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abraham linksys posted:So, for a cheap and quiet option, I've used the Kinesis Freestyle 2 and thought it had the best membrane keys I've ever used. I just went ahead and measured, and it's roughly a trapezoid 22" wide at the top, ~30" wide at the bottom (wider and I start getting into uncomfortably territory", and about 13" deep to fit a keyboard and mouse into. Boxed in by computer hardware on the edges (and the end of my desk in front). New mouse should mitigate some mouse space issues at least. quote:Also, if you have diagnosed RSI, depending on where you live, you should almost certainly be able to get your employer to cover at least some of the cost.
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Dec 30, 2020 20:30
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Is there no option for work to subsidize an ergo keyboard? That would be the most ideal way to go since you could potentially get in on the higher end Kinesis as well. The high prices you're seeing are really because the keyboards are split / ergo plus mechanical. The cheaper rubber dome Kinesis keyboards should actually work well for your scenario. Unfortunately most split mechanical keyboards that are cheaper than high end are custom ones you need to build and can't really return. Cost of PCB + switches + keycaps + tenting to actually make it adjustable will also add up. Though I don't really know what your budget is. Maybe get a lower end split keyboard or lower end Kinesis from Amazon and see if it helps and hopefully you'd know by the Amazon return window. EDIT: Sorry I had this reply up for way too long and didn't see your previous response
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Dec 30, 2020 20:49
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An old coworker swore the kinesis advantage did wonders when he had rsi and couldn’t type on a normal board anymore. Later he moved to a non bowl shaped ortholinear (planck or preonic I think) because he got tired of bringing the advantage everywhere. Personally I wouldn’t limit the budget if it’s going to improve your health / ability to keep working. But then again this hobby warped my view of what I consider a “reasonably priced keyboard”. LochNessMonster fucked around with this message at 20:54 on Dec 30, 2020 |
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Dec 30, 2020 20:51
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Constellation I posted:Is there no option for work to subsidize an ergo keyboard? That would be the most ideal way to go since you could potentially get in on the higher end Kinesis as well. That process is moving. Bureaucracy is slow and end-of-year vacations of crucial people make it slower. Accommodations are in progress. quote:
As far as my budget goes, I can afford most of the mid to upper end stuff, technically. It's more an issue of "how far am I willing to dent my savings before two or three major surgeries that will take me out of commission for a month and a half", which is rather less wiggle room. If it was a miracle machine I could guarantee worked I could push up to the $300 tier of keyboards... but there's no miracle guarantees. In practice, everything has spiked in prices so I don't imagine I'm getting anywhere successfully with less than $100 short of the really cheap tented-and-nothing-else boards, and my hesitance to spend big $$$ spikes rapidly after $200 or so.
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Dec 30, 2020 22:52
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SkyeAuroline posted:That process is moving. Bureaucracy is slow and end-of-year vacations of crucial people make it slower. Accommodations are in progress. You could start with an affordable one and if you really get the bug, you can always invest some time and money into a kit and build it just the way you like it. Building a kit isn't difficult and actually quite a soothing experience (unless you're wiring up controllers and switch matrices yourself).
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Dec 30, 2020 23:08
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I'm going to chime in here - I've got some carpal tunnel in both wrists from years of lovely lovely keyboard ergonomics; at work (when I'm in the office, anyway, which hasn't been for months) I use a Kinesis Freestyle 2 with the matching keypad (in the split) and the tenting kit. It's worked really well - of course there was a period of adjustment, but having the tenkey in the middle has worked surprisingly well. The Edge is, to my understanding, the same as the Freestyle 2 but with mechanical keys and RGB. You should be able to find one of the older Freestyles kicking around for cheap, so if you're hesitant or not sure if a split is quite your style, I'd suggest trying one of those before going all-in on the top end model. (AFAICT the difference in the older Freestyles is less in the keys and more in the PCB / cable layout; I don't remember if the tenting kits for the newer kits would work with the older ones, though.)
