Questions about tkl/75%/60%, keycaps, Novatouch

[asgeirtj]

I have a mixed bag of mechanical keyboard questions for you guys

So I was considering buying a TKL because I wanted to try the feeling of having less space between your mouse and your keyboard. Then I thought, why not go further and go with 75%? Since it has the same keys anyways just closer together and the look factor is not a factor for me. However I think 60% is a little bit too much for me since there are no arrow keys for easy word editing and excel work and there are no function keys (I realize that you can work that out with a fn button-like solution but I don't like the hassle of pressing two keys instead of one because i regularly use the function keys). However, please try to convince me otherwise if you think you can, because i'm all for saving all the more space. Is it possible to live without those keys that 60% omits?

I was also wondering about my options in 75% keyboards. I know of keycool 84 but that will take many weeks to arrive since it's from china and i know of kbt race but I don't see it available anywhere. Is it available somewhere in eu for sale?

Is it any hassle to get keycaps for 75% keyboards?

I've read a lot about keycaps recently and it seems to me that thick pbt keys are all the rage. I was considering these from imsto:
http://imsto.cn/index.php?route=product/product&path=62&product_id=59

those will fit 75% keyboards like kc84 right?

I absolutely HATE oem profile keycaps, Cherry profile is MUCH better for me so that's the reason I was considering these from imsto because I don't find thick pbt caps anywwhere else with cherry profile keys. I was wondering if you could find them somewhere else in eu/usa prefereably because getting these from imsto will take about a month :s. Also, is there any other premium keycaps I should be considering?

I hear that the best are imsto/gmk, so I'm also going to participate in this groupbuy: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=58608.0 since i don't know if I like abs or pbt better and I want to try them out. (they have a sweet cherry profile).

I have been using ISO all my life, but to my knowledge there are not 75% ISO boards so I might have to get used to ANSI, anyone have any experience switching from ISO to ANSI, it is possible to get used to the small enter key?

I was also wondering if I should maybe hold off for the novatouch. I pretty much only like brown switches so maybe topre is for me? I'm excited for the novatouch because the only way I want topre is with cherry keycaps and now it's possible. But maybe it's smartest to hold off and see if any retail stores get it (I'm in Iceland) so I can try it out before I buy.

[Pacifist]

75% is amazing. I'm typing on a MX Mini right now.

Keycaps aren't too hard to find, the only difficult thing is 1.75x shift, and a few 1x keys, but since looks aren't your top priority, those can be easily taken care of

Shameless self plug, I have a keycool 84 with blacks for sale, check the link in my signature.

The imsto set won't fit due to the caps lock and there is no shift

[asgeirtj]

I see that the TKL is better for key compatility now.  So I guess my follow up question is, is there a big difference in space saving which is missed from tkl to 75%?  Also, is there any quality discernable quality difference from a Filco and a kc84 or a kbt race ii?

Also I don't see kbt race ii being sold anywhere in europe?

[Puddsy]

I see that the TKL is better for key compatility now.  So I guess my follow up question is, is there a big difference in space saving which is missed from tkl to 75%?  Also, is there any quality discernable quality difference from a Filco and a kc84 or a kbt race ii?

Also I don't see kbt race ii being sold anywhere in europe?

I'd say the space difference between TKL and 75% is minimal, but TKL and 60% is pretty big difference.

[Pacifist]

I see that the TKL is better for key compatility now.  So I guess my follow up question is, is there a big difference in space saving which is missed from tkl to 75%?  Also, is there any quality discernable quality difference from a Filco and a kc84 or a kbt race ii?

Also I don't see kbt race ii being sold anywhere in europe?

race II is even harder to get keycaps. Their design is just plain stupid. Its like they don't want people to have different caps for it.

IMO there is quite a lot of space saved, because there are two collums plus the big gap between the main cluster and the nav cluster removed.

I have not tried race yet, but it is pcb mounted and has no plate. plates make the board feel really good. kc84 build quality is very solid

[Matt3o]

are the MX Minis still available somewhere on this planet? or even on some other planet?

[Pacifist]

are the MX Minis still available somewhere on this planet? or even on some other planet?

one sold today on classifieds

[Matt3o]

I can't hear you, a frog on acid if frying my brain!