Xah Keyboard Blog Archive 2017-05

Contour Roller Mouse (updated)

Ergonomic Mouse (updated)

Smith Premier Typewriter

apple adjustable keyboard 1993  04844 s337x186
Apple Adjustable Keyboard 1993

Evolution of Laptop Keyboard (complete rewrite.)

IBM Model M keyboard (1985)

Microsoft Natural Keyboard (Major update. New photos.)

Programable Keypad (new one, 8 keys)

AutoHotkey Tutorial (minor update)

Where to Buy Keycaps (new page)

Why Function Keys F1 to F12 Are Useful (major update)

Myth of QWERTY vs Dvorak Layout (major extension, with pictures and book reference.)

Hammond Typewriter

Caligraph №3 Typewriter

my article hit hackernews. yay. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14367207

the article is History of Key Shortcuts: Emacs, vim, WASD, Etc

thanks to whoever submitted.

Typewriter Spacebar History

Character Frequency Plot (updated. the origin of “E T A O I N”)

Logitech Wave Keyboard (minor update. new photos.)

Tiny Spacebar (minor update)

Optimus Popularis Keyboard. The Optimus keyboard, seems unreliable as mass product. They are way expensive and not on market for long.

LCD screens keypad

just discovered this on amazon.

each key is a LCD screen. And not very expensive!

ergodox QMK firmware vs keyboard.io Kaleidoscope

For those ergodox fans, this is informative:

reddit

quote:

algernone wrote on 2017-05-16

There are a few things QMK is better at: stability, community knowledge, available keymaps. On the other hand, Kaleidoscope brings a few things too, which QMK does not have:

• Instead of a monolithic codebase, Kaleidoscope is a very small core, with lots of plugins. This is easier to extend, and easier to puzzle the pieces YOU need together.

• Some of the features shared by both are more flexible in Kaleidoscope:

  • One-shots can be chained, so you can do Alt, Ctrl, X, instead of Alt+Ctrl+X.
  • Tap-dance is a lot easier to work with.
  • You can have more than one Leader key.
  • Macros can have parts that work while the keyboard is idle.
  • MouseKeys are easier to tweak (including at runtime).

• There are features that QMK does not have:

  • Bi-directional communication with the host, which allows all kinds of reconfiguration, without compiling or flashing new firmware.
  • Magic combos.
  • A lot of LED effects.

A lot of stuff is doable with QMK, but the Kaleidoscope architecture is a lot easier to work with. And the bi-directional communication is something that QMK lacks, and is the biggest deal.

There are some other niceties, like being able to emulate an absolute mouse, meaning you can position the mouse to specific parts of the screen, no matter where the cursor has been before. Combined with the usual mouse keys, this is a very powerful way to control the rodent.

keyboard.io Model 01 latest update with photo

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/keyboardio/the-model-01-an-heirloom-grade-keyboard-for-seriou/posts/1877871

much delayed, but always solid progress.

one really nice thing happening is that they created a open source firmware Kaleidoscope https://github.com/keyboardio/Kaleidoscope and the GUI Chryslis https://github.com/algernon/Chrysalis

that's beyond any current firmware's capabilities in any gaming/programable keyboard/keypad, as far as i know.

reddit discussion reddit

japanese rboard keyboard 23317
[image source https://twitter.com/OAK_ATOK/status/731356934234734592 ] More photos at http://blog.livedoor.jp/zte03212-kazu/archives/281630.html

Kinesis Advantage2 Programing Guide

updated. You can set a thumb key to toggle the number pad. Or, hold it as shift for number pad.

Apple Pippin NeXT keyboard 62215-s289x217
Apple Bandai Pippin Controller

Russian Keyboard Layout (new photo)

Mistel Barocco Split Keyboard (new photos)

German Keyboard Layouts

Kinesis Advantage Keyboard Gallery (new photo)

Russian Keyboard Layout

Dactyl keyboard (new glorious photo added)

French Letter Frequency

Character Frequency Plot