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Dec 31, 2020 18:33
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Well, after weeks of having the parts sitting in a box in my room. I decided to bring them with me to work banking on the fact I'd have nothing to do. Fortunately for me I was right. KBDfans KBD75v2 PCB and case Gazzew Boba U4 Tactile switches Durock Screw-in Stabilizers (lubed and KBDfans stab foams) KBDfans PCB foam AliExpress bootleg GMK Metropolis keycaps Overall pleasurable build, only negative is that literally on the last screw buttoning up the case, the screw broke. Really cheap screws. 4 out 5. Not the worst thing in the world, but very annoying. Was also my first attempt at lubing up the stabilizers and holy poo poo what a difference coming from my CM Storm Quickfire keyboard, no rickety sounds. Very positive experience. Switches are also pretty dang great. I opted for the 62g variant and feel pretty decent to me. I didn't lube them because I was convinced by YouTube videos that they sound good enough and after putting it all together, I'm satisfied with the sound they make. Way quieter than my old keyboard I mentioned. Last thing I should get is a proper USB Type-C cable, I'm temporarily using my Nintendo Switch Pro Controller's cable. 
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Jan 1, 2021 07:25
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I have been tempted by the bootleg metropolis more than once. Thankfully it's not quite as vibrant as the GMK set because I would have also bought another 65% to hold it. That's a nice board though and I hope you're happy with it.
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Jan 1, 2021 08:27
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GnarlyCharlie4u posted:I have been tempted by the bootleg metropolis more than once. So far yeah, the switches are the biggest game changers for me coming from Cherry MX Browns. Definitely would buy them again for a future build.
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Jan 1, 2021 08:37
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Are interest checks kosher for this thread? I'm looking at doing a group buy for custom caps for a Mistel Barocco/MD770 since it's drat near impossible to find a 3.25u spacebar at all, or even a 3u that isn't black or white. Don't want to spam if it's not OK.
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Jan 1, 2021 15:35
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MJP posted:Are interest checks kosher for this thread? I'm looking at doing a group buy for custom caps for a Mistel Barocco/MD770 since it's drat near impossible to find a 3.25u spacebar at all, or even a 3u that isn't black or white. Don't want to spam if it's not OK. I mean, I don't mind. 3u spacebars good.
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Jan 1, 2021 18:10
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Just wanted to jump in and say I think I have found a new hobby for 2021! I had been using a budget Motospeed board for a few years because I had heard mech keyboards were fun but didn't really look into it apart from that. Used a Corsair Strafe for a few months just because it was a spare at work but since I returned it I started looking more into what makes a good keyboard. I have started to dip my toes in by buying a Ducky One 2 TKL with Silent Red switches which should arrive this week. If I like it I can definitely see myself splurging on cool caps. I would also like to pick up this fun Panda-themed Varmilo if I decide that the Silent Reds are quiet enough for my office. Searching through this thread provided a lot of great information so thank you to everyone who has been posting over the last few years, looking forward to joining you 
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Jan 2, 2021 09:03
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Welcome! (Welcome ... to Ducky is a great manufacturer to start with. Varmilo is a similarly good choice; my first mechanical keyboard was a Varmilo VA87M. Let us know what you think of the Ducky One 2 and Silent Reds, and we'll be here to answer any questions you have
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Jan 2, 2021 17:38
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Hi, got a new keyboard for Christmas Plan is to replace the switches with something clicky because the current blue clones are meh and also to get an MT3 keycap set because the current keycaps thoroughly rub me the wrong way For the switches I was thinking NK sherbets though I've also heard compelling arguments about the kailh box family (whites, jades, navy) What would thread goons recommend? I do a lot of typing and writing nowadays so I want something that'll be a joy to write on for long periods fishception fucked around with this message at 18:11 on Jan 2, 2021 |
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Jan 2, 2021 18:08
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If you're going to get kailh, get jades or navy. Navy + MT3 is such a good combo.
