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My Unhealthy Relationship with Keyboards

jackevansevo.github.io

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Re: My Unhealthy Relationship with Keyboards

#291

Post by WorldMaker »

infecto wrote: post #19
frameset wrote: post #16

I really don't understand the numpad-less trend of fashionable keyboards. Doing any kind of number entry beyond one or two digits is very annoying without one. They also don't take up that much space really. If your keyboard is a portable one you pack with you on trips, I get it. If it lives on a desk, why not splash out the small amount extra to make number entry much easier.

Depends on what you are doing of course. Cannot speak to the fashion side of it but my original motivator to move to a keypad less was to reduce the distance of the mouse to my typing space. I do not do any type of data entry and rarely type numbers with enough frequency to require it.

I found a Microsoft Sidewinder keyboard that let you modularly unhook the Num Pad and move it to the left as an option, and having a left side Num Pad has been a wonder for gaming, not just the closer distance between the home row and the mouse, but also a few games I have taken some small advantage from the closer distance for the left hand from "WASD position" to the Num Pad for commands/macros or even the naturalness in games that support it of using the "WASD hand" for Num Pad arrows. I'm now surprised left hand Num Pad isn't more common in keyboard form factors. Modular is particularly handy because there are still mouse-less data entry scenarios where it is nice to have it on right hand because left is busy with Tab and other accelerator keys.

Re: My Unhealthy Relationship with Keyboards

#292

Post by rcarr »

nprateem wrote: post #280
rcarr wrote: post #252

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Closest thing is probably the ZSA Voyager, but choc keys + case is still a fair bit higher than a Magic Keyboard

If Apple made a split ergo programmable keyboard I'd probably buy one. It's kind of weird to me all the ergo mech crowd have latched onto the mech part, when I'm sure there are others like me who want split ergo and low profile :/

I feel exactly the same way but it's highly unlikely. I do think that we will see some kind of gesture recognition tech built into the Apple watch which will allow us to type without any keyboard at all. There's already a product on the market that does this called the TapXR and I think with the push towards VR and AR and the need for a solution for typing in these programs when you're not at a desk, this is coming sooner or later. We've already seen the early stages of this with the new gesture for answering phone calls on the latest Apple watches.

https://www.tapwithus.com/product/tap-xr/

Re: My Unhealthy Relationship with Keyboards

#293

Post by steve_adams_86 »

racl101 wrote: post #289
someplaceguy wrote: post #146

My unhealthy relationship with keyboards came to an end as soon as I bought my first Keychron keyboard with a knob (Q-series). After using this keyboard, I can't imagine ever buying another keyboard without a knob. It's really great to control your audio volume with an appropriate hardware control rather than pressing the same key 15 times in a row like an idiot or fiddling around with the mouse. You can configure th…

Might I ask ... What other practical uses are there for knobs besides sound volume?

You could use it to scrub through videos, scroll pages, zoom in or out, scroll through undo/redo history, etc.

Re: My Unhealthy Relationship with Keyboards

#294

Post by Symbiote »

jrockway wrote: post #203
bityard wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People who work at all with ipv4 networks (devops, sre, sysadmin, netadmin) find themselves entering IP addresses on most regular days.

The numberpad needs abcdef and : to be IPv6 ready.

Here you go: https://ipv6buddy.com/

Re: My Unhealthy Relationship with Keyboards

#295

Post by someplaceguy »

racl101 wrote: post #289
someplaceguy wrote: post #146

My unhealthy relationship with keyboards came to an end as soon as I bought my first Keychron keyboard with a knob (Q-series). After using this keyboard, I can't imagine ever buying another keyboard without a knob. It's really great to control your audio volume with an appropriate hardware control rather than pressing the same key 15 times in a row like an idiot or fiddling around with the mouse. You can configure th…

Might I ask ... What other practical uses are there for knobs besides sound volume?

Their own product page mentions "zooming in/out, adjusting screen brightness, brush size, volume, selecting video clips or photos, or backlight hue". Someone here mentioned adjusting parameters in audio software. I can add that it can also serve as a replacement for the mouse wheel in some cases. Another cool use is controlling the knobs in the MCP panels (i.e. the autopilot controls) of aircraft in flight simulators, if you don't already have better hardware.

