I was unsure if I should have posted this under keyboards, workshop or pictures, but at the end I decided to put it here since you can't really say to be a carpenter if you built an IKEA furniture.

Pictures first (sorry rainy day).













And an unnecessary video (go to youtube for HD)


I was lucky enough to be able to catch one of these http://duck0113.tistory.com/39 . I got it mainly because the PCB was ALPS compatible and I desperately wanted to try Matias' clicky switches (but the kit includes a MX plate).

The keycaps come from a SGI granite.

The build quality of the case is top notch. That baby is heavy! I'd say the keyboard ends up in the 2/3kg range. Anodization is perfect and CNC job very accurate. Also very nice rubber feet that anchor the keyboard to the desk. No way to move it once it is in place.

First disappointment comes from the switches. They are "okay" but the sound they make is very boring and the feedback not rewarding.

The sound is acute, high pitched, clanky and the click does not have a distinct character. You can't really say if the sound comes from the switch or from the cap bottoming down.

On the bright side the weight is just perfect for my fingers. Strong enough not to be mushy, light enough not to be tiring. There's one thing that I like and that is the fact the "click" corresponds exactly to the activation point. Seems crazy, but this is not always the case with other clicky switches.

I can't say I hate these switches, but they are not my preferred at all.

Regarding the layout. 60% keyboards are great as a general purpose driver. Web, email, even gaming and light coding. But when it comes to heavy document navigation and coding the lack of a dedicated arrow cluster becomes relevant.

By default (but can be reprogrammed) the win keys are the FNs. To skip 1 word right/left you need a combination of 3 keys (ctrl+fn+' or ; ), if you also want to select the word you need 4 keys forcing your hand in a very unnatural position. Also page up/down and home/end are very hard to find (even though I guess it's just a matter of getting used to it).

But this is a problem of all 60% emphasized by the fact the ALPS keycaps drastically reduce your layout choices.

That being said, the keyboard is very solid and a pleasure to look at. It's really a little piece of art and I can't rate it less than A+. The only complains I have are related to the switches and more broadly to the 60% layout for heavy coding (both very subjective topics).

All that reflection creeping between the keys reminds me of a certain keyboard I'm working on. Great stuff!

But you forgot to fit the LEDs… (mwah-hah-ha!)

Muirium wrote:But you forgot to fit the LEDs… (mwah-hah-ha!)

LEDs are for pimps

Exactly!

Backlighting is the feather in the keyboard's hat.

Muirium wrote:Backlighting is the feather in the keyboard's hat ass.

I corrected it for you

First of all, that is an awesome keyboard! Congratulations.
In regards to the coding issues you are experiencing: What editor/IDE are you using? While I can't speak from experience (my Ducky Mini is still on it's way from finland) I think 60% boards and VI-style text editing go hand in hand. I'm a full time software developer (mainly doing JavaScript single page apps) and I'm using WebStorm by Jetbrains (http://www.jetbrains.com/webstorm/) which has a nice VIM plugin, so for me there is no need for any arrow keys. While I was initially very skeptical about using anything as "complicated" as VIM, I now have to admit that I can't think of going back.

Dear Britney, I manly use SublimeText or simply gedit. I sometimes use VI or emacs when I'm SSH'ing but I find them a bit too complicated for daily usage. I think I could spend some time learning them but I don't think that my productivity would increase drastically so I stick with less sophisticated software.

I'm a web developer both front and back end. So a lot of javascript, php, python, ruby, ... but also some java and objective C. My main OS is linux and some OSX.

I see. Users of Sublime Text are usually very satisfied with it (not without reason) and therefore not easily drawn to the dark side, er, Vim. As I said, like yourself, I was skeptical about the gain in productivity in the beginning and maybe I'm not more productive at all. But after about 10 months of Vi-style text editing using the arrow keys to navigate around in any text just feels plain wrong. For me using a Vi-style editor simply feels satisfying even if I'm still far from mastering Vim. "Practical Vim" (http://pragprog.com/book/dnvim/practical-vim) is still stuck in the unread pile of books on my bedside table.

thanks for your suggestions... I may end up learning some VIm sooner or later, but it's really hard to take you seriously with that avatar (no offence)

matt3o wrote:thanks for your suggestions... I may end up learning some VIm sooner or later, but it's really hard to take you seriously with that avatar (no offence)

Yeah, I know. When I first registered on a forum in 2005 I intentionally picked a name which would somewhat irritate people and which is not associated with any of my interests as I hardly listen to this kind of pop music in general and certainly not to the output of Mrs. Spears. And I don't think she's "hot" in any way. It is just a weird sense of humor.

Regarding Vim: I don't want to convince you, it might not be right tool for you or it might be the thing you've been looking for. One never knows. I just wanted to show you a usage for your new keyboard which you might have been overlooking.

I'd totally love to be able to use a 60% as my daily driver! Especially the HHKB (with a 55gr mod)... so any solution that would help me reach that goal is very much appreciated! And learning VIM is in my "things to do before I die" list.

Code: Select all

HHKB + Vim === 'a match made in heaven'

My colleague who got me into mechanical keyboards at the first place and who is probably a member of this board too is using this combination and swears by it.

That's a great board.

HHKB was "degined" by a coder! I'm using vim and pentadactyl myself, but Eiiti Wada is an emacs user.

thanks webwit for your detailed description of how these switches feel; I was very curious about them since i recently had my first encounter with white alps. And that board looks fantastic with those SGI caps..

nourathar wrote:thanks webwit

ahem....

anyway. here's the sound of the matias clicky switches on this board.

Snappier and clackier than MX. Just like the classic Alps they're modelled after, I presume.

So Matteo, do you have your exact stab measurements now for making Matias customs?

Muirium wrote:So Matteo, do you have your exact stab measurements now for making Matias customs?

YES!

Whitefox's coming! but I have to find ALPS blue first because these matias are boring.

matt3o wrote:anyway. here's the sound of the matias clicky switches on this board.

Sounds a lot like my Tactile Pro 3 with Fuhua whites. They have a "hollow" click, but they're fun to type on. Just awfully loud. I won't be able to verify personally whether the Fuhua ping is gone until the ISO Tactile Pro for PC is released … still waiting.