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
I love my Box Navy's, great for a typist. The thicker click bar causes a stronger tactility in the keypress.
The Box Navy measures near 78g peak force at actuation: https://plot.ly/~haata/415 (somewhat similar to IBM Model M membrane buckling spring).
The Box Jade measures near 63g peak force at actuation: https://plot.ly/~haata/415 (somewhat similar to IBM Model F capacitive buckling spring).
Box Jade is my favorite Cherry-compatible switch ever, by far. My other favorites are IBM Model F capacitive buckling spring, and SKCM blue/SKCM white alps.
Well, I love Model F, but I don't know about that. I'd say that Model F sounds high pitched and metallic, while Model M sounds a little deeper and more plastick-y. I guess it all depends on your preference. For me, key feel is paramount; I do like some sort of sound at actuation as a positive reinforcement--maybe because I first learned to type on an IBM selectric typewriter.