deskthority

You know the difference between an AT and an XT? The AT's a bit… feeble versus an XT with your eyes closed, just one key at a time? I prefer the AT as well, layout wise, but the XT's a little *sharper*. Well, imagine that times at least 10X and you've got the OG 4704. I guess that's a matter of per...

Hak Foo wrote: ↑

11 Sep 2021, 20:12

I never got the whole switch cracking/lubing/modification thing. Especially today, when there are a bazillion variants. . .

This. Been building for years, never have modded or lubed a switch yet. I just drop in my switches (most often some variant of BOX switch), and I'm happy.

About three weeks ago I finally got my New Model F77. I got the classic beige case, split backspace and split right-shift, Mac modifier keys. I got through assembly (installing the keycaps) without too much difficulty, though I was a little confused by the stabilizer inserts, which were unlike any t...

My left thumb naturally rests right around V, my right thumb right around N. I used both thumbs until I switched to split-spacebar keyboards, so now it has become very natural for me to space with my right thumb and backspace with the left. My most successful split layout is 2¼–1¼–2¾. It fits into t...

Thank you for those links! They look like exactly the guidance I needed. However. . . Moments ago I got the shipping notification from my New Model F77. Woohoo! I did not expect that. I had expected it sometime within the next six months or so, but now it looks like it could be in my hands this week...

OK, here's another odd question. . . Alt-mod: What size are the Alt keys on either side of the new spacebar? According to my math, it seems like they should be 1.25u, but in the one photo I've seen it was hard to tell and they looked almost more like 1.5u. My current plan is to add those two keys, s...

I feel dumb even posting this, but I seem to have little choice. . . I recently got my hands on a rather nicely preserved IBM Model F "AT" keyboard. I've tested it using a Soarer Converter, and it's really nice. It may be the best feeling and sounding keyboard that I've ever typed on, and significan...

I also like split spacebars, and have a Epomaker GK68XS which is both hot-swap and split spacebar (with the option to swap in a full spacebar module instead). I think they've been around for a good six months or so, and cost a lot less than the Launch. Did you know of this keyboard? I did not. I wa...

I’ve been wanting to do a review of the System76 Launch keyboard ever since I got it, but a couple of issues delayed me. Now the time has come, and fair warning: I found much to discuss, and this could run long. But first, let’s set the stage! launch_in_box.jpg System76 teased this product for a lon...

I just recently discovered VIA, and I'm loving it. This is a huge leap forward, and now I want all my keyboards to be VIA compatible. I flashed several KBDfans DZ60s and got them working with VIA, no problem. I flashed a Clueboard, no problem. Then I turned to my favorite of all keyboards that I hav...

Just a reminder, WASD offer true custom-printed, full-color keycap sets. They appear to be inkjet printed and then coated with a layer of tough, UV-cured resin. Also, they are *thin* ABS, but the molding is actually quite sharp and high quality. So, they aren't made to last forever, but they hold up...

Which boards do you keep coming back to, year in year out, to get things done? Am I the only one who has no really good answer to this question? If you had asked me this ten years ago, before I learned that "mechanical" keyboards were a thing, I would have had a clear answer: Macally iceKEY Slim US...

Now I'm looking forward even more to my new F77... and wishing that he'd do an F122 or the tenkeyless version of it. Or that I could simply find an F122. I'm getting excited about the F77 again, since I see they are trickling out of the shop (complete with printed keycaps!) and a few reviews appear...

The Hyper Gamma Spaces keyboard. . . hyper-gamma-spaces.png This has gone through many revisions over time, but the basic philosophy is: Split spacebar, because every keyboard should have that. With Backspace on the left. The central position of Fn is absolutely the best. Nav cluster and additional ...

Typing this now on a vintage IBM XT keyboard, and just waiting for my F77 to show up. . . I've never had a vintage Model M, but I do have a Unicomp. To me the Model F looks, feels, sounds much better than the Unicomp. However. . . I find that what's impressive in testing is not necessarily what's be...

