60% keyboards?

[Pinder]

So after being on geekhack for a day now i keep seeing more and more 60% keyboards (poker, hhkb ETC) and well.

Whats the point? i think tenkeyless is just so much more useful (should be getting a ducky soon cant wait)
i dont really use the arrowkeys or the buttons above the arrow keys, However i do use the the function keys alot.

What are some of the benefits of a 60% keyboard?

[exitfire401]

So after being on geekhack for a day now i keep seeing more and more 60% keyboards (poker, hhkb ETC) and well.

Whats the point? i think tenkeyless is just so much more useful (should be getting a ducky soon cant wait)
i dont really use the arrowkeys or the buttons above the arrow keys, However i do use the the function keys alot.

What are some of the benefits of a 60% keyboard?

When I had a 60%, the biggest thing was portability. I could throw it in my backpack without a problem, and that was that. With a tkl, I don't have enough room in my bag, so I need to carry a sparate bag for that.

[riotonthebay]

What are some of the benefits of a 60% keyboard?

I use neither function nor arrow keys. For the same reason you prefer TKL over full-sized (you presumably don't use a numpad often enough to warrant it), I prefer 60% over TKL:

- takes up less space
- is awesomer

or something like that

[eth0s]

What are some of the benefits of a 60% keyboard?

I use neither function nor arrow keys. For the same reason you prefer TKL over full-sized (you presumably don't use a numpad often enough to warrant it), I prefer 60% over TKL:

- takes up less space
- is awesomer

or something like that

+ kewler.

[oscillik]

while using a HHKB, one is just simply a better typing denizen than the rest of the proles

[eth0s]

while using a HHKB, one is just simply a better typing denizen than the rest of the proles

+ posher

[Fragil1ty]

So after being on geekhack for a day now i keep seeing more and more 60% keyboards (poker, hhkb ETC) and well.

Whats the point? i think tenkeyless is just so much more useful (should be getting a ducky soon cant wait)
i dont really use the arrowkeys or the buttons above the arrow keys, However i do use the the function keys alot.

What are some of the benefits of a 60% keyboard?

Personally, I cannot stand the 60% boards they are far too small for me and they lack the proper functions of what I need in a keyboard. For me personally, it's all about the 75% board, the Noppoo Choc Mini especially. I love the Choc mini, it has all the features that I could ever want in a keyboard, it has dedicated arrow keys, all of the function keys that I need (e.g. f1 - f12).


I can't stand TKL boards really, I've had two, I've had the Filco TKL that I gave away to a friend because I simply just did not like it and I've now got the new Razer blackwidow TE edition /w oranges, that I do kind of like, it's a very nice board and what not, but I don't think I'll be using it as my main driver because the 75% layout is just the best layout that is available to me and I think it's always going to be that way.

[IvanIvanovich]

I like them as it has nothing more that what I require. I don't code, I don't spreadsheet, I don't RTS or MMO. 98% of the games I do play do not need other keys than what is on a 60% default layer. Otherwise I type, and don't need more than letters and stuff. On the rare chance I do need a function or nav key, I can press Fn... no hindrance for me.

[Defect]

For me it is that 75 is best for performance, TKL best for uniformity/adaptability,  and 60% are king of aesthetics.

Opinion.

Edit: also a programmable or any good 60 can do anything a tkl can do (with some practice)

[Razor Lotus]

60% is easier to customize haha..

bought it just for fun.

