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
Here's what's going on: at my university, the chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering department loves The Lord of the Rings. So, when the matt3o Nerd keycap set (https://www.massdrop.com/buy/71042) dropped a few days ago, I started a campaign to rally the ECE department, and we've raised enough money to buy him the keycap set and a keyboard. As the caps won't ship until January, I'm trying to shop around and figure out what keyboard to put the keycaps on.
The problem is twofold. First off, I've got a limited budget. So I'm looking for something under $60ish, preferably under $50. Secondly, this professor has probably never used a mechanical keyboard. As such, I don't really know what he'll like or dislike. He uses a Dell XPS 15 for classes, so I suppose maybe a Cherry Brown or something similar. (I have no issues with using Gateron or Outemu switches, I have to save money somewhere.)
So I'm looking for some recommendations. I need something nice enough that I won't feel bad about giving it as a gift. It also has to look pretty good with those keycaps (white alphas, purple mods) so if I can find a white case that would be awesome, but if I have to settle for black or grey to stay in budget, that's fine too. First and foremost it has to be within budget because I'm a poor college student :).
TLDR: Looking for a keyboard under $60 that looks good with the matt3o Nerd keycap set and will last a good long time.
EDIT: Probably also looking for something TKL as I only have the caps to cover that layout. 60% would save money, but I don't think the matt3o Nerd set will properly cover many 60% boards.
Thanks in advance!