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Offline Twinguin

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Kind of Newbie
« on: Mon, 01 August 2016, 15:00:04 »
Just want to say hello as I just discovered -or rather been introduced to- this forum.

Quick keyboard history: as my avatar suggests it all started with the ZX Spectrum's famous rubber mat. I think that's the reason why I still only use the left Shift key. Then -by chance- I had the IBM for heavy C coding (OS/2 if any one remembers). I loved its solid build, but everyone else around me hated it, or me? Well, I do tend to bottom out on keys, especially when coding. My first (and still only) own Win-PC actually had a Cherry keyboard. Then I fell for Apple- after they discontinued the mechanical keyboard (:facepalm:). And only recently a friend mentioned mechanical keyboards in our car forum, and here I am.

Started off with a TKL KÛL with Cherry blue, but miss the number pad and extra Enter already. So, there will definitely be a full size again, probably with an individual touch. And some TKL or 60% to go with my iPad. Already tested Apple's new Lightning-to-USB3 adapter and that works brilliantly with the KÛL.

Cheers
Michael
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There is a curse. They say: May you live in interesting times!, Terry Pratchett

Popsicle KUL ES-87 (MX Blue, DSA) | Sun Ultracomputing Pok3r (MX Brown, DSA) | Nuclear WASD 100% (MX Brown, SA) | Gulf Pok3r (MX Clear, DSA) | Granite JD45 (MX Blue, DSA) | Coffee Core (MX Red, DSA) | Lime Pok3r (MX Clear, SA) | Canvas Vibe (MX Silent Red, XDA)

Offline eksuen

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Re: Kind of Newbie
« Reply #1 on: Mon, 01 August 2016, 15:08:59 »
Welcome!

I have KUL with clears and the proton white case. I love it. I've come to love the TKL and 60% form factors, but I keep a few numpads around for occasions where one is handy for data entry.
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Offline rowdy

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Re: Kind of Newbie
« Reply #2 on: Tue, 02 August 2016, 06:04:07 »
Welcome to Geekhack!

I've only heard good things about KUL.  Although the click of the MX blues has got nothing on IBM's buckling springs :p

You can still get IBM Model M and even Model F keyboards.  Most still work, and with a simple adaptor will work with modern computers.  Unicomp even still make them with USB built in.

And you can get older Apple mechanical keyboards, AEKII in particular, that work very well with a suitable adaptor on modern PCs.

So all is not lost.

Also you can get a separate numpad if you do sort of like the 60% form factor, but need the numpad.  The numpad Enter was the key I mainly missed when I switched to TKL, but I've gotten used to not having one now, and the extra desk space is wonderful!
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"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline Twinguin

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Re: Kind of Newbie
« Reply #3 on: Tue, 02 August 2016, 07:21:35 »
Hi,

thanks for the welcome. Yes, I actually looked a bit for an IBM or old Apple board; and even had a look at Unicomp as they are actually making a Mac layout.

I'll use my tkl for the laptop and iPad in future and get a full size for the desk. I don't like the idea of a seperate numpad - as you said, missing the extra Enter key. Also, I have some ideas in mind for a keyboard design, perhaps get crazy with a WASD individual  :D

I guess I'll be reading a bit here and get some ideas and directions.

Cheers
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There is a curse. They say: May you live in interesting times!, Terry Pratchett

Popsicle KUL ES-87 (MX Blue, DSA) | Sun Ultracomputing Pok3r (MX Brown, DSA) | Nuclear WASD 100% (MX Brown, SA) | Gulf Pok3r (MX Clear, DSA) | Granite JD45 (MX Blue, DSA) | Coffee Core (MX Red, DSA) | Lime Pok3r (MX Clear, SA) | Canvas Vibe (MX Silent Red, XDA)

Offline rowdy

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Re: Kind of Newbie
« Reply #4 on: Thu, 04 August 2016, 05:54:34 »
If you can find a bluetooth convertor for your KUL, that would save carrying a cable around.  In fact it might be essential to get an external keyboard to work on an iPad.
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"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline Twinguin

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Re: Kind of Newbie
« Reply #5 on: Thu, 04 August 2016, 06:35:01 »
Quote from: rowdy on Thu, 04 August 2016, 05:54:34
In fact it might be essential to get an external keyboard to work on an iPad.
As I don't want to carry around yet another thing that needs to be charged all the time and would fail me, when most needed, I wanted to avoid a BT solution.

