geekhack

geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: jikman on Mon, 05 April 2010, 02:28:11

Title: MiniTouch and alternatives?
Post by: jikman on Mon, 05 April 2010, 02:28:11

Hey guys,

Can't afford the Happy Hacking Keyboard, so I started looking for alternatives...and saw the review on the Siig MiniTouch. LOVE IT.

Anyone know where I can get a MiniTouch nowadays? The MiniTouch Plus looks like a mushy board, not like its predecessor.

Alternatively, can anyone recommend an alternative to the Siig MiniTouch besides the TenKeyLess from Filco?

Thanks!

Title: MiniTouch and alternatives?
Post by: hyperlinked on Mon, 05 April 2010, 03:24:51

Part of what really makes the HHKB such a lustful object are the Topre switches. If you're just after the layout, you can get any keyboard and remap the keys with a key remapping program so you get some of the same shortcuts. My favorite keyboard shortcuts come from the Matias Optimizer (http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=The+Matias+Optimizer+Keyboard+A+Better+Layout+Than+the+HHKB) and I really like the position of the arrow keys better than the arrow shortcuts on other remapped boards. That board isn't a compact board, but a lot of its shortcuts can be adapted for a mini board.

There are a lot of fans of small footprint keyboards here. You'll get plenty of suggestions on tenkeyless alternatives. ;)

Title: MiniTouch and alternatives?
Post by: jikman on Mon, 05 April 2010, 14:12:36

Awesome.

The thing is, I'd buy the Filco TenKeyLess if they packed the arrow keys underneath the Enter key. (i.e., layout similar to modern laptop keyboards, with {Home, PgUp, ...} all along the right side of the keyboard in a column. Or, just not have the {Home, PgUp, ...} at all.

Title: MiniTouch and alternatives?
Post by: 42.tar.gz on Mon, 05 April 2010, 14:43:20

You might also have a look at the Ortek MCK-84 / MKB-84 which has some form of clicky ALPS switches. You'll find some more information about it in this thread (http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?t=6025) and I recently posted a few pictures of my MKB-84 in the Keyboard pics thread (http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?p=169196#post169196).
There is a MCK-84 on ebay.com right now, ending tomorrow: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320510137790

Title: MiniTouch and alternatives?
Post by: didjamatic on Mon, 05 April 2010, 16:14:41

(http://christiandivine.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/good_bad_ugly_1.jpg)

Title: MiniTouch and alternatives?
Post by: didjamatic on Mon, 05 April 2010, 16:32:57

I am my sniping software and I saw the listing moments after it was listed, which was before he posted his photos in the keyboard pics forum. :)

It will go very well next to my Mandax Alps board which was also made by Ortek and the same vintage.  It even has a fold up panel with wordperfect, lotus and wordstar templates beneath it.

I would post pictures, but it would instantly convert you from being a Cherry Blue fan to an Alps fan.

Title: MiniTouch and alternatives?
Post by: ch_123 on Mon, 05 April 2010, 16:37:44

Quote from: ripster;169780

Call your favorite Taiwanese clone manufacturer and COMPLAIN!!  I'm actually surprised it's taking them this long.  Must be the recession.

Show Image

(http://www.ubergizmo.com/photos/2007/8/apple-aluminum-keyboard.jpg)

Or maybe no one wants those godawful things.

Title: MiniTouch and alternatives?
Post by: kishy on Mon, 05 April 2010, 16:50:56

Quote from: ripster;169829

Gawd I wish you hadn't posted that.

I have my sniping software set at $1000.  Don't even THINK of clicking on that link.

Excellent, so if I bid $900, it'll get you back for that FK-2001.

Bwahahaha.

(I am most certainly not serious)

Title: MiniTouch and alternatives?
Post by: jikman on Tue, 06 April 2010, 00:32:22

Don't worry, I don't think I will go for that keyboard. It's _almost_ perfect...except the backslash key is in the wrong place :/

Tend to use that a lot for escaping characters :/

Title: MiniTouch and alternatives?
Post by: rdjack21 on Tue, 06 April 2010, 00:45:15

Hmm lets see what have I got laying around here:

BTC it's a rubber dome but still not bad:
(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=8933&stc=1&d=1270532307)

PlatHome another rubber dome but still not too bad:
(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=8934&stc=1&d=1270532307)

Filco like the Ortek MKB-84 but with Japanese layout:
(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=8935&stc=1&d=1270532307)

Filco with Black Cherry MX switches again Japanese layout but still not a bad board with the added bonus of having a USB port on both ends of the board:
(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=8936&stc=1&d=1270532307)

Throw enough money at me and I might sell you one of them :) Both the Filco boards will cost more though. I will be reasonable on the rubber dome boards though.

Title: MiniTouch and alternatives?
Post by: didjamatic on Tue, 06 April 2010, 15:39:37

1 hour left, I might pass due to location of delete key left of space.  That might be a deal killer.  I found the "manual" on Orteks' site but it's only helpful for pinouts on the cable connector.

Title: MiniTouch and alternatives?
Post by: didjamatic on Tue, 06 April 2010, 16:04:29

My left hand creates, right hand deletes.  I don't know if I could hang with this delete on the left business, that's just wrong.

Title: MiniTouch and alternatives?
Post by: didjamatic on Tue, 06 April 2010, 16:44:14

Whowunit?  That was some pretty good sniping.

Title: MiniTouch and alternatives?
Post by: elbowglue on Tue, 06 April 2010, 16:47:30

Omg 170?? Got to be kidding me.

Title: MiniTouch and alternatives?
Post by: kishy on Tue, 06 April 2010, 17:09:31

$170?!? WOW.

The winner spends a bit too much on keyboards, methinks.

(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=8942&stc=1&d=1270591747)

Title: MiniTouch and alternatives?
Post by: Rajagra on Tue, 06 April 2010, 17:24:30

Quote from: didjamatic;170145

1 hour left, I might pass due to location of delete key left of space.  That might be a deal killer.  I found the "manual" on Orteks' site but it's only helpful for pinouts on the cable connector.

Odd, I was just thinking how great that position is. Right under the left thumb for those who use it. (Same as the auxillary Fn key on the HHKB.) Much better than the G84-4100 layout IMO, which is otherwise quite similar.

Title: MiniTouch and alternatives?
Post by: 42.tar.gz on Wed, 07 April 2010, 09:42:29

Quote from: Rajagra;170189

Odd, I was just thinking how great that position is. Right under the left thumb for those who use it.

Heh, my thoughts exactly. Perfect position IMHO.

But phew, 170$? Maybe I should consider reselling my Ortek after all. :D