Keyboard Related Botherations

[CommunistWitchDr]

So, what keyboard related pet peves do you have?

I'll share a couple of mine, these are all personal taste (complaining about what other people like is the point of this thread) so don't get too flustered.

Gaming key anything. I don't care if it's wasd, esdf, rdfg, or ijkl. Anything on 4 keys in the middle of the board looks bad. Modifiers, navigation keys, and function keys I'm fine with having different colors because they're in visual groups. But gaming keys are part of the letters group.

That checkerboard keycap thing, for similar reasons.

All this ruckus on making switches lighter, nobody ever seems to take switches and heavy them up

Shiny things. I like black, silver, green, neon purple, really any color. But only matte. No glossy or shiny anything. Like I think the das looks god awful. I'll make an exception for precious metal. If your case is solid gold, shiny is fine.

Novelty caps anywhere but escape (unless you have a full set) or modifier keys. On letter keys is the worst, like mario/luigi keys. The all hammer and sickle poker gets a pass for being the best thing ever. I would buy that as a legit set.

[Tarzan]

So, what keyboard related pet peves do you have?

I'll share a couple of mine, these are all personal taste (complaining about what other people like is the point of this thread) so don't get too flustered.

Gaming key anything. I don't care if it's wasd, esdf, rdfg, or ijkl. Anything on 4 keys in the middle of the board looks bad. Modifiers, navigation keys, and function keys I'm fine with having different colors because they're in visual groups. But gaming keys are part of the letters group.

That checkerboard keycap thing, for similar reasons.

All this ruckus on making switches lighter, nobody ever seems to take switches and heavy them up

Shiny things. I like black, silver, green, neon purple, really any color. But only matte. No glossy or shiny anything. Like I think the das looks god awful. I'll make an exception for precious metal. If your case is solid gold, shiny is fine.

Novelty caps anywhere but escape (unless you have a full set) or modifier keys. On letter keys is the worst, like mario/luigi keys. The all hammer and sickle poker gets a pass for being the best thing ever. I would buy that as a legit set.

Testify, brother!   

You've captured my complaints quite succinctly, I have nothing to add to this list. 

Just as an aside, I've been trying to get some heavy springs for some time now, to try making a heavier version of the MX Brown or MX White switches.  No real progress on that front, I'm keeping a weather eye peeled for the MX Dark Grey Ducky that's supposed to hit stores soon. 

[rowdy]

The fact that many keyboards replace the right menu key with a Fn key.

Why not replace the right Win key with the Fn key?  At least there is another Win key to press.

I miss the menu key sometimes.

[Halverson]

I used to love mismatched profiles and unicorn vomit, custom cap mess. Now I don't think any of my boards have much for novelty on them, can't handle it. I love some flair, but only in proper places.
Although I do enjoy wasd clusters still

[Sifo]

If my keyboard is out of position. By the slightest ****ing bit.

[Halverson]

If my keyboard is out of position. By the slightest ****ing bit.

Anything without gold springs for you drives you mad.

[Grim Fandango]

These are not things that are bad, just things I personally dislike.

-WASD keys that are not exactly like the keys around them. A different color is ok, but I hate it when suddenly part of my keyboard feels different when typing (profile, surface texture, shape).

-Keycaps that fit loosely and wobble when you put some pressure on the sides.

-Having too many different colors and different style keycaps on one keyboard. It may be impressive if they are rare, and I can appreciate a nice collection, but aesthetically I do not like it.

-Blank keycaps. Dont get me wrong, they look fantastic, it is just that they are such a bother to use for me. Yes I touch type, and even when programming and using latex I know where most keys are. Still, it is too inconvenient for me ( I can not , for example, type something with one hand, or use numerical keys in rapid succession on a tenkeyless)

-Backlit anything. It looks cool, but under any lighting conditions except for no light at all, large clear legends are easier to read for me. It also seems a bit excessive because really, how often do you look at your keyboard when you are using it. I also do not like the constant "glow" from my keyboard as I am doing something else.

-Built in wrist rests. They are always too low to be of any practical use to me, and when they can not be removed they will actually prevent you from using a wristrest that would actually be useful.

- Rubbers/ feet that are fragile. I move and re-position my keyboard a lot , and there are plenty of keyboards that can not cope with it. In fact, even the filco rubbers on the feet get worn down in no time.

