Author Topic: Custom Keyboard or Kinesis Advantage?  (Read 5201 times)

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Offline AJ-red

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Custom Keyboard or Kinesis Advantage?
« on: Thu, 27 December 2018, 08:07:21 »
Hello,
New to the forums.
Glad to be here!

The daily-drive in my office and home has been a Microsoft 4000 for years (over a decade?).
About two weeks ago I got a Kinesis Freestyle Edge (https://gaming.kinesis-ergo.com/product/freestyle-edge/)
I set it up "tented".
I am using it at home, and seeing how it goes.

Looking at the Kinesis Advantage (the "2"?), I think it would be awesome.
Yet, maybe I'll buy it and "split it in half".
It just seems odd they don't manufacture it split in half.
Some people will have wider shoulders, and others will have narrower.

Browsing these forums, I saw a thread with a comment of a custom keyboard: Oggyn? Oddin?
I don't remember the name of the poster.
Yet he created the thumb-keys waaaay tilted and "inside", which to me makes sense.

Any idea what that custom keyboard could be?


What do you think?
Any and all feedback is appreciated.

Offline algernon

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Re: Custom Keyboard or Kinesis Advantage?
« Reply #1 on: Thu, 27 December 2018, 09:36:02 »
I think you're thinking of either the Dactyl, or Dactyl-Manuform, or Manuform keyboards, perhaps?

Offline AJ-red

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Re: Custom Keyboard or Kinesis Advantage?
« Reply #2 on: Thu, 27 December 2018, 09:50:53 »
WOW YES!!!!!!

Reading everything I can from those!!
Those look AWESOME!

From what I've seen so far: I would send the 3D prints to a manufacturer (Shapeways?).
Yet the soldering etc I can do myself.

Those look super cool.

Question: On this link, what does it mean when they say 40% (4x5) or 60% (5x6)?

Offline algernon

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Re: Custom Keyboard or Kinesis Advantage?
« Reply #3 on: Thu, 27 December 2018, 09:53:55 »
Question: On this link, what does it mean when they say 40% (4x5) or 60% (5x6)?

The amount of keys the keyboard has. 40% has 4x5 keys, the 60% 5x6.

Offline AJ-red

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Re: Custom Keyboard or Kinesis Advantage?
« Reply #4 on: Thu, 27 December 2018, 10:00:29 »
Thank you!

btw: Cool name.
I much enjoyed Flowers for Algernon

Offline vvp

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Re: Custom Keyboard or Kinesis Advantage?
« Reply #5 on: Thu, 27 December 2018, 12:18:50 »
From what I've seen so far: I would send the 3D prints to a manufacturer (Shapeways?).
If you have a maker-space around they you can try there as well.
Simple repraps (FDM/FFF) can print these. The surface finish will not be as nice as with SLS(*). But if you care then print with ABS (optionally sand the surface) and "paint" with acetone. It will look OK.

(*) That is what Shapeways would use.

Offline Squarism

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Re: Custom Keyboard or Kinesis Advantage?
« Reply #6 on: Mon, 07 January 2019, 12:07:16 »
Ive went the same way as you. Used Microsoft NK 4000 for nearly a decade. Ive ordered a 3d print of dactyl manuform and am about to assemble and solder it. There are some parameters however that you could consider.

1. The Dactyl manuform doesnt seem to have a clear idea regarding wrist angles. Maybe its meant to be used wo wrist rests. Maybe not and you ad hoc it.
2. Finger length is a parameters of the model generation program. Maybe this can be important. Ive just put some caps and switches on my print and felt it out some. I might have choosen different params than default-
3. Tenting. I think I could have gone with (double angle?) more aggressive tenting.
4. rotation about the x axis (forward/backward tilt). If you like the raised NK 4000 tilt you might want more than default.

So all in all. I love the dactyl manuform but there seems to be a lot of free parameters left for the user to define. I *think* I will like the angles of Kinesis Advantage more than my non tweaked Dactyl Manuform. I will try to achive the angles i want by putting it in angled wooden boxes. But it would have been great if all this was dealt with before 

Offline vvp

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Re: Custom Keyboard or Kinesis Advantage?
« Reply #7 on: Mon, 07 January 2019, 14:16:25 »
I solved angles by printing stand separately from the keyboard. I need a different stand only to change an angle. On the other side, the Dactyl manuform approach is cheaper if one knows what angles are the best.

Offline ak66666

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Re: Custom Keyboard or Kinesis Advantage?
« Reply #8 on: Sun, 13 January 2019, 20:16:55 »
IMO Dactyl-Manuform is the best option.
My current boards are 4x6, have been using them over six months.

3. Tenting. I think I could have gone with (double angle?) more aggressive tenting.
4. rotation about the x axis (forward/backward tilt). If you like the raised NK 4000 tilt you might want more than default.

IMO The default Dactyl-Manuform parameters yield quite good board, very good for hands, provided your posture is good.
With a high desk and the lack of the keyboard drawer at work required changes as you mentioned.
I rotated it more in both directions, more tenting and tilted more backward.
I.e. doubled the tenting angle and tilted it so the line between top and the second row is at the lowest level.
If I built another copy I would reduce the spacing between the keys to the bare minimum, and may be increase the tenting by one third (2.5 times compared with the default.)