Reasons to buy a 60% Keyboard

[hapibanana21]

I currently own a Tada68 together with a few full sized mechs right now and I absolutely love it. However, there is still a sense of emptiness in me since I originally planned to buy a true 60% keyboard which is what a pok3r is but went with Tada since I figured out that the arrow keys, pgup and pgdn would be useful in the long run. As I said, I am absolutely enjoying my Tada but if ever I am planning to buy a 60% keyboard, preferrably a custom one, what could be a good reason and a deal maker for me besides having different switches? I'm conflicted considering that the price for building a new one is very high and I could just spend it for a case and some keycaps.

[merlin64]

I think purely having different switches is a good enough excuse to get another keyboard =P.

For me, I like 60s because I never use my right modifier keys. (shift, alt, win, ctrl) so they end up becoming arrows. If you don't use them either, it would be a chance to cut down on size.

[hapibanana21]

Thanks! I think I'm gonna have to consider it some time. Never thought about having arrow keys in that kind of layout that as I don't use the right modifiers also.

[Tom_Kazansky]

once you get used to the layers, dedicated arrow keys become unnecessary.
currently I have a 65% board, similar to Tada68, but I did not use the arrow keys at all.

if you want a 60% keyboard, I recommend you get a custom one as its keys can be programmed. Programmability is a plus for custom keyboards beside different switches.

[Petch]

Why would you want to downgrade to a 60%? When selecting text you can already be holding 2 modifiers, would you really want to be pressing a third just to access the arrow/nav keys?

[davkol]

When selecting text you can already be holding 2 modifiers, would you really want to be pressing a third just to access the arrow/nav keys?

Why would I do that?

Just enter selection mode and move around freely…

[ideus]

A programmable sixty could be configured to cover most of a PC user's needs, there are many PCBs and cases to choose from and most sets may accommodate a sixty.

[Descartes]

I just got a 60 and have been loving it. Like, to death.

I use my keyboard for lots of writing, mainly in simple text editors for latex. I have tons of macros now programmed to cover lots of my basic needs and have moved a handful of uncomfortable keys (e.g., ` and \, both of which you have to use all the time in latex) and designed lots of key combinations in a way that I don't have to my hands off the home row. I haven't slowed down, and my hands don't have to stretch as awkwardly. And I have loved having the extra desk space!

[manolo]

Less hand movements, simple as that. When I got my first 60% keyboard, I was scared of the lack of dedicated arrow and function keys. But now I find having such keys accessible right under my finger with a function key waaaay more convenient than having to move my hand to reach some key elsewhere. Got nothing but 60% since I first got one, the only exception being my TKL Realforce.

Try it, love it and never go back !