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    [help] Problem with Colemak layout

    • Started by MrPieElsa
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    • Registered: 13-Jun-2018
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    Hi everybody,

    Do all keyboards come with the following problem?

    Do I have to order custom keycaps or are some mechanical keyboards (preferably US layout) equipped with even height keycaps?
    Thanks so much!

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    It's really up to you what you want to do with that. SA (row 3) and DSA keycap sets from Signature Plastics as well as XDA keycaps all have perfectly uniform heights, with no slope differences. If you want Colemak legends, that is a bit of a taller order and fewer sets have that, though some have "compatibility kits" for the homing keys. That is really the only obstacle to just moving keycaps around to get the printed layout.

    I use blank keycaps, having been a touch-typist for years. This means that any keycap set with a blank option can be used without it looking weird. :) You could also go the less fun route and just leave it as QWERTY but type in Colemak. I suspect a lot of people take this path.

    Last edited by azuvix (13-Jun-2018 19:54:59)
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    I'm one of the guys that just leave my qwerty keycaps on, It's much less of a hassle, and it also has the plus point that the times that I have to type in qwerty I just have to look down on the keyboard, that way I have base qwerty knowledge still, which has come in handy a couple of times.

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    • From: Viken, Norway
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    Yeah, on my laptop the keys just stay as they were. On my Unicomp where modding is possible, I've moved them around for coolness.

    *** Learn Colemak in 2–5 steps with Tarmak! ***
    *** Check out my Big Bag of Keyboard Tricks for Win/Linux/TMK... ***

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    DreymaR said:

    Yeah, on my laptop the keys just stay as they were. On my Unicomp where modding is possible, I've moved them around for coolness.

    Yeah that look of horror when someone looks down on your keyboard is pretty priceless.

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    Besides, somehow it doesn't feel right to use a keyboard that doesn't at least type what it says it does for the most basic keys. Properly labelled keycaps offer what they say "on the box", and blank keycaps don't even bother with telling you what they do. :P I dunno, maybe I'm only one of a few that feel that way.

    And I've had some interesting chances to tell people what Colemak is and why I use it when the keys are labelled. Maybe they'll never change their mind about what they're already using, but they'll be more educated on the subject and see why Colemak is a viable option.

    Last edited by azuvix (15-Jun-2018 05:23:34)
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    azuvix said:

    Besides, somehow it doesn't feel right to use a keyboard that doesn't at least type what it says it does for the most basic keys. Properly labelled keycaps offer what they say "on the box",

    I don't know, I kind of never really look on my keyboard while I'm writing, so it doesn't really bother me that they don't do what they say, as I'm not looking at them in the first place. And some times, like in the admin popup in windows you have to type qwerty, and then it's very nice to be able to see what I type, since I'm no longer that proficient with qwerty.

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    I don't look at it either when typing, and haven't for years, but it's the moments before and after typing that I notice. But you do have a point for those that still have to use QWERTY for one reason or another. I'm lucky in that my wife has her own setup so we don't share a keyboard, and I don't ever share a keyboard at work either. But not everyone has that luxury, and when reality gets in the way, compromises have to be made. No sense in denying that.

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    • From: Viken, Norway
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    MrPieElsa, bot or not?

    *** Learn Colemak in 2–5 steps with Tarmak! ***
    *** Check out my Big Bag of Keyboard Tricks for Win/Linux/TMK... ***

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    For all the annoying qualities of bots, we're sure taking their posts as opportunities for pleasant conversation. :3

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