Although i plan to at least get a full sized or TKL in the future. But 60% just to play around with with all that metal casing, metal plates etc etc

[Bucake]

the size, mostly. offers better portability (as mentioned) and also takes less deskspace (yes, really).

i use a low sensitivity in games and need the extra space to freely perform flick-movements with my mouse, without clashing against the right side of my keyboard.
some just have little deskspace and a 60% takes care of the bigger part of that issue.

i don't really see a point to go TKL or fullsized if you don't, or rarely, use the right side of the board. there are a few cool 75% boards which don't miss the F-row, navigation keys or arrow keys.
edit: i guess it's still legit to use one of those huge boards if you really wouldn't benefit from the less space a compact uses up.

i also think most 60% boards look way cool, which is surely a nice bonus ;p

[davkol]

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=50523
/thread

[p3lim]

Once you get used to the layer(s) of a 60% it will be the most efficient thing you could get, simply because you won't have to leave the home row (or at least not move that much from it) like you would have to on a normal keyboard.
Say, moving through a document (without vim or something equivalent), on a 60% you could hold a Fn key with a thumb or pinky (depending on keyboard) and move around with your fingers without leaving the home row.
On a TKL or a 75% you'd have to move away on the right side with your right hand (usually) to navigate, which leads to travel time which in turn leads to inefficiency.

This is really for those that are into efficiency though, people that like vi/vim and would like to be as efficient with other software that might not support it.
I myself have a QFR, but I've applied a 3rd party home-brewed software to turn it into a layered  60%, just for efficiency (I plan on getting a 60%, but it's not easily available nor cheap where I live).

[blithen]

Once you get used to the layer(s) of a 60% it will be the most efficient thing you could get, simply because you won't have to leave the home row (or at least not move that much from it) like you would have to on a normal keyboard.
Say, moving through a document (without vim or something equivalent), on a 60% you could hold a Fn key with a thumb or pinky (depending on keyboard) and move around with your fingers without leaving the home row.
On a TKL or a 75% you'd have to move away on the right side with your right hand (usually) to navigate, which leads to travel time which in turn leads to inefficiency.

This is really for those that are into efficiency though, people that like vi/vim and would like to be as efficient with other software that might not support it.
I myself have a QFR, but I've applied a 3rd party home-brewed software to turn it into a layered  60%, just for efficiency (I plan on getting a 60%, but it's not easily available nor cheap where I live).

Came here to say this, I've been using a KBT pure for a good while now and then tried out a choc mini, wanted to try out cherry mx reds and I ended up hating the fact that you had to move your hand so far away from the home row keys to hit the F-1,12 keys. It took awhile to get used but man I can't change now haha.

[Oobly]

Desk space, efficiency.. and FUN.. 60% is great!

I am still faster on a TKL, but that's because I've been programming using the dedicated arrow and edit keys on a standard layout for 20 years and I'm still getting used to the layers on my KBT Pure. I use the F-keys a lot, but the placement on the Pure is very intuitive and I have mapped the left WinKey as a 2nd Fn key, so it's really easy to hit any F-key and combination (+shift, ctrl or alt).

It has become my main keyboard for work, though, and I'm getting used to the layers pretty quickly. I just wish more keycap sets came with an extra 1.75x right shift key. I may end up getting a Poker 2 or GH60 and programming the layers like my Pure so I can use more keycap sets.

[epzy]

I like them as it has nothing more that what I require. I don't code, I don't spreadsheet, I don't RTS or MMO. 98% of the games I do play do not need other keys than what is on a 60% default layer. Otherwise I type, and don't need more than letters and stuff. On the rare chance I do need a function or nav key, I can press Fn... no hindrance for me.

This. ^^^

[Pinder]

i got my poker now and its "DA BOMB" with a full size keyboard i have to have the keyboard offset to the left of the monitor because of my XL mousemat (QCK+) This was never a problem before because i just used to play games all the time. With my 60% i have it inline with my monitor and it just makes it feel so much better to type. I do coding and require the arrow keys alot and all i have to do is hold down the FN key wereas on a TKL/Full size keyboard i would have to take one of my hands off of the main 60% part (Internal? i have no idea what to call it)

even if you think you will hate a 60% keyboard, you will love it if you buy one

[Razor Lotus]

i got my poker now and its "DA BOMB" with a full size keyboard i have to have the keyboard offset to the left of the monitor because of my XL mousemat (QCK+) This was never a problem before because i just used to play games all the time. With my 60% i have it inline with my monitor and it just makes it feel so much better to type. I do coding and require the arrow keys alot and all i have to do is hold down the FN key wereas on a TKL/Full size keyboard i would have to take one of my hands off of the main 60% part (Internal? i have no idea what to call it)

even if you think you will hate a 60% keyboard, you will love it if you buy one

60% are so awesome. you should try it once in a while. Unless you use the function keys and all that other keys, you won't really feel that suffocated. I've been using my 60% ever since and I'm loving it. But then again if I wasn't using my 60% I would be using the keyboard on my laptop anyway so its not much of a difference

