Oh noes, not another 'first mech keyboard' thread! D:

[asbestos]

Hi everyone, I've searched a lot around here and other sites but I can't seem to find anything that really matches what I want, so I've come here in case someone knows whether what I want exists.  Please don't eat me… [COLOR=#FFFFF]this is a long post.[/COLOR]

I've recently had RSI problems related to keyboard use, where I've always had rubber domes.  I'm hoping that switching to a mech will help alleviate the stress on my fingers and stop me from bottoming out and hurting them in that way too, especially since I'm going into computing and I'll be spending a lot of time typing up code.

Here's my criteria:

- First off, I live in the Big Land Down Under so shipping costs will be an issue.  I'm also a student so I'm not really looking for a very expensive keyboard.  $150-200 is probably my uppermost limit, unless something out there is really amazing.  I don't care much for backlighting - it's cool, but not necessary and probably looks ugly on a keyboard with long travel.

- USB is preferred because I don't own/use any computers with PS/2 ports… Shame PS/2 is going the way of the dinosaurs, but every product must bow to consumerism in the end I suppose.  Having USB ports down on the keyboard is nice, but I've read that they can be quite slow depending on the keyboard (HHKB, Das apparently if it isn't powered).

- I don't really mind whether the switches are ALPS/Cherry Blues/Browns/Buckling spring, but I don't want a linear switch - I need something with longer travel than scissor switches, and tactile, if not clicky as well, feel.  I don't do much gaming (What's this? A computer student that doesn't game much? BURN THE HERETIC) so having a very clicky one doesn't bother me in that respect. Nothing too heavy though - read below.

- I would like a keyboard that is white/off-white (ivory, creamish or light-grey are good, beige is bad) which also seems to be a tough ask since a lot of mechs are black.  There's the Matias Tactile Pro 3 which gets mixed reviews about its casing and keys (realistically, how squishy are the linear keys in the caps and other light-fitted keys? Are the reviewerss complaining because they're just used to clickier boards? Without the borked autohotkey script they have as a "windows driver" does the command key still send a Windows/Meta keycode?).

There are a few other special edition white clickys from the likes of Ducky and Filco but they probably have a price tag that matches their 'special' status… not to mention they're impossible to find for sale!

- A tenkeyless would be good because I'll be taking it between office work and home, and they'll be lighter than full size mechs, but I guess I don't mind carrying a full-size one either as long as it's not insanely heavy like a Model M/Unicomp with their big heavy metal backing plates.  If I go with a tenkeyless I'll also want a numpad for when I'm doing number entry.  I had a good long look at getting a Takumi Tenkey calculator/numpad like what Ripster has, but I'm confused as to whether it's OSX friendly (some sites say it is, others don't).  Ripster, are you be able to answer this?  Also, what are other good WHITE and clicky numpads to try out? (Kinesis look as though they're rubber dome only)

- I've used Macs for a big part of my life so I'm used to a keyboard where the 'Windows/Command/Meta/whatever else you want to call it' key is located next to the space bar on both sides... this is a big ask I know, there are very few mechs out there that do that.  I can live without this I suppose but it'd be nice if I can get it.  Remapping in software isn't really what I want, because I don't have admin privileges for the computers at work. DIP switches or similar for remapping are preferred.

I hear Duckys and HHKB have DIP switches that can physically swap the Alt/Meta keycodes for this arrangement.  The control key in place of Caps interests me a lot too.

I almost bought a white (actually more grey?) HHKB Lite 2 because it has a great layout IMO and has the keys in the right spots for me (I'll be doing a lot of work on Linux in the future, going into computing so having the Control key where Caps is on most keyboards is great), but then I read the price tag and a few reviews that say that they're a 'soft feel' under the fingers - not really what I'm after.  There seems to be a PLU white tenkeyless clicky board, is this DIP switchable for a more Mac-style layout?

If the Matias Tactile Pro 3 reviews weren't so negative on certain aspects like its proneness to slipping on a flat surface and the different, supposedly mushy keys used in the Caps/Num/Scroll keys, or if the Ducky 1087/9008 came in white without being impossible to find (and not too expensive), or if the HHKB Lite 2 used mechanical keyswitches, I'd probably buy one of those… I looked at WASD boards but again, they don't come in white and they don't seem to have the possibility of physically remapping the keys.

So yeah, all in all this is a pretty big ask - white, USB, clicky, tenkeyless w. separate numpad/'lighter' full size, not too expensive and the meta key in a different spot to that of most keyboards if possible, maybe the control key where Caps usually is…
Seeing as I haven't had any luck finding one myself, I'm putting my plea out to you lot at GeekHack in the hope that someone knows where to find one.

There seems to be talk of a Ducky Rabbit edition or something that will be white with white lettering (and I'm hoping the ability to DIP switch the Alt and Meta keys) coming out in 2012, maybe I should wait for that?

