Cute, but I'd imagine it'll be decently expensive. Calling it a 70% based on number of keys and not what looks like the footprint of that thing made me laugh though. Like the integrated track...
Cute, but I'd imagine it'll be decently expensive. Calling it a 70% based on number of keys and not what looks like the footprint of that thing made me laugh though.
Like the integrated track ball, never heard of the company and looks like this is their first work though - so it's obviously pure novelty.
I guess it's neat that it looks like a thing from a TV show, but who's going to want a keyboard that's missing a lot of very important keys? It sounds functionally useless.
I guess it's neat that it looks like a thing from a TV show, but who's going to want a keyboard that's missing a lot of very important keys? It sounds functionally useless.
70% is a standard-ish layout; there are a few relatively common keymaps for smaller mechanical keyboards, and the more restricted ones use chords to access characters that aren’t physically there....
70% is a standard-ish layout; there are a few relatively common keymaps for smaller mechanical keyboards, and the more restricted ones use chords to access characters that aren’t physically there. Not my preference, admittedly, but I don’t think they’re totally reinventing the wheel here either.
60%, especially the HHKB/Tsangan variant is my favorite. Most of the missing keys don’t get much use and so needing to use a modifier to access them is no big deal and the reduced hand movement is...
60%, especially the HHKB/Tsangan variant is my favorite. Most of the missing keys don’t get much use and so needing to use a modifier to access them is no big deal and the reduced hand movement is a nice side effect.
To some degree the layouts one finds usable depends on the OS they use most. For example it’s unusual for mac apps to use the F-keys and macOS itself practically never does, and so them not being physically present isn’t a big deal.
Yeah, other than getting into the BIOS on desktops/servers I don't think I've used an F-key for its intended purpose in... decades? But I guarantee my muscle memory would have me trying to press...
Yeah, other than getting into the BIOS on desktops/servers I don't think I've used an F-key for its intended purpose in... decades? But I guarantee my muscle memory would have me trying to press above the top row for the media controls and screen brightness that are bound to the F-row now if I didn't have them physically there!
I'm also so used to using cmd-` and cmd-shift-` to cycle back and forth through open windows within an application that I'm forever tethered to ISO layout at this point. I'd be hitting the end of the shift key and wondering why nothing happened at least every 20 minutes otherwise.
Microsoft's tools often use them. In Visual Studio Code, for instance, F2 is the default to initate a debugging session. I honestly think it's really dumb, though, precisely because just about...
Microsoft's tools often use them. In Visual Studio Code, for instance, F2 is the default to initate a debugging session.
I honestly think it's really dumb, though, precisely because just about every keyboard I've seen in the last two decades has the function keys to media controls, which means that the actual shortcut for debugging is Fn-F2. Which isn't too bad except that's a really odd key to press so it doesn't quite fit in my brain the way I want it to, which is why I changed it to Cmd-R, the much more sensible default for running your code with Panic's Nova editor.
That's why on every keyboard that does this, I turn on Fn lock so that the F keys are default, and I press Fn to do the special function. I don't fiddle with my display brightness or volume much....
That's why on every keyboard that does this, I turn on Fn lock so that the F keys are default, and I press Fn to do the special function.
I don't fiddle with my display brightness or volume much. But there is a ton of Fn keys I use:
Browsers use F12 as the default for the debugger, F5 to refresh the page. Ctrl-F5 to clear cache and refresh. F3 to search. F11 to enter fullscreen.
I bind F9 to toggle my VPN.
I bind my dropdown terminal to F11.
Alt-F4 to kill the active window.
For videogames it's great for binding a lot of those miscellaneous functions that go unassigned by default. Especially paired with Steam Input to be able to leverage it on a controller. It was a godsend back in the WoW days for all those little tiny things that otherwise would require UI space.
Maybe that's why I'm a vim user instead of emacs. I'd rather learn arcane single-key sequences than try to remember dozens of chords.
Mnemonic shortcuts are generally just better I think. Easier to remember and realistically it’s not any more difficult to use a modifier than it is to reach up to hit an F-key.
Mnemonic shortcuts are generally just better I think. Easier to remember and realistically it’s not any more difficult to use a modifier than it is to reach up to hit an F-key.
I have big hands and learned to touch type the keys in early middle school one one of those ancient IBM keyboards. Laptop keyboards are like children's toys. But every laptop keyboard decides that...
I have big hands and learned to touch type the keys in early middle school one one of those ancient IBM keyboards. Laptop keyboards are like children's toys.
But every laptop keyboard decides that Ctrl, alt, shift, Fn, start are all arbitrarily sized and placed.
I'll hit F5 100% of the time on every device I switch between. But hitting like Alt-R is a crapshoot on unfamiliar devices.
My one Lenovo laptop put Fn in the bottom left corner where Ctrl should be. That was the biggest flaw of that laptop and it took months to retrain that positioning.
Now my new laptop has Ctrl back where it belongs. But Fn and start are swapped.
