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 picked up a cherry switch tester and 9 switches. I was really hoping that the Clear might be the solution, or maybe a white since it's isn't as loud as some other clicky switches, but they aren't quite doing it for me. I guess maybe I was expecting a smoother feel out of them, but the keystroke on my Model M seems smoother if you can believe that.
I guess I'm just looking for some recommendations. Like, should I just try a full keyboard with clears or whites and see if it's different, or should I just skip cherry all together? Or should I just make my wallet scream in pain and get a Topre :). Brand isn't really important. This is more about the switches.
If it helps any, I do a fair bit of gaming. Some FPS, sometimes MMO's, Macro keys aren't important. I never used that stuff on the Apex anyway. I want a nice typing experience and some noise is ok, just not Model M or MX blue level of noise.
I'm also not opposed to building my own keyboard. Hell, that actually sounds like fun :).