Is a KMAC worth it?

[terran5992]

Spending $400++ on a single keyboard seems a bit irrational. Anyone can enlighten me about what makes it superior over a normal mechanical keyboard besides the customization options.

[llovro]

Alluminium case
Fully programmable
Awesome looking
And you get into elitist circle by having it.

[okooko]

Spending $400++ on a single keyboard seems a bit irrational. Anyone can enlighten me about what makes it superior over a normal mechanical keyboard besides the customization options.

I guess its like any other niche hobby that requires a decent amount of capital.

For any watch lovers out there, I think the OP's post's analogy would be something like...
"Spending $100k++ on a single watch seems a bit irrational. ANyone can enlighten me about what makes it superior over a normal casio/dora the explorer limited edition (ironman 3 reference) besides the minute repeater/tourbillon/moonphase/complications (pick any)."

Similarly, some people dont give a care in the world wearing functional watches or using their smartphones, but you can be worlds apart when it comes to the higher echelon of horology.

Just my opinion.

[terran5992]

Does the typing feel differ?

[CPTBadAss]

Typing feel always differs between keyboards. My Leopold feels different from my Filco even thought they have MX Blues. I think the attention to detail and aesthetics play into the pricing but I don't own a KMAC so I can't say.

I actually passed on a 2TU because for the same price, I bought 3 Alps boards for my TKL Alps board project, an SSK, and an Epsilon. So two customs and an SSK for the price of one? Sounds pretty good to me.

[metalliqaz]

One of these threads again?  If you poke around geekhack for five minutes the answer should be obvious...  It's worth it.

[okooko]

One of these threads again?  If you poke around geekhack for five minutes the answer should be obvious...  It's worth it.

I think you should add to your sig
4) - CC's are the currency
5) - One does not only buy one keyboard

lol

[davkol]

We have to talk about how it is humanly possible that something this kick-ass could have actually happened.  To do so, we have to understand what it means to have a penis on the Internet.

[esoomenona]

Matter of opinion is a matter of opinion. But honestly, if your first train of thought is that first sentence, then you probably won't feel it's worth it.

[CPTBadAss]

One of these threads again?  If you poke around geekhack for five minutes the answer should be obvious...  It's worth it.

Yeah. I'll probably cave eventually and pickup a hot Korean Kustom so treasure its sexy-ness.

[Dubsgalore]

I want a Kustom at some point in the extended future...but it will have to wait for now. i think there are a lot of advantages to having a kmac

[jabar]

It depends how one defines worthiness. Look at what can be obtained for the price of one KMAC.

Personally, I'd prefer a nice Topre and an MX board for the approximately same price.

[metalliqaz]

One of these threads again?  If you poke around geekhack for five minutes the answer should be obvious...  It's worth it.

Yeah. I'll probably cave eventually and pickup a hot Korean Kustom so treasure its sexy-ness.

I really like the KMAC.  One reason is because it seems to concentrate more on function than sexy-ness.  It's solid and tight.  Especially the KMAC2.

[CPTBadAss]

Functionality is sexyness to an engineer

[esoomenona]

Functionality is sexyness to an engineer

I'd hate to see an engineer's wife...

[Permeability]

The answer to this question is, how much is it worth to you? If you have only $500 dollars to your name it probably wouldn't be worth it, because you would have to spend all your money on one keyboard. On the otherhand if you have steady and foreseeable future income then you should have no problem spending that money because you know you will make more money in the near future. At least that's how I see it 

[esoomenona]

You can live off of $100 for awhile, if you are wise with how you spend it. Buy a KMAC.

[CPTBadAss]

Sage advice from the guy whose KMAC sits in a box

[Shadovved]

Sage advice from the guy whose KMAC sits in a box

You can live off of $100 for awhile, if you are wise with how you spend it. Buy a KMAC.

Just buy the KMAC. 

Listen to the King of Stickers!

[esoomenona]

Sage advice from the guy whose KMAC sits in a box

Whoa, whoa, whoa. I never said to USE the KMAC. Just buy it. A box is really the best place. It could get dirty out in the open.

[jdcarpe]

Sage advice from the guy whose KMAC sits in a box

Whoa, whoa, whoa. I never said to USE the KMAC. Just buy it. A box is really the best place. It could get dirty out in the open.

This is my opinion, also. Mine is inside a poker chip case, where it shall stay. Using keyboards is overrated. They are treasures to be safeguarded.

