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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: DuckNorris on Tue, 20 March 2018, 15:20:49

Title: Keyboards with bigger space between the keys easier to type on?
Post by: DuckNorris on Tue, 20 March 2018, 15:20:49: Just the other day as I was typing on my Leopold FC660C and showed it to my brother he said " this feels like it is cramped and I make more mistakes."

He was mainly referring to the space between the keys on this keyboard compared to keyboard with bigger space between the keys

less space between the keys
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O5VwePsbljM/VhlqSfqdTpI/AAAAAAAAASM/UUrwQ7b_3Ho/s1600/_DSC6174%2B-%2BCopy.jpg)

more space between the keys
(https://store.storeimages.cdn-apple.com/4974/as-images.apple.com/is/image/AppleInc/aos/published/images/M/LA/MLA22LL/MLA22LL?wid=4000&hei=1800&fmt=jpeg&qlt=95&op_usm=0.5,0.5&.v=1496944005839)

Is it more optional to have more space between the keys? I feel like I would make less mistakes with more space between the keys... want to read some opinions regarding this
Title: Re: Keyboards with bigger space between the keys easier to type on?
Post by: FrostyToast on Tue, 20 March 2018, 15:30:31: The actual top surfaces of the regular caps are fairly spread out due to how they are tapered. I have to wonder how far apart they are really spread.
Title: Re: Keyboards with bigger space between the keys easier to type on?
Post by: fohat.digs on Tue, 20 March 2018, 15:54:29: Three quarters of an inch pitch is the near-universal standard for standard keyboards.

More steeply tapered caps with smaller top surfaces seem to be farther apart, but aren't.
Title: Re: Keyboards with bigger space between the keys easier to type on?
Post by: Sonikbotnik on Tue, 20 March 2018, 16:58:03: Quote from: DuckNorris on Tue, 20 March 2018, 15:20:49
Just the other day as I was typing on my Leopold FC660C and showed it to my brother he said " this feels like it is cramped and I make more mistakes."

He was mainly referring to the space between the keys on this keyboard compared to keyboard with bigger space between the keys

less space between the keys
Show Image
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O5VwePsbljM/VhlqSfqdTpI/AAAAAAAAASM/UUrwQ7b_3Ho/s1600/_DSC6174%2B-%2BCopy.jpg)

more space between the keys
Show Image
(https://store.storeimages.cdn-apple.com/4974/as-images.apple.com/is/image/AppleInc/aos/published/images/M/LA/MLA22LL/MLA22LL?wid=4000&hei=1800&fmt=jpeg&qlt=95&op_usm=0.5,0.5&.v=1496944005839)

Is it more optional to have more space between the keys? I feel like I would make less mistakes with more space between the keys... want to read some opinions regarding this
Is your brother comparing it to that Mac keyboard or something else? I ask because I pretty much have this same question. I've been using that Mac keyboard or similar older previous models for many years now. I recently purchased a Tada68 as an entry point into this wonderful world of mech keys. I anticipated a learning curve, and still find myself occasionally hitting the corners / sides of the keys. I'm not sure if this is cause I got so used to the flat keys, and therefore the top surface area or maybe just need to try a different profile. Would also like to hear if anyone else has a similar experience.

Sent from my G3123 using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Keyboards with bigger space between the keys easier to type on?
Post by: ThoughtArtist on Tue, 20 March 2018, 17:44:29: Raised caps are easier to find. The space on a flat keyboard barely makes up for the fact that the entire surface feels uniform. Even just Photoshop is easier with the raised caps.

Another thing, Apple's ergonomics are an afterthought. They are going for 90% looks. Jony Ive does not design ergonomic mice and the keyboards keep getting worse. The earlier flat boards were okay, but the new ones almost feel like paper. Awful

I don't know how Ive gets away with the chinese copy-culture style Dieter Ram knockoff designs, but I guess the reality distortion field is still active somehow and selling windshield ice scrapers that also function as Apple wireless mice is a good business decision.
Title: Re: Keyboards with bigger space between the keys easier to type on?
Post by: tp4tissue on Wed, 21 March 2018, 10:20:44: This doesn't matter at all.

A larger gap might reduce mistakes for beginners, but once you get to ~80wpm and above, it's impossible to fall into any gap on any keyboard..
Title: Re: Keyboards with bigger space between the keys easier to type on?
Post by: nogoodnames444 on Wed, 21 March 2018, 15:11:02: **HIGHER PROFILE**
Title: Re: Keyboards with bigger space between the keys easier to type on?
Post by: davkol on Wed, 21 March 2018, 17:31:00: Quote from: fohat.digs on Tue, 20 March 2018, 15:54:29
Three quarters of an inch pitch is the near-universal standard for standard keyboards.

More steeply tapered caps with smaller top surfaces seem to be farther apart, but aren't.