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Jan 3, 2021 06:44
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Sperglord Firecock posted:Hi, got a new keyboard for Christmas My suggestion would be Box Whites if you are doing a lot of typing. It’s got a nice click, but is still light to type on. If you want a thicker click still then I’d look at Jades and Sherbet. But the actuation force of the thick click bar is something to keep in mind if you are going to do a lot of typing. I’ve got the Navy/MT3 combo Gnarly is suggesting and it does sound amazing. But Navies are pretty heavy to type on. A long session can be fatiguing.
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Jan 3, 2021 09:51
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Speaking of kailh box switches, does anyone sell complete keyboards with them or do you have to buy a kit and loose switches and build yourself? Same question also goes for their second generation low profile switches (the MX mount ones - the 1st gen I know several boards). e: just after posting I stumbled over the Hexgears impulse which seems like just the thing I'm looking for! TheFluff fucked around with this message at 09:04 on Jan 4, 2021 |
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Jan 4, 2021 08:53
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TheFluff posted:Speaking of kailh box switches, does anyone sell complete keyboards with them or do you have to buy a kit and loose switches and build yourself? Same question also goes for their second generation low profile ones (the 1st gen I know several boards). Varmilo does in their Premium Customization page. I was going to say they also offered Zealio builds too but it appears it's no longer an option. 8-bit Miniboss fucked around with this message at 09:04 on Jan 4, 2021 |
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Jan 4, 2021 08:59
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8-bit Miniboss posted:Varmilo does in their Premium Customization page. I was going to say they also offered Zealio builds too but it appears it's no longer an option. Thanks for this tip too! I prefer ISO layout so I was looking into this as an alternative to the Hexgears Impulse which is ANSI only, but for some reason Varmilo doesn't offer Kailh switches for ISO layouts 
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Jan 4, 2021 15:20
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My friend recently gifted me their old Razer Blackwidow Elite keyboard, and it’s really nice. But I work from home and use a usb hub to switch my peripherals from my home machine to my work machine. No problems on the home machine. On the work machine, the keyboard drops connection (as in, becomes unresponsive, and I hear the “usb removed/added” chime,) with unacceptable frequency. I won’t be able to use this keyboard if I can’t fix this. I’ve eliminated the possibility that it may be the usb hub. I looked for drivers for the keyboard, there don’t seem to be any. I suspect that it has to do with Razer’s accessory software, Synapse, as I see that many people have problems with this happening when they do run Synapse. I, however, am encountering this issue on the machine that doesn’t run Synapse, and I don’t have admin rights on my work machine so I can’t install Synapse. I used Synapse on my home pc to perform a factory reset, and strangely, this dramatically reduced the occurrences of the issue, but didn’t eliminate them entirely. Any ideas? This is, present issue aside, a very nice keyboard and I’d love to use it. Elsewise I’m going to have to give it to a friend and shell out for a Filco majestouch or something down the line. Anonymous Robot fucked around with this message at 16:38 on Jan 4, 2021 |
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Jan 4, 2021 15:35
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Decided to plunge into the deep end and ordered a ZSA Moonlander with box whites and (separately) some Boba Silent Tactile U4 switches. Now to just wait a month or two to find out if I've made a huge mistake. The mechanical keyboard shopping experience leaves a bit to be desired, doubly so for ergonomic keyboards.
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Jan 4, 2021 18:32
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Bark! A Vagrant posted:Decided to plunge into the deep end and ordered a ZSA Moonlander with box whites and (separately) some Boba Silent Tactile U4 switches. Now to just wait a month or two to find out if I've made a huge mistake. The mechanical keyboard shopping experience leaves a bit to be desired, doubly so for ergonomic keyboards. These look super cool, but the white version is definitely the more appealing of the two. If I was paying almost $400 for a keyboard I would want it to be the best looking one, but I’d be really concerned about the plastic yellowing with age.
