Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by dontlaugh 201 days ago
That is interesting.

I wish someone made a keyboard that doesn’t suck, ideally split as well.

4 comments

Very cool!

Although to be pedantic, that's not an "ortholinear" keyboard (as in a square grid) rather a keyboard with column stagger (which you should use).

I wonder if you could make it for a FW13 too? I know QMK doesn't work for 13.

Edit: I see now that it uses a separate microcontroller, so yes if you could make it fit then it should work.

It also bothers me that the meaning of "ortholinear" has been lost, but at least it's a sign that the hobby has grown to a certain point.
It should be possible to make a dumb version of such a keyboard wired the same as the stock one, just with the keys moved around. It would need some OS configuration to be truly useful, though.
Yes, something like that. Ideally for a reasonably sized 13-14” laptop.
Similar to a sibling comment, and perhaps not really applicable (since this isn't a company making something people can buy...), but the MNT Reform is amenable to fitting a custom/ergonomic keyboard also (I hadn't seen the Framework in the sibling comment, it looks very cool!).

I don't know how to link to it directly, but midway down this article there's a picture and some more links of an MNT Reform (apparently completely home-built) with a very cool, "thumb-centric", column staggered ergo keyboard:

https://mntre.com/media/reform_md/2022-07-01-july-update.htm...

(search for "More great mods from the community..." heading if interested)

I would very much like to have a keyboard like either of those on my laptop. The stares you'd get when in public!!

Just made a top-level comment about the same thing.

A big part of the core functionality of a laptop, as opposed to a PC, is is that of a typewriter:

* Notes in class

* Minutes in a meeting

* Entries in a journal or travelogue

* Writing the next great novel

etc.

Why have manufacturers simply taken that away from us, in favor of a terrible excuse with ridiculous tactile feedback?

I actually like short travel very light linear switches, mechanical or not.

I don’t like row stagger and non-split keyboards, for ergonomic reasons. That’s definitely a niche preference, but if anyone would cater to it you’d expect it to be Framework or similar.

You're right that Framework is exactly where I would expect flexibility on this: I mean, just looking at their landing page - you see a laptop without the keyboard and ports. Framework offers 176 (!) kinds of "keyboards":

https://frame.work/marketplace/keyboards

but not one decent keyboard. Why?

(Answer: it's basically just keyboard covers, and the many options are due to variations of colors and languages. But I would take a hot pink / toxic green keyboard with ancient tibetan labels if the keys were non-chicklet, with decent travel, sizes, and feedback. 7 rows if possible.)

Overhead of small volume manufacturing. If they make all those variations and intend to continue existing as a company that makes money selling things, it would have to be at a price where no one's going to buy one. But if I start an Etsy store selling one-offs at $399 each, people can grumble about my price, but it's not on Framework.
UHK ultimate hacker keyboard
I already have a Corne and a Glove80. I'd like something built into a laptop as well.