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I use the backspace way too often for that to be practical. Maybe if you kept the location of backspace and enter, and add some keys left of `/tab/caps/shift and right of backspace/\/enter/lshift? I could imagine a motion of rotating my hand out a little to reach past those keys pretty quickly.
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Jan 11, 2012 05:17
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Why not add it to a seperate row above the number keys instead of stretching the keyboard out? Also, get rid of Caps, it's the most useless key the most useful space.
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Jan 11, 2012 05:18
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unpronounceable posted:Maybe it's because I'm not a programmer, and as such, don't use punctuation keys that much, but I'd absolutely loathe that layout. I wouldn't be able to stand having the enter key so far away from the actual letters. It's bad enough when my pinky has to stretch over the apostrophe and back slash on keyboards with the stupid vertical enter key, but that has so much more distance to cover. I get that it's just an idea, but that's my $2/100. Oh, I cheerfully admit the layout would be horrible for non-programmers. zachol posted:I use the backspace way too often for that to be practical. Maybe if you kept the location of backspace and enter, and add some keys left of `/tab/caps/shift and right of backspace/\/enter/lshift? I could imagine a motion of rotating my hand out a little to reach past those keys pretty quickly. Not too sure about that, I think you'd get used to it pretty quick. jwoven posted:Why not add it to a seperate row above the number keys instead of stretching the keyboard out? Also, get rid of Caps, it's the most useless key the most useful space. The extra horizontal columns in the layout is necessary to get keys like <>?:" off the shift matrix. If anyone was building a programmer's keyboard for reals then I'd want to go the whole hog! Simply another row is a good simple addition that's more realistic I admit.  It should have {} above -+ though! (){} are probably 80% of shift characters or something like that.I agree Caps is useless but anyone who wants to be rid of it would rebind it anyway. However, the keyboard should be as close to standard as possible out of the box.
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Jan 11, 2012 05:59
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Consider buying a Tipro. It's a matrix layout keyboard, fully programmable, and has more than enough keys for what you want to do. I mostly use mine to experiment with layouts for a project I have planned out.  Only one shady placement (shrinking the right shift to add another key)
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Jan 11, 2012 09:17
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jwoven posted:Why not add it to a seperate row above the number keys instead of stretching the keyboard out? Also, get rid of Caps, it's the most useless key the most useful space. Well, if you go by Colemak, Backspace is supposed to be where Caps is. But yeah, this is much better - adding another row, I mean. Adding a lot of columns makes the keyboard far too stretched out, reaching enter, using right shift.. they'd be chores.
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Jan 11, 2012 09:52
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When did Unicomp launch a new site? I don't recall reading anything about it in this thread yet so forgive me if I skimmed over it's mention earlier on. It seems like they are moving away from the old 90s look of their main site and the yahoo store and seem to have renamed a fair chunk of their product line, the Customizers are now Classic, Space Savers are now Ultra Classic though the Mac version of the Space Saver is still Space Saver M. http://pckeyboard.com/ They even say they have a keyboard configurator tool for customization of language, features, and colour but it doesn't appear to be up and running yet. The yahoo store still exists though and hasn't changed to reflect the change in product names. Fermented Tinal fucked around with this message at 09:59 on Jan 11, 2012 |
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Jan 11, 2012 09:55
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HalloKitty posted:Well, if you go by Colemak, Backspace is supposed to be where Caps is. How often do you ever use right-shift? I can't think of a key combo that I'd use it for! I'm not a touch-typist though. (which is probably why (I think) I'd fare better on wider keyboard.)