QFT

That said, some keyboards do have a smaller pitch, mainly Cherry G84 product line. It can be actually beneficial for efficient typing.
Title: Re: Keyboards with bigger space between the keys easier to type on?
Post by: MGMorden on Thu, 22 March 2018, 10:06:56: I STRONGLY prefer the raised caps like the top board you have. The profile of the tops of the keys tend to guide your fingers into the right spots. Also the travel distance is greater - which is a good thing for me. When typing on scissor-switch type keyboard like the Apple keyboard there the keys just don't depress far enough.
Title: Re: Keyboards with bigger space between the keys easier to type on?
Post by: rich1051414 on Thu, 22 March 2018, 11:03:15: The gap between keys on all the popular keycap profiles is actually larger than that of a mac keyboard, it just doesn't look like it, but the part you type on is actually spread apart more.

Perhaps you should give DSA a try. Thanks to the spherical scoop of the keys, it might make things much better for you.
Title: Re: Keyboards with bigger space between the keys easier to type on?
Post by: dubious on Thu, 22 March 2018, 14:48:25: I'm pretty sure you'll make less mistakes typing on whatever you are used to typing on
Title: Re: Keyboards with bigger space between the keys easier to type on?
Post by: DuckNorris on Thu, 22 March 2018, 22:27:04: Quote from: zorodude on Tue, 20 March 2018, 16:58:03
Quote from: DuckNorris on Tue, 20 March 2018, 15:20:49
Just the other day as I was typing on my Leopold FC660C and showed it to my brother he said " this feels like it is cramped and I make more mistakes."

He was mainly referring to the space between the keys on this keyboard compared to keyboard with bigger space between the keys

less space between the keys
Show Image
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O5VwePsbljM/VhlqSfqdTpI/AAAAAAAAASM/UUrwQ7b_3Ho/s1600/_DSC6174%2B-%2BCopy.jpg)

more space between the keys
Show Image
(https://store.storeimages.cdn-apple.com/4974/as-images.apple.com/is/image/AppleInc/aos/published/images/M/LA/MLA22LL/MLA22LL?wid=4000&hei=1800&fmt=jpeg&qlt=95&op_usm=0.5,0.5&.v=1496944005839)

Is it more optional to have more space between the keys? I feel like I would make less mistakes with more space between the keys... want to read some opinions regarding this
Is your brother comparing it to that Mac keyboard or something else? I ask because I pretty much have this same question. I've been using that Mac keyboard or similar older previous models for many years now. I recently purchased a Tada68 as an entry point into this wonderful world of mech keys. I anticipated a learning curve, and still find myself occasionally hitting the corners / sides of the keys. I'm not sure if this is cause I got so used to the flat keys, and therefore the top surface area or maybe just need to try a different profile. Would also like to hear if anyone else has a similar experience.

Sent from my G3123 using Tapatalk

Yeah he is comparing it to that keyboard, and the other keyboards he has had like the Corsair's that have similar spacing.
Title: Re: Keyboards with bigger space between the keys easier to type on?
Post by: FrostyToast on Thu, 22 March 2018, 22:59:11: To be entirely honest, my wpm is borderline 100 and using a chiclet style board will drop that to half if I haven't got used to the board at all.
Title: Re: Keyboards with bigger space between the keys easier to type on?
Post by: AMongoose on Fri, 23 March 2018, 08:37:20: Quote from: DuckNorris on Thu, 22 March 2018, 22:27:04
Yeah he is comparing it to that keyboard, and the other keyboards he has had like the Corsair's that have similar spacing.

The corsairs should have the same spacing has the leopold tho.
Title: Re: Keyboards with bigger space between the keys easier to type on?
Post by: Findecanor on Fri, 23 March 2018, 09:19:17: People are talking about different things here:
- Horizontal spacing: Horizontal distance (from middle of a 1×1 key to the middle of the key left or right of it. This is 3/4" on almost all keyboards including Apple's.
- Vertical spacing: Vertical distance from middle of a row to the middle of the row above or below it. This is 3/4" on most keyboards. However, on Apple's aluminium keyboards this is actually slightly smaller than 3/4". I have not seen measurements on the "Apple Magic Keyboard".
- Space in-between the bottom of a keycap to another: Does not matter because you only ever feel the edges of the surfaces, not the bottom of the skirts.
- Key width: Width of the surface of keycap: About 12 mm on regular keys. Some are wider. Apple's chiclet keyboards are wider that that.
- Horizontal distance between edges of keycaps: Horizontal spacing minus key width.
Less horizontal distance between edges of keys is known to cause more typos.

So, DuckNorris' brother is wrong. He is just not used to regular keyboards. It's a habit thing.
Title: Re: Keyboards with bigger space between the keys easier to type on?
Post by: Snowdog993 on Fri, 23 March 2018, 10:03:07: What is the actual standard by what is being compared? I would think it would be IBM.
Like it or not.

(https://i.imgur.com/4XgnQTh.jpg?1)

Please resume.