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Offline jikman

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 17
MiniTouch and alternatives?
« on: Mon, 05 April 2010, 02:28:11 »
Hey guys,

Can't afford the Happy Hacking Keyboard, so I started looking for alternatives...and saw the review on the Siig MiniTouch. LOVE IT.

Anyone know where I can get a MiniTouch nowadays? The MiniTouch Plus looks like a mushy board, not like its predecessor.

Alternatively, can anyone recommend an alternative to the Siig MiniTouch besides the TenKeyLess from Filco?

Thanks!
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Offline hyperlinked

  • Posts: 924
MiniTouch and alternatives?
« Reply #1 on: Mon, 05 April 2010, 03:24:51 »
Part of what really makes the HHKB such a lustful object are the Topre switches. If you're just after the layout, you can get any keyboard and remap the keys with a key remapping program so you get some of the same shortcuts. My favorite keyboard shortcuts come from the Matias Optimizer and I really like the position of the arrow keys better than the arrow shortcuts on other remapped boards. That board isn't a compact board, but a lot of its shortcuts can be adapted for a mini board.

There are a lot of fans of small footprint keyboards here. You'll get plenty of suggestions on tenkeyless alternatives. ;)
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-

Topre: Realforce 103U Cherry: Filco Majestouch 104 (Brown), Ione Scorpius M10 (Blue)
Buckling Spring: IBM Model M1391401 ALPS: Apple Extended Keyboard II (Cream), ABS M1 (Fukka/Black), MicroConnectors Flavored USB (Black)
Domes: Matias Optimizer, Kensington ComfortType, Microsoft Internet Keyboard
Scissors: Apple Full Sized Aluminum
Pointy Stuff: Razer Imperator, Razer Copperhead, DT225 Trackball, Apple Magic Mouse, Logitech MX1000, Apple Mighty Mouse
Systems: MacPro, MacBook Pro, ASUS eeePC netbook, Dell D600 laptop, a small cluster of Linux Web servers
Displays: Apple Cinema Display 30", Apple Cinema Display 23"
Ergo Devices: Zody Chair, Nightingale CXO, Somaform, Theraball, 3M AKT180LE Keyboard Tray

Offline jikman

  • Thread Starter
  • Posts: 17
MiniTouch and alternatives?
« Reply #2 on: Mon, 05 April 2010, 14:12:36 »
Awesome.

The thing is, I'd buy the Filco TenKeyLess if they packed the arrow keys underneath the Enter key. (i.e., layout similar to modern laptop keyboards, with {Home, PgUp, ...} all along the right side of the keyboard in a column. Or, just not have the {Home, PgUp, ...} at all.
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Offline 42.tar.gz

  • Posts: 33
MiniTouch and alternatives?
« Reply #3 on: Mon, 05 April 2010, 14:43:20 »
You might also have a look at the Ortek MCK-84 / MKB-84 which has some form of clicky ALPS switches. You'll find some more information about it in this thread and I recently posted a few pictures of my MKB-84 in the Keyboard pics thread.
There is a MCK-84 on ebay.com right now, ending tomorrow: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320510137790
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Offline didjamatic

  • Posts: 1352
MiniTouch and alternatives?
« Reply #4 on: Mon, 05 April 2010, 16:14:41 »
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IBM F :: IBM M :: Northgate :: Cherry G80 :: Realforce :: DAS 4

Offline didjamatic

  • Posts: 1352
MiniTouch and alternatives?
« Reply #5 on: Mon, 05 April 2010, 16:32:57 »
I am my sniping software and I saw the listing moments after it was listed, which was before he posted his photos in the keyboard pics forum. :)

It will go very well next to my Mandax Alps board which was also made by Ortek and the same vintage.  It even has a fold up panel with wordperfect, lotus and wordstar templates beneath it.

I would post pictures, but it would instantly convert you from being a Cherry Blue fan to an Alps fan.
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IBM F :: IBM M :: Northgate :: Cherry G80 :: Realforce :: DAS 4

Offline ch_123

  • * Exalted Elder
  • Posts: 5860
MiniTouch and alternatives?
« Reply #6 on: Mon, 05 April 2010, 16:37:44 »
Quote from: ripster;169780
Call your favorite Taiwanese clone manufacturer and COMPLAIN!!  I'm actually surprised it's taking them this long.  Must be the recession.
Show Image


Or maybe no one wants those godawful things.
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Offline kishy

  • Posts: 1576
  • Location: Windsor, ON Canada
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    • http://kishy.ca/
MiniTouch and alternatives?
« Reply #7 on: Mon, 05 April 2010, 16:50:56 »
Quote from: ripster;169829
Gawd I wish you hadn't posted that.

I have my sniping software set at $1000.  Don't even THINK of clicking on that link.


Excellent, so if I bid $900, it'll get you back for that FK-2001.

Bwahahaha.

