Greetings fellow humans, human fellas.
As a broke High-school student, I’ve been scrapping some money to treat myself a high-quality mechanical keyboard.
I’m on the fence between a 75% layout and a 65% layout.
I think the form factor of the 65% will make it easier to use, but I’m wondering how go about living without a FN row.
How do you guys do it? in FN + number row good enough? Are there no issues with stock gnome keyboard shortcuts?
Please let me know. I’ve searching for answers for this but most come to personal preference/ practice, and don’t go into what it’s like to use the actual keyboard.
Thanks.
P.S
I’m getting the KeyChron K2(75%) or the Keychron K6(65%), then change the switches to Kailh box silent browns.
I am a keyboard enthusiast, but I don’t use anything other than full keyboards!!
I currently have 6 mechanical keyboard (2 at home, 1 at work, and 3 setting on a shelf if needed) most with replacement keycaps and all are 100%. I had a 75% and ended up giving it away I like that so little. I also wasn’t a fan of brown switches. Everything about their specs say I should love them, they’re silent versions of the blues, which are my preferred switches…but then I had a couple keyboards that had them, and I was just left thoroughly underwhelmed, not sure why. Still better than red though, shudders.
I do have a dev at work that uses the keychron K6. He loves it, and I will say that it’s quite pleasant to type on (I have no idea which switches he has, but I have a feeling it is brown), although I could never use it personally.
I can’t speak to your gnome specific questions but I would, personally, not buy a 65% keyboard. The addition of the F-keys takes minimal real estate on the desk and when you need them you have them. Many of the f-key keyboard combinations are complicated enough without needing an extra key to access them.
My personal preference is TKL which gives me a full normal keyboard layout minus the number pad.
I have tried just about every kind of switch and my preference is generally browns as well. I actually bought a tester and tried about 20 different switches before settling on the ones I am using now.
Yeah. Most browns combine the wirst of reds and Blues, BUT HOLY SHITE. I absolutely love the Tactility if the Box Silent Browns. You should get tk teu it out when have the chance.
Hmm - I am currently typing on mx blues, which are OK. Reds are a no-go for me, the browns SHOULD have been good, but the Corsair K95 cured me of that thought… There is another colour or variant with a shorter ‘stroke’ and no ‘overcentre’ - I would have to spend all my time watching what I type (and making corrections). What I would like is a blue+ - a little more overcentre feedback - maybe a modified brown? (like my Amiga 1000 keyboard - easily the fastest I ever had.)
I would love the get th K2 but the Hot swap version is not available in my region and I would have to pay a premium just to get it shipped to where I live. Additionally, since this will be my keyboard both for travel and desktop use, the slimmer 65% kinda works.
The K6 has two FN keys FN1 which triggers standard FN row keys with the number row, and FN2 which triggers FN + FN keys on a normal keyboard. I think It will be fine, but I was hoping id ithers had expeience. Thanks for the input though.
Any full size keyboards that aren’t overpriced (<$100) use them? I haven’t seen them in anything myself (although I haven’t bought anything in close to a year).
My current favorite keyboard. It’s a cheap $35 reddragon w/ Otemu (or however it’s spelled) blue switches and red backlighting. Spent $25 for gold keycaps. IMO, VERY nice looking with the red backlight shining through the gold keycaps.
Sitting quiet here and checking the links and opinions. I’m thinking of getting a TKL myself, but needing to use silly Swedish keyboard characters daily, kind of limits the option.
