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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Henry Allen Venture on Sat, 14 May 2011, 06:58:52

Title: The 'ideal' keyboard.
Post by: Henry Allen Venture on Sat, 14 May 2011, 06:58:52: I propose a new thread:

I've had my first mechanical for a while (A Majestouch 104-key with MX Browns), and I'm looking to get another one soon-ish, haven't quite figured out what I want yet. My brother has a Filco Linear-R, with the MX Reds that I quite like, but AUS PC Market seems to be out of the 104-key model.

My point is this: What do you all want from your perfect keyboard? My previous keyboard was a Logitech G110, and it had a few features that I miss on my new Filco. Backlit keys I can do without, but I miss the media keys, and the macro keys were a bit gimmicky, but I did find them pretty useful in stuff like AutoCAD. I don't like typing on it any more, though.

So, if you lot were going to build a keyboard yourselves, what would you put on/in it?

Personally: I'd have media keys, implemented the same way as on the DasKeyboard boards, five-or-six macro keys down the right-hand side. Not sure about the keyswitches, only ever used Cherry Browns and Reds. I really like the Browns I've got, so at this stage I'd stick with those. Not sure about what sort of keycaps or printing either, because I'm relatively new to this racket, so I'll just say "good ones".
Title: The 'ideal' keyboard.
Post by: Pylon on Sat, 14 May 2011, 08:24:21: M15-style split keyboard with Monterey switches, white PBT dye subbed caps, removable USB B cable, 6KRO, a built in USB hub, Trackpoint on the right side, no numpad, compact layout, and the two halves of keyboard should be able to fold over each other to make it more portable.
Title: The 'ideal' keyboard.
Post by: brkim1324 on Sat, 14 May 2011, 18:36:21: Quote
So, if you lot were going to build a keyboard yourselves, what would you put on/in it?
This similar thread, I put before.. and everybody went crazy XD
Personally my dream keyboard is:
rectangular design like Filco, elegant color like Filco
PBT keycaps
media keys such as volume would be nice
typing feeling of blue
45g of force, lightness of Red
audio feedback like blue and red... (yea it's hard to explain but I love both XD )
USB ports, and audio port would be great
detacable cable
USB/PS2 compatible
Nkey rollover
LED backlight would be nice but not necessary
detachable numpad WOULD BE GREAT XD
Title: The 'ideal' keyboard.
Post by: doublethink on Sat, 14 May 2011, 18:48:11: You can make your own global media hotkeys using software like AutoHotKey.
Title: The 'ideal' keyboard.
Post by: godofdeath on Sat, 14 May 2011, 18:53:17: more ergo

detachable usb cable
ability to adjust the cable btw center/left/right
easy to mod changing switches
nkro
Title: The 'ideal' keyboard.
Post by: brkim1324 on Sat, 14 May 2011, 18:53:36: Quote
You can make your own global media hotkeys using software like AutoHotKey.

Yup, but like Fn key like on Steelseries 6G would be nice
Title: The 'ideal' keyboard.
Post by: mmmty on Sat, 14 May 2011, 18:55:42: Quote from: brkim1324;346336
...
detachable numpad WOULD BE GREAT XD

Great idea!!! I wish they would make it. But they probably won't 'cause they want you to buy 2 different boards. I already have a Filco brown and looking to get a tenkeyless Filco brown. If they made it I wouldn't have to buy a tenkeyless.
Title: The 'ideal' keyboard.
Post by: redpill on Sat, 14 May 2011, 19:03:00: Well I know I love the shape of my MS Ergo 4k, I just wish it had better key feel and NKRO. The media keys are a nice touch, buy I get this weird software delay the first time I use them after restart, which is annoying.
Title: The 'ideal' keyboard.
Post by: Brummell on Sat, 14 May 2011, 19:13:13: Quote from: brkim1324;346336

detachable numpad WOULD BE GREAT XD

(http://www.hoosierilluminati.com/images/filco.jpg)
Title: The 'ideal' keyboard.
Post by: woody on Sat, 14 May 2011, 19:18:34: Quote from: Henry Allen Venture;346089
So, if you lot were going to build a keyboard yourselves, what would you put on/in it?
Beer tap.
Title: The 'ideal' keyboard.
Post by: keyboardlover on Sat, 14 May 2011, 21:15:44: See my kustom keyboards in my Sig. They are my faves.
Title: The 'ideal' keyboard.
Post by: noodles256 on Sat, 14 May 2011, 21:47:28: wlcm 2 gh
Title: The 'ideal' keyboard.
Post by: Henry Allen Venture on Sat, 14 May 2011, 23:18:13: Didn't realise there was another one of these threads, sorry.

