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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: unicomp on Mon, 05 July 2010, 17:18:53

Title: Matrix Boards
Post by: unicomp on Mon, 05 July 2010, 17:18:53

Are there any real advantages in terms of speed and comfort for typing if one is using a matrix board, such as the Typematrix? Also, what are some example of matrix boards, even if not mechanical?

Title: Matrix Boards
Post by: Rajagra on Mon, 05 July 2010, 19:05:05

A matrix layout alone isn't really an improvement. But if you increase hand separation and improve the key layout then that's good. I think the Typematrix does a good job of that. It also has extra nubs and ridges on keys to help touch typing. I think you'd really need to commit to the board though, which is why mine goes unused. But if I loved scissor switches I would make it my main keyboard.

Title: Matrix Boards
Post by: dmw on Tue, 06 July 2010, 12:07:30

Here are a few examples of current, defunct, and prototype matrix keyboards:

TypeMatrix 2030
(http://typematrix.com/style/img/tmx-2030_gallery-1.png)
 (http://typematrix.com/2030/features.php)

Kinesis Contoured Keyboard
(http://kinesis-ergo.com/images/kb_adv-blk720x471.jpg) (http://kinesis-ergo.com/contoured.htm)

Maltron Keyboard
(http://www.maltron.com/images/keyboards/maltron-usb-dual-l90-uk-mac-qwerty-gray-1-large.jpg) (http://www.maltron.com/maltron-kbd-dual.html)

Plum Keyboard
(http://www.ergocanada.com/images/plum_kb_300.jpg) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PLUM_keyboard)

X-keys 84 key Programmable
(http://www.piengineering.com/pigraphics/Products/XK84/xk84400.jpg) (http://www.piengineering.com/xkeys/xk12884.php)

Almost a matrix:

Datadesk SmartBoard
(http://www.geek.com/hwswrev/smartback_high.jpg) (http://www.datadesktech.com/desktop_sb.html)

And my personal favorite ;)

humble hacker keyboard
(http://www.humblehacker.com/keyboard/images/kb/HH1_top_reduced.png) (http://www.humblehacker.com/keyboard/)

Title: Matrix Boards
Post by: unicomp on Tue, 06 July 2010, 12:30:04

This makes me want to get another Kinesis, my first one broke, however after buying my HHKB I said to myself that I would not buy any more boards for a while. Perhaps if I can get a good second-hand deal I will go for a Kinesis; the typing position was rather comfortable in the few days I used it. The humble hacker keyboard is somewhat responsible for rekindling memories of the TypeMatrix and thus matrix keyboards in general, the layout does look quite nice.

Title: Matrix Boards
Post by: dmw on Tue, 06 July 2010, 13:00:37

You say your kinesis 'broke'.  What happened to it?  Do you still have it?  They can be repaired, sometimes quite easily.  One of my near future plans is to humblehack one of my kinesis keyboards.  That is, replace the controller with a Teensy++ and my humble hacker firmware.  We could do this to yours too, if you still have it.

On another note, the design of the humble hacker keyboard was directly influenced by the Kinesis Contoured keyboard.  I really wanted to have the features similar to the Kinesis but in a smaller form-factor.  Now that I'm using it, it does feel a bit like a mini-kinesis, without the contour.

Title: Matrix Boards
Post by: unicomp on Tue, 06 July 2010, 13:30:22

I bought a second hand Kinesis that was quite old and experienced problems with phantom keypresses being registered when certain keys were pressed on the board. I returned the board and am probably going to buy another at some point in the future. It was a nice board, however.