this post was submitted on 11 Sep 2023

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Mechanical Keyboards

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Are you addicted to the clicking sounds of your beautiful and impressive mechanical keyboard?
If so, this community is for you!

Here you can discuss everything about mechanical keyboards (and only mechanical keyboards).

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ZSA Voyager arrived yesterday! (lemmy.sysctl.io)

submitted 9 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

36 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Anyone else have one? I've been loving it so far! Feels great!

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 9 months ago (2 children)

I guess my main question would be whether it makes sense to get this over any of the DIY (or other) flat low-profile QMK keyboards out there?

From what I remember, the price is somewhat steep on these things? That much steeper than putting together your own?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Depends on if you are willing to assemble the keyboard yourself or want something consumer ready I guess

[–] [email protected] 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Yep. THere's also how picky you want to be with the layout. For instance, I really would prefer a lower pinky-finger column than was provided on the Voyager and many other keyboards, whereas something like the Kyria is much more likely to be comfortable for me on that front.

[–] TerrestrialSpaceship 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

The web-based Oryx configuration tool from ZSA is also pretty nice. As much “fun”/fun it was to learn ZMK and the process to update my Corne config, Oryx makes it very simple. Click, click, compile, flash…..and get on with your business.

[–] neonred 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Well, I use Vial on my Piantor, which is pretty great and even that flashing-step is not necessary anymore.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

I'm interested in it because the tripod kit has quick magnetic attach/detach, unlike the Moonlander's. I'd want to mount it to the arms of my chair.

The only two things holding me back right now are the missing two columns of keys in the middle and the cost.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Unless I go DIY again, this will be my next one.
Such an exact setup is difficult to come by on the market.
The Iris might be my closest option.

How do you like it?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I really like it. Took no time at all to get used to, though I have been using a moon lander for about a year. Its nice and solid, doesn't slide around.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Great to hear!
What about the slanting feet, are the boards still stable with those? (have you tried them?)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Oh yes this is with this feet. No issues. The underside is metal so it doesn't flex at all

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago

Nice!

[+] kmkz_ninja -7 points 9 months ago (5 children)

Is there a mechanical keyboard sub that posts more normal keyboards? Is there really such a large group here that doesn't use mice?

[–] [email protected] 14 points 9 months ago (1 children)

what make you think that split keyboard means no mouse?

[–] kmkz_ninja 3 points 9 months ago

Because I'm ignorant.

[–] richard_wagner 4 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I have one of these split keyboards and still use a mouse. I’d like to use it less, but haven’t found any great alternatives to fully remove it.

[–] kmkz_ninja 2 points 9 months ago (3 children)

It seems like it would be really awkward to use one-handed. I know for gaming you wouldn't exactly need the right-hand side, but still.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I don't get it, you keep your hand on the mouse to reach the right side of the keyboard with your left hand(assuming you're right handed)? THAT would be awkward imo

[–] kmkz_ninja 2 points 9 months ago

Don't think I'm shitting on polydactyl keyboards. Maybe I'd like it.

But they're two non-interlocking pieces. Idk, I'd like to be able to try one without committing to buying one.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

What are you doing with your keyboard one-handed? I can't think of any real use for one hand on a keyboard aside from gaming and shortcuts like copy+paste. And this keyboard runs QMK so it's very easy to just remap any shortcuts that the split might make difficult.

[–] kmkz_ninja 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

😉

But also, I don't like relying on hotkeys for usability.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

So what are you doing one-handed if not using hotkeys? I feel like any amount of one-handed typing would be impractical whether the keyboard is split or not.

[–] kmkz_ninja 1 points 9 months ago

Typing one handed? That is not weird in the context of a strange two-part keyboard.

[–] richard_wagner 2 points 9 months ago

I don’t use it one-handed. I use two hands and take one away when I need to use the mouse.

[–] Valdair 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

This is the biggest keyboard community in the Fediverse right now (but still very small). You can influence it a lot by just posting what you want to see. Boards you have, questions you have, GBs or whatever.

[–] kmkz_ninja 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Sure, but I'm a lurker. That's why I asked if there was a community that has "regular keyboard" posts that have decent discussion instead? Not here to change the sub, it just seems the most appropriate place to find a relevant community.

[–] Valdair 1 points 9 months ago

The idea of what content is "normal" at this point is the wrong way to look at it. The content feed is so slow across all but the most active communities on the most active instances, that treating them as though they've already carved out their niches is just incorrect.

This can be that, there's no reason it can't - it's just the tiny number of posts you're seeing don't have the same representation you might be used to seeing on e.g. /r/mechanicalkeyboards.

If you're just going to lurk and have no interest in posting you might as well just go to instagram and search for keyboard related tags. The content you post doesn't even need to be your own boards, it could just be stuff you like.

[–] QuillanFae 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

It seems not, and I've been thinking that if this doesn't change soon I'll have to start that community myself. The problem is that during the "building it and waiting for them to come" stage I'd need to contribute to the community to encourage others to do the same, and my only contributions would be stuff like "I really wanted to try the MKC75 and I kept putting it in my cart and I did buy the keycaps that I thought would look really nice with the e-pink but then the board itself sold out and I feel like an idiot". Would you guys be into that or...?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Instead of creating a new community why not posting "normal" keyboard here?

People are posting those keyboard because they are using it, maybe it means that there's not much people here that don't, if you can't find any post, and I doubt that you would find people by splitting the community

[–] QuillanFae 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

That's a good point. I was thinking the prevailing content here shows that my interests aren't aligned with those of most members, and it would be inappropriate to post other stuff. Which was a really stupid way to think now that you point it out. Communities are splintered enough in the fediverse. No need to carve out more niches.

[–] kmkz_ninja 1 points 9 months ago

I see your point, though, as the OP. I don't really have any interest in polys. If the sub is mostly interested in those, I'm not going to try and change that.

[–] kmkz_ninja 1 points 9 months ago

It just seems like the polydactyl keyboards make it higher up on my page than traditional keyboards, and I have little interest in them atm.

Not trying to change the habits of the sub. Mostly just curious if there was a sub that was more trad-keyboard oriented.