Topre switch / Cherry MX compatible

avtar · 17 Apr 2014, 22:49

They also did one with better switches though

Muirium · 17 Apr 2014, 22:51

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 · 18 Apr 2014, 00:13

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

Muirium · 18 Apr 2014, 00:16

Hmm… HHKB Kishsaver with MX caps…

Spoiler:

matt3o · 18 Apr 2014, 10:05

the BullShit key to the upper right is the best

Muirium · 18 Apr 2014, 10:39

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

Grond · 18 Apr 2014, 15:54

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 · 18 Apr 2014, 16:03

That's the perfect layout

Muirium · 18 Apr 2014, 16:13

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 · 18 Apr 2014, 16:26

Spoiler:

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 · 18 Apr 2014, 16:30

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 · 18 Apr 2014, 16:37

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 · 18 Apr 2014, 16:39

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 · 18 Apr 2014, 16:45

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

Grond · 18 Apr 2014, 18:32

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 · 18 Apr 2014, 18:41

Stabilized wrote: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 · 18 Apr 2014, 19:20

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 · 19 Apr 2014, 02:04

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 · 19 Apr 2014, 02:19

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 · 19 Apr 2014, 02:21

What's patience?

Muirium · 19 Apr 2014, 02:24

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

snowyBlinds · 19 Apr 2014, 02:36

Muirium wrote: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 · 19 Apr 2014, 02:38

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 · 19 Apr 2014, 04:56

Muirium wrote: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 · 19 Apr 2014, 15:15

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

Muirium · 19 Apr 2014, 15:21

Make this:

With a layout like this:

Boom!

snowyBlinds · 19 Apr 2014, 18:51

Muirium wrote: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 · 19 Apr 2014, 19:01

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 · 19 Apr 2014, 20:29

Grond wrote: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 · 20 Apr 2014, 09:37

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