geekhack
geekhack Community => Input Devices => Topic started by: Architect on Mon, 03 January 2011, 14:57:35
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I have an X-Keys Pro (http://www.xkeys.com/xkeys/xkpro.php). It has it's limitations, and it's uses. First it's limitations. It's quite expensive for what it is, even though it uses the Cherry Brown switches and had a metal backplane. In practice I found that its usefulness is limited. I tried a variety of kidnappings and only one set is particularly useful. Additionally since it involves moving the hand from the keyboard to perform a single task I have a tendency not to use it. This is different than for a house where usually you're moving your hand to the mouse to perform a variety of tasks.
On the upside I use the central 4 x 4 keypad for switching between Mac OS X spaces. I have spaces configured to its maximum size which is a 4 x 4 grid, this maps directly to the 4 x 4 central grid of the X keys (which is actually a 5 x 4 grid, I use the bottom row for some other functions.) I have a space configured specially for some type of activity, such as Photoshop, Xcode, mail or web browsing. The X keys allows me to navigate quickly between these applications/spaces. Unfortunately I haven't found much utility beyond that.
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I have an X-Keys Pro (http://www.xkeys.com/xkeys/xkpro.php). It has it's limitations, and it's uses. First it's limitations. It's quite expensive for what it is, even though it uses the Cherry Brown switches and had a metal backplane. In practice I found that its usefulness is limited. I tried a variety of kidnappings and only one set is particularly useful. Additionally since it involves moving the hand from the keyboard to perform a single task I have a tendency not to use it. This is different than for a house where usually you're moving your hand to the mouse to perform a variety of tasks.
On the upside I use the central 4 x 4 keypad for switching between Mac OS X spaces. I have spaces configured to its maximum size which is a 4 x 4 grid, this maps directly to the 4 x 4 central grid of the X keys (which is actually a 5 x 4 grid, I use the bottom row for some other functions.) I have a space configured specially for some type of activity, such as Photoshop, Xcode, mail or web browsing. The X keys allows me to navigate quickly between these applications/spaces. Unfortunately I haven't found much utility beyond that.
I so hope you mean key mappings...
I have a similar issue with my cherry keypad - I tend to use it in phases - quite a bit for a few weeks after reprogramming it and this will tail off until I get another idea and start again.
At the moment, I've got it set with the idea of reducing mouse usage - a grid of 9 keys that move the mouse pointer to the corresponding part of the screen and a few keys for clicks. It's tailed off already...
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nostromo practically does everything i need for business related macros.
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I got one of very early models of these, still as I will soon move solely on Win 7, I don't have much use of it, still might need to find time to conf it onces...
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I've seen these things before, but didn't know about the use of Cherry MX Browns. What I DO know is that they're fairly popular amongst the flight sim community, especially pit builders. (However, the CH Products Multi-Function Panels, basically rebadged Ergodex DX1s, have eaten somewhat into that. Not quite as expensive, for starters.)
Even if they don't get one of the X-Keys pads specifically, they may go for that 128-key matrix encoder and wire up their cockpit switches to it.
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I just bought one of these on eBay for $28:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rt=nc&nma=true&item=160530997444&si=Rug59a0JG3K%252BRyarbxzQoYFSjUk%253D&viewitem=
Do they all have Cherry browns?