most keyboards seem to be built around the English QWERTY layout, I mean "non-English" in this case). In particular I'm interested in a Spanish keyboard
Hello all, I was curious if anyone knew of any foreign language keyboards with mechanical switches (I know "foreign" is a relative descriptor, but since most keyboards seem to be built around the English QWERTY layout, I mean "non-English" in this case). In particular I'm interested in a Spanish keyboard (there's one extra key near the left SHIFT key) and Korean (which has a few extra keys at the bottom). Any help would be greatly appreciated. I skimmed Google quickly but didn't get many promising results so I figured someone here would probably just know this offhand.I have yet to encounter a Korean keyboard with dedicated 한/영 and 한자 keys. They are just mapped to right alt and right control respectively. Mechanical keyboards sold in Korea (http://leopold.co.kr/) are therefore in ANSI layout.
Thanks!
-~D~-
According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyboard_layout#Spanish_.28Spain.29.2C_aka_Spanish_.28International_sort.29), spanish layouts are based upon QWERTY as well...
Spanish (Spain), aka Spanish (International sort)Show Image(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/KB_Spanish.svg/800px-KB_Spanish.svg.png)
Spanish (Latin America)Show Image(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/KB_Latin_American.svg/800px-KB_Latin_American.svg.png)
Being so, I guess it wouldn't be too hard to make a spanish keyboard out of an english one (not like french :pout:).
?Show Image(http://www.iomania.net/images/maje/han_106.jpg)
Any Japanese keyboard could be remapped as well. My Filco Zero (with no transposing controller issues) was easily remapped and I wouldn't be surprised if the Kanji/Hirigana key scancodes match the Korean hangul keys.
So to recap, ch_123 says Unicomp sells them. That sounds like a good way to go! Unless you were looking for a mechanical board that used individual switch modules.
good luck on your searches and please tell us what ya find or go with.
=)
Thanks for the responses, everyone. British, the Spanish keyboards look like QWERTYs at a glance, but if you look next to the left shift key, there's an extra physical key there, the <,> key, which is messing me up.
What you mean here is ISO and ANSI.
ISO is the standard for the physical layout of buttons on a keyboard used by most parts of Europe (including Spain). This has the key between Left shift and Z, the inverted L shaped enter, and the extra key along the middle row to the left of the lower part of the enter/
ANSI is the standard used in the US, and parts of the far east. This has the horizontal bar enter and no key between left shift and enter.
The Spanish layout is QWERTY based (first six letters on the top letter row). This is distinct to AZERTY used in Francophone countries, and QWERTZ used in Germany and other central European countries.
And I'd argue that buckling springs are better than Alps or Cherry, unless you want a quiet keyboard that is...
Thanks for the responses, everyone. British, the Spanish keyboards look like QWERTYs at a glance, but if you look next to the left shift key, there's an extra physical key there, the <,> key, which is messing me up.
Yes.
If you're living in Spain, you could check if used Cherry G81-3000 boards are as cheap and easy to get there as they are here in Germany. G81s are terrible keyboards, but their keys fit on any board with Cherry MX switches. Certainly more elegant and durable than key stickers.
Here's one of my latest...
I've been looking all over the place and still can't wrap my head around the idea that there simply aren't any ALPS ISO keyboards in existence with PS2/USB connectivity.
Oh wow! Your work is beautiful!
Edit: If you want a really beefy new mechanical keyboard, I think your best bet is one of these: http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/customizer.html (http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/customizer.html)
I read a blog somewhere where someone cut the stems off with a dremel and attached antique typewriter keys to them, with excellent results.
For any future foreign language products, I've decided I really need ALPS switches.
...an ALPS ergonomic keyboard I want to build
That might not be the right decision. If you look up the stats, the cherries are geekhackers' favourite switches by a looong way. IIRC the brown and blue cherries got more votes in the last "your favourite switch" poll than all other switches combined. Buckling springs were closest to the cherries, but not close: blue & brown put together got twice as many votes as BS.
That sounds good. Make it blue cherries and you got a buyer. Seriously, I think there are lots of people on here that would pay a very handsome amount of money for a sensibly designed ergonomic keyboard with a choice of brown or blue cherry switches, myself included. Even a simple adjustable split keyboard would be quite popular imo.