geekhack Community > Keyboards
Unpopular Keyboard Opinions
Rob27shred:
--- Quote from: shingi on Sun, 19 May 2024, 10:38:03 ---I find the lack of Southpaw-layout keyboards to be blasphemous!
--- End quote ---
You must not be keeping an eye out on ICs & GBs to well then. There has been quite a few KBs ran that were southpaw or at least had a southpaw option (The Class 0413 is a good example) in the last year or two. I will admit they are still definitely in the minority compared to traditional layout KBs, but there has definitely been quite a few available recently.
mashie:
Pretty much every key cap set with an ISO version/addon got the wrong colour of the pipe/backslash key next to the left shift as that key ends up with the alpha colour and not the colour of the shift key. As a result you get a very strange layout with dual colour setups and not the nice symmetrical look of an ANSI keyboard.
The only exception to this rule are the Keychron key caps.
zslane:
The |\ key (and the ~` key) is not a modifier; it is an alpha. That's why it is colored like an alpha. This organizing principle is based on key purpose/functionality, not on an OCD-driven need for color symmetry. I prefer not to let the crazies dictate how we organize our keycaps, tyvm.
Besides, once you graduate to keyboards with more than 60 keys, color symmetry goes right out the window anyway, with the nav cluster weighing down the entire right side with mod-colored keys, and the numpad layout only half-surrounding the numbers (and period) with mod-colored operation keys (plus num lock and Enter). And then there's the alternating color blocks of F-keys, which makes no sense either functionality-wise or color-symmetry-wise. Best to just realize that the standard color/layout scheme we have is based on an ill-conceived IBM design and learn to embrace it since it's not going away any time soon.
Rhienfo:
--- Quote from: zslane on Tue, 21 May 2024, 11:01:58 ---The |\ key (and the ~` key) is not a modifier; it is an alpha. That's why it is colored like an alpha. This organizing principle is based on key purpose/functionality, not on an OCD-driven need for color symmetry. I prefer not to let the crazies dictate how we organize our keycaps, tyvm.
Besides, once you graduate to keyboards with more than 60 keys, color symmetry goes right out the window anyway, with the nav cluster weighing down the entire right side with mod-colored keys, and the numpad layout only half-surrounding the numbers (and period) with mod-colored operation keys (plus num lock and Enter). And then there's the alternating color blocks of F-keys, which makes no sense either functionality-wise or color-symmetry-wise. Best to just realize that the standard color/layout scheme we have is based on an ill-conceived IBM design and learn to embrace it since it's not going away any time soon.
--- End quote ---
As you said that colour symmetry goes out the window anyway, so why not throw it harder and use mod pipe lol.
Actually though, I did used to use `~ key in the modifier colour on the hhkb/tsangan layout because that keeps it all the colours the same, idk I've always found it looking weird that the beige hhkbs (the blanks especially) have the alpha coloured `~ key in the top right, maybes that's influenced by the fact that I had no idea why the keys were coloured differently until recently where I realised the obvious lol.
Also yeah why does the f-row alternate like that, that doesn't make sense but I think the IBM layout, was made to be useable to basically everyone and had everything there, even if it's not even the best layout that IBM did (the at is a lot better imo), so I guess some liberties were placed on making it look more aesthetically pleasing. I have a feeling this is true because they used to do full mod colour f rows on some of earliest examples of the modern layout with the ibm 3161 terminal, which is interesting to note.
Tseg:
I've participated in a number of collectible hobbies over several decades. Participating in the keyboard hobby for 3/4 of a year has been short-lived but enjoyable. My touch-typing has more than doubled in speed, I now own 7 keyboards with 2 more group-buys on the way, I gave another keyboard to my son.... I have 40% to 100% boards, Topre, Buckling-Spring, etc.... I probably am $3K-$4K into this hobby, but as far as hobbies go, that is low cost to be pretty immersed with key brands and technologies of the hobby. Definitely no regrets, but I feel a bit like I've already hit the end of the internet with this one. It definitely needs to go more upscale, somehow. I'll still stay engaged, but there hardly is any next thing I seek. The depth and breadth of the hobby is only slightly deeper than the vacuum collecting and snow blower collecting communities I've participated in... nothing like watches, cameras, knives, TV's, stereos, leather boots or even the barista coffee machine collecting communities, etc....
This may be an unpopular keyboard opinion.
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