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
I had a Novatouch, but sold it because I was unhappy with the amount of key rattle it had. The Realforce has a slightly different feel than the Novatouch - the landing isn't as harsh. I like that. It still has plenty of pop, but it's softer and my fingers glide over it faster. My impression is that it does feel close to 45g - the force to depress the key doesn't seem any heavier than MX Browns.
The keyrattle is definitely not as bad as with the Novatouch. But it's definitely there. I think I can live with it, but someday I might pay the $50 and get the specialized Topre silencing rings for this. I don't have any other Topre keyboard to compare the amount of key rattle to, but it definitely doesn't sound as good as the HHKBs. Other than the key rattle, the sound is very satisfying.
I really like the case. It's matte, very heavy and sturdy, and simple in design. I don't have a problem with the shiny bit around the volume control keys - it's a thick plate that was slid into place, so it looks high quality. The board doesn't budge, even when I use the feet. The keycaps are really thick and good quality, but I don't love the font. the dotted "i" in the Shift keys is really annoying.
The RGB lighting is beautiful. It's bright, even, and the halo-like glow from the backplate is really impressinve. And you can control the dimness down to practically imperceptible using the custom color selector. The preset colors don't get very dim, though. The best part is that you can control the colors (and dimness) of the Num Lock, Caps Lock, Scroll Lock and Key Lock indicator lights. However, I'm really unahppy with the customizability of the lighting. If you want to use the feature where it lights up where you depress the key, your only choice of backlight color is white. And there are only a few pre-loaded animated color schemes, and they're too bright and distracting for the most part. I also had issues getting my profile to stick and to be able to control my user profiles from the keyboard (but that could be new-user error).
Overall, I'm happy I chose this for my big splurge Christmas gift. My only gripes are the key rattle, although it's not horrible, and the lack of features in the lighting software.
Oh, I did want to mention that I stuck my Constellation Keycap on the ESC key, and there is no keyrattle at all. I may experiment with different keycaps to see if that helps the rattle.