What is SpaceFN and why you should give it a try
The SpaceFN concept - setting up your space key as a layer switch when held - is probably one of the most useful tweaks in the keyboard hobby. Let me explain how it works. My SpaceFN article on kbd.news made some rounds recently - quite surprisingly given the age of this concept. This piece you're reading is a condensed version of the full post. If you're left with unanswered questions, you'll most likely find the info you're looking for in the original write-up. On my imaginary top list of the most useful keyboard features, tweaks and hacks, SpaceFN would deserve a podium finish for sure. But what makes it so special? In short: SpaceFN is easy to implement, easy to learn, costs nothing, can be used with any keyboard, and can improve your productivity instantly. I will list its benefits below, but can state right at this point that the SpaceFN concept, setting up your space key as a layer switch when held, is clearly one of the most useful tweaks in the keyboard hobby....
Apr 30, 2024
this was my first mechanical keyboard and it felt MUCH better than easier to type on that my old membrane keyboard. in fact, after about a week, i tried typing on the old one and it felt so much mushier. very glad i bought this. i was leaning towards not buying it since it's offbrand and since it's cheap, i thought that it might be defective. i'm glad that i stuck with my decision to buy it. every key lights up in every color, and all of the lighting affects advertised are possible. i do have a FEW complaints with the RBG backlighting though. first of all, the manual is very confusing so i had to figure out most of it on my own. it helped a lot knowing that everything above the arrow keys changes the backlighting using the FN key. if you want the keyboard to be in a solid color, your options are red, yellow, green, teal, dark blue, pink, and white. now, before i bought the product, i was told that the backlighting was purple, but i find it to be a mix of pink and purple. i'm still very satisfied because i end up using the rainbow wave at day, and making the backlighting white at night to avoid distractions. a very minor thing (me being a bit picky) was the enter key at first. so the old membrane keyboard had the european style enter key where it's not as long horizontally but there was more space vertically. when i got the keyboard, i found myself pressing the \ key instead of the enter key, but i got used to it quickly and i never end up missing the enter key anymore, so hardly a problem for me. the keyboard has places for the cable to run along the keyboard (left, right, and forward) so it's more convenient for certain setups you might have. also a positive thing for me, i find that the keyboard is very sturdy and doesn't move much while playing a game or typing due to it's weight, and i'm happy since my old membrane keyboard moved a lot while using it. so i can't really give a rating or say "it's worth the price" because this is my first mechanical keyboard and i don't know how it compares to others, but all in all, i'm really happy i bought it.