Mechanical Keyboards- Justify this please?????

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Serious Hardware/Software Crap > Mechanical Keyboards- Justify this please?????

DirtyRobot: Dec 15, 2003; it was a normally happy sunny day... but Dirty Robot was dirty

Crossposting from the Mac software thread:

DirtyRobot posted:

I have a question about Macs and keyboard indicator lights...

I'm thinking of ordering a custom keyboard from WASD and/or Unicomp where the legend reflects some key re-mappings I've done / want to do:.

With Karabiner, I've re-mapped my caps lock key as a hyper key (⌘⌥⌃⇧).

On a new full keyboard, I'd want to re-map the num lock / clear key as something similar, but which stays active after being pressed (e.g., press it and it activates a bunch of macros in Keyboard Maestro, press it again and it de-activates those macros�still thinking on this, though).

What I'm trying to figure out are my options for the indicator lights. Namely: I'd like the caps/lock hyper key to still flash when it's pressed down, and I'd like the new num lock to indicate when it's active or not. With WASD in particular, this could be pretty cool if you have sub-legends and modified colors for the indicator lights. Red indicator light = red sub legends active. Green indicator light = green sub legends active.

Is... is there some hacky workaround to make any of this possible? In essence: re-map the keys, but trick the keyboard indicator lights into treating them as if they haven't been re-mapped.

I'm using an old bluetooth satechi keyboard with only a caps lock indicator. It works if I turn off the caps lock re-mapping in Karabiner, and I haven't figured out a way to keep the indicator working even when the key has been re-mapped. Up 'til now I haven't really cared, but for indicators that stay on/off, it'd be more important.

I have Keyboard Maestro, Karabiner, BetterTouchTool, and Alfred. I'm very very very beginner with Applescript _{and mostly just duct tape stuff from what I find on forums or tweak from downloaded workflows that use it}.

# ¿ May 15, 2020 15:38

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# ¿ Apr 19, 2024 16:54

DirtyRobot: Dec 15, 2003; it was a normally happy sunny day... but Dirty Robot was dirty

FAT32 SHAMER posted:

If you get a QMK board instead of a WASD board it�s more likely possible but otherwise good luck

taqueso posted:

It's been years since I've even thought about this, but there are linux apps that remap the KB LEDs to indicate other stuff (like HDD activity), so it seems like they must be able to be changed by the host without altering the actual key-lock state.

Constellation I posted:

I still don't quite get your use case, but if you have a keyboard with QMK you can program your LEDs to pretty much do most things.

AbsoluteLlama posted:

You can do a lot of stuff (including indicator light manipulation... sometimes... depending on the keyboard) from the OS, but there will always be quirks and usually additional software to run. Fun edge cases like your keyboard not behaving the same on secure desktop or the login screen.

It'd be much easier to just get a board with QMK and write your own routines. Then it will 'just work' on any computer. It's really not that hard even if you don't know programming. There are ton's of examples in the qmk users directory for inspiration.

Thanks everyone.

This is literally my first mechanical so we�ll see just how bad I care about the indicator lights specifically to go all in with QMK too.

I�m tempted to get a wasd *now* with the custom key caps I want, and then slowly over time pick away at my dream keyboard from scratch. Otherwise, I feel like I won�t have anything for months and months.

# ¿ May 15, 2020 23:12

DirtyRobot: Dec 15, 2003; it was a normally happy sunny day... but Dirty Robot was dirty

Sharizard posted:

While the Keychron chat is still fresh, I wanted to share something useful I found for those of you who have a K6.

I just got a Keychron K6 a couple of weeks ago, and thought that having to hold Fn1 / Fn2 to get tilde and ` were extremely annoying. Instead, I found that someone online has already solved this problem by using AutoHotKey (Win only, don't know of a Mac alternative off the top of my head). The fix was to change the ESC functionality so that it activates if the key is held down, and allow ` / ~ priority when typing. Check it out on SuperUser.

On Mac the go-to is Karabiner and it's great.

