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geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: PseudoLlama on Thu, 21 May 2020, 16:01:53
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Do you guys think that stepped caps locks keys are a must for a base keycap set?
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Yes.
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for a base keycap set yes, for actual practicality no
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I think every base kit should have the option of stepped caps lock and ANSI/ISO compatability.
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I think every base set should have at least 180 keys just in case.
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Many people prefer a stepped Caps Lock key because of how annoying it is when pressed by mistake.
Soldered keyboard kits tend to offer both options, but since the switch is soldered it is not easy to change it just to make it fit a keycap set.
Hotswappable keyboards tend to offer only the centre-stemmed key because two sockets won't fit. (in the same orientation, and the orientation is important on the home row to be able to fit thick Cherry profile without the keycap hitting the switch housing)
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for a base keycap set yes, for actual practicality no
agree with this
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I haven't used stepped capslock for... decades?
And seeing as how I swap capslock/leftcontrol, it would have zero practical use to me anyway.
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100% needs to be included. I use it because it looks nice and prevents accidental presses.
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we should remove capslock... and put Control there.
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we should remove capslock... and put Control there.
I have a better idea, replace left shift with CTRL and then operate it like a WKL.
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we should remove capslock... and put Control there.
I have a better idea, replace left shift with CTRL and then operate it like a WKL.
What?
The point is to eliminate caps lock, which %90 of people don't use.
How is putting control on shift, like using a WKL?
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we should remove capslock... and put Control there.
I have a better idea, replace left shift with CTRL and then operate it like a WKL.
What?
The point is to eliminate caps lock, which %90 of people don't use.
How is putting control on shift, like using a WKL?
I'm joking, well partially; I'd actually love it.
My point is if you replaced left shift with control with replaced ctrl with windows key you could have the same form factor as WKL, but get rid of the pesky left shift.
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for a base keycap set yes, for actual practicality no
agree with this
agree with this agreement
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Do you guys think that stepped caps locks keys are a must for a base keycap set?
I don't know a single person IRL who uses them, so in my humble opinion: not remotely.
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Stepped keycaps only serve one purpose today: to appeal to retro-enthusiasts who like that vintage look.
BTW, I agree with the general sentiment that the Caps Lock key is useless in its current position. Back in the day, that's where Ctrl was. The thing is, I'm too used to having Ctrl in the bottom left corner now, so replacing Caps Lock with Ctrl wouldn't really be useful to me. On 60% boards I typically reprogram Caps Lock to be FN so I can chord it with IJKL for arrow key navigation.
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I like having the option, just because I use a Cherry G80-3000 at work and I'd like more keycap options that aren't from GMK. ;D I'm in the minority, though, and there are virtually no keyboards you can buy off the shelf that come with a stepped caps lock key, other than the G80-3000.
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I prefer stepped if the keyboard won't let me swap ctrl/capslock...
But crucial? No...
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Yes.
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Crucial no but for me it's highly preferred
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Highly preferred, both for aesthetics and practicality on normal staggered keyboards. Would I refuse to buy a set because it didn't have a stepped Caps Lock? Probably not, but it would be a deterrent. I usually remap Caps Lock to Function or Backspace, so it is nice to have those as alternatives.
Unfortunately, most stepped Caps Lock keys are not center-stem, which makes it difficult or impossible to fit stepped keys to most pre-built keyboards.
I actually reached out to GMK asking if it were possible for them to make a center-stem stepped Caps Lock key. They said they would have to make a new mold for it, but that they would be happy to do it, and even eat the cost of the new part if there was a substantial order that included such a key. Hopefully a GB runner could inquire about this for an upcoming kit so that future kits could also get center-stem stepped Caps Lock keys.
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Wouldn't a center stemmed stepped Caps Lock interfere with the switch housing?
In a base kit there should always be a stepped Caps Lock key. If that's up for debate, then so is a 7u spacebar. You don't need a 7u spacebar, but some people prefer it to a 6.25u.
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For a real base kit, no. If you add stepped caps you are getting into the realm of 'alternate base' where you start covering 7u spacebars, 1.75u right shift, tsangan modifiers etc.
How basic of a 'base' do you want?