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00Key a 75% Keyboard

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Re: 00Key a 75% Keyboard

#81

Post by tombert »

jwells89 wrote: post #77
tombert wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've never really understood why people pay more for the kind of gimped keyboard. They're sleeker, sure, but even if you almost never use the special keys they're missing, it will still be annoying the .1% of the time you need that key. I guess at that point you just grab another keyboard, but if you have to have a spare full sized keyboard anyway, why not just use that? I use a $30 mechanical keyboard I bought from…

> …even if you almost never use the special keys they're missing, it will still be annoying the .1% of the time you need that key. I guess at that point you just grab another keyboard… Unnecessary with layers, e.g. FN + 1 = F1, which covers the 0.1% use case well enough.

Fair enough, to each their own. Personally I have always preferred to use a full size keyboard; the Macbook Pro keyboard is good enough but I will almost always plug in a clacky mechanical keyboard if I'm at home.

Re: 00Key a 75% Keyboard

#82

Post by lawn »

orphea wrote: post #41
jwells89 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What’s “essential” varies a lot between users. As a mobile dev I’ve been using 60% and 65% boards almost exclusively since 2015 and haven’t missed the removed keys much at all. Really though, to me the problem with full-size keyboards isn’t the number of keys but their positioning. The traditional full sized layout was designed prior to mice being common, which immediately becomes evident when you try to center the a…

How do you guys not miss F keys? I can press e.g. Ctrl+F5 with one hand but I would have to use both hands to press Ctrl+Fn+5.

1. No application I use needs Ctrl+Fx

2. If I did, I would've either remap it or create a layer to make pressing it easy.

Re: 00Key a 75% Keyboard

#83

Post by bxparks »

jwells89 wrote: post #18
mmh0000 wrote: post #4

I really do not like these compressed baby keyboards that are missing essential keys. My perfect keyboard would be something like a 150% with standard full layout but then adding in a bunch of programmable macro keys, I want more than F12! I want F1 through F36. Also a built in coffee grinder, water heater, and there should be a fan under the keys to keep my hands cool. Okay, ignore those last three.

What’s “essential” varies a lot between users. As a mobile dev I’ve been using 60% and 65% boards almost exclusively since 2015 and haven’t missed the removed keys much at all. Really though, to me the problem with full-size keyboards isn’t the number of keys but their positioning. The traditional full sized layout was designed prior to mice being common, which immediately becomes evident when you try to center the a…

> The traditional full sized layout was designed prior to mice being common, which immediately becomes evident when you try to center the alpha cluster of such boards with how doing so pushes the mousing area uncomfortably far off to the right.

I developed tendonitis on my right elbow because of this. I fixed it by moving the mouse to the left. It took a few months to get used to it, but now my brain doesn't recognize the difference anymore.

Re: 00Key a 75% Keyboard

#84

Post by shlubbert »

mmh0000 wrote: post #4

I really do not like these compressed baby keyboards that are missing essential keys. My perfect keyboard would be something like a 150% with standard full layout but then adding in a bunch of programmable macro keys, I want more than F12! I want F1 through F36. Also a built in coffee grinder, water heater, and there should be a fan under the keys to keep my hands cool. Okay, ignore those last three.

Luckily the keyboard enthusiast community has something for everyone: https://mechboards.co.uk/products/hyper-7-v4

Re: 00Key a 75% Keyboard

#85

Post by qball »

VyseofArcadia wrote: post #6
mmh0000 wrote: post #4

I really do not like these compressed baby keyboards that are missing essential keys. My perfect keyboard would be something like a 150% with standard full layout but then adding in a bunch of programmable macro keys, I want more than F12! I want F1 through F36. Also a built in coffee grinder, water heater, and there should be a fan under the keys to keep my hands cool. Okay, ignore those last three.

I've been wondering for a while now why these fractional keyboards are so popular. It's some sort of trendy faux-minimalism that I've never been able to wrap my head around.

Size matters; I like the extra real estate for my mouse hand more than I need the numpad. Allows me to take a better posture and I'm no longer banging my mouse into the keyboard from time to time.

