Support for Alternative Layouts
This is a summary of how alternative layouts have been supported by kits such as Colevrak and Homing. It is not a discussion of alt layout performance and development, but if that interests you I highly recommend starting with Pascal Getreuer’s A guide to alt keyboard layouts (why, how, which one?). It’s a concise and comprehensive overview with links to some great sites that go deeper. He also has a separate Links about keyboards page. The Keyboard layouts doc he recommends explains layout goals and metrics in detail, summarizing the alt layouts discussed here as well as more than one hundred others. Sculpted-profile The majority of custom keycap sets are sculpted-profile (Cherry, SA, MT3, KAT, etc. - more on profiles generally here) so let’s start there. Because each row has a unique keycap shape, alt layouts require a unique keycap for each legend that moves off its QWERTY row. At first there were two The Dvorak layout was patented in 1936 by August Dvorak & William L....
Apr 23, 2024
Grey (linear): A nice, lightweight linear switch. These switches are extremely smooth and lack the 'graininess' that usually accompanies Cherry Reds and Blacks, which is a nice touch. I prefer these to their Cherry counterparts.
Orange (tactile): These have a very noticeable tactile bump with what feels to me like a slightly higher actuation point than Cherry Browns and Clears. It's like a cross between the two, in that the bump is about as pronounced as a Clear, while having a similar actuation force to a Brown. Unfortunately, I do think they feel a bit plasticky with a fair bit of graininess above the actuation point. They're definitely not as premium feeling as Clears. I would not personally recommend these switches over their Cherry counterparts.
Purple (click): These are my favourite of the bunch. My current daily driver is a Ducky Shine 4 with Cherry Green switches and these come close to beating them. The Purples are much smoother than Orange and this, coupled with an extremely pleasant clicking sound, make for a near-perfect typing experience. If EpicGear produced an alternative with an actuation force as high as a Cherry Green, they could very possibly be my favourite switches of all. I'd recommend these over Cherry Blues, but not Cherry Greens out of personal preference for a high actuation force. If you're looking for a lightweight, clicky switch with no noticeable graininess, you found it here.
In conclusion, if EG produced a keyboard with their Purple switches that didn't come in a package that looks like the brainchild of an axe murderer and a toddler, I'd take it into serious consideration. Also, I'd likely purchase a keyboard with a firmer version of the Purple switch.
P.S. Thank you to EpicGear for providing us with these sample kits. I think it's a great way to get your product out there. You've turned an overwhelmingly negative response into a positive learning experience for your potential consumer base.