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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Willy on Thu, 07 November 2013, 14:47:50

Title: Highest Key-Count?
Post by: Willy on Thu, 07 November 2013, 14:47:50
I came across this image and it got me thinking.
What's the most keys you've ever seen/had on a keyboard? I've never personally owned anything with more than 104 keys, but I'm sure there are some clack-junkies here with some massive massive keyboards.
(http://allswellworld.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/biggest_keyboard2b2.jpg)
Title: Re: Highest Key-Count?
Post by: CPTBadAss on Thu, 07 November 2013, 14:53:41
Skidata board with 160 keys (http://deskthority.net/wiki/SkiData)

F122 (http://deskthority.net/wiki/IBM_Model_F#IBM_122-key_Model_F_Keyboards), M122 (Terminal Model M), G80-2550 (http://deskthority.net/wiki/Cherry_G80-2550) all have 122 keys.

Seen some video editing keyboards that have a ton of keys too but the model names are escaping me. Oh and the WEY Keyboards (http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=17170.0) have a lot of keys too.
Title: Re: Highest Key-Count?
Post by: SpAmRaY on Thu, 07 November 2013, 14:54:34
I'm thinking either wey or ski-data boards.

ninja'h by captn BA
Title: Re: Highest Key-Count?
Post by: kolonelkadat on Thu, 07 November 2013, 14:56:05
mine has 127 input buttons. (including the 5 media keys)

plus a half dozen or so buttons for keyboard settings.
Title: Re: Highest Key-Count?
Post by: MKULTRA on Thu, 07 November 2013, 14:58:25
(http://geekhack.org/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=41464.0;attach=16422;image)
Here's a cool 60% layout.
Title: Re: Highest Key-Count?
Post by: C5Allroad on Thu, 07 November 2013, 14:59:54
126 on my K90 including media keys. Right now using 108 as I never used the macros. Personally they are a waste of space.
Title: Re: Highest Key-Count?
Post by: Willy on Thu, 07 November 2013, 15:00:35
Quote from: MKULTRA on Thu, 07 November 2013, 14:58:25
Show Image
(http://geekhack.org/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=41464.0;attach=16422;image)

Here's a cool 60% layout.
I don't think my brain can keep up with that many keys.
Title: Re: Highest Key-Count?
Post by: Patchwrks on Thu, 07 November 2013, 15:02:13
(http://farm1.staticflickr.com/140/340943701_c9369bc039_z.jpg?zz=1)
Title: Re: Highest Key-Count?
Post by: MKULTRA on Thu, 07 November 2013, 15:04:46
Quote from: Willy on Thu, 07 November 2013, 15:00:35
Quote from: MKULTRA on Thu, 07 November 2013, 14:58:25
Show Image
(http://geekhack.org/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=41464.0;attach=16422;image)

Here's a cool 60% layout.
I don't think my brain can keep up with that many keys.
Idk if I could find a keycap set with all those keys!
Title: Re: Highest Key-Count?
Post by: Willy on Thu, 07 November 2013, 15:06:03
Quote from: patchworks on Thu, 07 November 2013, 15:02:13
Show Image
(http://farm1.staticflickr.com/140/340943701_c9369bc039_z.jpg?zz=1)

That 20x space-bar made me laugh.
Title: Re: Highest Key-Count?
Post by: metalliqaz on Thu, 07 November 2013, 15:06:47
Quote from: patchworks on Thu, 07 November 2013, 15:02:13
Show Image
(http://farm1.staticflickr.com/140/340943701_c9369bc039_z.jpg?zz=1)


lol those crazy asians.... try touch typing on THAT thing!
Title: Re: Highest Key-Count?
Post by: tp4tissue on Thu, 07 November 2013, 15:15:44
Quote from: metalliqaz on Thu, 07 November 2013, 15:06:47
Quote from: patchworks on Thu, 07 November 2013, 15:02:13
Show Image
(http://farm1.staticflickr.com/140/340943701_c9369bc039_z.jpg?zz=1)


lol those crazy asians.... try touch typing on THAT thing!

254 keys...
hmm..