Incidentally, I did finally discover what I needed (including binaries) on my Windows PC. I thought that stuff had been wiped months ago when I swapped to a new computer, but I guess I was more diligent than I thought when transferring my old files. So, I am in business. (Although, I would still lik...

Arh, it's not so bad 🤪 I'll find the binaries for you when I'm back at the PC. About the permissions, I'm guessing that you put sudo in front of the wrong command. It should be ./autogen.sh && make && sudo make install not sudo ./autogen.sh && make && make install Well, that helped. There is progre...

Is “sctools-master/hidapi” supposed to be an empty folder? I believe that hidapi is a submodule. Did you do this? git clone --recurse-submodules If not, you'll need to submodule init and update them after the fact in the working directory. That all sounded like Geek to me, but okay. . . I did a few...

Bjerrk wrote: ↑

25 Jun 2021, 23:59

I know it's not a direct answer to your question, but I seem to recall that I just used the precompiled binaries (on a relatively recent version of Ubuntu).

Where did you get those? I only found source code on Github here → https://github.com/thentenaar/sctools

uhh. . . I found a couple of files on my hard drive suggesting that I at least tried to tinker with Soarer's in the past. Am taking another look at it now. I just got through trying to compile sctools on my system (Ubuntu) and got a puzzling error back. $ ./autogen.sh && make && make install ./autog...

Well, this is kind of embarrassing. I've had this keyboard for a couple of years, and it cleaned up pretty well and is fully functional. It was dirty when I got it, but I can't help thinking somebody had already worked on the insides, because even the foam seems like new. I got the Soarer converter ...

A switch that is smooth and not wobbly. Linear or tactile would be fine, in the light to light-medium weight range. Ideally I will be touch typing with a light touch and not bottoming out too frequently. Actuation or tactility nearer the top preferred. Also probably not clicky. Based purely on the ...

You might take a look at what I did with my first build using a DZ60 PCB --> http://zobeid.zapto.org/misc/zo64.html

If it's like the last steel plate I used, you should be able to flex and bend it back into shape with your hands. Just sight down the length of it and keep bending a little here, a little there, and if you are patient you'll eventually get it straight. However, if your plate is made of a different s...

Ah, but the beauty and true ergonomic advantage of the Model F is that as typing speed goes up you stop bottoming out as much. Your nerves become accustomed to detecting the buckling of the spring and this becomes the feedback signal to your brain which tells you that a keypress is complete and tha...

I remembered using an original IBM PC in school. I thought it was a ridiculous computer, but I always remembered how much I liked the keyboard. When I got a Unicomp a couple of years ago, I sort of naively thought it would be something like what I remembered. So, I was disappointed, and it took a wh...

I look at it like this, as much as I would like to stick up for the little guy, the little guy violated the contract by selling keyboards on kickstarter, which the contract clearly forbids. From my reading, the contract explicitly allows I:C to sell keyboards to end users, which is what they are do...

For whatever it's worth. . . I have a CyberpowerPC keyboard that came with Outemu blues, and I have not experienced the problem. I rather like it, especially since I added O-rings. Sharp clicks and delicate, musical pings.

KS is not a competing platform, it is just a one directional fundraising platform. Massdrop is a shop where you buy stuff with atrocious delivery times. The business models may be different, but I suspect Massdrop view Kickstarter as competition. From their viewpoint, they probably thought their co...

Quick search on Amazon. . . https://www.amazon.com/ALIMED-712358-Left-Handed-Keyboard/dp/B073QV4YC7/ref=sr_1_9 https://www.amazon.com/Handed-Mouse-Friendly-Keyboard-Wired/dp/B00449GTNA/ref=sr_1_13_a_it https://www.amazon.com/Evoluent-Reduced-Reach-Right-Hand-Keyboard/dp/B01NBMR61A/ref=sr_1_30 Oddly,...