TEX Yoda, mini keyboard with trackpoint

[sdiearly]

My present: sissy Yoda

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Did you re anodize that case or does Tex do a pink case? That thing is gorgeous!

Not re-anodized, this one is produced by TEX.
Consider this one is special theme for memorial edition.
I ask they do me a favor base on our friendship :)

[tototo]

So badly want a Yoda but it will not be until the new firmware is available and I can select/edit layout myself. Will want a Poker2 based layout as that's what I have at home and work.

[KeyZero]

Not sure if I should make a new thread or just zombie this one but Massdrop has this keyboard kit on sale. https://www.massdrop.com/buy/tex-yoda?mode=guest_open

I've crossing my fingers that the firmware is editable given the
Firmware Upgrade-able over USB
and
Customer Defined Memory Functions
in the description.

[Kira]

Not sure if I should make a new thread or just zombie this one but Massdrop has this keyboard kit on sale. https://www.massdrop.com/buy/tex-yoda?mode=guest_open

I've crossing my fingers that the firmware is editable given the
Firmware Upgrade-able over USB
and
Customer Defined Memory Functions
in the description.

Am I the only one worried that typing on this will cause me to accidentally press the left mouse button??

[Valen]

I am waiting for the Matias switch version.

[hasu]

I don't know if TEX provided firmware update ever.

If my memory is correct Yoda has pervasive Cortex MCU as well as PokerII does. Sooner or later someone will hack them eventually. It will be more fun to customize behaviour of the keyboard using combination of trackpoint and keys, not just keys.

[daerid]

Can't do a non-programmable 60%, no matter how good it looks

[muness]

i have tried this unit, and frankly, i really dislike the trackpoint, which is the major and only novel feature of the board. the trackpoint unit is hacked together from what looks like a joystick controller with a very loose mechanical pillar. the response of the unit felt completely wrong to me, and, oddly, the pillar and nub are not tightly mechanically tied to the sensor. i don't see this being a viable product at all at the moment.

For what it's worth, I tried the Yoda back when it first came out (it was just called Tex 60% with TP) and I sent it back after two weeks because of this issue with trackpoint. It had terrible drift as often as every few minutes. Also back then, the middle button was just for scrolling, not middle clicking.

Justin Wu reimbursed me and even paid for return shipping which was great.

Shame because I loved the brown MX switches.

[Folio]

I'm looking at the GB on MD and contemplating if I should get the Greens or Clears.... Is this even a good buy even at lowest drop price ($200) what with the non programmable layers and the trackpoint issues???!?!?!?!!?!

[Vitaly]

I'm looking at the GB on MD and contemplating if I should get the Greens or Clears.... Is this even a good buy even at lowest drop price ($200) what with the non programmable layers and the trackpoint issues???!?!?!?!!?!

No issues with trackpoint after 7 months. Layers not superb, but for me it's not big deal (hope in future to see programmable layout anyway) , vim & IDE's + custom shorcuts do the job. I carry this board at work and home. This kb really worth money (especially with good keycaps).

[Folio]

I'm looking at the GB on MD and contemplating if I should get the Greens or Clears.... Is this even a good buy even at lowest drop price ($200) what with the non programmable layers and the trackpoint issues???!?!?!?!!?!

No issues with trackpoint after 7 months. Layers not superb, but for me it's not big deal (hope in future to see programmable layout anyway) , vim & IDE's + custom shorcuts do the job. I carry this board at work and home. This kb really worth money (especially with good keycaps).

How does the trackpoint for the most current version of the kb compare to say a Lenovo Laptop trackpoint? And I heard from the MD discussions that someone contacted TEX and they said they are releasing a new version of the Yoda with upgraded firmware and programmability later this year (don't quote me on that) as well as functionality for x-axis scrolling for the middle button, maybe even clickable for new tabs too.

I might just wait for that. I'm not too fond of the keyboard right now for that price. Although, I don't really use horizontal scrolling anyways, and the Lenovos don't allow middle button clicking either so I can just use the ctrl key for that. But now I'm torn between choosing greens which I've never had before or clears which is my main switch right now. I don't wanna get greens and eventually despise clears for how light they are in comparison (happened with blues and topres after getting clears).