[sordna]

You could try ebay, folks like qtan ship stuff from China all over the world pretty fast. You can go for a white PLU ML-87 with blue (clicky) cherry MX switches.

Regarding the Takumi calculator, it works fine on a mac, in fact it has a mac/windows switch. I have it on mac mode even on linux. The only problem with the Takumi is that its keys don't autorepeat when held down.

[asbestos]

Ooh, I'd seen and read their site and news but missed the part about the "rabbit edition" which just caught my eye now. I'll email them about white Duckys too.  White keycaps on a black board looks pretty cool too, I'll look into that.

So I'm right in thinking that Duckys have the ability to physically swap the keycodes between Alt and Meta?

Thanks for the very quick reply Ripster!

EDIT: Thanks for the quick reply to you too Sordna!  I'll look at qtan. Do PLU have the ability like the Duckys for swapping Alt and Meta keycodes? A quick Google doesn't give answers for that, I'll do a more detailed search later...

[sordna]

EDIT: Thanks for the quick reply to you too Sordna!  I'll look at qtan. Do PLU have the ability like the Duckys for swapping Alt and Meta keycodes? A quick Google doesn't give answers for that, I'll do a more detailed search later...

Dunno, but if it doesn't you can use xmodmap to do it, at least on Linux.

[False_Dmitry_II]

Dunno, but if it doesn't you can use xmodmap to do it, at least on Linux.

He just said he can't actually mess with anything in software for no admin rights.

As far as getting almost all (super cheaply) of the things you want, I can only tell you to buy a "rawko" (or two or three) board from ebay. He's in the US, but he does ship overseas. This would let you get browns and clears, try them both for awhile and then mod/program the crap out of them. AFAIK they are fully programmable using cherry tools. Then paint the case and relegendable keys white (along with any you can't buy PBT white engraved keys) and it'll look pretty good. Here's a review of it:
http://geekhack.org/showwiki.php?title=Island:10034

... but then I mostly thought of that one because at first thought I figured you do what you wanted in cherry tools then I remembered that you can't.

For moving the super key itself, I don't think such a thing exists (besides possibly that matias, because it's made for macs). Maybe some flavor of apple extended keyboard, but you'd still probably have to paint it. Honestly switching between my AEKII and any of my other keyboards I don't really have a problem with those keys being swapped. But I don't use either often enough for it to really matter. The only keyboard I've used that threw me for a loop layout wise would be my AT model F.

[asbestos]

Correct, I can't mess with anything to do with system input on the computers at work, where this keyboard will be used for part of the time - hence the need for a physical way of switching the keycodes on the keyboard itself, or putting up with having to mentally switch the positions in my head and occasionally getting it wrong, unless I just accept a standard modkey layout and don't change anything... There are keyboards that feature little switches on the back to swap keycodes between certain keys - the HHKB Lite 2 has these (but is rubber-domed) and there are others such as Ducky (I think, will wait for the email back from MechKeyboards to know for sure) that have this too.  It's not a big thing but it would be nice if I could keep it the same.

False_Dmitry, that keyboard you linked comes with everything and the kitchen sink - but it looks like a monster! Probably not too heavy (since it's only plastic and no metal backing board) but still on the big side.  My workspaces are quite small unfortunately, otherwise I'd probably try it - I am typing on an Apple Slim aluminium keyboard atm for wont of space, and at work for the moment, it's not much better because I have to deskshare and can't really move papers around.  
This is why I'd like a tenkeyless if possible and then have a separate numpad to plug in for occasional use.
Still, nice find and I'll look into whether it's feasible.  Thanks for the link!

As for the Takumi Tenkey, if I go down the tenkeyless route - is there a particular reputable site that anyone recommend to buy it from? There seem to be plenty of sites selling it.

[sordna]

He just said he can't actually mess with anything in software for no admin rights.

He said he'll use Linux in the future, and xmodmap is a user accessible utility that comes with X-Windows, no admin rights are needed to remap keys in your session with xmodmap.

[asbestos]

I will be using Linux and other UNIX systems in the future and that will make remapping easy, however my current job's computers are locked down MSFT Windows boxes where privileges to tools for remapping aren't available and installing them isn't possible.

Once again, it's just a little niggle I have.  I can definitely put up with a standard modkey position set ŕ la ANSI layout which most mechs are, I'd just like the ability to swap Meta and Alt keycodes to a Mac layout IF IT'S AVAILABLE AND POSSIBLE physically on the keyboard with DIP switches.  Not the most important of my criteria by any means, I'd much rather a white keyboard without the custom layout than a black one with the 'right for me' one.

EDIT about the Takumi TenKey - there are two versions, only the one that is marketed as the TAKUMI TenKey T2 is OSX friendly.  The earlier version WILL NOT WORK on Mac.  I'll leave this here in case another Mac user comes across it and it helps.