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Jan 11, 2012 10:13
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Just wanted to give some praise for the WASD keyboards. My wife had bought me a Rosewill with red switches as a Christmas gift. Unfortunately, the USB port on the keyboard broke within five days. According to the Geekhack forum, this isn't too unusual with removable USB cables. So we returned it and ordered the WASD with red switches instead since WASD has a permanent cable. I got all black keys with engraved lettering and I think it looks really sharp. The board came with a keycap puller, a USB to PS/2 adapter, and a USB extension cord. All told I really like the keyboard. I liked the Rosewill as well and I'm sure that I just got a defect, but I'm going to be shying away from detachable cables on keyboards in the future. Has anyone else had a similar issue with the USB port on another keyboard?
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Jan 11, 2012 18:55
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Fermented Tinal posted:When did Unicomp launch a new site? I don't recall reading anything about it in this thread yet so forgive me if I skimmed over it's mention earlier on. It seems like they are moving away from the old 90s look of their main site and the yahoo store and seem to have renamed a fair chunk of their product line, the Customizers are now Classic, Space Savers are now Ultra Classic though the Mac version of the Space Saver is still Space Saver M. Noticed this recently myself. I have jumped on the GeekHack push to get Unicomp to make a tenkeyless board by submitting a ticket here http://support.pckeyboard.com/ and I got a response within 24 hours. I don't honestly think we will see anything new or novel from Unicomp ever, but it is nice to see they are actually reaching out to the community to some degree. Just to mention, I did have a Unicomp Ultra Classic (Spacesaver was the name at the time) that I liked well enough. The buckling spring isn't a switch I want to use often though so I sold it. I would be willing to buy a new Unicomp board if it was tenkeyless with at least 6 key rollover (currently 2 key rollover which isn't enough for me even when not gaming).
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Jan 11, 2012 19:29
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I'm tired of lovely keyboards and want to go back to a mechanical. Problem is I'm having trouble finding my weird Belgian French layout (not the same as French). A blank or different layout isn't an option since I'm not the only one using this computer. I don't want any macro / media / WoW keys bullshit, just standard full layout. Edit:  I just read one post up and see that I can get an Unicomp. Any others manufacturers that do niche layouts ?Edit2: I'd like 4+ keys rollover too, what do I need to look for ? lost my retainer fucked around with this message at 21:43 on Jan 11, 2012 |
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Jan 11, 2012 21:10
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I'm typing these on my new Leopold. It's a tenkeyless Otaku with blues. So far it appears to be perfect. I need to learn to type without bottoming out. I can do pretty well if I focus on it but it slows down my typing. One thing I don't understand why people say there is an issue with blues and double tapping a key? I was testing it out and it doesn't look like it's going to be a problem. Why did I get the printless keyboard? I think it looks really sleek and I would like to get better at memorizing where all of those special characters on the keyboard to help my typing speed (I'm a programmer so I do use them quite a bit.).
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Jan 11, 2012 21:54
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Startacus posted:I'm typing these on my new Leopold. It's a tenkeyless Otaku with blues. So far it appears to be perfect. I need to learn to type without bottoming out. I can do pretty well if I focus on it but it slows down my typing. One thing I don't understand why people say there is an issue with blues and double tapping a key? I was testing it out and it doesn't look like it's going to be a problem. Cheers Leopold tenkeyless Otaku blue buddy! Got mine a few weeks ago and absolutely love it. I bottom out most of the time unless I am thinking about it and try and type softer. I dont really notice either way being faster than the other. And for the noise, I love it.
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Jan 11, 2012 22:00
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Startacus posted:One thing I don't understand why people say there is an issue with blues and double tapping a key? I was testing it out and it doesn't look like it's going to be a problem. It really doesn't unless you're incredibly sensitive about finger efficiency. (I'm not) Press down on your key until it actuates. There's a little piece of plastic that is basically getting out of the way to let the switch complete a circuit. That's also where the noise from blue switches comes from - it slams down on the bottom of the key after actuation. The problem is that you have to pull the key higher than where the switches actuates to register another press. With other switch types, the actuation and release points are the same. So, it just requires a few more millimeters of motion to register a second keypress on blue switches. Not a huge deal, but in theory it's not quite as good.