And it works: I used Apple's camera connector kit and just plugged the keyboard in. Works perfectly (iOS 9.3.3, iPad2 w/ 30pin-USB connector and iPadPro with the new Lightning-USB3 connector). I can use the command key nearly as much on the iPads as on the desktop (switch through apps, switch between tabs, cursor movement, etc.) and function keys work as well (brightness, volume, stop/start, ...). And if you press and hold the command key, iOS tells you what actions are possible.  :thumb: Sometimes they do seem think about the human interface at Apple. Sometimes!

Fun fact: The same setup won't work with Apple's keyboard - that draws too much current (probably because of the built-in USB hub). That said: would a backlit board use too much current as well?
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There is a curse. They say: May you live in interesting times!, Terry Pratchett

Popsicle KUL ES-87 (MX Blue, DSA) | Sun Ultracomputing Pok3r (MX Brown, DSA) | Nuclear WASD 100% (MX Brown, SA) | Gulf Pok3r (MX Clear, DSA) | Granite JD45 (MX Blue, DSA) | Coffee Core (MX Red, DSA) | Lime Pok3r (MX Clear, SA) | Canvas Vibe (MX Silent Red, XDA)

Offline rowdy

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Re: Kind of Newbie
« Reply #6 on: Sun, 07 August 2016, 01:52:43 »
Quote from: Twinguin on Thu, 04 August 2016, 06:35:01
Quote from: rowdy on Thu, 04 August 2016, 05:54:34
In fact it might be essential to get an external keyboard to work on an iPad.
As I don't want to carry around yet another thing that needs to be charged all the time and would fail me, when most needed, I wanted to avoid a BT solution.

And it works: I used Apple's camera connector kit and just plugged the keyboard in. Works perfectly (iOS 9.3.3, iPad2 w/ 30pin-USB connector and iPadPro with the new Lightning-USB3 connector). I can use the command key nearly as much on the iPads as on the desktop (switch through apps, switch between tabs, cursor movement, etc.) and function keys work as well (brightness, volume, stop/start, ...). And if you press and hold the command key, iOS tells you what actions are possible.  :thumb: Sometimes they do seem think about the human interface at Apple. Sometimes!

Fun fact: The same setup won't work with Apple's keyboard - that draws too much current (probably because of the built-in USB hub). That said: would a backlit board use too much current as well?

Interesting - I wouldn't have thought of using a camera connector for a keyboard :))

There is a new HHKB 2 Pro BT (Bluetooth) which people seem to like.  It's got a bulge at the back for batteries, but otherwise is the true and loved HHKB layout.

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=81269.0

Yes, backlighting will use extra power.  Most backlit keyboard have the ability to turn backlighting on and off, and to adjust the brightness.  You might find a lower brightness setting that will work, or you could just turn it off.
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"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline Twinguin

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Re: Kind of Newbie
« Reply #7 on: Sun, 07 August 2016, 19:24:54 »
@rowdy, thanks for the info. I'll sure dig into one of those sooner or later. OK, rather sooner :-)
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There is a curse. They say: May you live in interesting times!, Terry Pratchett

Popsicle KUL ES-87 (MX Blue, DSA) | Sun Ultracomputing Pok3r (MX Brown, DSA) | Nuclear WASD 100% (MX Brown, SA) | Gulf Pok3r (MX Clear, DSA) | Granite JD45 (MX Blue, DSA) | Coffee Core (MX Red, DSA) | Lime Pok3r (MX Clear, SA) | Canvas Vibe (MX Silent Red, XDA)

Offline Twinguin

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Re: Kind of Newbie
« Reply #8 on: Thu, 15 September 2016, 18:47:00 »
Well, here is my brief history of keyboards ... so far.

After being re-introduced to mechanical keyboards by a fellow car enthusiast (!) I replaced my Apple full-size with a KÛL ES-87 and jumped on the modification band wagon straight away with some coloured modifiers (the usual RGB mod) and green arrows and escape keys, and replaced the F-keys with Mac-style keys.