[tauburn]

Sage advice from the guy whose KMAC sits in a box

Whoa, whoa, whoa. I never said to USE the KMAC. Just buy it. A box is really the best place. It could get dirty out in the open.

This is my opinion, also. Mine is inside a poker chip case, where it shall stay. Using keyboards is overrated. They are treasures to be safeguarded.

then why waste money on the pcb if you're just going to use it as a paperweight

[CPTBadAss]

JD, do you ever take it out just to look at it? Touch a few keys....look at the LEDs....marvel at its colors, then tuck it in safely?

[esoomenona]

And expose it to the extreme weather and environment? Are you insane!? Once you take pictures of it the first time, that's all you need.

[CPTBadAss]

Sorry oh wise ones. I obviously know not the ways of GH. Let me go encase my Filco in epoxy and set it on my shelf like a trophy, brb

[ITzNybble]

If you are buying a KMAC to use as a daily driver then no its not, if you are a elite keyboard enthusiast then yes it is


EDIT: WOOT 200 posts.

[jdcarpe]

Sorry oh wise ones. I obviously know not the ways of GH. Let me go encase my Filco in epoxy and set it on my shelf like a trophy, brb

No, no, no. You will learn, young apprentice.

Custom keyboards, such as KMAC, LZ, even Phantom, are to be photographed and put away, possibly enshrined in viewing cases.

Pedestrian keyboards, such as Filco, Realforce, etc. are to be used for typing. Mod those things. Cut the cases. Add LEDs. Whatever you feel like.

[metalliqaz]

eff that I use my customs

[CPTBadAss]

If I typed on SmallFry's Phantom, does that mean i ruined it?? 

[jdcarpe]

If I typed on SmallFry's Phantom, does that mean i ruined it?? 

No, cuz it's SmallFry.

[esoomenona]

eff that I use my customs

Shun. Shhhuuuunnnnn...

[absyrd]

No.

[SmallFry]

If I typed on SmallFry's Phantom, does that mean i ruined it?? 

No, cuz it's SmallFry.

Wait. What? Yay? Hi? Meebcast? Two scoops of waffle on a sex cone?

[Binge]

KMAC?  No.  2TU, yes.

http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=43053.0

[davkol]

Sage advice from the guy whose KMAC sits in a box

Whoa, whoa, whoa. I never said to USE the KMAC. Just buy it. A box is really the best place. It could get dirty out in the open.

This is my opinion, also. Mine is inside a poker chip case, where it shall stay. Using keyboards is overrated. They are treasures to be safeguarded.

then why waste money on the pcb if you're just going to use it as a paperweight

SWAG

[boost]

KMAC's are cool and easy to reprogram.

[TheQsanity]

Worth it IMO. The resale value seems stable. A you can at least try it out and tell for yourself. I dont think id get one anytime soon though lol.

[tp4tissue]

For the materials and workmanship, yes Kmacs are definitely worth it..

But.. then you're left with the question,   Could you do something more fun given $400...

For example, you could buy a gameboy, or 12Tbs or storage, or an HD 7970 gfx card, or a 27" 120hz monitor, or 3.5 BJs at atlantic city, or a 3770 + Cooler, or a compound bow

[hashbaz]

I love my KMAC dearly.  It's simple and beautiful and has the best typing feel of any of my MX keyboards.  But I wouldn't spend $400 for one.

If you get one at that price, do it because you have money laying around or because you want to hang out with the cool kids in the Korean custom clubhouse.  The keyboard itself is superior to regular production boards, but not enough to justify that price.

[tp4tissue]

I love my KMAC dearly.  It's simple and beautiful and has the best typing feel of any of my MX keyboards.  But I wouldn't spend $400 for one.

If you get one at that price, do it because you have money laying around or because you want to hang out with the cool kids in the Korean custom clubhouse.  The keyboard itself is superior to regular production boards, but not enough to justify that price.

The other issue i just remembered is,   the staggered keyboard layout is absolute 'turd.

so if you really think about it,, a KMAC no matter how well polished, is just the shiniest piece of 'turd...

I'm not against buying one..  I've spent quite a bit on keyboards myself, but this facet of keyboarding has always bothered me.

As in, I keep dropping dime into something that is fundamentally flawed, where such flaws are never addressed.


I think the Ergodox, is the Rightly champion and direction for "the Future"

[esoomenona]

Can I ask what the full version of 'turd is? Your apostrophe indicates it's a shortened version of a larger word.