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Jan 11, 2012 23:52
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Moey posted:Cheers Leopold tenkeyless Otaku blue buddy! Nice, it's always good to have a keyboard buddy. I think the noise is fantastic. I forgot where I heard it, it might have been here, but someone described the noise as the sound of "poo poo getting done." That's what I'm going to tell anyone who complains about the noise.
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Jan 12, 2012 03:35
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JaredBS posted:I'm tired of lovely keyboards and want to go back to a mechanical. Problem is I'm having trouble finding my weird Belgian French layout (not the same as French). A blank or different layout isn't an option since I'm not the only one using this computer. I don't want any macro / media / WoW keys bullshit, just standard full layout. I'm not sure what Grimey is smoking but I just tested my USB Unicomp and it definitely does 4 key (not including modifiers) rollover and not 2, which I've always found more than adequate for gaming, I guess I don't "get" the need for 6+ NKRO. If you aren't into the big heavy "Classic" version the "Ultra Classic" or Space Saver model might be a good choice. I couldn't tell you if the ps/2 Unicomps offer higher NKRO or not as I've never used one and don't remember if my old IBM one was higher or not either. Unicomp's "thing" is to produce the Model M in it's present incarnation which is basically the same as the later Lexmark produced boards, I highly doubt they would come out with something like a tenkeyless or any radical design changes, especially since they are a niche market producer. They likely don't have the funding to break out into other designs due to being unable to compete with cheaper boards that offer more features or more expensive boards that probably cost less to produce. This thread alone probably brings them a fair chunk of their consumer market business. Fermented Tinal fucked around with this message at 08:23 on Jan 12, 2012 |
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Jan 12, 2012 08:04
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Fermented Tinal posted:I'm not sure what Grimey is smoking but I just tested my USB Unicomp and it definitely does 4 key (not including modifiers) rollover and not 2, which I've always found more than adequate for gaming, I guess I don't "get" the need for 6+ NKRO. If you aren't into the big heavy "Classic" version the "Ultra Classic" or Space Saver model might be a good choice. I couldn't tell you if the ps/2 Unicomps offer higher NKRO or not as I've never used one and don't remember if my old IBM one was higher or not either. It depends which keys. ASDF almost always registers just fine on 2kro boards. Try other combinations like WAR, shift + SR, etc. A particularly notable bad one for Model M's is ASX. Unicomp has the machinery for tenkeyless boards, in the form of the original IBM SSK. It's broken. They also sell parts. And they have parts for the second most elusive Model M there is: The Industrial SSK. 
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Jan 12, 2012 09:38
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jwoven posted:It depends which keys. ASDF almost always registers just fine on 2kro boards. Try other combinations like WAR, shift + SR, etc. A particularly notable bad one for Model M's is ASX. I cannot reproduce these issues with my Unicomp, my initial test was all home row keys: ADHL and some other combinations but not ASDF. I have found a few though that don't seem to work, like WXJ, WDI, and ADI. I could see how WDI could be an annoyance in gaming if the I key is used for accessing an inventory while moving forward and right at the same time, but it's not one I've come across until trying random combinations just now.
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Jan 12, 2012 09:54
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Fermented Tinal posted:Unicomp's "thing" is to produce the Model M in it's present incarnation which is basically the same as the later Lexmark produced boards, I highly doubt they would come out with something like a tenkeyless or any radical design changes, especially since they are a niche market producer. They likely don't have the funding to break out into other designs due to being unable to compete with cheaper boards that offer more features or more expensive boards that probably cost less to produce. This thread alone probably brings them a fair chunk of their consumer market business. I don't disagree with Unicomp having a "thing" in producing the Model M keyboard to this day. In fact I think we would agree all the points about why Unicomp still survives. My comment derived from Unicomp appeared to be seeking advice from the keyboard enthusiast community to generate ideas for future undertakings (as a representative from Unicomp request people do). I have no doubt that people are happy with there current product line, it is a fine product they sell at Unicomp. My point I was attempting to get across (to Unicomp) was that the mechanical keyboard market is niche market and fairly well served by the current producers (as you also mention). Unicomp is the only company producing buckling spring keyboards, and that is where their strength lies. If Unicomp wants to produce something new that the current community would actually want I would argue that a more "modern" tenkeyless board with buckling springs would be the logical step. I am in agreement about Unicomp not being able to contend on a price scale with these other producers, something unique must be offered. I am not a economist or business person what so ever. I am a programmer and a keyboard enthusiast who just wants some variety every now and then to hack on.
