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 I found the Unicomp, dated 3/2012. How might I get around not having a Super? I could maybe use Caps for Cntrl and Cntrl as Super. I was a noob when I ordered it and just didn't know better.
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Feb 15, 2021 19:37
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Heads up on a none crazy expensive but very cool group buy, if you're into the early 2000's colored plastic look. https://shop.wuquestudio.com/pages/ikki68-aurora I think (even though I settled on a vortex race 3 with cherry brown switches) that I might be in for a mint one.
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Feb 15, 2021 23:11
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Cheese Thief posted:
What do you use the super key for? The start menu opens with control-esc in windows. There's a lot of shortcuts for the other ones. I'm a windows key hater so I leave mine locked off all the time (GaMeS mOdE!!!).
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Feb 16, 2021 02:17
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Rexxed posted:What do you use the super key for? The start menu opens with control-esc in windows. There's a lot of shortcuts for the other ones. I'm a windows key hater so I leave mine locked off all the time (GaMeS mOdE!!!). Just use the thing. No windows key, figure it out.
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Feb 16, 2021 02:32
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75% was a big upgrade for me ergonomics-wise. . Using a number pad with a mouse can be a hosed position for your shoulders to be in all day.
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Feb 16, 2021 03:09
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Rexxed posted:What do you use the super key for? The start menu opens with control-esc in windows. There's a lot of shortcuts for the other ones. I'm a windows key hater so I leave mine locked off all the time (GaMeS mOdE!!!). I use i3-wm so the Super key does all my window manager shortcuts. I also use Super frequently as a modifier for custom Emacs commands. Usually Meta and Control are Emacs, and Super is for the Desktop environment. But I would love to have a few more rows of Function keys to use as well. Like F6 could launch the web browser, etc... Basically i hate the mouse.
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Feb 16, 2021 04:47
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VelociBacon posted:How does a smaller keyboard help with ergo? It's not like you have to reach past the numpad or f keys to get to the rest of the keyboard. I can type everything without ever having to remove my hands from the home row on my Prime Elise. Combine that with layers on spacebars and you're gonna have a good time.
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Feb 16, 2021 06:26
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Cheese Thief posted:I use i3-wm so the Super key does all my window manager shortcuts. I also use Super frequently as a modifier for custom Emacs commands. Usually Meta and Control are Emacs, and Super is for the Desktop environment. But I would love to have a few more rows of Function keys to use as well. Like F6 could launch the web browser, etc... Basically i hate the mouse. I don't know how you'd do it specifically without a custom controller, but it's not uncommon to remap control to caps, and that would leave control free. Unicomp sells individual keycaps for buckling springs, although the remapping would be the thing to tackle first.
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Feb 16, 2021 06:36
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Speaking of controllers, Keyhive has the WASDAT back in stock for you WASD-havers https://keyhive.xyz/shop/wasdat-controller
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Feb 16, 2021 08:14
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Checking back in a bit later than planned. Work is going to reimburse a Sculpt (or Surface - I don't see the benefit to justify doubling the cost) keyboard after all. Bless. Now just need to find the cheapest place to get it.
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Feb 16, 2021 16:23
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Is it kosher to inquire about mice in this thread? If so, what's the goon word on vertical Bluetooth mice, preferably with rechargable batteries? I'm talking VERTICAL vertical, handshake grip. Seems like it's Evoluent or nothin'.
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Feb 16, 2021 19:47
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MJP posted:Is it kosher to inquire about mice in this thread? If so, what's the goon word on vertical Bluetooth mice, preferably with rechargable batteries? I'm talking VERTICAL vertical, handshake grip. Seems like it's Evoluent or nothin'. Prolly have better luck in the mouse thread. Never bought a vertical mouse, so I can't help you.
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Feb 16, 2021 19:51
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Looking to buy a mechanical keyboard. Got a sampler thing and decided to go with the cherry clear, since it doesn't have too much force needed, it has some tactileness to it, but it isn't intensely loud like the green or blues are. Is the next step just buying a full keyboard in the size I want, or should I be buying a PCB and all the individual components to build it myself?