Well there are triple decked digital pianos... so...
Title: Re: Highest Key-Count?
Post by: Puddsy on Thu, 07 November 2013, 17:12:46
Quote from: tp4tissue on Thu, 07 November 2013, 15:15:44
Quote from: metalliqaz on Thu, 07 November 2013, 15:06:47
Quote from: patchworks on Thu, 07 November 2013, 15:02:13
Show Image
(http://farm1.staticflickr.com/140/340943701_c9369bc039_z.jpg?zz=1)


lol those crazy asians.... try touch typing on THAT thing!

254 keys...
hmm..

Well there are triple decked digital pianos... so...

You don't play all 3 decks at the same time...
Title: Re: Highest Key-Count?
Post by: Lu_e on Thu, 07 November 2013, 17:21:02
Quote from: TacticalStache on Thu, 07 November 2013, 17:12:46
Quote from: tp4tissue on Thu, 07 November 2013, 15:15:44
Quote from: metalliqaz on Thu, 07 November 2013, 15:06:47
Quote from: patchworks on Thu, 07 November 2013, 15:02:13
Show Image
(http://farm1.staticflickr.com/140/340943701_c9369bc039_z.jpg?zz=1)


lol those crazy asians.... try touch typing on THAT thing!

254 keys...
hmm..

Well there are triple decked digital pianos... so...

You don't play all 3 decks at the same time...

LOL obviously...? we only have 2 hands. Artists do play 2 of the 3 at the same time though.
Title: Re: Highest Key-Count?
Post by: kolonelkadat on Thu, 07 November 2013, 17:35:33
Quote from: patchworks on Thu, 07 November 2013, 15:02:13
Show Image
(http://farm1.staticflickr.com/140/340943701_c9369bc039_z.jpg?zz=1)


ZOMG WANT!!

seriously. how would one acquire such an elegant board?
Title: Re: Highest Key-Count?
Post by: BucklingSpring on Thu, 07 November 2013, 17:52:14
Then someone invented the ALT, SHIFT, CTRL and Fn key

Quote from: patchworks on Thu, 07 November 2013, 15:02:13
Show Image
(http://farm1.staticflickr.com/140/340943701_c9369bc039_z.jpg?zz=1)


Title: Re: Highest Key-Count?
Post by: jevvix on Thu, 07 November 2013, 18:09:55
Wonder how much that thing weighs...
Title: Re: Highest Key-Count?
Post by: tp4tissue on Thu, 07 November 2013, 18:12:12
Quote from: jevvix on Thu, 07 November 2013, 18:09:55
Wonder how much that thing weighs...

probably 25-35lbs if it's plated.
Title: Re: Highest Key-Count?
Post by: davkol on Sun, 01 December 2013, 10:19:13
Quote from: Willy on Thu, 07 November 2013, 15:00:35
Quote from: MKULTRA on Thu, 07 November 2013, 14:58:25
Show Image
(http://geekhack.org/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=41464.0;attach=16422;image)

Here's a cool 60% layout.
I don't think my brain can keep up with that many keys.

I've read that it's nearly impossible to touch type on more than 50 keys efficiently. 40% layout FTW?

BTW I have a POS keyboard that consists of two keypads and has a PS/2 connector for another board—I've had 2×56+104 keys this way.
Title: Re: Highest Key-Count?
Post by: randomist on Sun, 01 December 2013, 15:33:39
Most keys on a single board I've had is 120, I used 1 of the extra 15 keys, and then only occassionally. Now I'm on my new Filco 88 key which is the ideal size for me most of the time, but sometimes (usually at work) I do need a 105 key,or in the future a seperate keypad. I know a guy that's on his 2nd or 3rd Corsair K90 through RMAs who says he couldn't cope without the macro key mess at the side.
Title: Re: Highest Key-Count?
Post by: tuxsavvy on Mon, 02 December 2013, 05:01:11
Quote from: kolonelkadat on Thu, 07 November 2013, 17:35:33
Quote from: patchworks on Thu, 07 November 2013, 15:02:13
Show Image
(http://farm1.staticflickr.com/140/340943701_c9369bc039_z.jpg?zz=1)


ZOMG WANT!!

seriously. how would one acquire such an elegant board?

