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My favorite keyboards

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Re: My favorite keyboards

#121

Post by GuinansEyebrows »

MoonWalk wrote: post #103
dfox wrote: post #30

Basically the only thing interesting about the ConcertMaster is that Carmack used it (and that it looks somewhat cool). As for the keyboard itself, it is just a basic OEM membrane keyboard and not that good one even. The speakers are lets say adequate for the time and size. Interestingly, the speaker part and the keyboard part are completely separate. The "cable" consists of four separate cables (keyboard, power, lin…

Mmmm, not a membrane keyboard. This is a membrane keyboard: https://www.the-liberator.net/site-files/retro-games/hardwar...

if we're being pedantic, the concertmaster is an RDoM (rubber dome over membrane) :)

Re: My favorite keyboards

#122

Post by dotancohen »

jachee wrote: post #107
dotancohen wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Moonlander and the Ergodox both lack Function keys. How do you cope? I spend much time in IDEs, mostly Jetbrains but also VS Code. I'm also constantly in Emacs and VIM, and even my desktop shortcuts have many Function keys used. The IDEs are particularly troublesome as there are quite a few triple buckies that involve the Function keys. Another layer (e.g. using a modifier key) just doesn't seen like a good solut…

My default layout has function keys as basically an "fn" key plus the appropriate number. I thought I was going to miss the dedicated keys way more than I do in practice. If I were starting from scratch, and really had a function-key-centric workflow, I'd probably make the number keys (and - and + for F11 and F12 respectively) be tap-and-hold for that function key input.

Tap and hold would be annoying for many workflows, such as tapping through breakpoints.

Re: My favorite keyboards

#123

Post by garyfirestorm »

What are those trackpads/touchpads between the left and right boards? What cables are those that are attached to both the keyboard and trackpad. Looks almost like an Ethernet cable but must be a usbC. Does anyone know the type/brand of the cable.

Re: My favorite keyboards

#124

Post by drekipus »

archarios wrote: post #120
Normal_gaussian wrote: post #18

My ErgodoxEZ: - nearly made me cry. - solved my back pain. When you didn't learn to type properly, relearning to type can be a very difficult task; re-learning on a split keyboard is particularly unforgiving. Around three weeks into re-learning I was convinced I would never learn properly and that I'd wasted a lot of time and money (I was freelancing at the time) on something that wouldn't help me eat, never mind sle…

Exercising and specifically lifting weights will do so much more for your back pain than any ergonomic setup ever will

Why not both. That's my approach.

Also stretching and mobility training.. using a split keyboard has been awesome because you really feel the difference compared to a "normal" keyboard once you've been paying attention to opening up the shoulders

Re: My favorite keyboards

#125

Post by wodenokoto »

Normal_gaussian wrote: post #18

My ErgodoxEZ: - nearly made me cry. - solved my back pain. When you didn't learn to type properly, relearning to type can be a very difficult task; re-learning on a split keyboard is particularly unforgiving. Around three weeks into re-learning I was convinced I would never learn properly and that I'd wasted a lot of time and money (I was freelancing at the time) on something that wouldn't help me eat, never mind sle…

> When you didn't learn to type properly

Not learning to type properly is probably the best thing you can do for your wrists when typing.

Keeping fingers on home row is very bad posture for your wrists on a normal keyboard.

Re: My favorite keyboards

#126

Post by msephton »

garyfirestorm wrote: post #123

What are those trackpads/touchpads between the left and right boards? What cables are those that are attached to both the keyboard and trackpad. Looks almost like an Ethernet cable but must be a usbC. Does anyone know the type/brand of the cable.

The thing in the middle seems to be described as a "platform accessory"

Re: My favorite keyboards

#127

Post by 121789 »

bayindirh wrote: post #25

Well, as a bog-standard person, I use Logitech MX Keys Mini 2 (with Bolt support). It's good enough for typing for long sessions and reliable enough to type on without much thinking. It has great features though. Automatic backlight and standby via hall & ambient light sensors, great key texture and weight, scissor switches instead of bog-standard membrane, etc. It's not a mechanical keyboard and not smooth as one, b…

yep. I've tried everything from a bunch of mechanical keyboards to topre keyboards and I finally just came back to the mx keys mini, the magic keyboard mini, and the logitech mechanical mini. they just feel the best over the long term and are close enough to my laptop keyboard that it doesn't feel like I'm making a big change.

Re: My favorite keyboards

#128

Post by hakfoo »

frou_dh wrote: post #8

IMHO the persistence of Model M (now Unicomp) worship is a meme. Yes a chunky Buckling Spring mechanism is a very unique and "fun" feel, but that doesn't mean it's actually good to do a lot of typing on in terms of ergonomics or speed. So what of it? It's a novelty item, not the ultimate keyboard.

I think, to a degree, ergonomics are a complete package and sound can be part of it.

I tend to err on the side of loud-click switches (Alps/Matias, buckling spring, Gateron Melodic or Kailh Box switches lately) in part because I beat a series of late-1990s dome keyboards to death because I needed some sound to feel like a key was registering.

A family member has a light linear board basically because he wanted a Pride-exploded-on-his-desktop lightshow and it's very awkward for me to use.

Re: My favorite keyboards

#129

Post by garethsprice »

GloriousKoji wrote: post #106
michael1999 wrote: post #75

I wish I could find a Model M Space Saver with modern OS keys. I love the springs.

Wish granted. https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/MINI_M

https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/category/Buttons <- these also fit the IBM ones (still using the Model M I pulled out of a telco dumpster in the rain when I was a teenager, it's a bit Ship of Theseus at this point with bolt mods and USB but still the same to me)

Re: My favorite keyboards

#130

Post by wyclif »

frou_dh wrote: post #8

IMHO the persistence of Model M (now Unicomp) worship is a meme. Yes a chunky Buckling Spring mechanism is a very unique and "fun" feel, but that doesn't mean it's actually good to do a lot of typing on in terms of ergonomics or speed. So what of it? It's a novelty item, not the ultimate keyboard.

My fave keyboard is the IBM Model M SSK. I started out with the full sized Model M, but the keypad got to be a bit too much and as I was making several geographical moves as a young person, I wanted something that saved space on my desk.

In a way, I agree with you that buckling spring keyboards are a novelty now but back then they were a revelation, and once you start using a keyboard with high tactile feedback and positive keyclick you won't want to go back.

I still have my Model M SSK, but these days I use a LoFree Flow84, which is a smoother, quieter experience. And it has absolutely the best space bar I've ever used on any keyboard.

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