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Feb 16, 2021 22:31
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Wrr posted:Looking to buy a mechanical keyboard. Got a sampler thing and decided to go with the cherry clear, since it doesn't have too much force needed, it has some tactileness to it, but it isn't intensely loud like the green or blues are. Either works, really depends on what other features you want and how much you want to spend.
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Feb 16, 2021 23:27
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Wrr posted:Looking to buy a mechanical keyboard. Got a sampler thing and decided to go with the cherry clear, since it doesn't have too much force needed, it has some tactileness to it, but it isn't intensely loud like the green or blues are. Depends on what you want to do. There's an entire spectrum here from "Designed my own PCB, sourced all the components, and hand soldered everything" to "I threw $170 at WASD Keyboards and never looked back".
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Feb 16, 2021 23:30
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It just boils down to whether you would actually enjoy building a keyboard from scratch with your own hands. Doing so is not going to save you a lot of money on an hourly-wage basis for the time you'll pour into it, so it's mostly about the satisfaction of having built it yourself. $150-200 buys you an ultra-rock-solid WASD/Ducky/etc. and anything beyond that is just about luxury, customization, and above all, nerd cred.
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Feb 16, 2021 23:36
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Even without considering your time it's hard to save money building your own. Cases and keycaps are expensive.
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Feb 17, 2021 00:06
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I've imported a Realforce from Japan, with a japanese layout. I'm really liking the Topre feel, but for some reason I didn't really think about any issues with keyboard layout differences (I use a Swedish layout normally). It's mostly fine apart from some keys specific to japanese layout that does nothing at all, but the key that's usually to the left of Z is missing (with the pipe and greater/less) which is .. kind of annoying. Is there any way to configure Windows so I can get those on one of the "dead" keys? (for example I have one to the left of right shift)
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Feb 17, 2021 14:20
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Wrr posted:Looking to buy a mechanical keyboard. Got a sampler thing and decided to go with the cherry clear, since it doesn't have too much force needed, it has some tactileness to it, but it isn't intensely loud like the green or blues are. I'm in the same boat right now as well. Current keyboard has seen better days and I have been telling myself for years now that I want to consider a mechanical one and never pulled the trigger. So, now I'm ready to dip my toes into this but bare with me, my knowledge for this came from browsing back about 20 pages, reading the op, and doing light research over yesterday evening. Already ordered a sample board to test out switches. So far, I'm looking at Ducky, WASD, and Drop. I'd definitely like a TKL, and from what I gather, PBT is the way to go with cap material. If I have an idea for custom styling on the caps that WASD and Drop builders just don't accomplish, I assume I should just buy my desired barebones case + switches and source my caps piece meal. Is there anything in this approach that is going to trip me up being totally new to this experience? / Are there preferred vendors with barebones kits? / Is my best bet for sourcing individual caps and cap sets etsy and mechanicalkeyboards.com?
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Feb 17, 2021 14:21
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netcat posted:I've imported a Realforce from Japan, with a japanese layout. I'm really liking the Topre feel, but for some reason I didn't really think about any issues with keyboard layout differences (I use a Swedish layout normally). It's mostly fine apart from some keys specific to japanese layout that does nothing at all, but the key that's usually to the left of Z is missing (with the pipe and greater/less) which is .. kind of annoying. Is there any way to configure Windows so I can get those on one of the "dead" keys? (for example I have one to the left of right shift) Apparently, Microsoft has a tool to create custom keyboard layout. You should be able to rebind the Japanese layout keys with it. Any reason why you didn't go for a standard US layout Realforce?
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Feb 17, 2021 14:57
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Bourricot posted:Apparently, Microsoft has a tool to create custom keyboard layout. You should be able to rebind the Japanese layout keys with it. Cool, I'll give this a try, thanks. And I went with a japanese layout because 1) larger enter key (lol) and 2) it might be useful in my half-assed attempts at learning japanese.
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Feb 17, 2021 15:13
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I just got an Akko Neon board with Gateron Oranges. Oooo boy, this is one tastey board.
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Feb 17, 2021 15:47
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redeyes posted:I just got an Akko Neon board with Gateron Oranges. Oooo boy, this is one tastey board. Huge fan of the Akko boards, what does a Gateron Orange feel like, though?
