Someone talk me off the ledge

[YetAnotherDeveloper]

and now this?

i just need someone to say

"Man; you have so many other things you want to purchase this month, you really should just wait a little while".

[Stoids]

Pretty sexy keyboard.




...

Sorry.


That didn't help :*(

[msiegel]

don't jump!!

cup rubber is too soft to cushion your fall

[theferenc]

It ain't gonna be me. Topres and buckling springs are where it's at, man. Though, what else are you thinking about getting instead? I might want to get behind those other things, instead. A new kitchen knife, certainly. A new saute pan, for sure. A Lenovo X201 tablet, absolutely. Gift for the SO, it is valentine's month. New floor mats for the car...get the keyboard instead.

Though, you may prefer the HHKB layout, as a developer. I forget, do you have one of those yet?

One comment though: I've found that variable weighting is awesome for free form typing, but is sort of annoying for structured typing, such as coding. Your experience may be different, of course, but I felt it was worth mentioning that.

[YetAnotherDeveloper]

It ain't gonna be me. Topres and buckling springs are where it's at, man. Though, what else are you thinking about getting instead? I might want to get behind those other things, instead. A new kitchen knife, certainly. A new saute pan, for sure. A Lenovo X201 tablet, absolutely. Gift for the SO, it is valentine's month. New floor mats for the car...get the keyboard instead.

Though, you may prefer the HHKB layout, as a developer. I forget, do you have one of those yet?

One comment though: I've found that variable weighting is awesome for free form typing, but is sort of annoying for structured typing, such as coding. Your experience may be different, of course, but I felt it was worth mentioning that.

the one thing i fear about the HHKB is the lack of arrow keys... i just think of the 5000 times a day i press ctrl+shift+ and how that would be lost on the HHKB or at least would require at least one more key in the mix.  i guess that would just be ctrl+shift+fn+.  

But i'm going to get a new chair for the office and i'm sure i will pick up a cherry brown when elitekeyboards gets restocked. i have a new tv on the list as well, we got rid of our old one when we moved to nyc about 7 months ago and i need to get a replacement.

[sLeezy]

Just.
Do.
It.

[YetAnotherDeveloper]

Though, you may prefer the HHKB layout, as a developer. I forget, do you have one of those yet?

now you got me thinking about the HHKB.  have you tried the realforce yet?

i'm just thinking about the type of thing i do all the time like i said above the ctrl+shift+ and the combo of end,shift+home.  I guess it would just take some time to relearn those things that are so natural at this point.   Can you think of anything that you miss when using the HHKB?

[godly_music]

Do you really wanna spend hundreds of bucks on just a keyboard? Hell, that's half a PC's worth. It fulfills exactly the same function as a 5$ keyboard. Don't do it bro.

[quadibloc]

I would be inclined to prefer a tenkeyless Topre to an HHKB because of it having arrow keys and a conventional layout. However, I would avoid the "otaku" style depicted where the legends on the keys are difficult to read (even though, on a standard layout, I know where all the keys are in any event).

So, if I had the money to spend on such a thing (it's less expensive than an HHKB, too) I would probably choose the white model.

But I don't think Topre is going anywhere, so if I can't afford to buy too many keyboards all at once, saving my money for a while and buying one of those later is only reasonable. Surely you don't need other people to convince you of something so obvious?

Also, I see that these tenkeyless keyboards are $20.00 more expensive than the ones which include the extra numeric keypad! (And, actually, they have some of the white full keyboards on sale for a further $30 off. So you can have more keys and they pay you $50 to take them!)

There is also a fault in these keyboards - from my point of view, although many other ordinary keyboards today share it. The right Windows Shift key is missing, there is only the Windows Menu key on that side.

[theferenc]

now you got me thinking about the HHKB.  have you tried the realforce yet?

i'm just thinking about the type of thing i do all the time like i said above the ctrl+shift+ and the combo of end,shift+home.  I guess it would just take some time to relearn those things that are so natural at this point.   Can you think of anything that you miss when using the HHKB?

If you're using VS, there are other keyboard shortcuts to do exactly what those do, that actually are chorded, and so use fewer keys at once. For instance, I use Ctrl-E,Ctrl-* for all my cursor movement commands, replacing * with whatever I need.

I do most of my dev work in VS  (with emacs mode turned on -- it's in the keyboard prefs) and emacs, and I actually think the HHKB is the best keyboard around when it comes to writing code. For long documentation sessions, I tend to switch to the Model M, but only because the sound helps me stay on track and avoid distractions.