[gcb]

I heard from the MD discussions that someone contacted TEX and they said they are releasing a new version of the Yoda with upgraded firmware and programmability later this year

probably LIES and more LIES.

they said that last drop as well.

 my ergo dox fried recently (damn design using that 3.5mm without protection...sigh) and i'm using my yoda tex for over three months or so i think.

It is ****.

first of all, you need a external mouse because there is no middle mouse button. it is a dedicated scroll modifier. so gaming, linux usage, opening links in another tab/closing tab with middle button... all gone. I'm using an external mouse just because of that. because like hell i'm going to copy and paste in linux like a ctrl+c/v peasant.

then the layout, which is still not programmable is incredible dumb. All the useful fn keys are on the left side. cramming the space. so for things like home, end, pgup, pgdown... you have to reach from Fn (bottom left) all the way to TYGH keys (in qwert)...  the prime modified keys on the right hand have such pearls as print screen, scroll lock, pause, menu, insert... ok insert i use a lot. but that is the only modifier key on the right side with any use. pressing pgup/down/home/end is painful. guess what is on the easiest combinations (e.g. fn+z,x,c...)? audio control! track back, play/pause,track forward...
This point wouldn't be so bad if i could use the trackpad... but since when i'm moving the cursor and need those keys, i'm also selecting and pasting with the mouse, which required the middle button, so my right hand is not on the keyboard.

and yea, the only reason i bought it, was because tex and MD people said in the very vague wording that it would be programmable soon. And i fell for that. don't be a sucker like me.

what i like: dip for control to caps. fn+wasd (but on the right hand it is ijkl instead of vim hjkl). the trackpad. is actually as good as any high end lenovo i used. better than HP and low end lenovos (or newer high end lenovos, which are crap)

[sdiearly]

All the useful fn keys are on the left side

Right side is also with Fn key design.
Dip switch 5 and 6 are used to change Fn key location.

[Vitaly]

i'm using my yoda tex for over three months or so i think.

It is ****.

Absolutely disagree, all depends on your style of work, I'm not computer gamer and open links with Vimium (by pressing keys) or with left kb mouse button. For work with graphic or CAD I use mouse, trackpad or wacom, but 70% of the time I work with kb. For me the best FN position is CAPS LOCK, because wasd with arrows in one little movement from home position (and you can turn on caps lock by pressing fn tab).

But on MD Tex really said about programming feature and as we see - no news, it's sad. Hope to see any news or better new programmable firmware for keyboard.

[Folio]

i'm using my yoda tex for over three months or so i think.

It is ****.

Absolutely disagree, all depends on your style of work

I agree with Vitaly. It really does depend on how you use a kb. I use a Lenovo laptop all day errday and the middle mouse button does not click for new tabs or closes tabs either. I use CTRL+click for that. And I use CTRL+w to close tabs. Simple enough. I don't usually horizontal scroll either. But I decided not to buy it and wait for a new version (whenever that's gonna happen) which they say will have compatibility for those little things.

[Paeka]

this looks really cool

[gcb]

i'm using my yoda tex for over three months or so i think.

It is ****.

Absolutely disagree, all depends on your style of work

I agree with Vitaly. It really does depend on how you use a kb. I use a Lenovo laptop all day errday and the middle mouse button does not click for new tabs or closes tabs either. I use CTRL+click for that. And I use CTRL+w to close tabs. Simple enough. I don't usually horizontal scroll either. But I decided not to buy it and wait for a new version (whenever that's gonna happen) which they say will have compatibility for those little things.

But on the lenovo it is your option. you can open the driver settings under control panel > mouse and then you will see a trackpoint or something tab in the mouse settings windows.

there you can enable that to be a real middle mouse button.

with the tex yoda it is not like that. it is handled entirely on the hardware. the OS never even see that button.

[LeTrollMazter]

It's really nice, but quite pricey...