Mechanical Keyboard Sound Isn't That Simple
Figure 1: I couldn't think of a more literal way to represent this article if I tried... Looking back just a few years ago, there’s no doubt that the huge influx of people that joined the hobby at the peak of the COVID pandemic were drawn to keyboards by way of YouTube, TikTok, and other audio-visual content platforms. Even as the output from these content creators has waned in recent months, their collective impact and legacy on the keyboard hobby is rather firmly etched in the history books. As a result of all of their sound tests, build logs, and opinion videos, the message is clear to any new person joining the hobby: mechanical keyboards are all about the sound. Thock this, clack that. Whether it’s keyboards, keycaps, or even singular switches, seemingly everyone new to the hobby meticulously pores over each component of their keyboard not in an attempt to figure out how it will feel in hand, but how it will sound as they’re furiously grinding their way out from...
Mar 27, 2024
What OS do I use it with? Linux (many flavors) & Windows 7 and 10, it works just fine, the YODA 2 is completely driver-less, you can even adjust the SPEED of the track-point WITHOUT a driver! It can be done in hardware (through re-programming and real-time using FN keys).
Using mechanical switches for mouse-buttons is honestly a great experience, it is tactile (I use greens and I dislike linear switches). It feels firm and you couldn't just click (press) it by mistake.
The following photo shows how the mouse keys are lower and angled compared to the space bar and the rest of the layout.
Visit it and see for yourself! It creates a configuration file that you upload to your keyboard. The configuration is then preserved no matter which computer you plug it into (as I said before, this is a driver-less keyboard)! You can configure 3 layers of FN keys + macros! You can pretty much change ANY key to do anything (with or without FN's being pressed). It is 100% re-programmable.
Explore the web configuration tool, click a key you'd like to edit and re-assign it to a different function and or macro, you will see how easy it is to re-program!
By the way, I have my right ALT, right MENU, right WIN and right SHIFT keys configured as right, down, left, and up arrow keys (in that order) - I matched the DIP switches settings from my YODA 1 since I got so used to it!
Honestly, I'd still consider this keyboard if you see yourself using a Track-Point at all!
As I said above in my other comment, I have mapped my right ALT, right MENU, right WIN and right SHIFT keys as right, down, left, and up arrow keys (in that order). For page slide keys you can easy make them FN left arrow and FN right arrow (after the re-map above), or FN + '<' and FN + '>', and so on. Again it is 100% re-programmable and with ANY 60% layout, you're going to become an FN key master! YODA 2 supports 3 levels of FN BTW!
But yes, there is indeed a learning curve, and once you get there you will see how fast and quick it is and with YODA 2 having the track-point you'll never even need a mouse, even for little annoying things that cannot be done with keyboard shortcuts. I too use keyboard shortcuts for 98% of everything, the remaining 2% gets handled by the track-point, and it is a MUCH better experience than moving my hands off the keyboard to the mouse to do something simple!