Quote
Beer tap
Could do with one of those, too.
Title: The 'ideal' keyboard.
Post by: Zet on Sat, 14 May 2011, 23:30:48: With AutoHotKey you can configure scripts like macros and have what you need making a keycombination, also the Media keys are not needed, you can do that with AutoHotKey too.

I think the ideal keyboard for you is the one you have, just use AutoHotKey to get everything you want, perhaps you can get some nice custom keycaps?

Can you please provide the link to the site you mention they ran out of 104key versions? I'm interested on checking on other layouts (105, 108) and their prices...(unless you meant tenkeyless by 'other layouts')
Title: The 'ideal' keyboard.
Post by: Henry Allen Venture on Sun, 15 May 2011, 01:30:45: Quote from: Zet;346427
Can you please provide the link to the site you mention they ran out of 104key versions? I'm interested on checking on other layouts (105, 108) and their prices...(unless you meant tenkeyless by 'other layouts')

Yeah, I just meant tenkeyless. The website is here (http://auspcmarket.com.au). Its Australian, though. I think its a pretty fair assumption that most of you guts aren't Australian.
Title: The 'ideal' keyboard.
Post by: MasterBlaster on Sun, 15 May 2011, 03:53:40: as somone pointed out it s scary how many conns have most mecanical kayboards over 100$ , like no wristpad , no feet so you can raise it

An ideal kayboard would be for me
1. freaking big , i may be wrong but in general bigger keyboards feel better overall
2. plz plzz wrist pad , makes things more confortable
3.feet or any kind of system where you can raise the level of the F1 side of the keyboard , the higher the better(if you use a very elevated desk it s the differance between haven and hell)
4. buttons where the paint goes off after 10 years or more
5.a few macro buttons as oposed with usb ports, i have used alote of stuff with my pc but i yet havent find out any utility for usb ports on the keyboard
Title: The 'ideal' keyboard.
Post by: a_fluffy_kitten on Sun, 15 May 2011, 06:33:39: 6KRO Unicomp Tenkeyless. Aaaaaaaand goodnight.
Title: The 'ideal' keyboard.
Post by: alaricljs on Sun, 15 May 2011, 07:05:49: Quote from: Zet;346427
With AutoHotKey you can...

The only problem with that is there are games and other input grabbing programs that render AHK unusable. If you don't use software that does this to you then AHK is the perfect solution.
Title: The 'ideal' keyboard.
Post by: Pylon on Sun, 15 May 2011, 07:24:09: Quote from: a_fluffy_kitten;346525
6KRO Unicomp Tenkeyless. Aaaaaaaand goodnight.

Tenkeyless modernized Model F? That would be epic.

Also, how come no one seems to be making custom boards out of Montereys? Peoples say they're great switches but the KB-5181 is a mediocre board (okay maybe only Rispter says that)
Title: The 'ideal' keyboard.
Post by: ThinkRob on Sun, 15 May 2011, 13:56:51: My perfect keyboard?

I suppose that would be a desktop version of the ThinkPad 600 keyboard (think: same switch assemblies but with a full layout and a solid steel backplate.) I know... scissor switches... but *good* ones!
Title: The 'ideal' keyboard.
Post by: quadibloc on Sat, 21 May 2011, 15:22:00: I saw a keyboard by Microsoft which had four keys above the numeric keypad - three for the power/sleep/wake keys, and one for a function lock key that switched the function keys into media keys. The layout was otherwise quite conventional. That was a good design, I thought, because it minimized the number of extra keys that would be put on the keyboard - and it avoided the usual error of putting power/sleep/wake where it clutters the cursor keys.