I learned on large-ish boards too (AppleDesign Keyboard, the cheaper rubber dome counterpart to the famous Alps switch Extended Keyboard I/II, which itself was the Apple counterpart to the Model...
I learned on large-ish boards too (AppleDesign Keyboard, the cheaper rubber dome counterpart to the famous Alps switch Extended Keyboard I/II, which itself was the Apple counterpart to the Model M) but I never got particularly attached to that layout.
Something that makes the modifier positions more moot for me are command/meta-based shortcuts (always to the left/right of space) and remapping Caps Lock to Control. On Windows-oriented boards I swap Meta and Alt. With that both Control and Meta-based shortcuts are consistent between keyboards and machines.
Normally this is where I'd disagree and say something like "no, you can have a keyboard with way fewer keys than that, and it will still be useful, here's the Planck I've been using for the past...
But for the Dasher specifically, I think I actually agree that the layout is going to be rough to use. As funny as it is to not have dedicated Alt, Control, or Escape keys, you're going to need those for daily use.
However, with the Dasher's layout, there just aren't good options for rebinding those missing keys. People using this keyboard will likely want to pull some of the same tricks that sub 40% keyboard users rely on.
That assumes the Dasher even comes with programmable firmware and can support extensive configuration. I didn't see any mention of that on the group buy's website. I'm weary, to say the least.
I appreciate the dedication to building as exact a replica of the show's keyboard as possible, and I always love seeing keyboards with trackballs built in, but I think people have already come up with better middle grounds between visual replication and practical usability:
If anyone is just interested in the keycaps, these already exist. I’ve seen posts with it on the blue vortex model m clone and it has a nice retro aesthetic.
If anyone is just interested in the keycaps, these already exist. I’ve seen posts with it on the blue vortex model m clone and it has a nice retro aesthetic.
Interesting bit, the company manufacturing these is one of the only (maybe the only) company making keycaps in the US. They’re located up in Washington state.
Interesting bit, the company manufacturing these is one of the only (maybe the only) company making keycaps in the US. They’re located up in Washington state.
That design is absolutely gorgeous! I’ve been thinking for a while how cool it would be to have an old 60s monochrome text terminal as a retrofuturistic interface to a locally hosted LLM, and this...
That design is absolutely gorgeous! I’ve been thinking for a while how cool it would be to have an old 60s monochrome text terminal as a retrofuturistic interface to a locally hosted LLM, and this fits into that aesthetic perfectly. In reality I don’t have the space and don’t really like sub-100% layouts anyway, so I’m not realistically going to buy one, but I’m still glad it exists.
I haven’t actually seen the show yet either (people keep telling me I’d love it, I just haven’t had the chance), so I’m taking this as yet another prompt that I should make the time for it.
That kind of aesthetic is actually one of the reasons why I like my Keychron. It doesn't go all in like this one does, but it's a nice compromise between modern usefulness since it's a standard...
That kind of aesthetic is actually one of the reasons why I like my Keychron. It doesn't go all in like this one does, but it's a nice compromise between modern usefulness since it's a standard 110-key US layout but has a fairly tank-like build quality, big chunky keys, and a nice splash of color (though perhaps a little less than I would have preferred).
I have a Q60 and I was surprised by how solid and generally nice it is. It’s right up there with most entry level enthusiast boards, maybe a bit better. It frequently shows up in my rotation.
I have a Q60 and I was surprised by how solid and generally nice it is. It’s right up there with most entry level enthusiast boards, maybe a bit better. It frequently shows up in my rotation.
Cute, but I'd imagine it'll be decently expensive. Calling it a 70% based on number of keys and not what looks like the footprint of that thing made me laugh though.
Like the integrated track ball, never heard of the company and looks like this is their first work though - so it's obviously pure novelty.
I guess it's neat that it looks like a thing from a TV show, but who's going to want a keyboard that's missing a lot of very important keys? It sounds functionally useless.
70% is a standard-ish layout; there are a few relatively common keymaps for smaller mechanical keyboards, and the more restricted ones use chords to access characters that aren’t physically there. Not my preference, admittedly, but I don’t think they’re totally reinventing the wheel here either.
60%, especially the HHKB/Tsangan variant is my favorite. Most of the missing keys don’t get much use and so needing to use a modifier to access them is no big deal and the reduced hand movement is a nice side effect.
To some degree the layouts one finds usable depends on the OS they use most. For example it’s unusual for mac apps to use the F-keys and macOS itself practically never does, and so them not being physically present isn’t a big deal.
Yeah, other than getting into the BIOS on desktops/servers I don't think I've used an F-key for its intended purpose in... decades? But I guarantee my muscle memory would have me trying to press above the top row for the media controls and screen brightness that are bound to the F-row now if I didn't have them physically there!
I'm also so used to using
cmd-`andcmd-shift-`to cycle back and forth through open windows within an application that I'm forever tethered to ISO layout at this point. I'd be hitting the end of the shift key and wondering why nothing happened at least every 20 minutes otherwise.Microsoft's tools often use them. In Visual Studio Code, for instance, F2 is the default to initate a debugging session.