If the "tenkey" cluster was on the left hand side of the keyboard in the same way the Sidewinder X8 allowed you to configure it (keypad was detachable), that would be perfect, but nobody makes that for some reason.

And before you ask, I can't use 60% boards specifically because I need F2, F5, PageUp/PageDn, and Delete, none of which are actual buttons on that kind of keyboard. The only place a right-handed computer user is in need of desk real estate is to the right of the text-entry part of the keyboard (and where your hands go at the bottom, obviously); keyboards are free to expand upwards with function keys and leftwards with the non-text-entry part.

Re: 00Key a 75% Keyboard

#86

Post by fanf2 »

mmh0000 wrote: post #4

I really do not like these compressed baby keyboards that are missing essential keys. My perfect keyboard would be something like a 150% with standard full layout but then adding in a bunch of programmable macro keys, I want more than F12! I want F1 through F36. Also a built in coffee grinder, water heater, and there should be a fan under the keys to keep my hands cool. Okay, ignore those last three.

Something like a Hyper7 https://mechboards.co.uk/products/hyper-7-v4

Or a 122 key Model M https://www.pckeyboard.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Prod...

Re: 00Key a 75% Keyboard

#87

Post by TheCapn »

evnix wrote: post #19

Good example of form over function. This is nice if you want to impress your YouTube fan followers or get a few likes for when you post on Reddit or other social media. Split keyboards should be your go to if you are spending considerable time on your computer. A lot of back issues, shoulder pains and RSI issues just disappeared after making the switch.

I could never get used to ergonomic keyboards. I actually spend a considerable amount of my day typing single handed across the entire QWERTY so I don't have to remove my hand from the mouse. I developed the habit working on far too many apps with bad/missing keyboard shortcuts or broken tab ordering.

For me I wanted a smaller keyboard, but one that still included the numpad and ended up with this custom build:

https://i.imgur.com/H2sddCI.jpg

I use a fullsize board at work, but at home I prefer the slightly smaller footprint that I got in that design.

Re: 00Key a 75% Keyboard

#88

Post by alamortsubite »

bxparks wrote: post #83
jwells89 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What’s “essential” varies a lot between users. As a mobile dev I’ve been using 60% and 65% boards almost exclusively since 2015 and haven’t missed the removed keys much at all. Really though, to me the problem with full-size keyboards isn’t the number of keys but their positioning. The traditional full sized layout was designed prior to mice being common, which immediately becomes evident when you try to center the a…

> The traditional full sized layout was designed prior to mice being common, which immediately becomes evident when you try to center the alpha cluster of such boards with how doing so pushes the mousing area uncomfortably far off to the right. I developed tendonitis on my right elbow because of this. I fixed it by moving the mouse to the left. It took a few months to get used to it, but now my brain doesn't recogniz…

Same for me. A side benefit is improved neuroplasticity, but the bummer is reduced options for mice. I use Microsoft's ambidextrous models, which are barely mediocre.

Re: 00Key a 75% Keyboard

#89

Post by Minor49er »

karlshea wrote: post #9
VyseofArcadia wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been wondering for a while now why these fractional keyboards are so popular. It's some sort of trendy faux-minimalism that I've never been able to wrap my head around.

75% is basically everything except the numpad, so if one isn't a big numpad user it's nice to have your mouse a bit closer.

That's fine if you don't mind bending your arm inwards for long periods of time. For me, it's most comfortable having my mouse being more in line with my shoulder than my center

Re: 00Key a 75% Keyboard

#90

Post by iimblack »

kelvie wrote: post #69

I still wonder why there isn't a DIY option that builds in a touchpad or a usable trackball. It's great for bed / home theatre PC (HTPC) use, and some of us are just used to it There are existing keyboards out there, like the logitech K-something for HTPCs, or then niche (and expensive) options that you need to call HP or Lenovo to order, but I'm very close to just buying the bottom of the framework laptop and buildi…

Since you’re ok with diy have you looked at boards you can add a pimoroni trackball to? I haven’t used it personally but have seen a few of them.
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