A proposal for a new SSK

[M'er Forever]

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[Findecanor]

No, I was implying that the menu key is useless and should be entirely replaced with Fn. Its only purpose, to my knowledge, is to trigger a right mouse-click (though if anyone knows better then please correct me!).

It does allow you to select an item from the menu without having using the mouse at all, and I think that is a win.

AFAIK, in Windows, the Menu key will cause a menu to appear first when you release the key. How about making the Menu key into a dual-role modifier key on Fn?
- Press and hold the key while pressing another key, to use it as a Fn key
- Press and release the key without pressing any other key to use it as a Menu key, which will make a virtual key-press and a delayed key-release to be sent when the physical key has been released.

[M'er Forever]

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[M'er Forever]

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[M'er Forever]

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[wcass]

I think that the key legends are actually distracting you. Business customers and many standard users are not going to want media keys, so the default legends should be exactly as they are on the current offerings from Unicomp. The difference from the current offering is that it is and SSK. A programmable controller is a separate matter that would be a value-add to the entire Unicomp line by allowing those that want to change key definitions to do so.

If you really want Unicomp to do this, take away all of the new "extra" stuff. Remember, they take baby steps. I personally would like to see the space between the function keys and numbers reduced to where you have it, but to do so would require a new barrel plate mold. If you leave it large, they can use the existing barrel plate mold. For anyone that didn't notice it, Unicomp recently changed the bottom key row so that they could reduce the number of parts and tooling they carry. Now all their 101/102/103/104/105 keyboards use the same membranes and I think that the mold for the barrel plate is the same too but for an adapter that removes some barrels.

[M'er Forever]

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[matt3o]

There you go. A piece of cake.


ps: remove that FN lock, it's unbearable!

[M'er Forever]

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[matt3o]

now that I look at it, that's simply the RF layout.

[002]

The latest mock-up even shares a similar colourway with the anniversary edition
So admittedly I haven't read this whole thread but I glance the pics from time to time. Is this going to go somewhere eventually or we're just having a bit of fun?

[matt3o]

M'er in in contact with unicomp. the layout will be (has been?) proposed to unicomp (that probably will make big laughs at us... but trying doesn't cost a thing)

[002]

Cool! *fingers crossed*
I really like the all black one

[Findecanor]

Ah. The right Alt key in the right position.

[M'er Forever]

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[matt3o]

don't take it personally M'er. You are doing a great job, but you should present the layout that is most likely to be produced not the one that some keyboard elitists would like.

[Muirium]

Exactly. As frankly I doubt Unicomp would take lightly any modifications to their standard layout, no matter the superior design of a closer function row, and so forth. They're a seriously conservative shop. We'd do better to unite behind the classic SSK in the slender chance they take a revival seriously. While all the alterations we've considered here are dreams, until made real without their help.

Also: deleting pictures isn't smart. It makes the thread nonsensical, like when people rewrite their original post and title on sales threads, leading to a hopelessly confusing read for anyone turning up to look at it.

[M'er Forever]

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[M'er Forever]

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[matt3o]

I'm a bit surprised by your last two posts. I thought you were asking for opinions and start a discussion. You just wanted to show off your project instead. That's fine. We all appreciate your effort and dedication, I don't know why you think we don't. If this project will ever see the light you'll be our keyboard mastermind from here to eternity. I really don't understand where the hard feelings came from.

If you want help rendering stuff give us the DXF file, I can help you with that. But it seems you don't want to release your work, I don't exactly understand why you are so possessive about it, but I respect your decision.

Anyway it seems you decided to proceed your own, which is also fine by me. Keep us posted about your project. The bottom line is that we probably would buy any SSK layout you or unicomp come up with.

[M'er Forever]

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[matt3o]

oh wait. so all this is a reaction to my "crudely altered" image? wow.

