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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: CalmB4tehPwn on Thu, 25 July 2013, 07:01:22

Title: Help with Keyboard terms!
Post by: CalmB4tehPwn on Thu, 25 July 2013, 07:01:22
Okay, so I'm clearly still new to the nitty gritty of the keyboard world. I've got most of it down. Switch, Stabilizer, keycap. I get all that, but when talking about the -board- is when I start getting lost.

Like, I want a 60 or 70%, but I want to find my own case, and I already have plans for the keycap set. So If I was looking for a keyboard with switches installed, sans keycaps and case, what's the term for that? Is there a specific term for just the board without a case?
Title: Re: Help with Keyboard terms!
Post by: CPTBadAss on Thu, 25 July 2013, 07:08:45
1) Like, I want a 60 or 70%, but I want to find my own case, and I already have plans for the keycap set.
2) So If I was looking for a keyboard with switches installed, sans keycaps and case, what's the term for that?
3) Is there a specific term for just the board without a case?

1) What are you referring to when you say 70%? Like a Filco Manilla?
2) Capless/naked keyboard but you won't find any of those unless you buy from the classifieds. Only WASD offers the option of buying without the caps.
3) Keyboard with the case? Usually people talk about the boards in parts: PCB, plate, case, switches, caps, etc. So just refer to it as a keyboard or a keyboard with a case. No case can be called caseless.
Title: Re: Help with Keyboard terms!
Post by: rowdy on Thu, 25 July 2013, 15:07:57
Sounds like just switches on a PCB, with or without plate.
Title: Re: Help with Keyboard terms!
Post by: esoomenona on Thu, 25 July 2013, 15:10:46
Keep an eye on the classifieds. I have a Poker with Blues, no case coming soon. Or PM me.
Title: Re: Help with Keyboard terms!
Post by: SpAmRaY on Thu, 25 July 2013, 15:13:00
Keep an eye on the classifieds. I have a Poker with Blues, no case coming soon. Or PM me.

I just want the case. ;)
Title: Re: Help with Keyboard terms!
Post by: mauri on Thu, 25 July 2013, 16:00:24
And by sans do you mean comic sans ಠ_ಠ
Title: Re: Help with Keyboard terms!
Post by: CalmB4tehPwn on Thu, 25 July 2013, 16:54:39
I was led to believe 70% meant a 60% with the F row.
The classifieds is where I'm looking, I just need to know what to call what I'm looking for there.

Okay, so Keycaps are mounted on switches. Switches are mounted on a PCB, PCB is mounted on a plate (any reason other than to stabilize?) and the whole thing goes in a case. I think I've got the basic terms down.

And no, Mauri. Sans as in Without.
I'm new, but I don't have a deathwish.

Thanks for the quick, straightforward, and well expressed help. It's exactly what I needed.

Moose, pm inbound
Title: Re: Help with Keyboard terms!
Post by: BlueBär on Fri, 26 July 2013, 03:18:56
Those keyboards usually have a few more keys than just the additional function keys and are therefore called 75%, have a look at the KBT Race for example:

(http://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/images/products/large_122_RACE.jpg)

70%, so 60% + just the function row doesn't exist afaik.


Okay, so Keycaps are mounted on switches. Switches are mounted on a PCB, PCB is mounted on a plate (any reason other than to stabilize?) and the whole thing goes in a case. I think I've got the basic terms down.
You got something wrong there. If the board has no plate, the switches are mounted on the PCB, meaning they are just held down by the solder. If the board has a plate, the switches are mounted on the plate. The plate with the switches then gets put on the PCB and the switches get soldered. That looks from the side like this:

(http://www.avernus.com/~gadams/hardware/keyboard/images/choc-mini-5398-diodes.jpg)

A plate can also help when the PCB tends to flex which was sometimes an issue on the Poker.
Title: Re: Help with Keyboard terms!
Post by: CalmB4tehPwn on Fri, 26 July 2013, 05:43:22
Okay, THAT makes sense.
Title: Re: Help with Keyboard terms!
Post by: esoomenona on Fri, 26 July 2013, 05:50:08
Someone modded an 1800 into a "70%".
Title: Re: Help with Keyboard terms!
Post by: SpAmRaY on Fri, 26 July 2013, 06:29:37
Someone modded an 1800 into a "70%".

Pics? That would be interesting.
Title: Re: Help with Keyboard terms!
Post by: davkol on Mon, 29 July 2013, 03:59:53
Isn't 60% w/ function keys basically 65%? See modifications of GH75.
Title: Re: Help with Keyboard terms!
Post by: BlueBär on Mon, 29 July 2013, 05:30:16
A 60% has 62 Keys, and with additional function keys (and the key below esc) you would have 75 keys, so it's pretty close to 70% of a normal keyboard. However since such a thing doesn't really exist in terms of a non-modded product there is no "official" term for it.
Title: Re: Help with Keyboard terms!
Post by: davkol on Mon, 29 July 2013, 05:47:44
A 60% has 62 Keys

Said who? HHKB has 60 keys, the Japanese HHKB has 68 keys, Poker has about 61 keys, ISO would have an extra one. I wouldn't define X% layout by the number of keys, but rather functionality accessible on the primary layer.

Quote
and with additional function keys (and the key below esc) you would have 75 keys, so it's pretty close to 70% of a normal keyboard

I stand corrected, I confused GH65, which has arrow keys, and GH70.
Title: Re: Help with Keyboard terms!
Post by: esoomenona on Mon, 29 July 2013, 05:48:42
http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=39420.msg789110#msg789110
Title: Re: Help with Keyboard terms!
Post by: BlueBär on Mon, 29 July 2013, 06:03:52
Said who? HHKB has 60 keys, the Japanese HHKB has 68 keys, Poker has about 61 keys, ISO would have an extra one. I wouldn't define X% layout by the number of keys, but rather functionality accessible on the primary layer.

Okay let me rephrase that: A 60% usually has around 62 keys. I think the original definition of 60% was by weight though? Not sure.

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=39420.msg789110#msg789110

Aah I remember that picture. One day...
Title: Re: Help with Keyboard terms!
Post by: esoomenona on Mon, 29 July 2013, 08:14:24
They're called 60% because that main chunk of keys compromises roughly about 60% of the overall board. Of course the numbers are going to change for different layouts because the overall number of keys for those layouts is less or more, depending.
Title: Re: Help with Keyboard terms!
Post by: CPTBadAss on Mon, 29 July 2013, 08:16:36
Okay let me rephrase that: A 60% usually has around 62 keys. I think the original definition of 60% was by weight though? Not sure.

Jocelyn told me that the Koreans called 60% boards "40%" because of the weight. However, it seems to be convention here and on most forums I've seen that the Poker form-factor is called 60%.
Title: Re: Help with Keyboard terms!
Post by: BlueBär on Mon, 29 July 2013, 08:36:11
Jocelyn told me that the Koreans called 60% boards "40%" because of the weight. However, it seems to be convention here and on most forums I've seen that the Poker form-factor is called 60%.

That was what I was thinking of. Read it somewhere in the forums.