Programmable 60 Key keyboards

[Tiramisuu]

It seems like a good percentage of the different makes of keyboards all come off the same factory floor.   Is this the reason that there are no fully programmable 60% layout keyboards to be had in the retail chain.

It seems like a market killing feature and it can't seem to be had outside of rolling one yourself.

Thoughts?

[davkol]

What do you mean by programmable? Poker 2 and a few others support on-the-fly remapping.

If you want a custom firmware with sophisticated extra features, nobody does that except potentially Matias AFAIK and then there are basically just community designs. How would customer support deal with that? What about security in some workplaces? I'm afraid keyboard companies would be shooting themselves in the feet.

[Tiramisuu]

Having 1 programmable layer for macros is not a programmable keyboard.
Being able to program minimak, dvorak, colemak, or simply move the alt/ctrl/fn,  reorient a custom 10 keypad, remap the F# locations is.

Poker lets you program a pn layer but does not let you program the default layouts.

[Melvang]

It seems like a good percentage of the different makes of keyboards all come off the same factory floor.   Is this the reason that there are no fully programmable 60% layout keyboards to be had in the retail chain.

It seems like a market killing feature and it can't seem to be had outside of rolling one yourself.

Thoughts?

GH60

[Tiramisuu]

How many years has the GH60 been in development?

A teensy in an HHKB is a hackable solution but for the money being paid it shouldn't be necessary to hack in a solution.

[spiceBar]

Having 1 programmable layer for macros is not a programmable keyboard.
Being able to program minimak, dvorak, colemak, or simply move the alt/ctrl/fn,  reorient a custom 10 keypad, remap the F# locations is.

Poker lets you program a pn layer but does not let you program the default layouts.

You are wrong on this one.

The Pn layout can be turned on permanently so you don't have to press Pn to get the programmed function.

It means that you can remap the default layout on the Poker 2. For example you can remap it to Dvorak if you want.

The default layout remains accessible... via the Pn key.

The Fn key in this case gives access to an additional programmable layout.

That's not complete programmability (which I prefer), but that's not bad.

[Oobly]

Closest is the Poker II and as spiceBar says, you CAN program the default layer. You can also move the Fn key to the left Win key position or Caps lock. The only thing you can't do is move the Pn key.

There's the GON NerD60... not quite a "retail" board, but can be bought online including full customisation and is completely reprogrammable.

[Hypersphere]

The WASD CODE is a TKL rather than a 60% and not completely programmable, but it has DIP switch settings for some different layouts, such as Colemak and Dvorak.

The Poker II is programmable.

In my case neither the CODE nor the Poker II work for me because I do not like Cherry mx switches.

Fortunately for me, the HHKB Pro 2 is a 60% that already has the ideal layout as far as I am concerned.

I use a Mac as my primary computing platform, and when I am not using it with my HHKB Pro 2, I remap other keyboards to the HHKB Pro 2 layout using Karabiner software.

[esoomenona]

You truly underestimate the ability to stop the average consumer from destroying their own experience.

[Tiramisuu]

So if I  program the on layer on a poker 2 to an alternate keyboard ; colemak,  or even qgwmly can I remap the fn layer to organize a proper ten key and  put the  fkeys in a ten key format?

As hyped as the hhkb is I don't see the layout as being anything close to optimal.     It is a very nice keyboard but it definitely needs an after market controller.   

[Hypersphere]

Before I actually tried the HHKB Pro 2, I was completely skeptical and thought the layout was surely not for me. However, within a very short time of using it, not only did I adjust to the layout, I found it the best I had ever encountered. Now I cannot use a "regular" keyboard without using remapping software to change the configuration to that of the HHKB Pro 2.

[Sagii]

Before I actually tried the HHKB Pro 2, I was completely skeptical and thought the layout was surely not for me. However, within a very short time of using it, not only did I adjust to the layout, I found it the best I had ever encountered. Now I cannot use a "regular" keyboard without using remapping software to change the configuration to that of the HHKB Pro 2.