[suby4me]

I just got my own poker II today and I have to admit, it's really different. When the box came in, I literally was taken back. I've seen images but I really never got a feel of how really small they really are. I really appreciate it's size and design. After I swapped out my das keyboard with this, it's crazy how much real estate I've gain on my desk. I really don't use much of the other keys and like others have said, if I need them they are only a FN press away.

[Pinder]

i got my poker now and its "DA BOMB" with a full size keyboard i have to have the keyboard offset to the left of the monitor because of my XL mousemat (QCK+) This was never a problem before because i just used to play games all the time. With my 60% i have it inline with my monitor and it just makes it feel so much better to type. I do coding and require the arrow keys alot and all i have to do is hold down the FN key wereas on a TKL/Full size keyboard i would have to take one of my hands off of the main 60% part (Internal? i have no idea what to call it)

even if you think you will hate a 60% keyboard, you will love it if you buy one

60% are so awesome. you should try it once in a while. Unless you use the function keys and all that other keys, you won't really feel that suffocated. I've been using my 60% ever since and I'm loving it. But then again if I wasn't using my 60% I would be using the keyboard on my laptop anyway so its not much of a difference

they are awesome :d never going back to fullsize..

[Razor Lotus]

I just got my own poker II today and I have to admit, it's really different. When the box came in, I literally was taken back. I've seen images but I really never got a feel of how really small they really are. I really appreciate it's size and design. After I swapped out my das keyboard with this, it's crazy how much real estate I've gain on my desk. I really don't use much of the other keys and like others have said, if I need them they are only a FN press away.

To be honest I thought my 60% was bigger than expected lol

But yes. The extra space gained really makes it really neat

[ideus]

In my experience, I do not use the number pad much, so I migrated first from a full size to a TKL. I used that for a year. In general I found it ok, but I noticed that I could live with no function keys as well, so I got a Poker X. With this the experience was mixed, I loved the look, but I missed the arrows. I also liked the fact it can get any standard ANSI set. I ended getting a FC660M after a year of using the Poker. Now I think this is my sweet spot. The main advantage of TKL, 60% and 66% for me is the mouse is now in a better place to avoid over stressing my wrists.

[Coreda]

Before buying one I admired them for their aesthetic and because I didn't need all the extra keys of a full-size, but after owning one it's a keeper due to it's compact size. Seriously, opens up so much more space for other things on the desk and can be rotated in such ways larger boards cannot. Now I have my mouse close to the center and it feels so much better.

As for the arrow keys and other physical keys missing I've become accustomed to the regular (and custom) Fn/Pn key combos that it's instinctive. Still would be easier to have dedicated arrow keys however, if just for more complex application hotkey combos which require more pausing to think through.

[Hypersphere]

There was something about 60% boards that attracted me, and in particular, I thought the HHKB Pro 2 looked ideal. After admiring the HHKB from afar, I finally sprang for one. I had been fearful of what seemed an alien layout, but after trying the HHKB, I found the layout to be intuitive and efficient. Now, when I rotate to other boards, I remap them to something as close to the HHKB layout as possible.

For me, the appeal of the HHKB Pro 2 is multifold and includes elements of aesthetics, many of which contribute to function. This keyboard has an elegance of styling that includes its compact design, intelligent layout, color scheme, attractive dye-sublimated PBT keycaps, and symmetry. Although I like the Topre switches, I prefer capacitive buckling springs, like those in the IBM XT keyboard. For me, the perfect keyboard would be a 60% form factor with a HHKB layout and capacitive buckling spring switches.