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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Fragil1ty on Mon, 13 January 2014, 05:02:15

Title: 75% vs TKL.
Post by: Fragil1ty on Mon, 13 January 2014, 05:02:15
I see a lot of users on here using TKL boards and what not, I'm just curious;

What do you use and why?

I'll go first I suppose,

I currently use a Noppoo Choc mini and I use this board because it's the size that I have gotten used too over the past year or so and because of this, I cannot seem to get used to using TKL boards, I'd love to be able too as I've got a Filco TKL but I just cannot come to use it.

What are your reasons for using 75%/TKL boards?
Title: Re: 75% vs TKL.
Post by: tbc on Mon, 13 January 2014, 05:12:19
people like using legends.  75% sets are really messed up on it's half home cluster keys.

some people just don't like the look of the layout.

personally, i hate how far away the arrow cluster is on tkl boards
Title: Re: 75% vs TKL.
Post by: tp4tissue on Mon, 13 January 2014, 05:14:00
There's no advantage of TKL over a 75%...

TKL is essentially "legacy"... 

Kinda like how staggered qwerty just "looks right" to our eyes, because we're so used to seeing it..

Title: Re: 75% vs TKL.
Post by: terran5992 on Mon, 13 January 2014, 05:26:42
TKL, much easier to find keycaps
Title: Re: 75% vs TKL.
Post by: BakerMan1971 on Mon, 13 January 2014, 05:43:49
Hi , I am quite new to TKL but have found it more comfortable for gaming, mouse hand can be closer so shoulders feel better off.

I have a separate numpad for when I go number crazy, although it's not mechanical so I hate it already :)
Title: Re: 75% vs TKL.
Post by: Grim Fandango on Mon, 13 January 2014, 05:52:14
 I like tenkeyless because I am lazy. It is essentially the layout that I have been using all my life. I know my way around the keyboard too well, and I have to use random other standard keyboards too often for me to make it worthwhile to become used to using anything else.
Title: Re: 75% vs TKL.
Post by: Candyflip on Mon, 13 January 2014, 05:55:53
I like TKL over 75% only for the function row, it is easier for me to touch type on it and I need that for the games I play. I hate to hole between the arrows and Del/End/Pg Dn tho  :-\
Title: Re: 75% vs TKL.
Post by: Fragil1ty on Mon, 13 January 2014, 06:37:05
Oh I see, a lot of valid points here really.

I was using my TKL earlier and it's quite nice, not sure if I could use it full time though to be honest.
Title: Re: 75% vs TKL.
Post by: lilky on Mon, 13 January 2014, 12:14:07
As many people have mentioned, the only issue I have with 75% keyboards is that it's really hard to find replacement keycaps for them. The layout itself? I absolutely love it. Especially since I'm a hardcore Starcraft player, I use the F number keys to bind camera hotkeys, and with a 75% layout the F row is right above the number row. 75% is my favorite layout!
Title: Re: 75% vs TKL.
Post by: E TwentyNine on Mon, 13 January 2014, 12:20:27
Similar topic regarding dedicated cursor keys: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=53296
Title: Re: 75% vs TKL.
Post by: Leslieann on Mon, 13 January 2014, 22:00:54
On a 75%, when hitting numbers, I tend to clip the F-keys, TKL is also easier to get caps for.
Title: Re: 75% vs TKL.
Post by: rowdy on Mon, 13 January 2014, 22:02:36
I prefer TKL because so many boards have the same layout - virtually zero learning curve, especially important as I use several keyboards every day.

Also easier to get keycap sets, I use ANSI layout.
Title: Re: 75% vs TKL.
Post by: Jocelyn on Mon, 13 January 2014, 22:03:02
60% that is all
Title: Re: 75% vs TKL.
Post by: jonathanyu on Mon, 13 January 2014, 22:29:54
I prefer TKL, i have tried 75% before, but I just can't get use to that layout
Title: Re: 75% vs TKL.
Post by: gropingmantis on Tue, 14 January 2014, 03:31:12
75% would be fine if there was some form of standardised layout that didnt use mental key sizes and locations. Much like some 60% keyboards do things OTHER than using reasonable standard key sizes and locations. If someone came out with a design that was decent and all companies stuck to it it would be much better.

If someone made this layout I would buy one over my TKL any day:
(http://i.imgur.com/JKyCsbll.jpg) (http://imgur.com/JKyCsbl)
Title: Re: 75% vs TKL.
Post by: Fullcream on Tue, 14 January 2014, 03:41:04
I have gone from 75% down to 60% so TKL is too large for me.
Title: Re: 75% vs TKL.
Post by: Vaii on Tue, 14 January 2014, 06:52:46
I hardly ever use the numpad so I don't really see why I need one.

And as everyone has said it is easier to get keycaps for TKL boards.
Title: Re: 75% vs TKL.
Post by: rowdy on Tue, 14 January 2014, 07:39:15
I hardly ever use the numpad so I don't really see why I need one.

And as everyone has said it is easier to get keycaps for TKL boards.

Not only easier (although to a certain extent that depends on the layout), but also cheaper! :)
Title: Re: 75% vs TKL.
Post by: Belfong on Tue, 14 January 2014, 07:54:41
I decided to put on my full 104 keyboard back as a main driver in the home PC and I am enjoying the num pad actually. Especially when doing some currency conversion - it just make it so much easier to type. And I am not missing the extra length my house hand has to reach. I think I am able to adjust pretty well.. it's no difference to me. At work, I use a 60% on my MacBook Air. The 60% fits the MacBook Air width pretty well and I'd imagine a full keyboard (or a TKL) would be awkward there.
Title: Re: 75% vs TKL.
Post by: rowdy on Tue, 14 January 2014, 17:07:14
I decided to put on my full 104 keyboard back as a main driver in the home PC and I am enjoying the num pad actually. Especially when doing some currency conversion - it just make it so much easier to type. And I am not missing the extra length my house hand has to reach. I think I am able to adjust pretty well.. it's no difference to me. At work, I use a 60% on my MacBook Air. The 60% fits the MacBook Air width pretty well and I'd imagine a full keyboard (or a TKL) would be awkward there.

There are use cases for full size keyboards, particularly if you have lots of numeric data to enter.

But all of my new boards are TKL or 60% and I rarely miss the numpad, pretty much only when entering IP addresses.
Title: Re: 75% vs TKL.
Post by: Linkbane on Tue, 14 January 2014, 21:14:48
I personally don't mind the lack of tenkeypad because my keyboard is solely for use with a laptop which already has a numpad. If I had to, I could just use it (or pull out the TK). I like the TKL aesthetic, but mostly I feel that, as my signature says, if you can't bring a TKL, you can't bring a laptop. It's unnecessarily small and removes the holy directional-key separation.