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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Veridis on Sun, 26 October 2014, 08:35:23
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After I joined this forum I learned that there are different standards for the bottom row of the keyboard.
For those of you who use the windows key a lot, does it factor into your decision when buying a new keyboard?
Some useful features I use
Winkey +
- Numbers row (For corresponding pinned programs on taskbar, use this all day at work)
- E (File Explorer)
- L (Logout)
- Arrow keys (max/min/dock windows)
- X (Opens a list of admin features on Windows 8 )
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I do use the windows key often, but I actually do not care for its size. It affects the modability, but besides that I do not see any advantages of one size over the other. If the bigger it is easier to hit but I never want press any win+x combination as fast as possible or something. So in general I do not care for the size.
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I mostly use:
- Win+L
- Win+E
- Win+D (desktop)
- Win+R (run)
Numbers aren't so great when you have many shortcuts on your taskbar.
I prefer the 1.5-1-1.5-space-1.5-1-1-1.5 layout but honestly it's not a big difference, at least not big enough to make up for the limited keycap choice. I'll just stick to my 1.25.
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I mostly use:
- Win+L
- Win+E
- Win+D (desktop)
- Win+R (run)
Numbers aren't so great when you have many shortcuts on your taskbar.
I prefer the 1.5-1-1.5-space-1.5-1-1-1.5 layout but honestly it's not a big difference, at least not big enough to make up for the limited keycap choice. I'll just stick to my 1.25.
Can't believe I forgot Win + D, use it all the time! For numbers you have to sort the programs properly. I use Win 1-7 often to switch windows if I don't want to click.
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If you are planning on getting replacement keycaps, you'll mostly only find keycaps for 1.25u bottom row. Though maybe you are ok with only changing the alphanumeric key caps.
1.5u & 1u modifiers is not an advantage to customers, but an advantage to some manufacturers I guess, because they don't have to make 1.25u molds for keys, they get away with one less key shape, and they already were making 1.5u for "TAB" and "\". There is no 1.25u elsewhere.
EDIT: Though the TAB and "\" row as different shape to the bottom row, making this point moot. I then honestly don't know why they make KB with 1.5u + 1u modifiers.
Also, the spacebar is non-standard. The central part of the keyboard has 15units of width. That means that in a standard layout, with 1.25u modifiers, the space bar is:
15 - 1.25 * 7 == 6.25u for spacebar.
On the other hand, with "non-standard" 1.5u + 1u modifiers, the spacebar is:
15 - (1.5 + 1 + 1.5 + 1.5 + 1 + 1 + 1.5) == 6u for spacebar.
I personally don't have a problem with either bottom row layout, though I haven't yet bought custom keycaps.
Cheers!
.KeyHopper.
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Eh it really dosen't matter about keycap unless you prefer crummy OEM profile cheap sets. Most of our groupbuy sets these days will have both sizes. The 6 unit spacebar on the other hand... more of a problem as some manufacturer don't have that size available.
For me personally, I prefer 1x Windows key, and only for it to exist on the right hand side. If a board has a left win key I will disable it regardless.
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I notice most of the time, you see it as 1.5-1-1.5 on both sides (only one Windows key or no Menu key) so you can use the widely available 7x spacebar.
The worst of all is on Apple Extended Keyboards- 1.5, 1.25, 1.5 on both sides, leaving a 6.5x spacebar, that matches *nothing*. Technically, the legends are different (the 1.25x keys are Alt/Option) but if you're trying to use the cap sets, you'll have to buy FOUR to be compatible with a conventional board which requires 7 1.25x keys.
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I prefer a 1.5 - 1 - 1.5 - 7 - 1.5 - 1 - 1.5 bottom row. I don't think I use the Win key for anything, but I do use the Menu key a lot in excel.