geekhack
geekhack Community => Keyboard Keycaps => Topic started by: PopTart on Sun, 13 May 2018, 21:13:21
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Hi all,
It's great to join the community with my first post! I just purchased my first mechanical keyboard in 20 years--an Alps Glidepoint keyboard. It's really great to type on, with what I believe are SKCM White Damped switches. It even has a split spacebar--the left half is a backspace key, which is great because of the tiny regular backspace key. It was a bit of a nuisance at first, though, because I ALWAYS USE MY LEFT THUMB FOR SPACEBAR! But I'm now able to erase with the left thumb and type a space with the right.
Anyway, getting to the point. I'm a Dvorak typist. I rearranged the keycaps to the Dvorak layout, but because the caps don't have a flat profile, they look wrong, all jutting out like crooked teeth. Believe it or not, it's barely noticeable to the touch, but I'd love it if the keyboard looked better.
So my question is: where can I find new or used Alps keycaps with either a Dvorak profile or a flat profile that would fit well enough on an Alps Glidepoint board? They don't have to be fancy, and I only need the alphanumeric keys (if I'm being really stingy, just letters and punctuation). Does anyone have any they're throwing out?
EDIT: Forgot to mention: cheap.
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I know matias sells alps with dvorak layout keyboards but Im not sure if he just sells the caps. Its worth checking though.
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From what I can tell, Matias sells the whole keyboard only. What's worse, the keycaps have both Dvorak and qwerty legends printed on each cap! Totally unsuitable.
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DSA Matias/Alps Granite (https://pimpmykeyboard.com/dsa-alps-matias-granite/) set.
Other than that, more of a curiosity, though, some Japanese keyboards had Alps switches and a "Dvorak-inspired" input method. Not really what you're looking for.
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$100?!
Is there something like an "unpimp my keyboard" site?
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You really don't have much if any options. Dvorak keys are already difficult enough to get with MX style keycaps.
If you can find some, they won't be cheap.
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I have given up on finding an affordable Dvorak keycap set. But on the upside, the blank keycaps I like are usually slightly cheaper than Qwerty.
But typing in Dvorak, you get used to the legends being wrong, especially if you ever use a laptop. (possibly part of the reason all Dvorak typists are touch-typists)
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I'll consider blank keycaps because, yeah, they're cheap. And yeah I got along fine with the wrong legends. I just like the look of the Dvorak layout, you know? The real reason I wanted to change them over was for playing roguelike games. Didn't want to leave my touch typing to chance and hit a wrong key.
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I'll consider blank keycaps because, yeah, they're cheap. And yeah I got along fine with the wrong legends. I just like the look of the Dvorak layout, you know? The real reason I wanted to change them over was for playing roguelike games. Didn't want to leave my touch typing to chance and hit a wrong key.
Learning to touch type better will be the best option
If you're new to dvorak using dvorak keycaps will only lead to bad typing habits and will probably slow you down when it comes to typing. I've been using dvorak for 4 years now and up until GMK Lazer came out I didn't own a dvorak layout set.
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Not only have I trained myself to touch type, I can also abstain from looking at the keys, thus avoiding the distractions caused by key legends. ;-)