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geekhack Community => New Members => Topic started by: kentwilliam on Sun, 05 June 2016, 22:11:45

Title: Y'all cost me a lot of $$$
Post by: kentwilliam on Sun, 05 June 2016, 22:11:45

Hello,

I figured it was time to say hi—been lurking around here for the last two years as I've been going through my little story of getting first interested, then obsessed with keyboards, mice, and input ergonomics for computers in general.

It all started with getting a Quickfire Stealth with MX blues, thinking that the $90 price was *very* pricy back then. Little did I know how my perspective would change ... Since then, I've been through an MS Sculpt, which had great ergonomics but not-great chiclet switches (far worse than the Apple keyboards I've been using the last 7 years.)

After that, I spent a while trying to convince myself that I didn't really need a Topre, and then once I realized I needed a Topre, spending a lot of time wondering if I wanted the Leopold 660c or the HHKB2.

I got the latter ($240), and I love it—but contrary to what people have been saying, it wasn't the end game board I was hoping for. It's not so much that I don't enjoy the board—the switches are *fantastic* and the sound (space bar aside) is delicious. No, the problem is simply that I also enjoy the variety of life. And so I got myself an Apple Magic Keyboard ($100), which is, of course, not mechanical, and which feels *really* odd at first since there's close to no key travel. But I love it, and i think it's pretty much an equal to the HHKB2 in terms of quality. The reduced travel means it's probably the keyboard i can type the fastest on, which is sometimes its own peculiar kind of satisfaction.

But I wasn't done there. After having been to an SF meetup, it was clear to me that I was going to also need to get an ergo board of some sort, because if I didn't, I would always wonder about what could have been. And so a few months ago, I sprung another $160 on a very lightly used ErgoDox—this one with MX brown switches and DSA caps.

So here we are. Out of the three, the Ergodox is probably my favorite for prolonged typing, the HHKB2 is my favorite for key feel, and the Magic Keyboard is my favorite for the delicious feel of minimalism and just sheer flatness of the damn thing. None of them are endgame boards—if I type too long on any of them I start yearning for the benefits of one of the other ones.

So, I guess, thank you, and also damn you all. I didn't even know this world existed until the summer of 2014, and here I am with more keyboards than sense and a very angry wallet.

Now, if only I can find someone who will put together an ergodox-like with Topre switches and an additional row of keys ...

Title: Re: Y'all cost me a lot of $$$
Post by: FrostyToast on Sun, 05 June 2016, 22:13:24

Check out the uTron keyboard.
(http://xahlee.info/kbd/i3/utron_keyboard_02.jpg)

Title: Re: Y'all cost me a lot of $$$
Post by: LiquidEvilGaming on Mon, 06 June 2016, 04:32:54

Quote from: FrostyToast on Sun, 05 June 2016, 22:13:24

Check out the uTron keyboard.

Show Image

(http://xahlee.info/kbd/i3/utron_keyboard_02.jpg)

If you can find one only requires sacrificing of first born child as payment.

Title: Re: Y'all cost me a lot of $$$
Post by: xtrafrood on Mon, 06 June 2016, 15:01:43

Welcome. A custom fabricated PCB with capacitive pads for Topre springs/domes, and a custom plate for Topre sliders.. holy guacamole that would be a tiresome project :eek:

Title: Re: Y'all cost me a lot of $$$
Post by: rowdy on Tue, 07 June 2016, 05:48:48

Welcome to Geekhack!

Some people settle on just one keyboard as their "end game" keyboard (or maybe they just ran out of money), and others like to keep a small, varied collection of keyboards around.

I'm one of the latter, with a fairly wide variety of switches, but no 55g Topre, no Model F, and no Alps switches, so my search is not quite over yet.

I used to like the Apple aluminium keyboard and ended up with three of them before I discovered modern mechanical keyboards, and now when I try to use one of them it feels like I am banging my fingers on the desk, what with the low profile keyboard and very short travel distance.

Title: Re: Y'all cost me a lot of $$$
Post by: xtrafrood on Tue, 07 June 2016, 12:21:11

Quote from: csmertx on Mon, 06 June 2016, 15:01:43

Welcome. A custom fabricated PCB with capacitive pads for Topre springs/domes, and a custom plate for Topre sliders.. holy guacamole that would be a tiresome project :eek:

Edit - Oh my, it's happening! Today LuX linked to a Topre Ergodox project that is currently in development (Deskthority)..
https://deskthority.net/workshop-f7/designing-a-custom-topre-board-t11734.html (https://deskthority.net/workshop-f7/designing-a-custom-topre-board-t11734.html)