I'm using it on a K2 for a bunch of weird personal preference stuff (e.g., caps lock ⤍ hyper key)

However, I'm also a dum dum who ordered custom keys from WASD before figuring out f13 and f5 can't be remapped easily. F5 is whatever, but my custom f13 says it should be play/pause

Karabiner registers it as ⌘⇧4, so remapping that with a simple modification would screw up actually using ⌘⇧4. I've been exploring complex modifications that would tell the difference in timings between your fingers actually hitting ⌘, then ⇧, then 4 versus. doing it all at once (i.e., because it's really all just one up-down key press), but I'm not familiar enough with JSON or Karabiner's parameters to really do it. (Although I did discover this useful tool.)

# ¿ Dec 3, 2020 18:11

DirtyRobot: Dec 15, 2003; it was a normally happy sunny day... but Dirty Robot was dirty

Is there a switch that has the tactile feel of blues but... silent*? Browns aren't really doing it for me. Is there some niche switch that might do this, and would be compatible with the new hot-swappable keychron k2?

* or "closer to" silent.

# ¿ Dec 6, 2020 16:57

DirtyRobot: Dec 15, 2003; it was a normally happy sunny day... but Dirty Robot was dirty

Thank you, friends.

interrodactyl posted:

There are basically no silent clucky switches, but there are silent tactile switches that are much more tactile than browns.

My recommendation would be to try Gazzew Boba U4s (I have 70 I could sell you at cost) and Zilents.

PM'd.

# ¿ Dec 6, 2020 20:11

DirtyRobot: Dec 15, 2003; it was a normally happy sunny day... but Dirty Robot was dirty

Cheese Thief posted:

I own 2 of these. The older one from 2010 is better quality. Because the molds Unicomp bought from IBM are getting older and need some refurnishing. My first one doesn't have a Super key though, I didn't know enough about computers at the time to realize I needed that.

Apparently the quality of the new Model M's are really good. I desperately want them to release a beige/pearl version.

I painstakingly recreated Model-M keyboard layouts in their layout file for custom keycaps, so that I could then tweak and add things like a hyper key and use my own design for the mac media keys. I can't bring myself to pull the trigger on the Spacesaver, but if they ever release a beige/pearl version of the new Model M I'll snap it up in a second, insane shipping fees to Canada be damned.

# ¿ Jan 16, 2021 18:10

DirtyRobot: Dec 15, 2003; it was a normally happy sunny day... but Dirty Robot was dirty

Cheese Thief posted:

That's the back. Unicomp has a newer version than this 2018 one !? I looked at it on the site and that looks exactly like mine, not sure if it would really be better.
I have a beige Model-M unicomp from 2010, but I don't know where I put it, looking for it right now.
I like the buckling springs for music programming, it feels good to control synths with it in like a Fast Tracker II type software, Renoise, whatever.
Do you know where to get some cool colorful keycaps?

Yeah, they have a keyboard literally just called the �New Model M� that, per reviews, improves on the older models that were relying on very old moulds. But apparently they sell like no beige keyboards (I think this might be because a huge chunk of their sales are to businesses?) so the �New Model M� model has no beige version, and might never

Unicomp will do colour key caps (though colour options are nothing like wasd or something), even custom printed. They just don�t advertise it on the site. Example (and lovely story): https://www.reddit.com/r/modelm/comments/g205gw/unicomp_custom_keys_lovely_quality_service_and/

Buttons link: https://www.pckeyboard.com/page/category/Buttons

If you open a ticket they�ll answer questions for any weird stuff that is not on their website.

# ¿ Jan 17, 2021 01:27

DirtyRobot: Dec 15, 2003; it was a normally happy sunny day... but Dirty Robot was dirty

Cheese Thief posted:

This is Unicomp's response to my email:

"Unfortunately, we do not have a need for used keyboards. Of course, we do not sell used keyboards to our customers.

The New Model M is the same as the Ultra Classic with a little difference in the size of the coverset. It is made, however, with all new tooling and is a really sharp looking keyboard."

Yeah, like just to be clear, in your case I think your keyboard is aces and I didn't mean to imply you should get a new one.

