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Author Topic: A thought - a USB programmable key cluster  (Read 3956 times)

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Offline Pylon

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A thought - a USB programmable key cluster
« on: Sun, 13 February 2011, 13:45:11 »
Looking through [H]ardForums, a lot of people seem to be turned off from mechanical keyboards because most of them (RK-9000, etc.) lack programmable keys and media controls.

So why doesn't someone make a USB programmable key module or something? Get a 2x5 cluster of programmable keys and place them next to your keyboard. Bam.

Like this:


Give it two layers: A programmable key layer and a media key layer, with a USB controller, and use cheap Alps switches or something.
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Offline Pylon

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A thought - a USB programmable key cluster
« Reply #1 on: Sun, 13 February 2011, 13:45:48 »
And I forgot to add the sound waves for the volume up and volume down buttons.
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Offline sixty

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    • http://deskthority.net
A thought - a USB programmable key cluster
« Reply #2 on: Sun, 13 February 2011, 13:52:08 »
I don't see the fascination with hardware programmable macros. You will always be pretty limited, to the point where all you can really do is send a (series of) scancodes. All the fancy stuff that I consider useful requires software. And once you go software, there are so many better ways than a few dedicated extra keys. For example a simple mechanical keypad. Thanks to tools like HIDMacros, you can even use it with more than one keyboard connected. I wrote a tutorial on that a while ago.
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Offline Superfluous Parentheses

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A thought - a USB programmable key cluster
« Reply #3 on: Sun, 13 February 2011, 18:12:57 »
Quote from: Pylon;294473
Looking through [H]ardForums, a lot of people seem to be turned off from mechanical keyboards because most of them (RK-9000, etc.) lack programmable keys and media controls.


Programmable keys are IMHO only useful if you want a non-QWERTY layout and you're dragging your keyboard around to different machines. As for media controls, the HHKB has all the Mac standard ones built in.
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Current collection: HHKB Pro 2 black on black, HHKB Pro 2 white/grey blank, [strike]Dell AT101W[/strike] (sold to SirClickAlot), 1992 Model M, Key Tronic Ergoforce KT 2001, BTC 5100 C. Dead boards: MS Natural Elite, MS Natural 4000.

Offline Minskleip

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A thought - a USB programmable key cluster
« Reply #4 on: Sun, 13 February 2011, 18:34:28 »
Quote from: Superfluous Parentheses;294546
Programmable keys are IMHO only useful if you want a non-QWERTY layout and you're dragging your keyboard around to different machines. As for media controls, the HHKB has all the Mac standard ones built in.

Can I use this 'mac' with Windows and finally use all my keys?
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What\'s in the back of my car? A cdr lol

Split Tipro keyboard with R3 keycaps

Offline Superfluous Parentheses

  • Posts: 256
A thought - a USB programmable key cluster
« Reply #5 on: Sun, 13 February 2011, 18:45:45 »
Quote from: Minskleip;294553
Can I use this 'mac' with Windows and finally use all my keys?

It's not like a HHKB has keys left over. But I dunno. I only use it on Linux and OSX.

Quote from: ripster;294557
I Flip De HHKB Mac mode DIP Sweetch.  It dooess  NUTHING!

Probably some regedit hacking could be applied?
« Last Edit: Sun, 13 February 2011, 18:48:24 by Superfluous Parentheses »
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Current collection: HHKB Pro 2 black on black, HHKB Pro 2 white/grey blank, [strike]Dell AT101W[/strike] (sold to SirClickAlot), 1992 Model M, Key Tronic Ergoforce KT 2001, BTC 5100 C. Dead boards: MS Natural Elite, MS Natural 4000.

Offline Minskleip

  • Posts: 230
A thought - a USB programmable key cluster
« Reply #6 on: Sun, 13 February 2011, 18:47:55 »
Quote from: Superfluous Parentheses;294558
It's not like a HHKB has keys left over. But I dunno. I only use it on Linux and OSX.

Hehe I was just pulling your leg.
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What\'s in the back of my car? A cdr lol

Split Tipro keyboard with R3 keycaps

Offline Superfluous Parentheses

  • Posts: 256
A thought - a USB programmable key cluster
« Reply #7 on: Sun, 13 February 2011, 18:52:14 »
Quote from: ripster;294562
I recommend the HHKB heartily to anyone with a Unix Beard.

