geekhack

geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: dotancohen on Sat, 21 January 2012, 16:51:53

Title: The Matrix
Post by: dotancohen on Sat, 21 January 2012, 16:51:53

I just noticed this nice Cherry:
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?cid=12211569510462914858

Is there any good reason why that keyboard wouldn't make a great programming keyboard? I would really like my next keyboard to be a matrix layout, and that one sure is. I can live with short Enter, Space, and other keys.

Title: The Matrix
Post by: rodtang on Sat, 21 January 2012, 17:07:08

They are rubber dome.

Title: The Matrix
Post by: dotancohen on Sat, 21 January 2012, 17:23:21

Thanks, that is good enough reason to stay away! In the meantime, I found this:
http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?23642-eBay-US-Cherry-G80-1950-%28matrix-layout%29&p=488141&viewfull=1#post488141

Title: The Matrix
Post by: IvanIvanovich on Sat, 21 January 2012, 17:48:42

1950 is definitely a way to go. I just got an Access IS 728020, these and others from Access are also great.

Title: The Matrix
Post by: Architect on Sat, 21 January 2012, 18:09:58

I have a handful of the G80-1950's and I spend my day programming. I would't use a matrix board for typing, I tried and it was slower and hurt. If you want to native program these boards (PS2) the software only runs on XP and has some limitations, such as you can't program the Win key (and thereby Command on Mac), but you can use remapping software I suppose. I'm using them for shortcut keys (one touch quick command keys with legends) which they work wonderfully for. They also are great candidates for ripping out the key board and subbing a USB controller, if you like. The ribbon header should convert to a more standard type fairly easily. FYI the keys are solder mount, not plate.

For programming the new TrulyErgonomic is the best I've found (great for text editing). Kinesis works well too, or the new ErgoDox will probably be better (see Group Buys)

Title: The Matrix
Post by: Kurk on Sat, 21 January 2012, 18:24:11

Quote from: lysol;495816

1950 is definitely a way to go. I just got an Access IS 728020, these and others from Access are also great.

The 1950 is a hell to program using Cherry's rather ancient software (Designer.exe). The slash "/" character isn't properly displayed in the program's virtual keyboard: it appears as a dash. There's also no proper way of assigning simultaneous keypresses like Alt+Tab to a key. And worst of all: you can only configure one single layer.
Still it's an intriguing keyboard...