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Jan 12, 2012 18:02
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Got my amazon gift card this morning, K60 should be arriving tomorrow. It will be my first mechanical since the time when mechanical keyboards were the standard (early 90s?) If anyone is curious about any aspect of it I would be happy to oblige once it arrives
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Jan 12, 2012 18:27
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Dogen posted:Got my amazon gift card this morning, K60 should be arriving tomorrow. It will be my first mechanical since the time when mechanical keyboards were the standard (early 90s?) I have a k60 showing up tomorrow too. Rock on 
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Jan 12, 2012 19:17
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Got a KBC Poker with browns (Majestouch Ninja in the background): You can see some blue lights shining under the spacebar and the keys to the bottom right; that signifies that the arrow lock is on (Fn+Space), making the inverted-T cluster of keys function as arrow keys. The escape lock is Fn+Q and also has a light underneath the Q key. Overall I'm already liking it a lot. Naturally, it'll take some time getting used to the condensed design, particularly since I find myself reaching for the Ins/Home/etc. cluster on a regular basis. But I like that the keys are a bit stiffer feeling than the Choc Mini I got a few months ago; you can actually feel the tactile bump on these browns. It's actually pretty close to my Filco.
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Jan 12, 2012 20:05
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404notfound posted:KBC Poker Wow that thing is tiny/awesome looking.
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Jan 12, 2012 20:26
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They're kinda expensive, but the form factor is awesome. No case, literally a tray with all of the switches mounted onto the backing plate.
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Jan 12, 2012 20:42
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I just got 2 of these used: http://www.ikey.com/keyboards/backlit-keyboards/sl-86-911-tp.html off ebay for $20 shipped a pop. Shaocaholica fucked around with this message at 20:58 on Jan 12, 2012 |
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Jan 12, 2012 20:54
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Grimey posted:I don't disagree with Unicomp having a "thing" in producing the Model M keyboard to this day. In fact I think we would agree all the points about why Unicomp still survives. My comment derived from Unicomp appeared to be seeking advice from the keyboard enthusiast community to generate ideas for future undertakings (as a representative from Unicomp request people do). Well they did just finally start to modernize their site, maybe it's a sign that they're going to start doing new things.
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Jan 12, 2012 21:29
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Fermented Tinal posted:Well they did just finally start to modernize their site, maybe it's a sign that they're going to start doing new things. This is my ultimate hope. My motivation ins't that Unicomp succeeds (which is fine by me, they seem cool), but I want a tenkyess buckling spring keyboard with a smaller footprint than the IBM SSKs. Unicomp is the only real chance of me ever being able to get one of these keyboards in a reasonable manner (IBM SSKs are also pricey).
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Jan 12, 2012 22:15
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Shaocaholica posted:I just got 2 of these used: http://www.ikey.com/keyboards/backlit-keyboards/sl-86-911-tp.html I'm always afraid that those keyboards are going to be thoroughly disgusting, did you get a picture of the condition they're in? I can't imagine something that's built with such a heavy duty use case in mind hasn't been exposed to some horrifically disgusting stuff during the years it spent in a police car.