Best. Emacs. Keyboard. Ever! :)
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Current collection: HHKB Pro 2 black on black, HHKB Pro 2 white/grey blank, [strike]Dell AT101W[/strike] (sold to SirClickAlot), 1992 Model M, Key Tronic Ergoforce KT 2001, BTC 5100 C. Dead boards: MS Natural Elite, MS Natural 4000.

Offline Minskleip

  • Posts: 230
A thought - a USB programmable key cluster
« Reply #8 on: Sun, 13 February 2011, 18:54:44 »
I started saving for a beard once. Then I got sacked.
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What\'s in the back of my car? A cdr lol

Split Tipro keyboard with R3 keycaps

Offline theferenc

  • Posts: 1327
A thought - a USB programmable key cluster
« Reply #9 on: Sun, 13 February 2011, 19:00:59 »
Quote from: Superfluous Parentheses;294565
Best. Emacs. Keyboard. Ever! :)


Says the guy with a modified Haskell logo as his avatar.

Though, I totally agree it does make for an amazing emacs keyboard. Though I may prefer my buckling spring keyboard with an identical layout, just for the additional nerd cred from the common folk.
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HHKB Pro 2 -- Custom UNIX layout Unicomp Customizer 101 -- IBM Model M 1391401 (modded to UNIX layout) -- IBM 1397000 (also UNIX layout) -- SSK in UNIX layout -- Model F 122 key in UNIX layout (Soarer USB "native")
 
CST L-TracX trackball -- Kensington Expert Mouse trackball

Offline Minskleip

  • Posts: 230
A thought - a USB programmable key cluster
« Reply #10 on: Sun, 13 February 2011, 19:04:17 »
It's the Clojure logo. Find it any fun?
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What\'s in the back of my car? A cdr lol

Split Tipro keyboard with R3 keycaps

Offline theferenc

  • Posts: 1327
A thought - a USB programmable key cluster
« Reply #11 on: Sun, 13 February 2011, 19:13:09 »
My bad. It looks a lot like many of the different Haskell logos I've seen over the years. That language looks rather interesting, honestly.
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HHKB Pro 2 -- Custom UNIX layout Unicomp Customizer 101 -- IBM Model M 1391401 (modded to UNIX layout) -- IBM 1397000 (also UNIX layout) -- SSK in UNIX layout -- Model F 122 key in UNIX layout (Soarer USB "native")
 
CST L-TracX trackball -- Kensington Expert Mouse trackball

Offline nanu

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    • http://T-T.be/portal
A thought - a USB programmable key cluster
« Reply #12 on: Sun, 13 February 2011, 19:32:32 »
Such a slim module would be tough to weigh down. However you design it, it will be tacky unless used with a certain keyboard.
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Offline Superfluous Parentheses

  • Posts: 256
A thought - a USB programmable key cluster
« Reply #13 on: Mon, 14 February 2011, 14:18:40 »
Quote from: Minskleip;294575
It's the Clojure logo. Find it any fun?


Well spotted. It's great. Though I would like more options for runtimes. The JVM is nice for server apps, but not nearly as great for smaller GUI or terminal programs, and I'm not really interested in .NET/Mono.
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Current collection: HHKB Pro 2 black on black, HHKB Pro 2 white/grey blank, [strike]Dell AT101W[/strike] (sold to SirClickAlot), 1992 Model M, Key Tronic Ergoforce KT 2001, BTC 5100 C. Dead boards: MS Natural Elite, MS Natural 4000.

Offline Findecanor

  • Posts: 5082
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A thought - a USB programmable key cluster
« Reply #14 on: Mon, 14 February 2011, 16:04:56 »
on-topic:
Optimus mini three
Genovation 682
Genovation 683
X-keys

off-topic:
Hmm.. I will have to take a closer look at Clojure some time. It seems quite interesting.
« Last Edit: Mon, 14 February 2011, 16:08:27 by Findecanor »
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Offline Hak Foo

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  • Make America Clicky Again!
A thought - a USB programmable key cluster
« Reply #15 on: Mon, 14 February 2011, 20:52:47 »
Honestly, I could see plenty of stuff done as scancode macros.

I handcode a lot of HTML in my job, so I could see a lot of use in, say,

Control-X

  • Shift-Insert


    • I like the media keys as an option so I don't have to find the media player and send it keystrokes.  I tried using a Media Centre remote which came with my TV card, but there's no tactility, and the wirelessness sucks too.
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