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
A quick update. We've been talking to MKC about adding more switch options (Brown and Clear) for this drop. Right now it'll not be possible to add Cherry MX Brown or Clear switches to this drop because of the switch scarcity.
We are, however, looking into Brown and Clear switch options from brands other than Cherry that we could provide MKC to get more switch options up for the community.
We'll post an update soon with more news.
What about us who have already bought these Gateron switches from you?
What about us who have already bought expensive keysets from you?
We want options added for naked keyboards -- no switches, no keycaps -- À la carte.
Of course this isn't possible with mass manufactured big keyboard companies. MKC is not a big company and these keyboards are not just being pulled off an assembly line. This is as you say a special made-to-order run for Massdrop. As of now it seems like a custom keyboard, without all the customization.
Behind every drop there is a calculation of the price, lets asume 100% margin. Will be more or less on different parts/components.
This is calculated 200$ as a package. You don't want switches, lets say 40$, MKC only has to pay 20$ for them. They just lost 20$ income. You don't want keycaps, lets say 20$, MKC only has to pay 10$ for them. They just lost 10$ income. The next one will demand no leds, 10$ less, MKC only has to pay 3$ for them, another loss. What about labour, i mean they dont have to solder and assemble, this must be worth another 20$.
Even if all this would happen, the next one will step up, fuck 110$ for a case and a lousy pcb, not even a phantom board, rip off and so on and on. The whole calculation would fall apart, and there will always be people being unhappy/angry for given options.
If you've bought your Gateron switches and expensive keysets and springs .... from other drops/merchants with the intention to be entitled to ask another company to fulfill your wishes to their loss, than you're a fool in my eyes.
Now you're invited to be the next one to call me a smart ass or biased or whatever. I see it as a more realistic point of view, and there has to be a healthy balance of customers demands/wishes and companys needs to survive.
Just my two cents, which i didn't even wanted to write, but this was bothering me the whole morning.
Anyway...who buys a $200 keyboard and use with stock keycaps? not me :)
If you mean "expensive keyboard", then I'd argue that if people thing that they already paid a lot for a keyboard, they expect it to come with good keycaps that they don't need to immediately replace.