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Jan 12, 2012 23:00
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Got my choc mini with red switches . . . I really like it so far, although the spacebar is much lower than I'm used to and it's almost hard to tell if I'm hitting it. Love the space-saving, love the sorta goofy design of it, and I think I already like the keycaps more than the Filco caps
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Jan 12, 2012 23:20
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text editor posted:I'm always afraid that those keyboards are going to be thoroughly disgusting, did you get a picture of the condition they're in? I can't imagine something that's built with such a heavy duty use case in mind hasn't been exposed to some horrifically disgusting stuff during the years it spent in a police car. Well thats why I bought 2 to increase my odds of getting a good one. Plus at $20 shipped I couldn't resist. Edit: I didn't even notice the 'Emergency' key.
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Jan 13, 2012 00:40
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Shaocaholica posted:Edit: I didn't even notice the 'Emergency' key. It's now time to install an ejection seat in the passenger side so you have a use for this key. Grimey posted:This is my ultimate hope. My motivation ins't that Unicomp succeeds (which is fine by me, they seem cool), but I want a tenkyess buckling spring keyboard with a smaller footprint than the IBM SSKs. Unicomp is the only real chance of me ever being able to get one of these keyboards in a reasonable manner (IBM SSKs are also pricey). I would absolutely love a Space Saver version of the SSK with a titmouse.
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Jan 13, 2012 00:46
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TheQat posted:Got my choc mini with red switches . . . I really like it so far, although the spacebar is much lower than I'm used to and it's almost hard to tell if I'm hitting it. Love the space-saving, love the sorta goofy design of it, and I think I already like the keycaps more than the Filco caps You'll be surprised how quickly you get used to the layout of it, especially the far-right column. I find it kinda confusing going back to the regular tenkeyless.
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Jan 13, 2012 00:48
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My Ducky Shine arrived and its beautiful. The profile is very, very tall, though, so some guy of wristpad would be advisable. The big keys feel different, probably as a result of me being used to the nicer costar design. All in all, not a bad way to blow way too much money on something stupid as hell.
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Jan 13, 2012 02:44
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I'm looking for a mechanical keyboard, after seeing some of the ones posted, and just general frustration with my current cheap logitech one. I do moderate gaming, nothing that requires specialized switches just for that specific reason; but I do type a decent amount. In that case, I'm thinking it's in between Cherry MX Browns or Cherry MX Blues. The noise isn't an issue, price is however. I have a $50 gift card to Amazon, and I figure I can find a decent keyboard for $100, thereby I'm not paying too much. I'm going to be connecting via USB, and the NKRO isn't something I particularly need, so I wont go crazy over it. I do want something compact, if at all possible, I don't really need a numpad, though I don't want some crazy keyboard configuration. TL;DR - Any recommendations on mechanical keyboards fitting these requirements: 1. Cherry MX Browns or Blues (moderate gaming, mostly typing) 2. Price at $100, or lower, also, has to be purchased through Amazon (for the gift card) 3. Compact shape, I don't need the numpad, but no crazy configuration either. 4. Noise isn't an issue.
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Jan 13, 2012 09:04
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evilmnky204 posted:I'm looking for a mechanical keyboard, after seeing some of the ones posted, and just general frustration with my current cheap logitech one. I do moderate gaming, nothing that requires specialized switches just for that specific reason; but I do type a decent amount. In that case, I'm thinking it's in between Cherry MX Browns or Cherry MX Blues. The noise isn't an issue, price is however. I have a $50 gift card to Amazon, and I figure I can find a decent keyboard for $100, thereby I'm not paying too much. I'm going to be connecting via USB, and the NKRO isn't something I particularly need, so I wont go crazy over it. I do want something compact, if at all possible, I don't really need a numpad, though I don't want some crazy keyboard configuration. I haven't personally bought one, but from what I've read, the Rosewill keyboards are just rebranded Filco, and are decent quality. They seem to sell them on Amazon, with the blues at the top for $99.99 and the browns down a bit for $109.99. The search for those brought up a few other mechanical keyboards on amazon as well: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=rosewill+keyboard&x=0&y=0 They're not particularly compact but I use IBM model Ms and Unicomp customizers, and they're smaller than those (aside from the Space Savers).