[Muirium]

Ah, no worries. M'er. I think you're misinterpreting the routine back and forth of forum discussions for much more adamant and strident arguments than anyone made. For instance: yes, I loathe caps lock, and so I remap it on every keyboard I have. Not because I hit it all the time, but because it's such a prime location for a useful key, and caps lock has zero inherent use to me. That said, I don't think any less of people who like it, or that I intend to go on a jiahd to purge it from the face of the earth. Rather, it's a clear encapsulation of what free choice means in keyboards, and how programmability can solve many practical problems.

Yes, some of us love Topres as much as Model Ms. I've tried both, and find there's much to commend each technology. That's not to say that I wouldn't be just as interested in a new and updated SSK as I am in a TKL Realforce or HHKB. Most all of us here are the kind of keyboard nerds who like to have a few of everything, instead of fight pointless rhetorical wars.

I think the main thing, though, is that there's two parallel projects going on in this thread. The one to urge Unicomp into trying to produce a TKL once again. And the other to dream up an ideal SSK. I'd love to see either, let alone both, succeed. But there's a lot of work ahead on either front.

[M'er Forever]

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[M'er Forever]

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[matt3o]

to use your words, you could have politely asked me to remove it. All the stuff I published here or on GH have been modified, reused, altered in so many ways (and often without even letting me know) I don't even count them. I live with it and honestly I like it. If you want to know how I feel about sharing stuff, please read this article I wrote few months ago.

Since you didn't respond to my suggestion regarding the FN key, I wanted to show you what was my idea, the image was not meant to be on display, just a draft you could have used as a mock up. Apparently I was tragically wrong.

[M'er Forever]

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[Muirium]

I'll leave you with a question: Why do so many here object so vehemently to the FnLock key? Can you really not imagine those instances where it would be useful? It's certainly not "in the way" where I've placed it, and would extend the convenience of alternate key mappings without the need to relinquish standard mappings. Thus, it seems to me this would be the best of both worlds, especially if Unicomp would agree to print custom caps (albeit with a substantial set-up charge to make it worth their time and effort) for those who want to take maximum advantage of this feature. Am I missing something here?

Frankly, I'd just put a lock like that in the cluster to the right of the function row, replacing one of the three. But then I am a Mac guy. and those keys have always seemed superfluous to me. (Can't even remember using them back on the PC in the 1990s…)

I think the pushback you felt was because of a couple of things.

First: keyboard snobs like us (I don't necessarily mean you here, but the Deskthority trope in general) tend to look down on media keys. Although I'm certainly a keyboard snob in many respects, I actually quite like media keys. (As I'm typing this on a Ducky Shine 3 with reactive backlighting, I'm treading on thin ice when it comes to my snob credibility, but so be it!) But I don't like the way Apple does it by having a compromised top row, which is half height and unpunctuated by spaces, which makes it a bit of a disappointing nuisance. So I was similarly against your suggestion to do likewise with a monolithic function row, until you changed it.

Second: perceived inconsistency. You're anti layers in general, for reasons you've stated a few times. But for the Function row / media keys you're willing to make an exception. I'd rather incorporate a full integrated number pad like the classic SSK than invent a new layer for the functions. It's just a matter of priorities, as I've nothing against your media idea either, but your keenness to add a new key, at the cost of the style and symmetry of the traditional layout, thew some of us off the idea. I'm not especially opposed to it myself, but I understand the reaction.

Not to worry, this is just the sound of conversation in public. To expect a polite committee to gather around and deliberate in orderly fashion is to misinterpret the bazaar!

[M'er Forever]

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[Muirium]

As far as I know, Scroll Lock is entirely vestigial. The only time I ever noticed it was when I tried a WinAMP plugin that made the three indicators on my keyboard back then dance as a volume meter. I can't remember how or even if that sneaky plugin suppressed the inEViTabLe CaMElCaSE you'd expect while typing with it on! But I do recall realising that there had been a third lock right there, all along, and I hadn't the foggiest idea what it was for…