11–20 of 81 posts
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…
What's wrong with caps lock? Only when using an editor is there an easy shortcut to capitalise multiple characters at a time. Typing a word in caps using the shift keys is uncomfortable due to alternating which hand presses shift.
I imagine that explains why keyboard manufacturers are so happy to put garbage keys I don't care about right next to my Shift, Ctrl and Alt keys. Personally, my ideal keyboard would have those expanded and the windows and fn keys removed off to the right side of the spacebar (or to the underside of the computer for the amount of use they actually get).
What's wrong with caps lock? Only when using an editor is there an easy shortcut to capitalise multiple characters at a time. Typing a word in caps using the shift keys is uncomfortable due to alternating which hand presses shift.
In general, for typing in ALL CAPS for me, I just rest my little finger on the shift key and then type as normal (at normal speed), but I've never had proper typing form. ;)
What's wrong with caps lock? Only when using an editor is there an easy shortcut to capitalise multiple characters at a time. Typing a word in caps using the shift keys is uncomfortable due to alternating which hand presses shift.
I thought the same thing. I do wish it was moved though. I probably hit it on accident a few times a week when I was trying to get Tab or Shift.
http://acidfire.ca/keyboard/BDY14295.jpg
(It's a modular kit, the image above is just one of the configurations, the center part is an addon).
You can also have multiple layers, so you could create a dedicated programming layer. All firmware will be open source.
It's going to go up on kickstarter soon (when Canada launches in september).
More info here: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=44940.0
Some more images (the thread is pretty lengthy):
http://acidfire.ca/keyboard/BDY14209.jpg http://acidfire.ca/keyboard/BDY14230.jpg http://acidfire.ca/keyboard/BDY14300.jpg
Over the top: http://acidfire.ca/keyboard/BDY14284.jpg
Later on more modules will be sold, such as a trackball module that you could place in the center and so on.
There's also going to be a portable version:
http://acidfire.ca/keyboard/BDY14438.jpg http://acidfire.ca/keyboard/BDY14440.jpg (variation)
Any reviews from the actual users who used this CODE keyboard. In comparision to other high end 150$ keyboards, would you recommend this one?
It just launched, does anyone even have one yet?
Things I learned from reading this blog post: There are people who use their thumbs to press Alt (or cmd on a mac). That would never have occurred to me (either to do, or that anybody had ever done so). I imagine that explains why keyboard manufacturers are so happy to put garbage keys I don't care about right next to my Shift, Ctrl and Alt keys. Personally, my ideal keyboard would have those expanded and the windows…
The only features I want in a "programming" keyboard that make it different from a normal, vanilla, cheap commodity keyboard:
1) An underscore key in between the space bar and right "ALT".
2) Add the numbers A through F above the numpad.
3) Move the caps-lock key the heck away from its current prime real-estate above the shift-key.
If you wanted to be really fancy, a built-in macro recording/playback facility could be handy if I'm working with something exceptionally primitive and need to automate something.