I had a hunch that it was an ancient Chinese keyboard. I guess this isn't that far off: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_input_methods_for_computers

Check out the photo with the caption "An early experimental Chinese keyboard with many keys was developed by researchers of National Chiao Tung University (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Chiao_Tung_University) in Taiwan, ...". Then you will pick up the hint word from there. Mind you modern East Asian keyboards (even the Chinese keyboards) are nowhere related to that. It was only due to the complexity in the nature of the language that I guess enables such ideas to be born before it may get frowned by the rest of the world.

My guess is that the keyboard was made with virtually every possible characters known within the Chinese language or at least most of it. Sure to someone who probably isn't going to input East Asian languages they would have 100s more keys that they can "macro" whatever they like.  The amount of keys on that keyboard is insane, it may ultimately take one a fair few years to get a basic understanding for each of the keys and their specific functions, touch typing? forget it, probably more years will be needed on top of that imo. It will be like learning QWERTY, DVORAK, COLEMAK, JCUKEN all on one keyboard. No not with a standard keyboard but like having four keyboards with those layouts all on one keyboard which is probably around 240 keys at a very rough guess. If you can memorise all that. ...
Title: Re: Highest Key-Count?
Post by: Oobly on Mon, 02 December 2013, 06:04:56
Quote from: davkol on Sun, 01 December 2013, 10:19:13
Quote from: Willy on Thu, 07 November 2013, 15:00:35
Quote from: MKULTRA on Thu, 07 November 2013, 14:58:25
Show Image
(http://geekhack.org/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=41464.0;attach=16422;image)

Here's a cool 60% layout.
I don't think my brain can keep up with that many keys.

I've read that it's nearly impossible to touch type on more than 50 keys efficiently. 40% layout FTW?

BTW I have a POS keyboard that consists of two keypads and has a PS/2 connector for another board—I've had 2×56+104 keys this way.

Mine has 48... Does this mean I should 2 more? ;) Actually, I'm starting to really like smaller boards. I can probably live with 40 keys. Layers make a lot of sense.

On topic, my highest key count is an ISO Microsoft Comfort Curve, 115 keys IIRC.
Title: Re: Highest Key-Count?
Post by: Jixr on Mon, 02 December 2013, 13:35:39
I for one would love a giant square grid cherry board.

would be perfect for the tons of commands, hotkeys, and macros I use at work.
Title: Re: Highest Key-Count?
Post by: SpAmRaY on Mon, 02 December 2013, 13:38:23
Quote from: Jixr on Mon, 02 December 2013, 13:35:39
I for one would love a giant square grid cherry board.

would be perfect for the tons of commands, hotkeys, and macros I use at work.

http://www.piengineering.com/xkeys.php

^^ check these out
Title: Re: Highest Key-Count?
Post by: dorkvader on Sun, 08 December 2013, 01:23:14
My highest is a 142-key fisher rosemount hall effect keyboard I took apart, but it (and msot other keyboards) are beat by interesting attempts at chinese keybaords. I think the one patchworks posted is an IBM beam spring.
http://imgur.com/a/Ai5fo
Title: Re: Highest Key-Count?
Post by: tuxsavvy on Sun, 08 December 2013, 01:41:55
Quote from: SpAmRaY on Mon, 02 December 2013, 13:38:23
Quote from: Jixr on Mon, 02 December 2013, 13:35:39
I for one would love a giant square grid cherry board.

would be perfect for the tons of commands, hotkeys, and macros I use at work.

http://www.piengineering.com/xkeys.php (http://www.piengineering.com/xkeys.php)

^^ check these out

I couldn't quite tell what sort of keyboard switches they (PI Engineering) are using for their keyboard when I was curiously browsing on the link that you posted. Could it be by any chance a simple rubber dome switch?  :p

Quote from: dorkvader on Sun, 08 December 2013, 01:23:14
My highest is a 142-key fisher rosemount hall effect keyboard I took apart, but it (and msot other keyboards) are beat by interesting attempts at chinese keybaords. I think the one patchworks posted is an IBM beam spring.
http://imgur.com/a/Ai5fo (http://imgur.com/a/Ai5fo)
A somewhat really weird layout (in my opinion), it would probably take a fair amount of time to remember all the keys and where they are (well not entirely true but to an extent it is). Doesn't this sort of reminds one when visiting university grounds? How there are all scattered around in a very large field?  :))