Name of "Focus Layout"?

[keycap]

So I recently made a page for the Lite-On SK-0002 I got a while back, and it uses the Focus layout. But now that we're seeing the Focus layout outside of just Focus FK-2001 keyboards, I think we should make a name for the Focus layout. The closest layout I could find was the Asian 102, but it's not exact. Custom Asian 101 maybe?

[Engicoder]

There are several variants of the IBM Enhanced Keyboard (aka Model M) that retain the enter key of the IBM AT keyboard (aka Big Ass Enter). To retain the AT enter, the backslash key has to be moved somewhere, Some use 1.75 shift with backslash to the right. Many others have the backslash to the left of a 1u backspace (like the AT). Others put the backslash between Ctrl and Alt. There are other variants as well.

The Focus FK-2001 uses several of these. 101 key ones use the 1.75 shift, but the 102 key versions put backslash between Ctrl and Alt. The 104 key Focus went back to the 1.75u shift. There are 3 Focus FK-2001 layouts so naming one layout "The Focus Layout" seems like a problem. It also ignores all the other Focus keyboards with very interesting layouts like the FK-9001.

[keycap]

Exactly why I want to find a better name for the Focus layout, because it's so vague. Asian 101 is its own layout so we can't use that name.

[Chyros]

What I keep referring to as the Focus layout is a layout characterised by a 2 u backspace, bigass enter, and split right shift to accomodate the pipe key. I've called it that because it's the most commonly encountered layout on Focus boards, and it's also fairly characteristic of Focus boards; not many other manufacturers used it, especially consistently. The other Focus layout of note is a similar layout with 2 u backspace, bigass enter, but no split right shift; the pipe key is located between the ctrl and alt buttons instead. This layout is not as common, and doesn't have a name yet AFAIK. The FK-9000 used both layouts at the same time, with two pipe keys. Northgate OmniKey keyboards except the 101 used a similar layout, except with a >< key between ctrl and alt.

[seebart]

Of course some of those also exist in the ISO version -bigass enter.

wiki/Focus_FK-2002

[Chyros]

Well yeah, but that's just a normal ISO layout xD . A rare occurrence for Focus boards!

[E3E]

The Focus and Tai Hao FAME boards as well as some Northgate Omnikey 101 variants also have the same layout.

Since it's most prominent with the Focus FK-2001, and it's a rather common board, I think it's fair to call it the Focus layout, to be honest. Even the Focus FK-555 has it.

[keycap]

True. I mean, we still call SMK Alps mount "Monterey switches" even though Monterey wasn't the only keyboard manufacturer to use them.

[Engicoder]

I'll give, you talked me into it So we call this enter cluster the Focus layout?

keyboard-layout.jpg (8.06 KiB) Viewed 3453 times

[keycap]

I guess I can't find any other name for it that's reasonable. Why not.

[Chyros]

Sounds good .

[Hak Foo]

The first place I actually saw the layout was on Packard Bell rubber-dome boards in the mid-1990s. Apparently they were a BTC product at the time. At the time, I had yet to start realizing "hey, some keyboards are significantly better than others."