This one had to have the Cherry MX Blue - I wanted to start as noisy as possible!  :cool:

Then I joined the discussion about "portable" keyboards and wanted to have something solid to go with my iPad (and not Apple's keyboard-sleeve), I opted for a Pok3r. I went for custom keys from WASD Keyboards and thought about a Sinclair ZX Spectrum theme, using the four coloured stripes and made the number keys 0 and 1 through 7 according to the Spectrum's old colour codes. As this one shouldn't be as loud but I still wanted tactile, Cherry MX Brown it was.  ;D



As I finally got my EAD (for non-US people: that's the work permit for legal aliens), I needed -- OK, I wanted  :rolleyes: something for the office as well. So, I opted for an orange/grey/black theme, had the board customized at WASD again, this time full size, Cherry Brown, and red dampers.



IMHO, still one of the most ironic notes ever! (I need to work on that white balance!)
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There is a curse. They say: May you live in interesting times!, Terry Pratchett

Popsicle KUL ES-87 (MX Blue, DSA) | Sun Ultracomputing Pok3r (MX Brown, DSA) | Nuclear WASD 100% (MX Brown, SA) | Gulf Pok3r (MX Clear, DSA) | Granite JD45 (MX Blue, DSA) | Coffee Core (MX Red, DSA) | Lime Pok3r (MX Clear, SA) | Canvas Vibe (MX Silent Red, XDA)

Offline ReadmeDotTxt

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Re: Kind of Newbie
« Reply #9 on: Fri, 16 September 2016, 01:31:21 »
Haha. I like the spacebar text. It looks like the letters protrude above the surface. I'm guessing it's not too uncomfortable to run your thumbs across it, is it? I feel like I'd be doing that all the time with it there...
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Offline Twinguin

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Re: Kind of Newbie
« Reply #10 on: Fri, 16 September 2016, 09:56:25 »
Quote from: ReadmeDotTxt on Fri, 16 September 2016, 01:31:21
Haha. I like the spacebar text. It looks like the letters protrude above the surface. I'm guessing it's not too uncomfortable to run your thumbs across it, is it? I feel like I'd be doing that all the time with it there...
;D The lettering feels more "raised" than on the other keycaps - but yes, it feels ok and does not disturb in any way.
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There is a curse. They say: May you live in interesting times!, Terry Pratchett

Popsicle KUL ES-87 (MX Blue, DSA) | Sun Ultracomputing Pok3r (MX Brown, DSA) | Nuclear WASD 100% (MX Brown, SA) | Gulf Pok3r (MX Clear, DSA) | Granite JD45 (MX Blue, DSA) | Coffee Core (MX Red, DSA) | Lime Pok3r (MX Clear, SA) | Canvas Vibe (MX Silent Red, XDA)

Offline ReadmeDotTxt

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Re: Kind of Newbie
« Reply #11 on: Fri, 16 September 2016, 12:36:04 »
This made me re-realize that the spacebar on my K70 was textured, although very lightly so. Cannot unnotice lol
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Offline Twinguin

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Re: Kind of [s]Newbie[/s] Addicted
« Reply #12 on: Thu, 29 September 2016, 13:00:38 »
Well, the times they are a-changing ...  ;D

The other day I discovered a second hand white Pok3r with Cherry Clears. As I wanted to try the clears anyway, I went for it. While the board was on it's way, I thought about new keycaps, made a design, and ordered a set, slightly inspired by the Overcast Theme.

Then the Pok3r arrived, and HELLO - it had white thick PBT caps on. And hell, do I like typing on that little board.  :thumb:

Now, that blew my plan of replacing the caps. But I had the new set printed especially for a Pok3r including the Fn legends. What next?  :rolleyes:



So, after an afternoon of throwing keycaps around, cleaning a bit in the process, I just added some RGB modifiers to the new white Pok3r. I moved my Sinclair theme to the TKL and added dampers (40A-R). I do need to streamline the colours a bit, on the TKL it does look a bit too messy now. The new set then went on the black Pok3r plus some rings (40A-L). As I still bottom out while typing the rings do make a difference for me.

So hereby I declare myself officially as addicted.  :thumb: :cool: ;D
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There is a curse. They say: May you live in interesting times!, Terry Pratchett

Popsicle KUL ES-87 (MX Blue, DSA) | Sun Ultracomputing Pok3r (MX Brown, DSA) | Nuclear WASD 100% (MX Brown, SA) | Gulf Pok3r (MX Clear, DSA) | Granite JD45 (MX Blue, DSA) | Coffee Core (MX Red, DSA) | Lime Pok3r (MX Clear, SA) | Canvas Vibe (MX Silent Red, XDA)
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