My understanding is there were quality control issues because the old moulds were like 30 years old or whatever, because they were *actually* the same moulds used for the model m's that the unicomp folks desperately sourced from factories around the world when they first bought up the patents and were starting up. But on reddit you can find people complaining about minor quality control stuff: flex or creak in the casing, some wobble in the keycaps, etc. (I've also seen complaints about fuzziness of keycap printing... but that seems to have decreased recently�and totally separately from the New Model M.) But like if you don't experience that... it's basically the same keyboard.

The New Model M is them finally saying screw it, we need to update these moulds. It's still meant to be "a model m," but I guess you lose something when you can't say, "We're literally using the actual, same physical moulds." I can't find them, but I've seen pics comparing the ultra classic to an actual, original IBM model m, and you can see the exact same texture pattern in a few areas on the case. I think that's kinda cool, but technically, with the new version, you lose that.

r/modelm - Unicomp Ultra Classic vs. Classic vs. New Model M vs. original IBM Model M

r/modelm - visit to unicomp factory and interview with Unicomp people ⤌ this one's neat

Geekhack - Unicomp - "New Model M" Review

In my own case, I've been dicking around for months with Unicomp's custom key template to create something that has the design language of the original Model M, but has my own preferred tweaks:

I'm trying to create basically something that has the look/feel of an actual model m. I'd just get a model m, except that I could never go back to a 101 key keyboard on my mac. I've been holding out for a beige/pearl version of the New Model M, but it looks like I should actually buy the ultra classic in beige/pearl while I still even have the chance. I've emailed to see if I can get a firmer answer.

From the interview:

the r/model m interview link above posted:

Eventually, I went back to the hotel and I thought about something Troy said to me about the fact that all the new keyboards are black. They just aren't getting the sales of the pearl cases, something especially true of the Ultra Classic. Some of you may have noticed that recently, the Ultra Classic has been coming with a black case back. Black cases are the future, apparently. Troy said that the pearl ultra classic is a beautiful keyboard, but is so vanishingly rare that when he sees one on the production floor, he stops to look at it. Well, I happen to agree. So I sent in an order at 4 AM the next morning, put in a customization fee, and asked for a pearl back, if they still had any left. They did, mostly for repairs, but were willing to do a one off for me.

This makes me sad. It's been echoed on the model m discord.

# ¿ Jan 18, 2021 15:16

DirtyRobot: Dec 15, 2003; it was a normally happy sunny day... but Dirty Robot was dirty

KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:

its kinda wild to me the number of people who don't use function keys or the number pad. the overlap between excel jocks and custom keyboard bois must be low.

the smallest I can cut this stuff down is 75% plus numpad or a 1800

I use the numpad for pre-made / absolute window layouts (arrow keys for pure window snapping and relative resizing) and I go insane when I'm on my keychron k2 and I can't use it.

It's particularly painful because it's when I'm on my laptop with no external monitor that the window layouts are even more important�and that's precisely when I don't have access to my full-size. Normally, I'd use the magic trackpad, but that's awkward if I'm using my keychron v2 in front of it. I could get an external magic trackpad, but, at that point, why not just get a numpad or use a full-size?

I have a cherry-blue 104 WASD that I use as my main. I'm waiting on a custom 104 Unicomp classic and when it arrives my WASD is going to be my main "kicked out of the office and need to work on the kitchen table" keyboard. Maybe even my main travel keyboard lol. Keychron has Gateron Blues and Browns and I might at some point swap in Zealios for a "baby is sleeping" keyboard.

DirtyRobot fucked around with this message at 16:37 on Mar 4, 2021

# ¿ Mar 4, 2021 16:34

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# ¿ Apr 19, 2024 16:54

DirtyRobot: Dec 15, 2003; it was a normally happy sunny day... but Dirty Robot was dirty

redeyes posted:

You obviously need a Model M.

I have a new Unicomp classic 104 model M and literally got a Keychron C2 plus some Gazzew Boba U4 silent switches for times where I need to... not have clicky-clacky thocky thockies.

edit: now that I've spent an obscene amount of money on the actual keyboards, I'm tentatively looking at custom cables and aviator connectors so that switching keyboards is easier and my desktop stays tidy :v:

DirtyRobot fucked around with this message at 15:23 on Apr 8, 2021

# ¿ Apr 8, 2021 15:19

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Serious Hardware/Software Crap > Mechanical Keyboards- Justify this please?????