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Jan 4, 2021 19:25
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Anonymous Robot posted:My friend recently gifted me their old Razer Blackwidow Elite keyboard, and it’s really nice. But I work from home and use a usb hub to switch my peripherals from my home machine to my work machine. Have you tried plugging it into a USB 2.0 port? Sometimes lovely hardware has problems with USB 3<-->2 back compat.
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Jan 4, 2021 21:19
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TheFluff posted:Thanks for this tip too! I prefer ISO layout so I was looking into this as an alternative to the Hexgears Impulse which is ANSI only, but for some reason Varmilo doesn't offer Kailh switches for ISO layouts O...K. I did not know that. That's weird. Sorry about that.
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Jan 4, 2021 21:21
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How do Boba silent tactice switches compare to Zilents?
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Jan 5, 2021 00:03
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LochNessMonster posted:How do Boba silent tactice switches compare to Zilents? Very similar tactility, but I found there was less wobble in the Bobas. Zilents also had a bit of ping that I didn't hear in the Bobas. All things being equal, I'd take the Bobas. I think Zilents are a bit overpriced but they're still a very good switch.
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Jan 5, 2021 00:15
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Can't speak for Zilents, but the Boba's are similar in having their tactile bump at the start of the press instead of the middle like Cherry MX Browns. I am absolutely digging how quiet they are in comparison to my old CM Storm Quickfire TK with Cherry MX Browns. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcU46Txlcms
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Jan 5, 2021 01:00
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8-bit Miniboss posted:O...K. I did not know that. That's weird. Sorry about that. No no, not your fault at all, I didn't even specify I wanted ISO layout in my original post. Just weirded out by how they don't offer it for ISO for whatever arcane reason so I thought I'd post about it. Appreciate the tip anyway!
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Jan 5, 2021 03:04
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Bark! A Vagrant posted:Decided to plunge into the deep end and ordered a ZSA Moonlander with box whites and (separately) some Boba Silent Tactile U4 switches. Now to just wait a month or two to find out if I've made a huge mistake. The mechanical keyboard shopping experience leaves a bit to be desired, doubly so for ergonomic keyboards. I just bought the black one off someone on /r/mechmarket a couple weeks ago. I’m doing 8+ hours a day of typing for studying and thought it would be a good change. I opened it up, played around with it for 20 minutes, thought ‘this is really hard’ then put it in a drawer. I keep meaning to practice a bit every day but the split keyboard thing is a painful learning curve. I discovered my left hand does ~70% of the normal board apparently.
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Jan 5, 2021 03:05
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I've been waiting around for a board with Kailh Jades to come back into stock; I got a tester and I really like the Jades. I've though about the Ducky RGB, but that's out of stock; I thought about the GMMK and getting Jades and making it myself, but the GMMK fullsize is out of stock and besides where do I get Jades at a reasonable price on their own. What should I do?
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Jan 5, 2021 03:21
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Teddybear posted:where do I get Jades at a reasonable price on their own. What should I do? https://novelkeys.xyz/products/novelkeys-x-kailh-box-thick-clicks NovelKeys is the original designer of this switch, I think, so no better place to get them ... unless you're not based in the US, but I'm not sure who is a good distributor
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Jan 5, 2021 04:04
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For EU buyers, looks like keygem has them in stock: https://keygem.store/collections/kailh/products/kailh-box-jade-retooled-10pcs
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Jan 5, 2021 04:10
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Teddybear posted:I've been waiting around for a board with Kailh Jades to come back into stock; I got a tester and I really like the Jades. I've though about the Ducky RGB, but that's out of stock; I thought about the GMMK and getting Jades and making it myself, but the GMMK fullsize is out of stock and besides where do I get Jades at a reasonable price on their own. What should I do? Be patient. Or just go on Novelkeys, because it's their switch and they have them in stock.
