Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

If You Can't Buy the Keyboard You Want, Build It Instead

imgur.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

191–200 of 373 posts

Re: If You Can't Buy the Keyboard You Want, Build It Instead

#191

Post by oAlbe »

Symbiote wrote: post #26
qwerty456127 wrote: post #20

I want a keyboard with an extra row of keys (I could use for additional characters in a custom layout) between the letters and the numbers. Is this possible?

Do you still want the F1-F12 keys? If you don't, choose a keyboard with an appropriate physical arrangement (I happen to have [1], which would work for this), and program it accordingly -- any mechanical keyboard lets you move the key mapping around. Optionally swap the plastic key caps around. (You could also achieve this OS-side on any cheap keyboard.) If you want an additional row, you'll probably need to make the…

Is it generally reliable to buy such an item from aliexpress? Don't you end up with cheap version of more expensive keyboards?

Asking because I've been looking for a 75% (non-split) keyboard for a long time, and it seems like aliexpress might have what I'm looking for. I'm just worried about ending up with a knock off.

Re: If You Can't Buy the Keyboard You Want, Build It Instead

#192

Post by MrMorden »

reaperducer wrote: post #78
qwerty456127 wrote: post #20

I want a keyboard with an extra row of keys (I could use for additional characters in a custom layout) between the letters and the numbers. Is this possible?

I once had an IBM keyboard with two very long rows of function keys (I think they were labeled PF1, PF2, etc...) above the numbers. There must have been 30 of them. The keyboard was a beast. Weighed as much as a Fiat and the fat cable terminated in something that looked like a Centronics connector. Then one day the computer was replaced by a Wang terminal with a svelte, modern keyboard and it felt like the future was…

This one? https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/product/40L5A

Re: If You Can't Buy the Keyboard You Want, Build It Instead

#193

Post by brandonmenc »

samatman wrote: post #139
brandonmenc wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> it is a complete no brainer to invest in optimising the IO channel between your brain and the machine Why? You'll never even double the "throughput" of that "channel", let alone improve it by an order of magnitude. And I say this as someone who wasted lots of time and money attempting exactly that before I realized that typing is not what I spend most of my time doing while programming.

What an Ergodox lets me do is this: while standing, with good posture, I extend my arms, level with the ground, to where they comfortably and naturally want to be. Then, I put the keyboards there, adjust the desk up to that height, and put books under the monitor until the center is exactly level with my eyes. Trackball to the right. This is dramatically more comfortable than anything else I could be doing. It's hard…

> It's hard to convey how uncomfortable a straight keyboard is to someone who hasn't tried the alternative.

I've tried split keyboards. They feel unnatural. I feel like I type better/faster when my hands are closer together.

The single greatest thing I've ever done to completely cure RSI pain while typing is eliminating "wrist yaw" - i.e., maintaining a mostly straight line from my elbow to my knuckles. The bonus is that I can type comfortably on any keyboard.

ymmv, obvs.

Re: If You Can't Buy the Keyboard You Want, Build It Instead

#194

Post by the_gipsy »

ardy42 wrote: post #137
brandonmenc wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> it is a complete no brainer to invest in optimising the IO channel between your brain and the machine Why? You'll never even double the "throughput" of that "channel", let alone improve it by an order of magnitude. And I say this as someone who wasted lots of time and money attempting exactly that before I realized that typing is not what I spend most of my time doing while programming.

> Why? You'll never even double the "throughput" of that "channel", let alone improve it by an order of magnitude. Maybe it's not about throughput so much as eliminating unnecessary mental workload and friction.

It eliminates frustration. I hate having to look away from the screen, and with a regular keyboard I always have to look down too often, unless I'm writing just prose.

Re: If You Can't Buy the Keyboard You Want, Build It Instead

#195

Post by frostburg »

LeftHandPath wrote: post #189
frostburg wrote: post #176

I find building keyboards very relaxing (here is my work so far: https://ereign.is/objects/ ). The split orthos are very usable and comfortable after a few hours of acclimatization (I mostly use a commercial Topre board for now, I should finish designing QMK layouts that better serve my needs).

Those look badass! Reminds me of some of the ergo keyboards that I looked at in the past... only a lot more stylish. The first one [0] reminds me of an old Learjet or Falcon 10 cockpit with the lights lit up (see [1]). I really love the look of the wires you chose, as well, with the knurled connector housing and heavy-duty threading for the cords. The Nyquist Rev. 2.1 [2] looks like its fresh off the Nostromo. Do you…

The keycaps are all from group buys, nothing custom; unfortunately I don't have the equipment to make them (there is no practical way to do double-shot injection molding on a small scale, but dye sublimation on blanks could be possible).

I went for a PCB with underglow leds for the "space cadet" replica keycaps because unlike the others shining a in-switch led thru them wouldn't have looked interesting.

Re: If You Can't Buy the Keyboard You Want, Build It Instead

#196

Post by duxup »

ganonm wrote: post #49

Around 2 years ago now, I took the plunge and bought myself an Ergodox EZ split island keyboard. Quite franky, it is the biggest quantum leap in the ergonomic experience of interacting with a computer I have seen since learning Vim. It is comfortable, effortless and fast. If you spend any significant time interacting with computers it is a complete no brainer to invest in optimising the IO channel between your brain…

I keep meaning to find a local keyboard Meetup and hope to try the ergodox.

The downside is I work 50 / 50 home and work so if I liked it I would probably need a traveling case or something.

Re: If You Can't Buy the Keyboard You Want, Build It Instead

#198

Post by souterrain »

souterrain wrote: post #187
ithkuil wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I also struggled with the otholinear layout and ended up switching to a http://www.mistelkeyboard.com/md650l-barocco/

I was looking for something close to this design, particularly with low profile switches. Thanks.

Alas, it is presently unobtainium. I guess I need to consider building my own split keyboard using Cherry ML switches.

Re: If You Can't Buy the Keyboard You Want, Build It Instead

#199

Post by sleepybrett »

ganonm wrote: post #49

Around 2 years ago now, I took the plunge and bought myself an Ergodox EZ split island keyboard. Quite franky, it is the biggest quantum leap in the ergonomic experience of interacting with a computer I have seen since learning Vim. It is comfortable, effortless and fast. If you spend any significant time interacting with computers it is a complete no brainer to invest in optimising the IO channel between your brain…

I tried an ergodox after years with a kinesis advantage, end of the day it was just worse. Finally put a custom controller in my advantages flashed them with qmk and custom keymaps and sold off the ergodox.

Re: If You Can't Buy the Keyboard You Want, Build It Instead

#200

Post by ganonm »

duxup wrote: post #196
ganonm wrote: post #49

Around 2 years ago now, I took the plunge and bought myself an Ergodox EZ split island keyboard. Quite franky, it is the biggest quantum leap in the ergonomic experience of interacting with a computer I have seen since learning Vim. It is comfortable, effortless and fast. If you spend any significant time interacting with computers it is a complete no brainer to invest in optimising the IO channel between your brain…

I keep meaning to find a local keyboard Meetup and hope to try the ergodox. The downside is I work 50 / 50 home and work so if I liked it I would probably need a traveling case or something.

I impulse purchased the carrying case they released recently... Tbh not very happy with it. The molded foam inside the case only fits the keyboard but not the silicone wrist rests, which imo are vital. The space efficiency of the case is pretty poor too so it doesn't easily fit in a suitcase or weekend bag. I mostly end up just piling the keyboard into a bag loose.
Post reply on HN