the boot protocol connected.

When booted to a remotely modern OS that has a full featured HID Keyboard driver it can support NKRO, up to 1000Hz refresh rates, etc. and as far as I'm aware is able to match or beat PS/2 in all ways.

Re: My Mechanical Keyboard

#152

Post by somestag » Sun, Oct 30, 2016, 4:45 PM UTC

SquareWheel wrote: post #126

Void_ wrote: post #95

This is some amazing writing. I couldn't care less about what kind of keyboard I use, but I kept reading and reading because this was just so easy to read. Can anybody explain why what made this such a good read? Or point me in a direction where I can improve my own writing?

I guess I'll be the contrarian today, but honestly I found his writing to be needlessly long and meandering. I felt I already knew what he was going to say (based on the title alone), but it took dozens of paragraphs to get to the meat of it. The history with previous Apple devices didn't seem all that necessary to get to the real point at the end. Maybe I'm just more impatient as a reader?

It's totally fine to have a different opinion. When you went into the article, you expected to read something about the author's mechanical keyboard. The article was instead about technology that diverged from the author's tastes. Even I—someone who really liked the style—found myself wondering halfway through when the mechanical keyboard would come into play. It was only relevant for a couple paragraphs at the end, despite being the title of the piece.

Title considerations aside, I'd say the lead-up was more important than the conclusion. The article could be summed up in a single idea: Apple's keyboards are less enjoyable to type on than mechanical keyboards. However, the article isn't really about the superiority of mechanical keyboards; it's about how a loyalist can gradually become disillusioned with the decisions a company makes. Although Apple is ostensibly headed in the same direction as it was a decade ago, not everyone appreciates the trend of its technology. The issue is subtle, as each customer will have a different preferred feature mix. The meandering is important because it makes up the essence of the author's story.

Re: My Mechanical Keyboard

#153

Post by mamcx » Sun, Oct 30, 2016, 4:53 PM UTC

tetraodonpuffer wrote: post #121

I just wish somebody made an MS natural keyboard with mechanical keys and an extra 25 or so programmable function keys (row above normal fn keys, double row of 5 vertical keys to the left of caps/shift/...)

I'm trying (sadly, a total noob about this!)

https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/59r6wg...

However, MS update the line:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/accessories/surface-...

Is sad is not mech.

Re: My Mechanical Keyboard

#154

Post by cm3 » Sun, Oct 30, 2016, 4:54 PM UTC

digler999 wrote: post #143

cm3 wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IBM used to make tenkeyless Model M's, wish Unicomp would offer the same since I'm very used to having the mouse closer to my hands. Then I could give a Model M a serious try, having used Cherry MXes for two decades, with the occasional one day excursion on a Sun or HP workstation keyboard.

you can get a 10-keyless Daskeyboard for $99 http://www.daskeyboard.com/daskeyboard-4C-ultimate/

I have tenkeyless cherry mx keyboard already, but I know there have been tenkeyless model M's in the past, which is what I was interested in.

Re: My Mechanical Keyboard

#155

Post by khyryk » Sun, Oct 30, 2016, 5:15 PM UTC

noir_lord wrote: post #76

renke1 wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My favorite keyboard is an external Thinkpad keyboard [1]. I can't live without a TrackPoint because I never have to leave the home row with it! [1] https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F3U4TQS/

I keep looking at those and thinking about getting one, do they really feel like the old Thinkpad keyboards in use?

Not quite up to par with my T450s keyboard, but still pretty good. I think the trackpoint is worth it.

Re: My Mechanical Keyboard

#156

Post by sixothree » Sun, Oct 30, 2016, 5:31 PM UTC

michaelgrafl wrote: post #77

I don't know or care if mechanical keyboards increase my typing speed and/or precision, but they feel great and make me enjoy work more. If I can choose between a rocky desk and a sturdy one, I'll choose the latter, although they both do the job sufficiently well for my needs. A few months ago I got myself a tenkeyless with brown Cherry MX switches, and I am getting a second one now, because I can't be bothered to ty…

As a programmer I am disappointed with the lack of innovation in mechanical keyboards. They all look the same and have extremely similar layouts.

What I could really use is some navigation keys to the left of the keyboard; maybe two columns of keys that are programmable; any innovation actually would be nice.

Re: My Mechanical Keyboard

#157

Post by gnarbarian » Sun, Oct 30, 2016, 5:32 PM UTC

fredmorcos wrote: post #108

gnarbarian wrote: post #40

If he likes those red (linear non tactile) switches so much He's going to go nuts when he tries a nice set of blues or browns.

I like red switches and I hate browns and blues. What the hell are you talking about?

You're the first person I met who does. With a linear red switch there is no tactile bump or click when the key passes through the actuation point.

Re: My Mechanical Keyboard

#158

Post by joshu » Sun, Oct 30, 2016, 5:53 PM UTC

/r/mechanicalkeyboards' wiki and deskauthority have been significant in my keyboard addiction.

Re: My Mechanical Keyboard

#159

Post by rdtsc » Sun, Oct 30, 2016, 5:56 PM UTC

Freak_NL wrote: post #66

rdtsc wrote: post #10

I think people always are easily obsessed and get attached to things they touch. Those things becomes extensions of themselves. I am that way about my smart phone, keyboard and headphones. I could replace the monitor tomorrow without thinking twice about it. Get a new hard drive, new router, even a new a new laptop because I don't touch but use an external keyboard. But, as soon as my IBM Model M keyboard stopped wor…

> It is completely irrational spending all this time on it, but it am really attached to that particular keyboard. Nostalgia and/or emotional attachment aside, I think you can actually rationalize repairing it: ① Knowledge and skills. Repairing stuff increases your understanding of the things you use on a daily basis. ② Emotional reward. Successfully repairing something is simply satisfying. ③ Environmentalism. You m…

You are right. It was fun with a good sense of accomplishment at the end. On point 1, I was thinking quite a bit about how they used to make and how quality and assembly was different back then. Saw how some materials aged better than others. There was a thin rubber sheet between the keys and the membrane, I would expect after 30 years it would have been falling apart, but it was in great shape.

Re: My Mechanical Keyboard

#160

Post by endemic » Sun, Oct 30, 2016, 6:06 PM UTC

mojuba wrote: post #74

It seems to me, the latest wave of disappointed Apple fans who declare their break up is a sign of something interesting. It means you picked up Apple in the 2000s, but you can't keep up anymore. It might just be that Apple is moving forward, you are not. Just as a hypothesis. Time will show.

I'm not sure if this is Apple "moving forward" or simply engendering more consumer cynicism. Thin laptops are nice. But so thin that the RAM has to be soldered on the logic board, and you have to pay a premium up-front to get the specs you want? The touch strip looks nice, but it's adding at least $300 to the price of each machine. I don't think we've seen $300 worth of potential value yet, so the feature looks like a consumer-unfriendly money grab.