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My Unhealthy Relationship with Keyboards

jackevansevo.github.io

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Re: My Unhealthy Relationship with Keyboards

#341

Post by sleepybrett »

rewmie wrote: post #211
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.

> eventually wound up with Kinesis ergo keyboards and stopped being much "into" keyboards; Aren't those like $500 a pop? Handing out that kind of dough for a keyboard sounds like the opposite of stopping being much into keyboards.

They are, but up until the new split version came out I used the same keyboard since ~2001. I picked up a couple more for sub 100$ when i saw them on craigslist/offerup. One for home, one for the office, a spare, and one to lend out.

Like others I credit my first kinesis with saving my career. I was starting to get RSI issues, doctor put me in braces and I showed him the kinesis site to see what he thought about their claims, if any of his other patients had tried. He thought it passed the smell test, I bought one the next day and drove out to the HQ (they are near seattle) and picked it up.

It takes a bit to get used to it, especially if you aren't a strong touch typist. The columner layout is weird at first, the wells are weird at first, the thumb clusters are weird at first. Within a month I was back up to speed and was able to shed my bracers soon after.

Re: My Unhealthy Relationship with Keyboards

#342

Post by sleepybrett »

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 only use a numpad while doing CAD work. I just bought a separate keypad. Otherwise it's just making the distance from 'home' to your mouse further than it needs to be.

Re: My Unhealthy Relationship with Keyboards

#343

Post by rewmie »

zigzag312 wrote: post #243
rewmie wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> (...) I wish that at least some models would be a row deeper and keep the function keys. I think you might be looking for a keyboard form factor called 75% keyboard, or even a tenkeyless.

I had one 75% keyboard, but didn't like that extra column on the right. Now I have a custom build (6x14 keys) keyboard (much better IMHO).

> Now I have a custom build (6x14 keys) keyboard (much better IMHO).

That sounds cool. Can you share more details about that?

Re: My Unhealthy Relationship with Keyboards

#344

Post by sleepybrett »

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.

I just bought a little mechanical keypad kit off alliexpress, nice alu case, bluetooth... I drag it down when I need it, which is mostly for when I'm doing CAD.

Re: My Unhealthy Relationship with Keyboards

#345

Post by pcblues »

I loved my MX Keys until I realised it was built with the same idea as the iPhone. I was meant to treat it as disposable/replaceable at the first sign of trouble. No user-serviceable parts. As soon as one key got sticky, that was the end of the experience with no way out without paying more money.

Next favourite is their K295. For some reason, it clicks with me (a joke because it is silent). All keys available and in the right position and a nice accurate mouse. Most importantly, the function keys are separate from the media keys, meaning less key presses.

My third favourite wireless keyboard/mouse combo cost $7 at a supermarket. Sometimes you just hit the jackpot with cheap manufacturing. I have to remember to go back and buy ten more when this luck occurs.

For reference, I've bought and used at least 20+ keyboards and/or mouses.

Re: My Unhealthy Relationship with Keyboards

#346

Post by dotancohen »

Scarbutt wrote: post #260
dotancohen wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

...two of which have near-identical layouts, and one of which I'm typing on now! I have literally dozens of keyboards: mechanical, split, ergonomic, mobile, the list should end but it doesn't... And yet I'm typing on this split, tented, rubber dome Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic. It has tactile keys, and such an extraordinarily low profile that I can type with it on my lap with my wrists pointed down. It has function key…

Love the Sculpt except for the horrible FN keys and the FN switch.

I actually wired a pushbutton to my first Sculpt to get to the media keys. But now I just map the volume controls to a convenient shortcut in KDE.

Re: My Unhealthy Relationship with Keyboards

#347

Post by Modified3019 »

coreyh14444 wrote: post #133
J_Shelby_J wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s a neat hobby! Honestly, all you really need is to lube the switches. That’s biggest benefit. A lubed mechanical switch, even the cheapest generic red, out performs anything off the shelf.

Totally agree. You can take a basic mechanical keyboard from Amazon with hot swap switches, lube them. Maybe do a basic tape mod (just put masking tape on the back of the PCB) and get like 85% of the benefit of a high end keyboard. This is what I've done for the rest of my family's keyboards.

I presume you use the blue painters masking tape? Normal masking tape tends to turn into either horrible goo or powder.

Re: My Unhealthy Relationship with Keyboards

#348

Post by Modified3019 »

kedean wrote: post #185
pr0zac wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you not know how to touch type without looking at the keyboard at all or have you just not learned where the numbers are? Shouldn't you take the time to learn to type correctly instead of relying on moving your entire hand just to type a number? I truly do not mean to be insulting or anything, but I read comments like this a lot and they really confuse me. I don't need a numpad because I know how to touch type and…

For me personally, the number row is far enough away from the home row that my fingers become inaccurate. It's not unlikely that when I reach for 7 I'll hit 6 instead. That's easy enough to correct in normal operation, less so for entering lots of numbers. Another issue is when doing data entry or 2fa codes, one hand tends to be busy holding something. The number row is basically unusable one-handed as far as I'm con…

Same here, I find that once I get about 4 keys away from where I index from, my accuracy drops like a rock

Re: My Unhealthy Relationship with Keyboards

#349

Post by mmphosis »

pxc wrote: post #318
stusmall wrote: post #298

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

The built-in macOS functionality for remapping modifier keys so that 'PC' keyboards behave as expected in macOS is relatively new, so maybe longstanding macOS users are less aware of it. But third party apps did have the capability to retrofit that into macOS before Apple added that feature, as well.

I am a longstanding Mac OS X user that wishes Linux had an easy way to remap modifier keys. For now, I've settled on having keyd installed:

  /etc/keyd/default.conf

  [ids]

  *

  [main]

  leftalt = layer(control)
  leftcontrol = layer(alt)
With AutoKey, I can swap Alt and Ctrl keys for Terminal apps and make my remapped ⌘C and ⌘V work as I expect.

Re: My Unhealthy Relationship with Keyboards

#350

Post by eichin »

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!

yeah, I often have more keyboards than that on my desk at one time. (But as someone who knows Marcin Wichary and Jesse Vincent - I don't have a problem, I am the problem :)
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