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Feb 17, 2021 16:37
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Wrr posted:Looking to buy a mechanical keyboard. Got a sampler thing and decided to go with the cherry clear, since it doesn't have too much force needed, it has some tactileness to it, but it isn't intensely loud like the green or blues are. Prebuilt keyboards are considerably cheaper and there's actually some very decent ones out there. WSAD Code and Durgod were both mentioned already but those are usually my go-to's. You can get a WSAD Code with clears in it already so you don't even need to build anything! Now, If you want a 15lb hunk of metal that looks really pretty and costs a lot of money then boy do I have some news for you! Building your own is going to lead you down a dangerously expensive rabbit hole but it is immensely satisfying. couldcareless posted:I'm in the same boat right now as well. Current keyboard has seen better days and I have been telling myself for years now that I want to consider a mechanical one and never pulled the trigger. So, now I'm ready to dip my toes into this but bare with me, my knowledge for this came from browsing back about 20 pages, reading the op, and doing light research over yesterday evening. Already ordered a sample board to test out switches. PBT and ABS both have their merits, and really it's all preference. ABS does shine up pretty easily but the colors are objectively more saturated and generally look better. There's some colors that PBT doesn't do as well. I also really like the way ABS sounds in any given profile over PBT. However PBT feels "thicker" and has more of a texture to the top of the keycap. They also don't shine as easily. Drop boards are a lovely compromise of quality and design to price. Their autorouted PCBs are trash and their cases feel like cheap garbage. The major downside of the keyboard hobby is that there's literally nothing in stock like ever. Your best bet to getting a real quality custom keyboard is going to be through joining a group buy. Basically you pay a vendor for the keyboard up front, the vendors then take all the money they collected and give it to the designer/group buy runner who then produces the keyboard. Once the parts are all made they're sent to the respective vendors that ordered them and then distributed to the customers. This process can take anywhere from several months to well over a year in some cases (The Ave, M0110, etc...) and is not a great option if you just want a keyboard now. There are beginning to be some exceptions to this however. For example, NovelKeys frequently restocks their NK65 line of boards and TKC has a new option called the Portico. Personally I wouldn't touch TKC because they seem to somehow manage to gently caress something with every single group buy up and I've never had an order from them that didn't involve some sort of problem or headache. Now there are some smaller group buys that take much less time to fulfill, but you have to put forth considerable effort and get involved in the community to get in on those. Basically those are the group buy opportunities that get offered to you by designers you know because of either your relationship, or your clout within a given sub-community. If you find yourself in one of these you've likely already taken out a second mortgage on your house to fund your keyboard habit so I wouldn't be too concerned about this just starting off. Similar to sourcing a custom keyboard, keycaps are also a bit of an issue if you just want something in hand right now. Generally you also have to join group buys for those and wait a year to receive your bag of pretty plastic pieces. There are some places that have keycaps readily available but I'm not well versed enough to point you in the right direction. Unless you want blanks, in that case check out https://kineticlabs.store/ and pick up some of theirs. They are cheap and really nice quality. Oh they also have an inexpensive black on white set https://kineticlabs.store/keycaps/polycaps/black-on-white-pbt-keycaps. Novelkeys has OSA Sleeves in stock right now too https://novelkeys.xyz/collections/keycaps/products/osa-sleeves. GnarlyCharlie4u fucked around with this message at 17:03 on Feb 17, 2021 |
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Feb 17, 2021 16:40
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Perfect, thank you for all that. So, I'll scratch Drop off the consideration list. What I might consider then is just getting a full keyboard from WASD or Ducky for the time being and play with cap customisation down the line. Might be better if I nibble on this hobby first instead of taking a big bite right away.
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Feb 17, 2021 17:56
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couldcareless posted:Perfect, thank you for all that. So, I'll scratch Drop off the consideration list. What I might consider then is just getting a full keyboard from WASD or Ducky for the time being and play with cap customisation down the line. Might be better if I nibble on this hobby first instead of taking a big bite right away. I've also thought about that but why not just jump in full go? I'm mostly interested in a full size keyboard with number pad. Any good places to find cases and PCBs online? I poked around a few places but it seems like everyone is going for smaller form factors.
