A Real Keyboard for Programmers?

Any reviews from the actual users who used this CODE keyboard. In comparision to other high end 150$ keyboards, would you recommend this one?

> And what is that “Print Screen” key doing there?!

> Stupid keys like Page Up, Scroll Lock, and Insert are gone.

Surely I'm not the only person regularly using the "page" and "print screen" buttons?

as for snake case's underscore, and css' dash, dvorak layout has that in a very nice place.

I agree with what I take as the underlying premise of this blog entry: if you're going to call something a "keyboard for programmers" it would be nice if you made concerted effort to improve matters for programmers, moreso than just tactile ergonomics.

However, I have mixed feelings with several of the author's specific points.

1. In general, I think a keyboard should retain all legacy keys, including Scroll Lock and Printscreen because they have acquired specific meaning through their many years. If a new keyboard were paired with a new operating system, then I'd be comfortable--even happy--with disposing of legacy. As it is though, Printscreen is the easiest way to grab a screen-capture or window-capture.

2. The CODE keyboard may be marketed as designed for programmers, but it seems to also carry over a certain "gamer programmer" target. Hence, the PS/2 adapter (I believe some harder-core gamers profess to PS/2 being faster).

3. Space is indeed very important. I am not sure if the author is just pointing that out matter-of-factly or intends it as criticism. I assume the prior.

4. Very much agree that Caps Lock should be diminished in importance. It should be located on some fringe alongside Scroll Lock. Many of my colleagues and I simply disable the key outright.

5. Also agree that backslash should be diminished in importance. However, I personally would like a "programmers keyboard" that made all variations of brackets ( ) [ ] { } / \ available (a) without modifier keys of any sort and (b) in side-by-side pairings. It bothers me that / and \ are not side-by-side on most/all keyboards.

6. Strongly disagree that Page Up (and presumably Page Down, although it's not cited by name) is a dumb key. I press Page Up, Page Down, Home, and End hundreds of times per day.

7. I don't actually like that function keys are often trimmed to half-height even on desktop keyboards. That is fine for a laptop. But on my desktop, I have the room for an additional row of full-height keys, thank you. In general, desktop keyboards that are built to laptop aesthetics are dubious to me.

8. Strongly disagree that arrow keys lack importance. I smell a vimmer. Oh, sure enough, he mentions the ADM3A. Please, I beg of you, vimmers: don't pretend to speak for all programmers.

9. Strongly agree with the premise that a programmer's keyboard should avoid use of modifier keys for symbols. I have often ranted that programming language designers should avoid arrow operators -> and => in their syntax because of the shift transition required to type an arrow on most keyboards.

I like the premise of this blog entry a great deal! Please, let's see some actual innovation in programmer's keyboards. But apparently, we should have one style for vimmers and one for other programmers. :)

I think there should be a 100% remappable keyboard. I never use any of the legacy key functions, but the switches are precious on a fixed piece of hardware. It is maddening to me that there are dead keys on my keyboards; having a completely soft layout would allow me to customize things exactly the way I want.