(I am most certainly not serious)
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Offline jikman

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  • Posts: 17
MiniTouch and alternatives?
« Reply #8 on: Tue, 06 April 2010, 00:32:22 »
Don't worry, I don't think I will go for that keyboard. It's _almost_ perfect...except the backslash key is in the wrong place :/

Tend to use that a lot for escaping characters :/
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Offline rdjack21

  • Posts: 896
MiniTouch and alternatives?
« Reply #9 on: Tue, 06 April 2010, 00:45:15 »
Hmm lets see what have I got laying around here:

BTC it's a rubber dome but still not bad:


PlatHome another rubber dome but still not too bad:


Filco like the Ortek MKB-84 but with Japanese layout:


Filco with Black Cherry MX switches again Japanese layout but still not a bad board with the added bonus of having a USB port on both ends of the board:


Throw enough money at me and I might sell you one of them :) Both the Filco boards will cost more though. I will be reasonable on the rubber dome boards though.
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Keyboards
Topre Capacitive: Realforce 87U, Realforce 86U, HHKB Pro 2, Topre MD01B0, Topre HE0100, Sun Short Type, OEM NEO CS (x2), NISSHO Electronics KB106DE
Buckling Spring: IBM Model M Space Saver (1291472), Unicomp Customizer x 2
Cherry Brown: Filco FKBN87M/EB, Compaq MX11800
Black Alps: ABS M1
Not so great boards Rare Spring over dome OKI, Sun rack keyboard
Trackballs - Trackman Wheel (3), Trackman marble (2)
Keyboards I still want to get - Happy Hacking Keyboard Pro 2 the White version, Realforce 23U number pad in black and maybe white, μTRON ergo board with Topre switches.
Previously owned - [size=0]SiiG MiniTouch (White Alps), Scorpius M10 (Blue Cherry), IBM Model M13[/size]

Offline didjamatic

  • Posts: 1352
MiniTouch and alternatives?
« Reply #10 on: Tue, 06 April 2010, 15:39:37 »
1 hour left, I might pass due to location of delete key left of space.  That might be a deal killer.  I found the "manual" on Orteks' site but it's only helpful for pinouts on the cable connector.
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IBM F :: IBM M :: Northgate :: Cherry G80 :: Realforce :: DAS 4

Offline didjamatic

  • Posts: 1352
MiniTouch and alternatives?
« Reply #11 on: Tue, 06 April 2010, 16:04:29 »
My left hand creates, right hand deletes.  I don't know if I could hang with this delete on the left business, that's just wrong.
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IBM F :: IBM M :: Northgate :: Cherry G80 :: Realforce :: DAS 4

Offline didjamatic

  • Posts: 1352
MiniTouch and alternatives?
« Reply #12 on: Tue, 06 April 2010, 16:44:14 »
Whowunit?  That was some pretty good sniping.
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Offline elbowglue

  • Posts: 583
MiniTouch and alternatives?
« Reply #13 on: Tue, 06 April 2010, 16:47:30 »
Omg 170?? Got to be kidding me.
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My keyboards: Filco Cherry Blue Tenkeyless(daily home), Compaq MX11800 (modded to blacks), Compaq "MX 84u",  Wellington\'s Dampened Endurapro, Pinkalicious Filco Blue Cherry, Chicony KB-5191, Chicony KB-5181, Desko MOS 5023 UP "elbowglue" spos (modded to blues), Siig Minitouch (monterey blue), SMK-88 (blue cherries), Ricercar SPOS
Smallest to biggest keyboards in inches (Length X Height) - Length is most important for a midline mouse position
KBC Poker: 11.6 x 3.9 - HHKB: 11.6 x 4.3 - Siig Minitouch (Geekhack Space Saver): 11.6 x 6 - Deck/Tg3 82: 12 x 6 - Noppoo Choc Mini 12.4 x 5.3 - Compaq "MX 84u": 13.1 x 7.5 - Filco Tenkeyless: 14 x 5.3 - Cherry "ricercar spos" G86-62410EUAGSA: 14 x 7.75 - Topre Realforce 86u: 14.4 x 6.65 - Desko "elbowglue spos" MOS 5023 UP: 14.5 x 8.4 - IBM Model M Spacesaver: 15.3 x 7 - G80-1800: 15.9 x 7.1 - Adesso MKB-125B: 16 x 7.3 - Compaq Mx11800, Cherry G80-11900: 16.25 x 7.5 - Filco Standard: 17.3 x 5.4 - Unicomp Endurapro: 17.9 x 7.1 - Adesso MKB-135B: 18.3 x 6.0 - Cherry G80-3000: 18.5 x 7.6 - IBM Model M, Unicomp Customizer: 19.3 x 8.27

Offline kishy

  • Posts: 1576
  • Location: Windsor, ON Canada
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    • http://kishy.ca/
MiniTouch and alternatives?
« Reply #14 on: Tue, 06 April 2010, 17:09:31 »
$170?!? WOW.

The winner spends a bit too much on keyboards, methinks.

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Offline Rajagra

  • Posts: 1930
MiniTouch and alternatives?
« Reply #15 on: Tue, 06 April 2010, 17:24:30 »
Quote from: didjamatic;170145
1 hour left, I might pass due to location of delete key left of space.  That might be a deal killer.  I found the "manual" on Orteks' site but it's only helpful for pinouts on the cable connector.


Odd, I was just thinking how great that position is. Right under the left thumb for those who use it. (Same as the auxillary Fn key on the HHKB.) Much better than the G84-4100 layout IMO, which is otherwise quite similar.
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Offline 42.tar.gz

  • Posts: 33
MiniTouch and alternatives?
« Reply #16 on: Wed, 07 April 2010, 09:42:29 »
Quote from: Rajagra;170189
Odd, I was just thinking how great that position is. Right under the left thumb for those who use it.

Heh, my thoughts exactly. Perfect position IMHO.

But phew, 170$? Maybe I should consider reselling my Ortek after all. :D
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