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Jan 5, 2021 04:45
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Looking at wireless mech keyboards, almost all of them use Bluetooth instead of a dedicated adapter. Are there any reliability issues/anything to look out for? Want to downsize from a Logitech G613 to something ~60% but I'm a bit suspicious even though I know the BT stack runs on the same signaling nowadays.
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Jan 5, 2021 16:43
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Arzachel posted:Looking at wireless mech keyboards, almost all of them use Bluetooth instead of a dedicated adapter. Are there any reliability issues/anything to look out for? Want to downsize from a Logitech G613 to something ~60% but I'm a bit suspicious even though I know the BT stack runs on the same signaling nowadays. Bluetooth works well. I can't really speak to every single proprietary implementation of every $20 keyboard on Amazon, but the protocol as a whole is great. If you're looking to get something more custom like from a groupbuy or whatever, I would recommend pursuing a project that utilizes ZMK instead of QMK Bluetooth. Nice!Nano is a great place to start if you're looking to build your own project from scratch or turn an existing Elite-C board into bluetooth.
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Jan 5, 2021 19:34
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Arzachel posted:Looking at wireless mech keyboards, almost all of them use Bluetooth instead of a dedicated adapter. Are there any reliability issues/anything to look out for? Want to downsize from a Logitech G613 to something ~60% but I'm a bit suspicious even though I know the BT stack runs on the same signaling nowadays. I miss dedicated adapters too. I hate trusting bluetooth. I'm surprised there aren't more RF based wireless mechanical keebs out there. Or at least RF/BT/USBC combos. I have loads of old hardware that don't have good (or any BT) and having a nice mechanical board to take to these machines would be awful nice. I'd love a hotswap 75% with RF/BT/USBC. For taking to random machines I have to service.
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Jan 5, 2021 22:22
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Bark! A Vagrant posted:Decided to plunge into the deep end and ordered a ZSA Moonlander with box whites and (separately) some Boba Silent Tactile U4 switches. Now to just wait a month or two to find out if I've made a huge mistake. The mechanical keyboard shopping experience leaves a bit to be desired, doubly so for ergonomic keyboards. My cat dropped something on my K95 and shattered a few switches a couple of weeks ago so I'm glad I forced myself to learn the Moonlander quickly rather than trying to switch back and forth. I haven't actually felt the need to take it apart and fix it yet. Opioid posted:I discovered my left hand does ~70% of the normal board apparently.
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Jan 5, 2021 22:32
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I'm learning an ortholinear layout on a Preonic and I'm thinking about buying a fuckin divider to put between the two halves of this keyboard so I'll be ready to move on to a split KB, since right now I'm still crossing over for a few keys the thing that's really going to gently caress me up is moving to a split keyboard with thumb clusters, though, and relearning where certain keys have been moved. This keyboard puts the -=[]\ keys on raise/lower + jkl;' and that's been really brutal to learn; gonna be even worse moving to a Moonlander I bet.
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Jan 5, 2021 22:35
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Gearman posted:Very similar tactility, but I found there was less wobble in the Bobas. Zilents also had a bit of ping that I didn't hear in the Bobas. All things being equal, I'd take the Bobas. I think Zilents are a bit overpriced but they're still a very good switch. Guess I’ll be shopping for Bobas then! abraham linksys posted:the thing that's really going to gently caress me up is moving to a split keyboard with thumb clusters, though, and relearning where certain keys have been moved. This keyboard puts the -=[]\ keys on raise/lower + jkl;' and that's been really brutal to learn; gonna be even worse moving to a Moonlander I bet. What stops you from using the same raise/lower buttons and layers on a moonlander?
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Jan 6, 2021 00:03
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got my first high-profile keycaps (/dev/tty mt3 triumph for my numpad), dang I like these scoops!!LochNessMonster posted:Guess I’ll be shopping for Bobas then!
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Jan 6, 2021 00:29
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