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Feb 17, 2021 18:17
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:I've also thought about that but why not just jump in full go? Yeah full sized keyboards aren't very popular in the hobbyist aspect of the community at the moment (the source of majority of the group buys). We're still riding a wave of 65% with a "cute blocker" and 75% with encoders and LCD's. What do you mean by "jump in full go?" Is there anything in particular you are you looking for in a board? Features/price/materials/sound/feel? A good reason to start small in this hobby is that 99% of it is preference, and if you've never experienced how Cream switches on a brass plate in a 15lb keeb with C3 stabs feels and sounds, then how do you know if you'll like it? Also, preferences do change. So one day, a year from now, after you've built a half dozen other boards you might look back at that WASD in the corner and think "you know, I'd like to give it a go again" and to your surprise you like it more than the V4N4G0N you've been typing on for 6 weeks. Unfortunately the problem with the hobby right now for many newcomers is that there aren't any meetups where they can go and actually try out different boards to get an idea for what their preferences are. So everyone is just sort of going in blind and buying up anything they can get their hands on in the hopes that at some point in the future they'll have something they can actually type on and hopefully enjoy. For an entry full size I usually recommend a WASD Code or Das Keyboard or Durgod. They're not endgame but they are solid boards for the money and if you're brave, you can modify them with case foam and lubed stabs and new switches. e: if you want an "endgame" board with a numpad I very highly recommend the DriftMechanics Austin round 2 (I prefer the typing angle over the round 1 but both are great boards). You might be able to find one if you keep an eye out on /r/mechmarket but expect to pay through the nose for it.
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Feb 17, 2021 19:02
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I meant more putting the bits together from components myself than going for full top end componentry, but it sounds like for relatively basic full size keyboard with Cherry Clear switches I'm best off going prebuilt, then messing around with it from there. Thanks!
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Feb 17, 2021 19:19
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The best full size keyboard I've ever had is a Leopold FC900PD. No gimmicks, no nonsense. Original Cherry stabs (factory lubed), great minimalist look, 1.5mm PBT caps (PD versions are doubleshot) Ducky is really good but the stabs suuuuck.
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Feb 17, 2021 19:24
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:I meant more putting the bits together from components myself than going for full top end componentry, but it sounds like for relatively basic full size keyboard with Cherry Clear switches I'm best off going prebuilt, then messing around with it from there. Thanks! You could also buy an elite-C and do a hand wired build...
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Feb 17, 2021 19:35
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Even for a soldering novice, hand-wiring is pretty easy. Nice large surfaces and you don't have to worry about SMDs.
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Feb 17, 2021 19:55
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Got my first hot-swappable board today, the full-size Glorious Modular Mechanical Keyboard. I installed some Kaihl Box White switches and the standard Glorious keycaps. It’s my first set of clicky switches, and they are really satisfying to type on. The barebones board feels really well built, and the ABS keycaps feel a lot more high quality than I was expecting, although I haven’t tried PBT ones yet. They also seem to factory lube the stabilisers, so there’s not really any rattle on those keys. I’m pretty shocked at how good the quality is, considering the relatively low price. I think I’d probably prefer the TKL form factor, but getting those in an ISO layout is kinda hard at the moment. I’d also like to try out Glorious’s Panda switches, to see what all the fuss is about. Has anyone here tried them?
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Feb 18, 2021 22:11
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I think you'd feel like the pandas (or most any tactile but not clicky switch) might be a step backwards after using clickbars like the kailh box whites. If I were going to experiment with something I'd go for the smoothest linears you could find as a really big contrast.