I honestly think it's really dumb, though, precisely because just about every keyboard I've seen in the last two decades has the function keys to media controls, which means that the actual shortcut for debugging is Fn-F2. Which isn't too bad except that's a really odd key to press so it doesn't quite fit in my brain the way I want it to, which is why I changed it to Cmd-R, the much more sensible default for running your code with Panic's Nova editor.
That's why on every keyboard that does this, I turn on Fn lock so that the F keys are default, and I press Fn to do the special function.
I don't fiddle with my display brightness or volume much. But there is a ton of Fn keys I use:
Browsers use F12 as the default for the debugger, F5 to refresh the page. Ctrl-F5 to clear cache and refresh. F3 to search. F11 to enter fullscreen.
I bind F9 to toggle my VPN.
I bind my dropdown terminal to F11.
Alt-F4 to kill the active window.
For videogames it's great for binding a lot of those miscellaneous functions that go unassigned by default. Especially paired with Steam Input to be able to leverage it on a controller. It was a godsend back in the WoW days for all those little tiny things that otherwise would require UI space.
Maybe that's why I'm a vim user instead of emacs. I'd rather learn arcane single-key sequences than try to remember dozens of chords.
Mnemonic shortcuts are generally just better I think. Easier to remember and realistically it’s not any more difficult to use a modifier than it is to reach up to hit an F-key.
I could not agree more. Even the stupid four key combo that macOS uses for copying without formatting is better than Fn-F2 for me.
I have big hands and learned to touch type the keys in early middle school one one of those ancient IBM keyboards. Laptop keyboards are like children's toys.
But every laptop keyboard decides that Ctrl, alt, shift, Fn, start are all arbitrarily sized and placed.
I'll hit F5 100% of the time on every device I switch between. But hitting like Alt-R is a crapshoot on unfamiliar devices.
My one Lenovo laptop put Fn in the bottom left corner where Ctrl should be. That was the biggest flaw of that laptop and it took months to retrain that positioning.
Now my new laptop has Ctrl back where it belongs. But Fn and start are swapped.
I learned on large-ish boards too (AppleDesign Keyboard, the cheaper rubber dome counterpart to the famous Alps switch Extended Keyboard I/II, which itself was the Apple counterpart to the Model M) but I never got particularly attached to that layout.
Something that makes the modifier positions more moot for me are command/meta-based shortcuts (always to the left/right of space) and remapping Caps Lock to Control. On Windows-oriented boards I swap Meta and Alt. With that both Control and Meta-based shortcuts are consistent between keyboards and machines.
I think the "very important keys" comment was about this:
That's certainly straying from the standard 70% layout.
Normally this is where I'd disagree and say something like "no, you can have a keyboard with way fewer keys than that, and it will still be useful, here's the Planck I've been using for the past six years that got me through college, blah blah blah"
But for the Dasher specifically, I think I actually agree that the layout is going to be rough to use. As funny as it is to not have dedicated Alt, Control, or Escape keys, you're going to need those for daily use.
However, with the Dasher's layout, there just aren't good options for rebinding those missing keys. People using this keyboard will likely want to pull some of the same tricks that sub 40% keyboard users rely on.
That assumes the Dasher even comes with programmable firmware and can support extensive configuration. I didn't see any mention of that on the group buy's website. I'm weary, to say the least.
I appreciate the dedication to building as exact a replica of the show's keyboard as possible, and I always love seeing keyboards with trackballs built in, but I think people have already come up with better middle grounds between visual replication and practical usability:
https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/1jh89ry/my_first_fully_custom_keyboard_the_mdr_touch/
Haha, one of the mappings for the z key says "Button".
If anyone is just interested in the keycaps, these already exist. I’ve seen posts with it on the blue vortex model m clone and it has a nice retro aesthetic.
Interesting bit, the company manufacturing these is one of the only (maybe the only) company making keycaps in the US. They’re located up in Washington state.
That design is absolutely gorgeous! I’ve been thinking for a while how cool it would be to have an old 60s monochrome text terminal as a retrofuturistic interface to a locally hosted LLM, and this fits into that aesthetic perfectly. In reality I don’t have the space and don’t really like sub-100% layouts anyway, so I’m not realistically going to buy one, but I’m still glad it exists.
I haven’t actually seen the show yet either (people keep telling me I’d love it, I just haven’t had the chance), so I’m taking this as yet another prompt that I should make the time for it.
That kind of aesthetic is actually one of the reasons why I like my Keychron. It doesn't go all in like this one does, but it's a nice compromise between modern usefulness since it's a standard 110-key US layout but has a fairly tank-like build quality, big chunky keys, and a nice splash of color (though perhaps a little less than I would have preferred).
I'm typing this on a Keychron Q6, as it happens! All round great keyboard, I've been really happy with it.
I have a Q60 and I was surprised by how solid and generally nice it is. It’s right up there with most entry level enthusiast boards, maybe a bit better. It frequently shows up in my rotation.