It's a pretty popular keyboard among the people in my department who write a lot of code -- systems people, networking people, the AI guys. I've asked around, and most of them don't miss the arrow keys either.

I mean, there are enough people looking to buy one here that you wouldn't be out much money if you got one and then decided to sell it.

In response to your other question, I was able to use a variable weight realforce for a while last week, and I definitely think it's great for free form typing, not so great for coding. Partially, it's the layout, but partially it's just that it feels very very strange, just do to the different usage patterns of writing code. Honestly, I feel the same way about the Kinesis Advantage: great for general writing, awful for coding.

Edit: oh, and when I use the Model M, I tend to hit the lower right key (which I've mapped to Right Windows) plus one of ;'[/ whenever I do want to use the arrows. It really does become second nature after a while. I honestly find the standard arrow key location annoyingly far away from where I want to keep my hands, forcing me to move my whole arm, rather than just my hand.

[hfcobra]

my topres are so boring....no .......matter.......must.....resist.....Topres feel so AWESOME that i cant use any other keyboard anymore for anything except my browns for playing games!     Once you buy the Topres you will make your money back by selling your old keyboards!!   i couldnt resist...... sorry  ;_;

EDIT: alright in all seriousness its a great keyboard and one you will at least like, but may not be your favorite.  I would do what you need to for now and get it later, it will wait.  I dont think that EK will ever stop stocking Realforce or HHKB  

[iMav]

Can you think of anything that you miss when using the HHKB?

I miss the HHKB layout when using any other keyboard.  The Fn-arrow keys are second nature to me.  In fact, I now prefer them to dedicated arrow keys because my hand does not have to move as much.

[clickclack]

+1 to ^ iMav

I many times also think other keyboards are missing something when I move from a HHKB. I don't do what what programers and the like do but I love the integration on the HHKB.

To the OP-
I love my 87U 55g version (slightly diff than the 86 variable) it's a killer keyboard!  I like the comment on structured vs freestyle typing form regarding key weighting, I am inclined to go along with that to some degree.

=)

[gilgam]

i just get both anf the hhkb is nicer for me as i code and write, i bottom out a lot and i have a better feeling on the hhkb.

About the arrows it's a little bit annoying at the beginning but you really get used at it very fast.

[Findecanor]

I am a proponent for "Try before you buy".

Too bad that it is so difficult to just try ...

[keyboardlover]

Sent you a PM...dunno if it will get you off the ledge but I hope it at least makes the landing softer =)

[keyboardlover]

Where the hell are those clear caps anyway? ClickClack must be on the same schedule as EK and Duke Nukem Whenever!

[kidchunks]

I am a proponent for "Try before you buy".

Too bad that it is so difficult to just try ...

http://www.mrinterface.com/content/sinklist-topre-keyring

Definitely worth it if you are thinking of buying a topre board. I'm in the same boat as many, but I prefer to "try" it first before pulling the trigger on one.

[lootbag]

I'd wait for two Topres that will inevitably ship.

HHKB3

RealForce update to the 86U.   Asians will get bored with different colored key combos eventually and LEDs under the keys is the next big thing (although common in the 1980's).  Like Retro Boomboxes.

I wonder how long that will be...

[YetAnotherDeveloper]

How come nobody is willing to help out the poor OP?

i know, right?

though i think it kind of worked... now i don't know if i want to try the HHKB or the realforce, so that should at least delay me for a few days.

[Reaif]

Think of it this way... You have been getting along somehow before now. Getting along the same way for a little longer isn't going to kill you.

It might hurt a little though. I am currently waiting on the Leopolds from EK. Also a big paycheck in April.

[DanGWanG]

I bought a Realforce 103UB from KL on an instantaneous splurge in the middle of another person's classifieds thread.  If you've passed that splurge state, you're in a good position to hold out.

[keyboardlover]

Best part was I didn't even have to create my own thread. I am SO efficient.

[panda-R]

buying a keyboard because it is sexy is like dating a sexy gf with no character. You will get bored but you will continue to tap it.

[panda-R]

rofl. panda, you're still alive! where have you been lurking?

i've been busy tapping.... my keyboard :`(

where have you been lurking?

[keyboardlover]

I figured you've been busy eating bamboo. Pandas seem to eat a lot (they are pretty fat...and "phat" too).

[panda-R]

I found some more Panda japanese erasers.    I plan of taking lots of pics in them in lewd poses and creating a Panda Porn website.  Will be big in Canada and China.

you're always looking for ways to extort money from me and I shall have no part of it. Btw when does the site open and how much for a membership?