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Feb 19, 2021 03:31
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Gunder posted:Got my first hot-swappable board today, the full-size Glorious Modular Mechanical Keyboard. I’m really considering getting the gmmk. I’ve been looking for a hot swappable full size keyboard, and this and the Drop Shift seem to be in my price/convenience range. I actually bought a WASD v2 TKL board a couple years ago. Knowing nothing at the time, I ordered it with cherry browns. I put dev//tty key caps on it when that came out, and it’s been great. However, the plastic creaky casing of the wasd has been a bit annoying, and I’ve been missing the numpad, so I’ve been slowly trying to find a full sized board with hot swapping capability. I recently ordered a small box of tester switches and came across Box Jades. Compared to cheery browns, it’s like night and day. So now I’m an owner of 100 jade switches with no board to put it in. I considered getting the drop shift, but for the price, the reviews seemed mixed. I wonder if I should just get the gmmk. Alternatively, I could really go all in and start hunting for the Austin board linked a bit earlier.
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Feb 19, 2021 04:44
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Dr Cheesequake posted:I’m really considering getting the gmmk. I’ve been looking for a hot swappable full size keyboard, and this and the Drop Shift seem to be in my price/convenience range. GMMK will only take 3pin switches so you're really limiting yourself there unless you want to ruin a bunch of switches by clipping the legs. Austin is super good though. I'm rebuilding mine right now actually. 
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Feb 19, 2021 07:08
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Dr Cheesequake posted:I’m really considering getting the gmmk. I’ve been looking for a hot swappable full size keyboard, and this and the Drop Shift seem to be in my price/convenience range. Just for clarity's sake, removing the two plastic legs on a switch won't actually ruin it. The switch will still work exactly the same, and removing (clipping) the two plastic legs is a very common thing for people to do. For the price, it's tough to beat the GMMK. It does only support plate-mount switches (switches with 3-pin) but that's a straightforward and easy enough fix. I would generally recommend picking one up and looking at lubing and modding the stabilizers as a way to drastically improve the typing feel and to get your feet wet with customization. Another other option is to look at smaller form factor boards around the TKL or 75% size and just get a separate numpad or macro pad. You'll have more options going that route, and you can always move the numpad out of your way when you don't need it to get back some desk space. I absolutely love my Austin, but be prepared to pay at least $1200 for one. Any that are being sold for less are sold pretty much instantly, and even the ones priced at $1200 are being scooped up pretty much right away. There will likely not be any more made until the end of this year, or even some time next year, so I'd expect the aftermarket price to only go up.
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Feb 19, 2021 12:34
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Kinda worth pointing out that Box Jades are already 3-pin, so clipping those isn't a consideration if you already have 100 of them
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Feb 19, 2021 13:43
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Imo get a couple of Box Navies to put on your enter and escape keys (and capslock if you're a doofus like me who hits it accidentally way too often). That little extra oomph on those is really satisfying, and they feel similar enough to the Jades for it not to be jarring if that's a concern. e: ^^^ yeah all my Jades and Navies have been 3 pin. Clipped a LOT of Bobas for my GMMK though lol, glad I had safety glasses on hand cuz I definitely had a bunch of tiny plastic legs ping off them Stroop There It Is fucked around with this message at 15:25 on Feb 19, 2021 |
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Feb 19, 2021 15:22
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Stroop There It Is posted:Imo get a couple of Box Navies to put on your enter and escape keys (and capslock if you're a doofus like me who hits it accidentally way too often). That little extra oomph on those is really satisfying, and they feel similar enough to the Jades for it not to be jarring if that's a concern. Spacebar too. Cherry actually did this from the beginning, put a cherry green in the spacebar because it's just a cherry blue with a stiffer spring
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Feb 19, 2021 15:28
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Nth-ing the GMMK; I have one full of BOX Navies and drat is it a joy to type on. I really need to swap it with my CODE in Greens for WFH. Greens are . . . nice enough . . . but they're not the clickbar, that's for sure. That was the keyboard I used to use in the office; however, our office was loud enough that when I tried to get buy-in from my team on if it was okay for me to use such a comically loud keyboard, they were like "you still type quieter than the boss on her weird ergonomic keyboard so whatever, we don't even notice lol" (It was just some Microsoft wavy split thing with rubber domes, but it was elevated so I guess all the sound came out from under it?) I've considered dialing it back to BOX Jade or something. My buddy got a CTRL and put BOX Pink in them and he said it owns. Unfortunately due to COVID and such I never got to try it out 
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Feb 19, 2021 16:06
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