I'd have to second that.. or, well, I do at least love the Fn placement. The arrow diamond was something I never learned to love. To me, it felt like it was too cramped, if that makes sense.
Anywhoo, I've got an order for a Poker 2 with clears waiting to be shipped the programmability was too appealing to me.

[Oobly]

So if I  program the on layer on a poker 2 to an alternate keyboard ; colemak,  or even qgwmly can I remap the fn layer to organize a proper ten key and  put the  fkeys in a ten key format?

Yes. You can program Fn+key to return any combination you want as well as the default layer.

As hyped as the hhkb is I don't see the layout as being anything close to optimal.     It is a very nice keyboard but it definitely needs an after market controller.   

I find the layout intriguing, but I have issues with the Fn key position, arrow keys and Home and End placement. I like other aspects of it, though, such as the backspace placement and full 15 key top row. If it were programmable it would be MUCH better.

You can get a replacement programmable controller for the HHKB, though: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=12047.0

[Tiramisuu]

If I'm reading this right I can buy an HHKB Pro 2 plus the addon Blue Tooth module directly from pfu for less than $300 before shipping.

Things that make you go.... hmmmmm 

[Tiramisuu]

If I'm reading this right I can buy an HHKB Pro 2 plus the addon Blue Tooth module directly from pfu for less than $300 before shipping.

Things that make you go.... hmmmmm 


http://www.pfu.fujitsu.com/direct/hhkb/detail_hhkb-pro2-eb.html#KB400B

[dorkvader]

If I'm reading this right I can buy an HHKB Pro 2 plus the addon Blue Tooth module directly from pfu for less than $300 before shipping.

Things that make you go.... hmmmmm 


http://www.pfu.fujitsu.com/direct/hhkb/detail_hhkb-pro2-eb.html#KB400B

or
http://handheldsci.com/kb

[Hypersphere]

@Tiramisu, @Dorkvader:

A BT module for HHKB! What a great idea!

Has anyone here tried this? If so, how well does it work? I am particularly interested in how well it works with a Mac.

[Tiramisuu]

Given the sale price I'm tempted to order from fujitsu.  I emailed peter cottontail in japan to get a shipped price.    May be too expensive for me at the moment.   Poker 2 is likely to be my entry point and if so the nerd60 route might be a better end solution than the hhkb plus blue tooth dongle plus ardiuno.

[Oobly]

Have you seen this? https://ctrlalt.io/store/items/ctrl-alt-60

[Tiramisuu]

Have you seen this? https://ctrlalt.io/store/items/ctrl-alt-60

$400 for a gon60 board assembled and no key caps.   So shipped plus caps and tax over $600.    Insane price for a keyboard.

[spiceBar]

If I'm reading this right I can buy an HHKB Pro 2 plus the addon Blue Tooth module directly from pfu for less than $300 before shipping.

Things that make you go.... hmmmmm 


http://www.pfu.fujitsu.com/direct/hhkb/detail_hhkb-pro2-eb.html#KB400B

or
http://handheldsci.com/kb

They say it works with mobile devices (Android & iOS), PCs (Windows is mentioned but I would guess it will work with Linux) but the lack of Mac support bothers me.

Actually, I don't understand why it would not support the Mac, as any low-end BT keyboard works on the Mac.

Anyone has tried using it on a Mac? Is there any real incompatibility, or can it be bypassed by reassigning keycodes (with Karabiner aka KeyRemap4MacBook for example)?

Sorry for being slightly off-topic.

[Oobly]

Have you seen this? https://ctrlalt.io/store/items/ctrl-alt-60

$400 for a gon60 board assembled and no key caps.   So shipped plus caps and tax over $600.    Insane price for a keyboard.

It's a reasonable price for a fully custom board.

You could just order the PCB for 50$ and a Poker II. Replace the Poker II PCB with the NerD60 and there you go. FULLY programmable 60%, although the Poker II is programmable "enough" for most.

[Tiramisuu]

I like the way you think.   Thank you.

[Hypersphere]

There is also the Infinity 60% programmable keyboard kit, which was a GB on Massdrop:

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/infinity-keyboard-kit

The first GB has ended, but it looks like they have enough request votes to open a second round at some point.