ISO to ANSI

[bigDave]

Hello,

I am planning on purchasing a poker 2 however I am finding it hard to find any uk ISO variants for sale.

So atm I am set on buying one with an ANSI layout.

I was wondering if I would find the change hard and if anyone here has switched layouts and has any advise for me.

Thanks.

David

[oscillik]

I switched layouts when I got my HHKB. It's mostly pretty seamless, only took me a few days to get used to the slight difference in layout. For the £ key, I use AutoHotKey so I can get that symbol, but you can also use Alt + 156 on the NumKeyPad if you don't want to use any other software. If you don't have a NumKeyPad on your keyboard (like in my set up) you'll have to use AutoHotKey.

[Oobly]

I switched from UK ISO to Finnish ISO and then to US ANSI. Now I switch between them seamlessly.

I think the switch to US ANSI was really easy, the only thing that got me a couple times was hitting the Enter key a little high, so I hit between the \| key and Enter, but I got used to it really fast.

The switch to using arrow and edit keys on a Fn layer was a bigger task, but also not that much of an issue. I now work exclusively on a 60% ANSI board at the office.

It's great for swapping keycaps!

[bigDave]

Hello,

I am planning on purchasing a poker 2 however I am finding it hard to find any uk ISO variants for sale.

So atm I am set on buying one with an ANSI layout.

I was wondering if I would find the change hard and if anyone here has switched layouts and has any advise for me.

Thanks.

David

I switched layouts when I got my HHKB. It's mostly pretty seamless, only took me a few days to get used to the slight difference in layout. For the £ key, I use AutoHotKey so I can get that symbol, but you can also use Alt + 156 on the NumKeyPad if you don't want to use any other software. If you don't have a NumKeyPad on your keyboard (like in my set up) you'll have to use AutoHotKey.

Thanks for the positive replies. I will definitely consider a poker 2 now.

[Wonko73]

Hi,

thats a very interesting question: I'm from Germany, so I'm used to type on ISO-Layout, too, and yesterday I ordered my first ANSI-Layout Keyboard: A Happy Hacking 2 Type S.

I really hope, it won't be a bigger Problem for me switching on this layout... I'll let you know as soon as it arrived.

[bigDave]

Hi,

thats a very interesting question: I'm from Germany, so I'm used to type on ISO-Layout, too, and yesterday I ordered my first ANSI-Layout Keyboard: A Happy Hacking 2 Type S.

I really hope, it won't be a bigger Problem for me switching on this layout... I'll let you know as soon as it arrived.

Cheers, hearing about your experience will be useful.

[Grim Fandango]

I swap between the two every now and then, since I sometimes have to use keyboards other than my own that use ISO layout.

Switching between the two is easy enough. Going from ISO to ANSI is easier than the other way around. For example, the left shift is longer in ANSI. But if you come from ISO and still press it in the exact same spot you still hit shift. The other way around (adapting to a shorter shift) is much harder. I would argue that the enter-key on ANSI is also easier to use, even for someone who used ISO before. Yes, it is smaller, but also easier to reach as it extends further toward the middle. It will only take hours (if even that) before you start to appreciate this fact if you are a touch typist.

Other small changes, like the locations of some symbols, are not really a big deal as you do not use the all the time anyway, and you will just adapt over time.

[mozaiq]

I switch between DE-ISO and US-ANSI on a daily basis I do not have any problems. My Laptop has a physical ISO layout while my mech is ANSI. Depending on whether I am mainly chatting or coding I switch between DE and US layout. So it is basically four layouts I am using and are no transition problems at all. Even going DE-ANSI or US-ISO is no trouble. Of course it helps a lot if you can at least partially type on both layouts blindly. If I had to choose, I would prefer ANSI though. It just feels a bit more natural to me, although I am used to ISO most of my life. So if there are no personal reasons to prefer one other the other, there should be no problems.