Maybe I have just developed a certain habit, but after having compared mechanical keyboards with the standard Apple external keyboard, I definitely prefer the flat profile of Apple keyboards over the deep clicky travel of mechanical keyboards, especially if one uses an external touchpad rather than a mouse.
Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?
351–360 of 413 posts
Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?
#352Earlier quoted context omitted.
Hasu controller is literally a game changer!!
What do you use yours for? I love my FC660C but I really wish I could store all my Karabiner mods on it. Like double shift for caps lock, or caps lock as escape when pressed alone but control as a modifier.
The controller comes with the TMK firmware, but the real way to use it is to put the fork of TMK, QMK [0], on it.
You can do pretty much anything you can think of. Tap for escape and hold for Ctrl on Caps Lock is in fact something I got on mine. I also coded it for function keys on double tap for the number row, F13 on tap and F14 on double tap on the left corner key (Left Ctrl or Caps Lock depending on your preference) etc. And that's really basic, people put whole macros in there.
[0]: https://qmk.fm
Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?
#353I have the privilege of owning a Happy Hacking 2, it has topre keys. I used it for about a year. And I hated it! It's insanely noisy, to the point of distraction. It's so damn loud. But the dealbreaker for me is how heavy and deep the keys are. It's just too much energy and travel time for efficient typing IMO. After long sessions my fingertips felt sore from the blunt damage of pushing down the keys. But I'll recogn…
I never understood regular mechanical keyboards either - the fact that the switches are so thick, makes the whole assembly thick, which forces your wrists into a stress position - which is uncomfortable and I'm pretty sure will lead to wrist problems down the line. This also applies to thick "gaming" or "workstation" laptops as well. Call me an unwashed casual, but the most comfortable typing experience for me is on a Macbook. The fact that it's thin, the keys have little travel depth, and take very little to actuate allows me to comfortably type for extended periods of time.
Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?
#354Maybe I have just developed a certain habit, but after having compared mechanical keyboards with the standard Apple external keyboard, I definitely prefer the flat profile of Apple keyboards over the deep clicky travel of mechanical keyboards, especially if one uses an external touchpad rather than a mouse.
You can go low profile with various switches on any layout, even attaching trackpoint or trackball module. Many designs are open source these days thanks to many MK designer/developers.
Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?
#355I have the privilege of owning a Happy Hacking 2, it has topre keys. I used it for about a year. And I hated it! It's insanely noisy, to the point of distraction. It's so damn loud. But the dealbreaker for me is how heavy and deep the keys are. It's just too much energy and travel time for efficient typing IMO. After long sessions my fingertips felt sore from the blunt damage of pushing down the keys. But I'll recogn…
I never understood regular mechanical keyboards either - the fact that the switches are so thick, makes the whole assembly thick, which forces your wrists into a stress position - which is uncomfortable and I'm pretty sure will lead to wrist problems down the line. This also applies to thick "gaming" or "workstation" laptops as well. Call me an unwashed casual, but the most comfortable typing experience for me is on…
Keychron has low profile models.
Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?
#356Earlier quoted context omitted.
I agree so much!! I've tried my best to like mechanical keyboards... but no, I hate them. The noise is distracting, they require too much strength on every key, and they are big and expansive! I thought I might have the wrong keytypes, so I even purchased key testers: the red keys are less noisy, but that doesn't solve the other problems. So I just can't find a reason to like them. My favorite keyboard is the Thinkpa…
Exactly the same sentiment. My yearlong experiment to try to love mechanical keyboards left me with a thousand euro hole in my wallet and physical problems spanning from fingers to upper body musculature. I loved the tactile feel, but hated what they did to my body. I think mechanical keyboards are just too high, with excessive travel. You sort of have to keep your hands floating in the air, which transfers stress to…
> Second issue, perhaps I'm a poor typist, but my fingertips frequently got stuck between the keys, causing mistakes by triggering adjacent keys.
To me this is one of benefits of harder to press keys: Accidentally touching a key is not enough to trigger them but intentional keypresses go through. It's the same difference as between piano and light synth keyboard. The thing about long travel is part avoiding accidental keypresses but also that you don't have to press the key to bottom and can avoid the jolt.
Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?
#357I have the privilege of owning a Happy Hacking 2, it has topre keys. I used it for about a year. And I hated it! It's insanely noisy, to the point of distraction. It's so damn loud. But the dealbreaker for me is how heavy and deep the keys are. It's just too much energy and travel time for efficient typing IMO. After long sessions my fingertips felt sore from the blunt damage of pushing down the keys. But I'll recogn…
I've got a totally different experience... I own three HHKB: two HHKB Pro JP (for they have a narrower spacebar and more modifiers: so less thumb travel: I do have very close Japanese family but I don't speak Japanese) and one HHKB Pro 2 (the first I got). They are, to me, out of this world. They ruined me forever in that I'll never be able to use something else than a Topre. I've got lots of IBM Model Ms, several Ch…
Ditto, I have a Realforce R2 PFU Limited Edition and it's the best keyboard I've ever used. I don't think it's that loud and I could see myself using it in an office setting.
Before getting the Realforce I got two Filco Majestouch with brown switches. I used one of them in the office for quite some time and in retro respect I feel a bit sorry for my colleagues at the time. I still have and use those keyboards and the Realforce is much quieter.
Thinking about getting another Realforce and retire my Filcos. It's the "end game" keyboard for me.
Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?
#358Earlier quoted context omitted.
Exactly the same sentiment. My yearlong experiment to try to love mechanical keyboards left me with a thousand euro hole in my wallet and physical problems spanning from fingers to upper body musculature. I loved the tactile feel, but hated what they did to my body. I think mechanical keyboards are just too high, with excessive travel. You sort of have to keep your hands floating in the air, which transfers stress to…
I find average mechanical keyboards to be perfect for my typing style. They never cause me hand strain, stress, tension, etc. Membrane keyboards, however - and especially whatever you call the keyboards on Macbooks - feel like I'm trying to finger drum on glass. I end up with tons of hand pain. However -- the qualifying fact is that I am a pianist, from the age of 5. I believe that a lot of the biomechanics I learned…
And that’s why we always leave an insightful comment (thanks gene!)
Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?
#359Earlier quoted context omitted.
The dexterity required to only press the key (roughly) half way to the actuation point is just as strenuous; you might as well be bottoming them out every time. I prefer extreme short travel keyboards for this reason. Quieter, shorter key travel distance, much less fatigue.
Can you show me an example of what you mean by shorter key travel keyboards? I think I'm in the same boat as you.
You can check the Keychron K3. These use low profile switches have 3mm max travel distance.
Re: Why Are Topre Keyboards So Expensive?
#360This kinda seems like an advertisement masquerading as a review.
I'm flagging this post. I encourage you to do the same.
It's definitely an advert. And if it was a review, it's a really bad one. There's way too many adjectives without the context of actual evidence supporting the claim.
> "Rigorous Quality Standards"
Corporate buzzwords with nothing substantiating that claim. Also, as opposed to what? Other companies not having rigorous quality standards?
> many rave about the way they sound and feel
False consensus effect via argumentum ad populum.
And plenty more...
Money/access/goods has almost certainly changed hands.