28-Key Mechanical Keyboard
github.com
28-Key Mechanical Keyboard
1–10 of 149 posts
Re: 28-Key Mechanical Keyboard
#2I don't get the obsession with custom keyboard with ever fewer keys. If I designed one, if anything it would have at least a few more modifier keys that a standard keyboard.
Re: 28-Key Mechanical Keyboard
#3I don't get the obsession with custom keyboard with ever fewer keys. If I designed one, if anything it would have at least a few more modifier keys that a standard keyboard.
Fewer keys often means more modifiers (if not going to such an extreme as here). That way you can make room for numpad, F-keys or odd keys like page-up or end etc..
Re: 28-Key Mechanical Keyboard
#4I don't get the obsession with custom keyboard with ever fewer keys. If I designed one, if anything it would have at least a few more modifier keys that a standard keyboard.
While this keyboard is too small for me personally, something like a 40% or a 60% is doable since they retain the modifier keys. These keyboard sizes are great for traveling or taking somewhere with a laptop to give a "proper" keyboard experience without being overly bulky.
Keyboards with support for custom firmware (https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/) can also greatly increase the functions of normally single-use keys at the cost of a steeper learning curve.
Re: 28-Key Mechanical Keyboard
#5I like smaller profile keyboards (I use a 60% and an ergodox clone), but I don't think I could ever use this few keys comfortably. Maybe with some creative QMK layers and triggers on the alphas, but anything less than a 40% and it's got to be more of a pain than it's worth IMO
Re: 28-Key Mechanical Keyboard
#6I don't get the obsession with custom keyboard with ever fewer keys. If I designed one, if anything it would have at least a few more modifier keys that a standard keyboard.
This one has too few keys for me, but I love the minimal cuteness of these tiny keyboards.
Re: 28-Key Mechanical Keyboard
#7I don't get the obsession with custom keyboard with ever fewer keys. If I designed one, if anything it would have at least a few more modifier keys that a standard keyboard.
Fewer keys often means more modifiers (if not going to such an extreme as here). That way you can make room for numpad, F-keys or odd keys like page-up or end etc..
True, but unfortunately those extra modifiers are now used up for getting the original keyboard back. If you want to do, e.g. Control-Shift-Arrow to select text, you now have to use even more modifiers. I'm currently using a Razer Anansi which is a full size keyboard with extra modifier keys under the space bar. Combined with AutoHotKey and Caps Lock, I can select text with the keyboard without moving away from home row. E.g. CapsLock + Ctrl(thumb) + Shift(thumb) + L does Control-Shift-RightArrow.
I do wish full size keyboards stopped wasting so much space with the space bar though, the way small keyboards do. That would put more modifier keys in the reach of your thumbs.
Re: 28-Key Mechanical Keyboard
#8I don't get the obsession with custom keyboard with ever fewer keys. If I designed one, if anything it would have at least a few more modifier keys that a standard keyboard.
Fewer keys often means more modifiers (if not going to such an extreme as here). That way you can make room for numpad, F-keys or odd keys like page-up or end etc..
My main drivers are 40% split keyboards, which usually mean between 42 to 48 keys. Even with just one additional layer (other than the default one) you have enough keys for numbers and symbols. If you are in need of f keys or media keys maybe you need three layers in total. Takes a bit to get used to the fact that some symbols don’t need shift to be activated but rather are in a different place but it’s not too long of a process.
That been said, I honestly can’t imagine how you’d write code with 28 keys. I assume this is for some sort of steno.
Re: 28-Key Mechanical Keyboard
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
Fewer keys often means more modifiers (if not going to such an extreme as here). That way you can make room for numpad, F-keys or odd keys like page-up or end etc..
True, but unfortunately those extra modifiers are now used up for getting the original keyboard back. If you want to do, e.g. Control-Shift-Arrow to select text, you now have to use even more modifiers. I'm currently using a Razer Anansi which is a full size keyboard with extra modifier keys under the space bar. Combined with AutoHotKey and Caps Lock, I can select text with the keyboard without moving away from home…
Japanese keyboards have a tiny spacebar and a couple extra modifier keys for writing Japanese Characters. I have a Japanese ThinkPad external keyboard that I ordered for using the extra thumb keys, but I haven't started using it yet.
Re: 28-Key Mechanical Keyboard
#10I don't get the obsession with custom keyboard with ever fewer keys. If I designed one, if anything it would have at least a few more modifier keys that a standard keyboard.
I think a certain amount of it is just a fascination with minimalism for the sake of it and clever firmware tricks, but one argument for it is ergonomics.
Simply: fewer keys means less travel for your wrists and fingers, albeit (as someone mentioned) at the cost of a steeper learning curve in order to master the layer-switching and dual-use keys that you need to make such a small keyboard work. Germ, designer of the Gergo split-ergo keyboard that I currently use at home, has a good post on it here: https://blog.gboards.ca/2019/11/on-gergoplex-and-updates-let...