Fun Stuff > CLIKC
Mechanical Keyboards
ankhtahr:
There are multiple Forums about keyboards. One US-Centered forum, which is mainly about commerce, one a bit more Euro-Centered, which is more about older keyboards and is more community focused, and then there are multiple Korean and other Asian communities.
mtmerrick:
RE: keyboards -
How the HELL do you guys type on a mechanical keyboard?
I have the flattest keyboard I can find (gateway OEM bundled keyboard I got from my uncle) and I tell ya what, it's much easier to type on my tablet. I do need a little tactile feedback for gaming, though. But for general purpose keyboarding what I really want is a TransluSense Luminae or a Minebea Cool Leaf.
pwhodges:
The feel of a physical keyboard gives you feedback through the fingers when touch-typing, which enables your hands to stay in the correct relationship with it. With a virtual keyboard you have to look at the image you're typing on to keep in line, thus rendering touch-typing impossible.
Disclaimer - I can't touch-type anyway! But I still find it much harder to type on a pad.
bhtooefr:
--- Quote from: ankhtahr on 14 Apr 2013, 11:37 ---There are multiple Forums about keyboards. One US-Centered forum, which is mainly about commerce, one a bit more Euro-Centered, which is more about older keyboards and is more community focused, and then there are multiple Korean and other Asian communities.
--- End quote ---
Plus there's keyboard or input device subforums on a few other sites, too, although those tend to be more gaming-oriented. And a couple subreddits, although one of them has a Ripster problem. (Namely, it's run by Ripster.)
And now I know who you are. :)
And, yes, the Selectric is my favorite by far. Beam spring is nice, but I'm not sure I prefer it to a Model F or a Unicomp M (what I really want is something like a Unicomp F, with Unicomp's modern internal tolerances (for low peak force, in the 60-65 cN territory - and this is completely unlike their modern external tolerances, which are dreadful), but with the low preload and very high precision of a Model F. That combo would give me everything I love about the F, without the fatigue I get in a long typing session).
And now you all have way too much information about ~30 year old computer keyboards. :D
--- Quote from: mtmerrick on 14 Apr 2013, 14:58 ---RE: keyboards -
How the HELL do you guys type on a mechanical keyboard?
--- End quote ---
By placing my fingers on the home keys, then moving them around, and pressing down on the keys as needed. :parrot:
To be more serious, I find it far more precise - well sculpted keycaps help locate my fingers on the keycap, and then the higher quality keyboards give excellent tactile feedback as far as when the keystroke is sent, so that I don't have to bottom out the key to know that the keystroke was sent (although I don't actively avoid bottoming out, and bottoming out is where a lot of noise in typing comes from).
The keyboard I'm using right now... here's a graph of the key force:
Yes, they mixed SI and imperial units. :psyduck: In any case, the top line (to the tip on the right) is the force as far as pushing the key down (at the tip is when the key bottoms out, and key force goes nearly infinite (it's not actually infinite, with enough force you could break through the two steel plates holding the keyboard together, but unless you're hitting the keys with the force of a motorcycle crash or more, it's effectively infinite)). At the "make" point, the keystroke is sent, right then, so you get the "snap" of the key, you get the click sound, and you get the character on the screen. Then, when you release the key, it goes through a hysteresis period - that's where it's been released further than the make point, but it's still "made" (that is, electrically actuated), and then to the break point (where the key "un-snaps", although that isn't as violent as the initial snap, and the computer sees that the key has been released).
ankhtahr:
I can't type on a touchscreen very well, I just can't find the keys blindly. I need to rest my fingers on the homerow, which is impossible on a touchscreen. Also mechanical keyboards (i.e. real mechanical keyboards, which have single switch units under each key) usually actuate in the middle of the keypush, so you don't have to push the key down all the way. Also typing on a touch screen isn't particularly good for your wrists, as each impact on the surface affects your wrist. Your fingers get stopped from moving very rapidly, which exerts a great force on your joints. When typing on a mechanical keyboard you can learn to type without “bottoming out”. That's impossible on most rubber dome keyboards (RD boards are the typical keyboards you can find everywhere. There are also Scissor switch keyboards, which are lower, which have their origin in notebook keyboards), and most rubber dome keyboards require high forces to actuate. IIRC most rubber dome keyboards actuate at a force of 65cN (which corresponds with the force of 65g at 9,81m/s accelaration, so normal gravity), while the most typical mechanical switches actuate at 45-55cN, depending on the variant. You might really want to try a keyboard with Cherry MX Red switches. Non-tactile, linear 45cN switches, which are really comfortable if you don't bottom them out. Or Cherry MX Black, which are more widely available and which are easier not to bottom out, as they actuate at 55cN.
If you want a really comfortable and ergonomic keyboard, try this one:
It's one of the most ergonomically shaped keyboards apart from the Datahand (which costs currently around 2700$ more…):
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Well then, hi there bhtooefr!
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