QWERKey-UK OP t1_iwhw7ps wrote on November 15, 2022 at 7:31 PM

Reply to comment by NoOne-NBA- in We Need More 75s by QWERKey-UK

That's my point. You either need layers.... or lose the number row. I use the F row a lot, which is why I like 75s. I also just like them aesthetically, particularly exploded 75s.

I'd rather have a 75 and a separate numpad for the rare occasions I would use it. I have a wireless one that sits in a drawer until its services are called upon.

NoOne-NBA- t1_iwim2f6 wrote on November 15, 2022 at 10:17 PM

As a left-handed graphic designer and gamer, any keyboard without a numpad is literally useless to me.

I do too much number entry at work.
Trying to enter all those numbers on the number row is a literal waste of time, and would make me want to smash the keyboard.
At home, I hold the mouse in my left hand while gaming, so the numpad/arrow/nav cluster are where I do button entry.

From an aesthetic standpoint, I really love my Wind X.
I was equally fond of the HHKB-style 60% I had, coupled with a hand-built macropad that mimics the right side of a traditional 100% board.

Those two boards, viewed together, made up an F-keyless 100%, which worked beautifully for me, until my brain decided it could do even better.
That was the spark that resulted in my current work board.

Unfortunately for me, after using my current work board, even the Wind X annoys me now, if I try to use it for graphics.
I tried to do some work in Illustrator over the weekend, to design a replacement for it, and it frustrated me to the point I didn't make any headway at all, on that project.

How's that for a chicken vs. egg dilemma?

QWERKey-UK OP t1_iwk0clu wrote on November 16, 2022 at 4:52 AM

After reading that I'm just glad my needs are far more basic :)

NoOne-NBA- t1_iwk9tie wrote on November 16, 2022 at 6:36 AM

My "needs" have evolved dramatically, the more I have explored the world of programmable keyboards.

I spent the better part of a decade perfectly happy with the 100% board I had, with Cherry Reds in it.
Then necessity forced me to explore ways to change keymaps on the fly, which ultimately led me to where I am now.

Once you've used something that has been designed specifically for you, and for the way you intend to use it, going back to anything less than that is extremely difficult.