deskthority

Please suggest nominees for the Best space-saving/tenkeyless/compact keyboard or keyboard family in 2012. You have to give a short motivation for each suggestion. It is not a requirement that the keyboard was released in 2012. If you think a vintage keyboard was the best, you can suggest it.

Current suggestions (this list is frequently updated):

Phantom
HyperMicro not yet in production
HyperMini not yet in production
qHack drawing table stuff
HHKB Pro JP/Regular HHKB --> HHKB Pro II family
KBC Poker
The 7bit keyboard Phantom
Plum 96
Cherry G80-1800
MX Mini
IBM Space Saving Keyboard
Kinesis Contoured
Choc Mini

Phantom. No motivation required. No but, it's a fine project, and it's nice to see the work of a whole bunch of enthusiastic people pay off this well.
I'm not sure if it counts since it's not really a complete keyboard, but it's worth a try!

HyperMicro - I love the HHKB layout and I'm sure others will too but topre just makes it to expensive.
HyperMini - ISO Poker, why didnt KBT come up with this?
qHack - Because it brings the small keyboards to a whole new level.

Phantom finally something innovative

HHKB Pro JP - Great layout with Topre switches and PBT keys with sublimination printing.

KBC Poker - one of the first 60% MX boards, IIRC.

Regular HHKB.

The 7bit keyboard. No stabilizers and a bottom row that really does scream "less is more"

What is 7bit keyboard? Is that a variation of Phantom? It would be a shame to dilute the votes for the Phantom, since one of its main virtues is the number of different layouts you can build onto the PCB.

hypermicro and hypermini are also 'drawing table stuff' (pending categorisation as vaporware...)

I want to nominate the Plum 96, for being by far the best modern take on an old-school layout so far.

G80-1800 series. All the keys in a more compact layout.

Hyper micro

Such a crazy little innovative board. It's really something new and worthy to be a winner.

KBC Poker !

Due to the fact that it is easily customizable, able to change aluminium housing, change switches, add steel plates etc..

Therefore it gives the ability for any mechanical keyboard user to fully modify the keyboard to it's own liking !

Kensys wrote:KBC Poker !

Due to the fact that it is easily customizable, able to change aluminium housing, change switches, add steel plates etc..

Therefore it gives the ability for any mechanical keyboard user to fully modify the keyboard to it's own liking !

Except the firmware that is still broken, even on new models....

Soarer wrote:What is 7bit keyboard? Is that a variation of Phantom? It would be a shame to dilute the votes for the Phantom, since one of its main virtues is the number of different layouts you can build onto the PCB.

hypermicro and hypermini are also 'drawing table stuff' (pending categorisation as vaporware...)

Agreed. The "7bit keyboard" is a Phantom with one of the five official layouts of the Phantom. That definitely makes it a Phantom. I am building my keyboard (still not finished) with yet another layout, but I still consider that keyboard to also be a Phantom.

I think that a keyboard would have had to been available in a complete form during 2012 for it to be eligible for this contest. That would rule out the Hyper(Mini|Micro) variants. It could be nominated next year.

MX Mini - i would eat a liver for it.
I liked it because it has function keys and the needed mod keys size for DS sets. Imo it is a no win to give up the function row. You gain nothing ergonmic usefull and give up a lot of programmable keys.

^I second the MX-Mini. It's my favorite 'compact' layout next to standard TKL. I can't handle anything less...

Pics!

HHKB Pro2.

The most thought through layout on a compact board.

I like the MX Mini too. Good layout, and the fact that you can use vintage cherry caps from G80-1800 keyboards.

Now, I would like to nominate G80-5000 here. It is also a space-saving keyboard (no built-in numpad). It is larger than most tenkeyless/space-saving keyboards when spread out, but it is still smaller than full size keyboards, and it is an ergonomic keyboard.

No love for SSK anymore people?

My favourite SSK is my modded Corsair K60... But I guess that it can't be nominated, as it is a mod... Would really liked if it corsair made it like that in the first place...

Edit: This one

I think he means this.

Yup

Kinesis Contoured. It may be thick and have a gap between the hands, but it is TKL, arrows are moved in closer, and has an embedded, programmable layer for num pad and more.

Niceeeee Corsair keyboard!!!! I would buy that!

I nominate Choc Mini! Small yet efficient!

The Kinesis is TKL but it certainly doesn't save any space.

Icarium wrote:The Kinesis is TKL but it certainly doesn't save any space.

Depends on the space you are trying to save

Is it larger than my laptop? Yes.
BUT
Is it shorter than my full size (ie. non-TKL) keyboard? Yes!
is the space between the keys and my mouse shorter? Yes!
Is the space between the alpha keys and the arrow keys shorter? Yes!

Seems like a win to me!