[tp4tissue]

Can I ask what the full version of 'turd is? Your apostrophe indicates it's a shortened version of a larger word.

I always the f-bomb before the word -turd.   so I abbreviated

[tauburn]

I love my KMAC dearly.  It's simple and beautiful and has the best typing feel of any of my MX keyboards.  But I wouldn't spend $400 for one.

If you get one at that price, do it because you have money laying around or because you want to hang out with the cool kids in the Korean custom clubhouse.  The keyboard itself is superior to regular production boards, but not enough to justify that price.

The other issue i just remembered is,   the staggered keyboard layout is absolute 'turd.

so if you really think about it,, a KMAC no matter how well polished, is just the shiniest piece of 'turd...

I'm not against buying one..  I've spent quite a bit on keyboards myself, but this facet of keyboarding has always bothered me.

As in, I keep dropping dime into something that is fundamentally flawed, where such flaws are never addressed.


I think the Ergodox, is the Rightly champion and direction for "the Future"

what do you mean exactly? i dont know much about the kmac

[esoomenona]

He's claiming that the layout of your standard keyboard, where the keys are staggered, is not good, and that something more along the lines of the keys being set in perfect rows and columns is better. Thus, even if a KMAC is really good, it's only a better bad thing.

[tp4tissue]

I love my KMAC dearly.  It's simple and beautiful and has the best typing feel of any of my MX keyboards.  But I wouldn't spend $400 for one.

If you get one at that price, do it because you have money laying around or because you want to hang out with the cool kids in the Korean custom clubhouse.  The keyboard itself is superior to regular production boards, but not enough to justify that price.

The other issue i just remembered is,   the staggered keyboard layout is absolute 'turd.

so if you really think about it,, a KMAC no matter how well polished, is just the shiniest piece of 'turd...

I'm not against buying one..  I've spent quite a bit on keyboards myself, but this facet of keyboarding has always bothered me.

As in, I keep dropping dime into something that is fundamentally flawed, where such flaws are never addressed.


I think the Ergodox, is the Rightly champion and direction for "the Future"

what do you mean exactly? i dont know much about the kmac

This staggered layout is left over from the days of Type-writers..




This is the more natural orientation now that we have the technology to orient the keys anyway we like. vs below..

[The_Beast]

He's claiming that the layout of your standard keyboard, where the keys are staggered, is not good, and that something more along the lines of the keys being set in perfect rows and columns is better. Thus, even if a KMAC is really good, it's only a better bad thing.

I have a Tipro with this type of layout, it's extremely hard to type on.

Also, this is very subjective tp4tissue. Some people may love a staggered layout, others may hate it.....

[tp4tissue]

He's claiming that the layout of your standard keyboard, where the keys are staggered, is not good, and that something more along the lines of the keys being set in perfect rows and columns is better. Thus, even if a KMAC is really good, it's only a better bad thing.

I have a Tipro with this type of layout, it's extremely hard to type on.

Also, this is very subjective tp4tissue. Some people may love a staggered layout, others may hate it.....

There is nothing subjective about it.. Your fingers don't bend that way.. and your arms are not oriented facing left, they point towards the center when you sit down at the table


If someone likes staggered, it is largely out of familiarity...


with straight column, it reduce horizontal wrist movement dramatically..


One must realize, that staggered is all we've ever known for a little more than HALF our lives...

It may indeed be difficult to "convert"


A very important point to bring up here also is that Keyboard Ergonomic is a RECENT Necessity..  Only within the past 10 years did computer interaction completely dominate our lives...

So this issue is still in its infancy...


Quite soon though.... I believe ergodox will reign supreme

[davkol]

Also, this is very subjective tp4tissue. Some people may love a staggered layout, others may hate it.....

Nope, but I suppose it would be like discussing evolution with a bunch of creationist fundamentalists.

[tp4tissue]

Also, this is very subjective tp4tissue. Some people may love a staggered layout, others may hate it.....

Nope, but I suppose it would be like discussing evolution with a bunch of creationist fundamentalists.

I am so not a creationist fundamentalist...

I believe the ergodox is the natural evolutionary successor to "what-was-once-good" staggered qwerty..

And the KMAC is the prettiest and last of dying pandas...

[The_Beast]

Also, this is very subjective tp4tissue. Some people may love a staggered layout, others may hate it.....

Nope, but I suppose it would be like discussing evolution with a bunch of creationist fundamentalists.

Don't give him ideas...