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[2021-10-13 13:26:33 UTC; Updated to removed duplicated 1st sentence.--martyb]
Drop's new mechanical keyboards go up to $500:
High-end mechanical keyboard and PC peripherals brand Drop (formerly Massdrop) today revealed its next lineup of prebuilt mechanical keyboards. The brand added options to three different series, with its most premium one, Paragon, priced at a whopping $500 apiece.
In addition to making its own products, Drop has a shop where keyboard fanatics can get everything from mechanical keyboard switches to unique and artisan keycaps, stabilizers, and even fancy, detachable cables. The keyboards released today are supposed to make it easier for people who don't want to build their own clacker to get an enthusiast-level option without having to deal with group buys, which take many months before you actually get a product in hand.
[...] Drop's Paragon keyboards are currently available for preorder but aren't expected to start shipping until around November 15.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Kell on Wednesday October 13 2021, @12:31PM (17 children)
What's with all the tiny partial keyboards these days, anyway? Don't people use the number pad, arrow keys or ins/del/hom/end/pup/pdn anymore?
Scientists ask questions. Engineers solve problems.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 13 2021, @12:49PM (7 children)
I prefer 88-key (no number pad, but everything else). I miss the number pad occasionally - usually whenever I have to enter some stupid code to log in somewhere - but for the most part the savings in space and ergonomics are worth it. The problem is that if you're right handed, you have the keyboard, then the cursor control keys, then the number pad, and finally the mouse. If you want to be able to reach the mouse, you have to have the keyboard off center to your left and this is very bad for ergonomics. It's still off center without the 10-key, but it's better. I've even thought of getting a separate 10-key and putting it on the left, or to the right of the mouse.
The cursor controls (or the function keys) are just too much of a sacrifice. Unlike the 10-key, there aren't really substitutes for those, so you end up having to use the mouse for everything, and it's just really awkward. Unless you just do everything in vi. But I repeat myself.
(Score: 2) by NateMich on Wednesday October 13 2021, @12:55PM (6 children)
Yeah, I really like my CM Storm without the numpad. The normal location of all the remaining keys is pretty much perfect for me, and I don't miss the numpad at all. If you were some sort of data entry/cashier type person I could see how that would be a problem.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 13 2021, @01:20PM (1 child)
spelling numbers correctly is important, even for non data entry work, even if one touch types the letters.
left or right mouse is easily solved these days, proliferation of usb ports means two mice connected for best hand choice. now if they did not both control the same cursor that would be a U i innovation worthy of attention.
(Score: 2) by hendrikboom on Wednesday October 13 2021, @03:36PM
I heard that got patented years ago. Possibly in the 80's. Possibly by Commodore for use on the Amiga.
(Score: 2) by looorg on Wednesday October 13 2021, @01:23PM (1 child)
I use the same (CM Storm Quickfire or something like that) but with the numpad. If you do a lot of data work not having a numpad is or would just be to painful. But it is the model without any of the lights and shit. Think I used the that model now for about 10 years or so, it's what I got once I replaced my last IBM Model M, it was starting to a bit of a pain with all the dongles and connector changers to go from the that old 5pin DIN to PS2 to USB and yeah eventually it was just time to change.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 15 2021, @06:41PM
If you use your mouse with your right hand get a keyboard with the number pad on the left. Then you can use the mouse or direction keys with the right hand while using the number pad with your left.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvxIloGyXhc [youtube.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 14 2021, @02:20AM (1 child)
Yeah, it depends on what you are doing. I write code and play games so I don't really need the number pad very often. If I did a lot of spreadsheets or something that involved a lot of numbers I'd probably feel the opposite way. The old IBM computers were meant for business use, which at the time mostly meant accounting, spreadsheets, and word processing, so of course they needed number pads. And nobody ever wants to give up an obvious feature, even if they don't actually need it, so keyboards still have the number pad, even the ones intended mostly for home use.
People who go to the trouble of buying an expensive keyboard usually know exactly what they want, and will choose accordingly, in much the same way that purchasers of motorcycles don't typically mind the lack of cargo space.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 15 2021, @05:06PM
I take issue with removing such things. Having had a keyboard a few years ago without all the keys can be an issue if you're using an *NIX system that uses the functionality. In terms of the 10 key, one may not be entering a ton of numbers, but those are keys that can be used for and in macro commands. Also, some programs, like Blender use it as a more convenient way of navigating. Personally, I've never really gotten into using the numbers above the letters unless it's a short string of digits in the middle of typing.
(Score: 3, Informative) by EvilSS on Wednesday October 13 2021, @01:38PM (1 child)
(Score: 2) by Mykl on Wednesday October 13 2021, @09:33PM
I map my gaming keys to the numeric keypad, you insensitive clod!
(I really do).
(Score: 2) by isj on Wednesday October 13 2021, @02:09PM (1 child)
I use the numpad when entering long numbers.
Also when using mplayer (volume control and audio delay)
(Score: 2) by bart9h on Wednesday October 13 2021, @04:36PM
it's simple to reconfigure the keybindings in mplayer
long numbers is the only real advantage of the keypad imo
and as a vim user I have little use for the arrow keys too
(Score: 2) by mcgrew on Wednesday October 13 2021, @02:35PM
I'm using a Logitech wireless keyboard mouse combo that cost $30 last year, and it's a full keyboard with the number pad, F keys, and extra buttons for media control. You must be referring to keyboards that come with computers.
Which makes me wonder, what kind of computer and mouse are they throwing in for free with that keyboard that costs more than I ever spent on a computer? And yes, I consider those who buy expensive status symbols like this and Apples and high end Samsung phones to be complete and utter morons.
mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday October 13 2021, @03:12PM
The tenkey compact format seems to have gone out of style lately... too bad. I like the smaller size for my home office desk, which still carries all the numbers and functions like arrow navigation, insert/delete, etc. over on the small extension.
This: https://www.amazon.com/Mechanical-Keyboard-Gaming-Keycaps-Computer/dp/B085ZDXGZW/ [amazon.com] looks like it might be a little better design than what I got back in 2014/2016: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/aplus-media/sota/87a45a5b-c8df-4e9a-9510-ed482e3dd8c8._SR970,300_.jpg [media-amazon.com]
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 13 2021, @03:23PM
Well, look at the games they call "roguelike" these days.
(Score: 2) by mhajicek on Wednesday October 13 2021, @04:16PM
Why do I need two sets of number keys? I use a tiny partial keyboard so it fits between my trackball and Space Pilot.
The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 14 2021, @06:13PM
The idea is to have more available with less moving away from the home row.
For instance, hold a key with my left thumb and "transform" the keys which already are under my right fingers into a numpad. With only one extra key (somewhere in the physical space which is freed by converting the enormous classical space-bar into a normal key), I get rid of 20 number-keys (the top row and the numpad) - not only this, but I don't have to move the right hand away and then back.
A similar concept is the Shift key. Of course, you could have separate keys for 'a' and 'A' and so on.
You can go as small or as big you want, there's always some trade-offs.