- Elaborate drivers that cause more issues than they provide useful features.

[inteli722]

The fact that many keyboards replace the right menu key with a Fn key.

Why not replace the right Win key with the Fn key?  At least there is another Win key to press.

I miss the menu key sometimes.

This. I prefer keyboard navigation for text, so I use the Arrow keys + menu all the time, especially because I can use the arrow keys with my fingers and have my thumb rest on the menu key. Why can't the one completely redundant key, the right windows key, be replaced instead?

[keymaster]

*mixing ABS keycaps with PBT keycaps
*unicorn vomit keyboards
*$250 keycap
*almost all novelty keycaps
*glittery keycaps and cases
*gamer case and keycaps
*shiny keycaps (looks greasy, long live glorious PBT)

I like simplicity/minimalism.

[nubbinator]

- People who buy CCs and other caps exclusively to resell and make a profit.  Or people who do that with any artisan good.  Let the people who enjoy and appreciate it buy it at cost instead of being a wanker and flipping it. 

- In a similar vein, auctions done in private or via PM.  The worst is when people complain about it, then do it themselves (*cough*DanGWanG*cough*)

- Caps of different profiles and heights on a keyboard.

- Stupid fights over what kind of switch is the best, about Topre being literally Jesus, or any other subjective matter of taste when it comes to keyboard feelings.

- The silly infighting some people perpetuate between GH and DT or GH and /r/mechanicalkeyboards

- Unicorn vomit keyboards

- Seeing awesome old keyboards that could easily be converted to USB stripped for caps, then thrown out. 

- Shiny/glossy cases, like on the Das Keyboard.

- Keyboards with non-standard cap sizes for no logical reason, like the new Corsair K65, or keyboards with different layouts between similar boards, like some of the Steelseries boards.

- Freaking out over non-issues.  Like seeing a new switch housing and immediately jumping to the conclusion that they're counterfeits.

[CommunistWitchDr]

- Seeing awesome old keyboards that could easily be converted to USB stripped for caps, then thrown out. 

I had to teensy mod my wyse because I couldn't stand to do this. No excuse for ones that work with an adaptor. As for ones requiring modding, if you don't have the time, put up an ad selling it as long as the buyer agrees not to strip. If you don't get a sale, then stripping is fine.

[tp4tissue]

I'm bothered by the fact that every keyboard isn't at least in the shape//layout... of an ergodox...   I understand many features such as cherry mx, plate mounted, teensy are too expensive for mainstream...  but at least the SHAPE......

I Mean,, do my hands look remotely like a sideways rectangles?  clearly no )

[Hak Foo]

the lack of ALPS keycap options, and indeed ALPS boards with decent layout.

[nubbinator]

the lack of ALPS keycap options, and indeed ALPS boards with decent layout.

Apparently Tai Hao does Alps caps.  Maybe get a GB going for that?  I would like to see more Alps though.  I want to try one and whenever I do find one that's affordable, the sale or auction is done.

[rowdy]

ALPS would be a significantly smaller market - if the MOQ is the same you'd never reach it.

[iri]

backlighting, printed keycaps, anything non-pbt, anything gamer.

[Grim Fandango]

Have to agree with things that are typically "gamer" as well. I don't mean WASD keycaps or anything, but generally keyboards (or pheripherals really) that manufacturers styled to appeal to gamers. It usually involves a lot of shiny plastic, bright lights, death star inspired looks and pictures of ninjas.

Actually, death star inspired does not have to be all bad

[CommunistWitchDr]

Have to agree with things that are typically "gamer" as well. I don't mean WASD keycaps or anything, but generally keyboards (or pheripherals really) that manufacturers styled to appeal to gamers. It usually involves a lot of shiny plastic, bright lights, death star inspired looks and pictures of ninjas.

Actually, death star inspired does not have to be all bad

Weighing in at four pounds of solid glossy plastic and mirror finish chrome*, Razers new keyboard is literally shaped like a ninja. That's right, our new design takes a silhouette of an anchient asian warrior and fills it in with more macro keys than we care to count for maximum frag. And with the 950 leds in 12 different colors you can pwn noobs in style day or night.

*chrome paint only, contains no actual metal

[Findecanor]

- Whenever someone creates a thread asking for something and a xxx-fan troll posts a reply that is completely irrelevant just to tout his own preference. For instance: Q:"I want something like the buckling spring but MX Blue is too soft. Is there a harder clicky MX switch?", Troll:"You should buy a Topre!".

