This project is in the very early design stages. I want to mostly finalize the ideal layout before getting into PCB and case designs, so this thread is mainly directed towards layout ideas. Constructive criticism and adding to the wishlist are welcome!
Quick note on the pictures: the first one is the layout concept, and the second is an overlay with a 65 percent keyboard (like Tofu65) for size reference. I've had many people think this thing is bigger than it really is, so I added that for context.
If you have the time, please take my quick survey so that I can get a feel for what people like and why
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1_PxKJRueJMgPMYC7CEI4YvmbJNS0qHp7UfMrcYO5P6k/editHere is the philosophy behind the concept:
1. Left Hand Numpad
- A lot of people today are big gamers as well as content creators and productivity users. For gaming, space on the right of the keyboard is paramount, but for productivity a full size keyboard is super useful. Relocating Numpad to left hand side frees up a lot of space but doesn't compromise on function.
2. Ortholinear
- Ortho makes sense to me. It keeps the familiar form factor of a traditional keyboard but gets rid of the stagger which is a relic from the days of typewriters, and doesn't really make sense anymore. It also has the added benefit of being more compact without reducing key size or spacing due to the smaller modifier keys.
3. Full size
- Lots of buttons
. Layers are useful and I do use some for less used functions but for my use case (and that of others that I know) layers can be a lot to remember and so more keys tend to be preferable. The issue with more keys has always been size of the board IMO, so hopefully the previous points address this concern.
A few other points:
People have suggested in other forums that I should make this compatible with multiple ortho variant layouts (i.e. allow for 1u or 2u keys in various locations). I think this is a reasonable goal.
Some have suggested including rotary encoders as well. I like the idea, but just need to consider where they might go.
I've been thinking about adding some kind of thumb cluster, but I think that this might ultimately be too messy of a solution. If you think otherwise I'm all ears.
I want this to be something that incorporates as many suggestions from others as possible, so if you have an idea, speak up! If enough people want something like this, I will consider doing larger production runs, so hopefully this thing can be widely available instead of being limited to one or two group buys. Who knows? Let me know what you think!
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