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Jan 13, 2012 09:14
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evilmnky204 posted:I'm looking for a mechanical keyboard, after seeing some of the ones posted, and just general frustration with my current cheap logitech one. I do moderate gaming, nothing that requires specialized switches just for that specific reason; but I do type a decent amount. In that case, I'm thinking it's in between Cherry MX Browns or Cherry MX Blues. The noise isn't an issue, price is however. I have a $50 gift card to Amazon, and I figure I can find a decent keyboard for $100, thereby I'm not paying too much. I'm going to be connecting via USB, and the NKRO isn't something I particularly need, so I wont go crazy over it. I do want something compact, if at all possible, I don't really need a numpad, though I don't want some crazy keyboard configuration. http://www.amazon.com/Ducky-DK1087-C-Mechanical-Keyboard-Switches/dp/B005HEEJ7O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326474855&sr=8-1 That may be what you are looking for. * Blue Cherry Switches * Detachable USB cord is a plus in my book * Under $100 * Simple 87 ANSI configuration
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Jan 13, 2012 18:17
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Is there a best option for ordering mechanical azerty keyboards? If it was just a matter of switching around the wasd keys i'd just buy a qwerty das and call it a day, but all the little ù and $]* differences are going to drive me insane i just know it. Ideally i would be able to turn my keyboard into a rainbow of colours, customization wise but hey if i can't no biggie. Also does it matter what kind of mechanical switch is used for games? I'd prefer silent so, i guess, black or brown, but which of those two then.
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Jan 13, 2012 22:17
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canada jezus posted:Is there a best option for ordering mechanical azerty keyboards? If it was just a matter of switching around the wasd keys i'd just buy a qwerty das and call it a day, but all the little ù and $]* differences are going to drive me insane i just know it. Ideally i would be able to turn my keyboard into a rainbow of colours, customization wise but hey if i can't no biggie. You can get a custom layout from WASDkeyboards and make every ù and $]* in the correct spot and then just change your keyboard profile at the OS level.
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Jan 13, 2012 22:28
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The Rosewill Cherry MX red keyboard is $99 + a $20 Newegg gift card right now: http://promotions.newegg.com/Rosewi..._-Rosewill-EB1C I am so pissed off that this doesn't apply for the brown one. Was so excited for a mechanical keyboard for $100  Is there any "best" keyboard at the $90-130 price range? I guess Elite Keyboard has the Leopold Tenkeyless for the same price as the Rosewill, which might be nice as a way to save space. I like that the Matias keyboard has Mac keys, but I don't know if I want to pay $25 more for just that. By the way, I've never seen this come up in the thread (possibly because it's new, looks like it's still on preorder), but Matias now makes this crazy awesome version of their Tactile board that has an iPhone dock & keyboard connectivity built in. $200 is out of my price range, but holy poo poo, that kinda owns. Looks gorgeous too, unlike the standard (which is just kinda blah).
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Jan 13, 2012 23:36
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Grimey posted:http://www.amazon.com/Ducky-DK1087-C-Mechanical-Keyboard-Switches/dp/B005HEEJ7O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326474855&sr=8-1 aaand that is perfect! Thanks a lot, this is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks to everyone else for the suggestions, I was looking into Rosewill also, but I dig the 87 ANSI configuration this Ducky has. Once I get back to school, I'll order and I'll let you guys know how it is for anyone who is curious.
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Jan 13, 2012 23:52
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Salt Fish posted:You can get a custom layout from WASDkeyboards and make every ù and $]* in the correct spot and then just change your keyboard profile at the OS level. I don't have to change the os profile if my os is expecting azerty though, right? Or am i wrong here? Also since those dudes offer international shipping i think i'm set, thanks.
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Jan 14, 2012 00:07
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