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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Therac-25 on Sat, 27 December 2008, 10:36:21

Title: Need to find a new keyboard. I have a few options.
Post by: Therac-25 on Sat, 27 December 2008, 10:36:21

Okay, after following the Das III rollover drama, I've decided to find another option.  I'm willing to pay $170 Cdn for a good keyboard.  Not so for a keyboard with bugs, whoever's fault it is.  I wouldn't mind finding a Das II, but those seem to be extinct or cost prohibitive.

I use a legacy Model M at work, and I've owned two of the modern Unicomp Model M's, and been duly impressed with them.  I had an email exchange with the guy there (this was like four years ago, so I should probably double check...), and he indicated using blank keys would be a non-issue.  They don't seem to make black keys, but that's nothing that a little matte black krylon couldn't fix.  Still, the grey and black colour scheme is somewhat lame.

I'm more interested in finding information on the M10, as that seems to be the only other realistic option.  I can't seem to find any place to order this that's either in or will deliver to Canadia, but aside from that issue it looks kinda blah.  I saw a few links to replacement keycaps, but they all looked like ass -- nothing simple and attractive.

Edit: Hrm, maxkeyboard.com isn't going to charge me any shipping to Canada on the M10, so I guess that solves that problem.  Guess I'll give the M10 a go.  The shipping was what was scaring me anyway.

Title: Need to find a new keyboard. I have a few options.
Post by: bhtooefr on Sat, 27 December 2008, 12:10:43

Unicomp does make blank black keys now, FWIW. IIRC, it's a $10 upcharge.

Title: Need to find a new keyboard. I have a few options.
Post by: Therac-25 on Sat, 27 December 2008, 13:24:17

Quote from: bhtooefr;16240

Unicomp does make blank black keys now, FWIW. IIRC, it's a $10 upcharge.

So noted.  Their website is suboptimal at communicating this information.

Title: Need to find a new keyboard. I have a few options.
Post by: Therac-25 on Sat, 27 December 2008, 17:11:57

Just out of curiosity, is it possible to acquire an HHKB Pro 2 outside of Japan?  I have a fondness for the layout, but I have no idea how I'd even go about acquiring one.  We have some old Lites at work, and "Meh" is overstating the matter.

Title: Need to find a new keyboard. I have a few options.
Post by: bhtooefr on Sat, 27 December 2008, 17:36:07

Well, the Pro 1 (IIRC, the only difference is no USB hub, and it's USB 1.1 due to the lack of the hub) was sold outside of Japan.

Otherwise, you have to use some sort of buying service, multiple buying services list the HHKP2. Off the top of my head, there's beNippon. (I may be wrong about that one, I don't buy my keyboards from Japan... ;))

Title: Need to find a new keyboard. I have a few options.
Post by: Therac-25 on Sat, 27 December 2008, 18:35:15

Dammit, I wish I knew about these a few hours ago:  http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=1101

Ah well, I'll see how the M10 goes.