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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: SuffixTreeMonkey on Tue, 22 March 2011, 12:02:18

Title: n-key rollover effect on typists
Post by: SuffixTreeMonkey on Tue, 22 March 2011, 12:02:18
Hello everybody,

I'm thinking about buying my first mechanical keyboard and I set my sights on G80-3000LSCDE-2, which I can get from Austria for a sizeable amount of money (I'm from Central Europe, so I don't have that many options).

The thing I wanna ask you about is whether (and how) the lack of n-key rollover hinders typing work. I know the keyboard I mentioned has only 2-key rollover [1] and I wanna know if that's an issue for a person that cares mainly about typing (I write and program a lot during my day). My typing isn't stellar yet, but I'm working on it (~80 WPM) and it's improving fast, so I wanna know if that's gonna be an issue in the foreseeable future.

Thanks and long live your keyboards!

[1]: It's been said on this forum for example here: http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=4182 . I've done my research.
Title: n-key rollover effect on typists
Post by: rustybarnacle on Tue, 22 March 2011, 12:11:09
for typing and programming I would not expect you to see a difference between 2kro and nkro at all.
Title: n-key rollover effect on typists
Post by: Fwiffo on Tue, 22 March 2011, 12:11:37
N-key rollover or the lack thereof has absolutely no affect on normal typing. It's only a factor for gamers.
Title: n-key rollover effect on typists
Post by: Peter on Tue, 22 March 2011, 12:26:33
A IBM model M doesn't have NKRO, yet it is considered by many as one of the best keyboards ever made for skilled typists ..
I hope that answers your question !
Title: n-key rollover effect on typists
Post by: escargot on Tue, 22 March 2011, 12:50:00
Quote from: ripster;316017
These have 1KRO.
Show Image
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4128/5089815618_f01d08cb87_z.jpg)


This reminded me of ONN's Macbook wheel (http://www.theonion.com/video/apple-introduces-revolutionary-new-laptop-with-no,14299/).

OT: I type on a Model M and, as with all my keyboards, I've never had an issue with 2KRO. And when I play games I think I already got used to not pressing A, S and X and such problematic sequences. I'm not really sure NKRO is all that important.
Title: n-key rollover effect on typists
Post by: Peter on Tue, 22 March 2011, 12:51:06
.. And it's twice as good as a Model M !
Title: n-key rollover effect on typists
Post by: SuffixTreeMonkey on Tue, 22 March 2011, 13:15:55
Typewriters are a bad example, as typists felt their shortcomings when typing fast, such as keys jamming. But otherwise, thanks for the info. I hoped it wouldn't be a problem.
Title: n-key rollover effect on typists
Post by: BucklingSpring on Tue, 22 March 2011, 13:18:17
Quote from: SuffixTreeMonkey;316054
Typewriters are a bad example, as typists felt their shortcomings when typing fast, such as keys jamming. But otherwise, thanks for the info. I hoped it wouldn't be a problem.


I'm curious... How fast do you type?
Title: n-key rollover effect on typists
Post by: BucklingSpring on Tue, 22 March 2011, 13:21:12
Quote from: ripster;316059
It''s time to roll out the man, the Legend, the MINGO!


I don't feel like watching this guy again...
But I'd like to hear his take on roll over.
Title: n-key rollover effect on typists
Post by: Keylamity on Tue, 22 March 2011, 13:22:25
Quote from: ripster;316017
These have 1KRO.
Show Image
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4128/5089815618_f01d08cb87_z.jpg)


Look at the keys on that calculator sitting on his desktop.  Rip, is that thing mechanical?  It's cherry blues, isn't it?
Title: n-key rollover effect on typists
Post by: itlnstln on Tue, 22 March 2011, 13:22:39
Mingo's really getting after it.  I wonder what the hell he's typing in all these videos.
Title: n-key rollover effect on typists
Post by: Keylamity on Tue, 22 March 2011, 13:27:25
Quote from: ripster;316059
It''s time to roll out the man, the Legend, the MINGO!


Ever since Mingo, typing has been MASCULINE.
Title: n-key rollover effect on typists
Post by: cornsoup on Tue, 22 March 2011, 16:30:28
As I am not good at typing, I tends to type the next key before I lift up the first key, relying on the  'repeat delay' on windows OS...so sometimes (but rarely) I will encounter problems for the 3rd letter on a 2KRO keyboard (if I'm trying to type too fast)...

This is a rare/bad example.. I doubt any skilled typist will encounter this problem though... :P
Title: n-key rollover effect on typists
Post by: Tony on Wed, 23 March 2011, 06:11:54
I am using 2kro keyboards with 60-65wpm speed and find no problems with it, as my fingers at most press 2 keys.

Oh, with your speed of 80++wpm, perhaps NKRO is a problem. I suppose no third key allowed to register is much better than NKRO, where third key always registers.
Title: n-key rollover effect on typists
Post by: keyb_gr on Wed, 23 March 2011, 15:16:52
Modern-day G80s use an IBM matrix (think Model M) with added Windows keys, which is a proven design optimized for typing that they put some thought into back in the day, so no worries there.

Actually, most any sanely designed keyboard matrix will make sure that you do not get any problems during typing. (This is mostly about having modifiers work reliably, left and right hand not blocking each other and key rolls being supported.) It is about the last application requiring more than 2KRO.

EDIT: Oh, and typebar jamming was solved by the 1880s.
Title: n-key rollover effect on typists
Post by: sixty on Wed, 23 March 2011, 15:18:45
I type at 110-130 wpm on average and I never ran into problems with any board besides the SGI Granite. That one started beeping when I reached my peak.
Title: n-key rollover effect on typists
Post by: canon.tk on Wed, 23 March 2011, 17:13:51
Mingo would bottom out MX Blacks.