But really, in general, anything that would require pressing the same key a variable number of times in a row might benefit from a knob control, especially if it makes sense to do the same thing in some "opposite" direction. And especially if you do that multiple times per day. So it kind of depends on how you use your computer.

Re: My Unhealthy Relationship with Keyboards

#296

Post by Symbiote »

bityard wrote: post #139
gorjusborg wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also, the number pad is pretty useless to me. I am not a cashier or accountant. The top row is fine fine for programming.

People who work at all with ipv4 networks (devops, sre, sysadmin, netadmin) find themselves entering IP addresses on most regular days.

If the IP addresses usually have the same prefix (or two-three prefixes) you could program that prefix to a simple key combination on many mechanical keyboards.

Even with weird combinations, like holding '1' and pressing '9' to autotype '192.168.0.'.

Re: My Unhealthy Relationship with Keyboards

#297

Post by themagician »

frameset wrote: post #16

I really don't understand the numpad-less trend of fashionable keyboards. Doing any kind of number entry beyond one or two digits is very annoying without one. They also don't take up that much space really. If your keyboard is a portable one you pack with you on trips, I get it. If it lives on a desk, why not splash out the small amount extra to make number entry much easier.

I prefer a separate numpad. Always have. I like it with the loud clicky switches because I can hear a double tap mistake. You can also then move the main keyboard over and use one hand on the arrows and really blaze through a spreadsheet.

10/10 would recommend a separate numpad. Also good for macros in games or Photoshop or whatever.

Re: My Unhealthy Relationship with Keyboards

#298

Post by stusmall »

pxc wrote: post #189
oooyay wrote: post #129

> Because it's compatible with multiple OS's I use it for work on my company issued Macbook and personal usage on my own Linux machine. Underrated line in the article. I have such a problem selecting keyboards because I use MacOS and Linux. I have the same problem with KVMs as the two use two different ways of outputting a screen. I exclusively use Keychrons at this point for both gaming and work.

? Just use any normal keyboard. Do nothing at all to configure the layout on Linux, and on Mac, configure the OS to swap the command and option keys for that keyboard.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who had that jump out to them. I don't think I've ever had any OS specific functionality with a keyboard. Looking at the USB HID scan code list I can't even think what I'd want out of a keyboard that isn't already covered.

Re: My Unhealthy Relationship with Keyboards

#299

Post by ako »

jseliger wrote: post #117
EtienneK wrote: post #56

I was expecting to see 10s of keyboards as you'd see from most in r/MechanicalKeyboards and was disappointed to only find 5. Not an unhealthy relationship at all!

I eventually wound up with Kinesis ergo keyboards and stopped being much "into" keyboards; they are a means to an end: https://jakeseliger.com/2011/07/17/further-thoughts-on-the-k... . Now I have an Advantage 3 with Box White switches, after admittedly talking to an Upgrade Keyboards key switch sommelier, which I admit somewhat undercuts my first sentence in this comment.

I recently purchased an Alice format ergonomic keyboard, the keychron k15 pro [1]. It has a split design, but otherwise it’s totally flat. How much of an improvement do you think a more ergonomically shaped keyboard l8ke a kinesis makes?

[1]: https://www.keychron.com/products/keychron-k15-pro-alice-lay...

Re: My Unhealthy Relationship with Keyboards

#300

Post by dietsche »

philote wrote: post #186
jseliger wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I eventually wound up with Kinesis ergo keyboards and stopped being much "into" keyboards; they are a means to an end: https://jakeseliger.com/2011/07/17/further-thoughts-on-the-k... . Now I have an Advantage 3 with Box White switches, after admittedly talking to an Upgrade Keyboards key switch sommelier, which I admit somewhat undercuts my first sentence in this comment.

I love my Kinesis Advantage 2 keyboard, it's saved my hands/wrists. How's the 3 in comparison?

The 3 is basically the same except you have real F keys and can upload settings to it via USB. Both are great keyboards. I’ve used them for well over a decade.
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