Topre switch / Cherry MX compatible

[avtar]

They also did one with better switches though

[Muirium]

Yeah, the HHKB JP is an authentic peer to the Pro 2. That little space bar really speaks to me. But everything about the right hand side of the layout: much less so.

[Hypersphere]

Forget Topre. I want a HHKB layout with capacitive buckling springs! (Apologies for veering off topic!).

[Muirium]

Hmm… HHKB Kishsaver with MX caps…

Spoiler:

[matt3o]

the BullShit key to the upper right is the best

[Muirium]

I'd cry that out every time I hit Return instead of delete, too! "This is no HHKB!"

[Grond]

I like the Lightsaver Mini concept layout. That comes without f-keys but with up to 20 extra keys on the side. Which means you may remap them with anything from media keys to nav to a full numpad if you care.

[avtar]

That's the perfect layout

[Muirium]

As it happens, I was thinking along similar lines a few months ago:


http://deskthority.net/post148049.html#p148049

Now that the big caps GBs are dealt with, it's time to turn to builds again. There's a ton of entertaining ideas in that thread.

[Stabilized]

Spoiler:

As it happens, I was thinking along similar lines a few months ago:


http://deskthority.net/post148049.html#p148049

Now that the big caps GBs are dealt with, it's time to turn to builds again. There's a ton of entertaining ideas in that thread.

Really like that layout! The dedicated media keys would be something that I would really like to see on more TKL (and smaller) designs.

[Muirium]

Thanks. I like the idea of a built-in matrix keyboard, like the Lightsaver, but I really like the space around the arrow cluster so I can feel where it is. I'd have to decide before making a plate, too.

[Stabilized]

That has been something that has really interested me the most from browsing this forum; the idea of completely remappable keyboards on a controller level. I have to admit if I didn't cost so much I would have embarked on a similar project already

[Grond]

Apparently you may leave the space around the arrows on the Lightsaver too, by adding some flat tiles. I don't know how they are mounted, but I assume you can mount them on the plate instead of the switches.

[Stabilized]

Damn, the more I read about a lightsaver; the more I want one!

[Grond]

Personally I don't like the case, nor the lights. But I dig the layout. I seem to remind a chinese knockoff keyboard with a similiar layout as well. Probably terrible quality, but much cheaper too.

[Muirium]

That has been something that has really interested me the most from browsing this forum; the idea of completely remappable keyboards on a controller level. I have to admit if I didn't cost so much I would have embarked on a similar project already

You can test drive the experience (like I did first) by adding that functionality to a pre-existing keyboard. Soarer's Converter does the trick for anything PS/2, AT or XT.

Like this guy:


Plus this:


Transforms into this:


No fancy project box required, it wasn't always that complete.

[Hypersphere]

I've done a similar remapping of my IBM XT keyboard, but using a converter box from Hagstrom Electronics and KeyReMap4MacBook software for the Mac. This works for my Windows and Linux machines as well, because I share the keyboard with them from my Mac using Synergy software.

Some significant departures from Mu's remapping involves remapping the third-row key next to Return as the Return key, remapping the former Return key as the Backspace, and changing the former Backspace to Backslash. This makes the fingering very similar to that of the HHKB.

Now that I have developed a taste for reconfiguring keyboards, I would like to graduate to using Teensies and Soarer's Converter, and to physically changing layouts on IBM boards by moving spring assemblies and doing bolt mods.

[snowyBlinds]

I see a few of you commenting on how this keyboard has more of a 'clack' than a 'thock'... could this just be due to thinner ABS caps versus a heavier PBT cap?

[Muirium]

Nope. I have thick heavy doubleshots on mine, and I've also tried thick PBT, so that's not it. But it's also not finished yet, so have a little patience…

[avtar]

What's patience?

[Muirium]

Wasn't it a card game that Windows came with before Solitaire…

[snowyBlinds]

Nope. I have thick heavy doubleshots on mine, and I've also tried thick PBT, so that's not it. But it's also not finished yet, so have a little patience…

Good to know!

Just bought an SSK from phosphorglow... so I've got time.

[Muirium]

Enjoy the SSK: you don't need me to tell you it's a legend, and Phosphorglow does fine work on them.

Once Topre to MX has been perfected, I'm itching for the same on buckling spring! Don't think it'll be remotely easy, though.

[Hypersphere]

Enjoy the SSK: you don't need me to tell you it's a legend, and Phosphorglow does fine work on them.

Once Topre to MX has been perfected, I'm itching for the same on buckling spring! Don't think it'll be remotely easy, though.

To quote JFK:

"We choose to do ...things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard...."

Of course, he was speaking of going to the moon and other lofty goals, but we need to start somewhere.

[luckynet2]

should'nt we start a petition/gb for a 60% novatouch, btw, what ever happened to zee 60% matias keyboard GB?

[Muirium]

Make this:


With a layout like this:


Boom!

[snowyBlinds]

Make this:

Boom!

I'd love to make a 75%'er with Topre's.

Or I'd love more for CM to make one since no one else does.

[Hypersphere]

It seems that 75% has always been awkward territory. The ones that have been built (using Cherry mx switches) look like an unaesthetic wall of keys to me. I would prefer cutting off the top row and accessing the F-keys in the Fn layer, and using differential coloring to demarcate modifiers and alphanumeric keys. It is just a matter of personal taste, but I would prefer using either a TKL or a 60% board rather than something in between.

This makes me wonder what the statistics are regarding form factor preferences; of course, this would depend upon the population being sampled.

[hoggy]

Apparently you may leave the space around the arrows on the Lightsaver too, by adding some flat tiles. I don't know how they are mounted, but I assume you can mount them on the plate instead of the switches.

The blanking tiles attach to the switch. I never found a source of them, except on Access keyboards. Very easy to mount, but can be a pain to remove without removing the surrounding keys.

[matt3o]

I find it very unattractive, but maybe it's just me.