- Clacks. Keys that are not shaped like keys, I.e. not made for typing.

All this ruckus on making switches lighter, nobody ever seems to take switches and heavy them up

I don't agree with that. Cherry MX Whites and Green have got a lot of hype recently. There are lots of people who prefer MX Black over MX Red. A Swedish group order for silent Realforce are getting 55g keys instead of the common 45g.

[SpAmRaY]

On thing that bother's me is when someone just comes to my desk and grabs the monitor and turns it to look at something, and/or sit down at my desk and mess with either my mouse and/or keyboard.

Also the cleaning people who would just toss things around on my desk, including my keyboard, when cleaning.

But once I had a talk with the cleaning 'boss' about the cost of my keyboard they no longer touch my desk.

And I'm bothered by USPS shipping, it is so sporadic and random at times, since most all of my keyboard related purchases come that way!

[Halvar]

- Full area caps lock -- why the heck was this even invented? Cherry's stepped caps lock is so much better and came first, and if all standard layout keyboards had it, we wouldn't have to bother about the two different stem positions. The only reason I can imagine was someone being too lazy to design a special mold for this.

- same for different spacebar or modifier stem positions (G81 modifiers, Leopold spacebar, Cherry spacebar). Why oh why?

- illuminated keyboards don't make sense for anything but gaming. Illumination of the board from above is always better. It's bad enough that monitors still have to use backlight+absoption instead of reflection like ePaper does, I don't need that on my keyboard, too.

- light-on-dark keycap legends that look dirty and brown after like 2 hours of use, like Cherry L or Noppoo. Doubleshots FTW!

[CommunistWitchDr]

- Full area caps lock -- why the heck was this even invented? Cherry's stepped caps lock is so much better and came first, and if all standard layout keyboards had it, we wouldn't have to bother about the two different stem positions. The only reason I can imagine was someone being too lazy to design a special mold for this.

Nah man, full area all the way, works better as a backspace/control/really anything that's not caps.

[IvanIvanovich]

Bigass enter keys. Costar stabilizers. Keycaps that are not Cherry profile. Cherry sets that came in a unique colorway, but a ****tarded layout so it is impossible to get matching keys for use on other keyboard.

I generally prefer fulltouch caps lock too. I mean why does it need to be special shape? I find it visually disturbing, unless it is on really oldschool that have those like double stepped other modifiers. Why even do we need caps lock for that matter? Shift lock FTW!

[Jocelyn]

Bigass enter keys.

Like iso enter?

[IvanIvanovich]

No. Like these:


****ing abomination.

The saving with Cherry, when they do it though, it is like this:


So you can replace it with an ISO enter, which is less sucky.

[Jocelyn]

No. Like these:

Show Image

****ing abomination.

Holy ****! lol

[Grim Fandango]

Almost forgot :

ISO

For most it is easy to avoid , here in Holland we use like three different standards. ISO I avoid like the plague.

[Halvar]

I generally prefer fulltouch caps lock too. I mean why does it need to be special shape?

Because you don't want to press it by accident, and the gap is the easiest way to find the home position it you're used to it. 1.5 units is way too big for its function anyway.

What looks best is in many cases also what works worst ergonomically ...

Why even do we need caps lock for that matter? Shift lock FTW!

Legitimate question ... I need neither caps lock nor shift lock any more. But that's the standard layout, so if you want to stay with that at least make it a bit safer by using a stepped cap.

[Halvar]

Almost forgot :

ISO

For most it is easy to avoid , here in Holland we use like three different standards. ISO I avoid like the plague.

Nah, ISO is great. For more reasons than you named against it. Which were none of course. 

[Grim Fandango]

Almost forgot :

ISO

For most it is easy to avoid , here in Holland we use like three different standards. ISO I avoid like the plague.

Nah, ISO is great. For more reasons than you named against it. Which were none of course. 

From what I understand this thread is about things you do not like. I was not trying to argue that ISO is bad in general.  I forgot to add it to my list that I began by saying "These are not things that are bad, just things I personally dislike" to avoid stepping on any toes, and because 90% of everything keyboard is subjective and dependent on your particular habits , anatomy, intended use etc.

If we start criticizing each other's likes and dislikes, this thread would turn ugly fast.