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Every time I read about people's obsessions with keyboards I feel like an outsider. Am I weird? I've been using the same Logitech K120 that costs around 10€/$10

Every time I read about people's obsessions with keyboards I feel like an outsider. Am I weird? I've been using the same Logitech K120 that costs around 10€/$10, my muscle memory is important. The keys are in the usual places instead of multi-function keys, arrow keys are separated, it has a numpad... I'd like to have dedicated media keys, but that's the only thing I'd change. I keep buying it and have spare ones just in case.

rkangel 6y ago
I do know what you mean - there's a standard keyboard layout, it works well, there are plenty of keyboards using it. But then, I do care about the action of my keys - it's a small detail but I spend all day in front of a keyboard - and so I have a >£100 Das Keyboard. It's all a question of degrees. Maybe also there's a component of 'expression of self'. We are individuals with individual personalities. As coders our keyboard is important so it's a more productive medium than most to express our individual tastes.
ethanbond 6y ago
The way I view it is muscle memory is important because you use the tool so frequently. For the same reason, continuous minor improvements can add up quickly. People definitely go overboard but I think it’s worth it to experiment a little bit and see if you can gradually optimize some things you do a lot. I’m a big fan of the Ergodox keyboards and having a decent number of layers. For example, holding W turns my right hand into a window manager. Holding F turns my right hand into an app switch (H = Chrome, J = IntelliJ etc). All of this is on/near the home row so it’s minimally straining. Learning curves on new keyboards are awful though!
zaat 6y ago
No you are not weird, you are the standard, and that's why you are likely to have no difficulties to get your favorite keyboard at comfortable price in the foreseeable future. The weird ones are us, the custom mechanical keyboard enthusiasts, and because we are niche and have particular needs we pay much more and have much more to discuss.
sergiosgc 6y ago
It's a tool you put many hours of use into. Every professional in every area is like that about their tools. Lucky you to have set your preference on a cheap keyboard. I use a Logitech MX Keys everywhere I can. It costs ten times as much, though.
lm28469 6y ago
> Every time I read about people's obsessions with keyboards I feel like an outsider. Am I weird? As soon as you start digging in any type of hobby you'll find people going crazy about things you will not understand at all. From audiophiles, to barbecue enthusiasts, knife collectors, wood workers, if you go deep enough in the rabbit hole you'll feel like an alien I think some personalities are just drawn to these kind of things. They want "the best" and enter an interminable quest or discussing, comparing, building, fighting with other people about "what's the best", &c. I know because I'm part of it in some aspects of my life
m463 6y ago
I used to love apple desktop keyboards. Then they went to the flat aluminum ones and I couldn't feel the keys. The concave keys were traded in for flat keys and I could no longer center my fingers and feel the edges of the keys. So I hunted around and tried a bunch of keyboards. mechanical, mechanical knockoffs, clicky, smooth. I ended up with a topre realforce rgb. Extremely solid keys. Very smooth throw, and adjustable activation point. The other mechanical keys like cherry don't feel as solid. They wiggle side to side. The topre has a solid base and a cylindrical to guide the keys as they depress. I didn't want rgb, but in the end I set it to single color dim and I can find the keys in a dark room, which is great. Later I went back and tried my old apple keyboard and gah it felt like typing on bubble wrap. But I would not have known and I would have been happy if apple didn't change things around.
myself248 6y ago
Oh thank you, I thought I was the only one. I'm using the same Focus 6000 since 1992-ish. Recently I've been trying to introduce a Cherry G86-series SPOS keyboard, since it has a giant pile of relegendable/remappable keys that I want to use for CAD stuff. I've gotten all the remapping done and that works well enough, but just plain typing on the QWERTY portion is a PITA. Small r-shift key has me hunting every time, I think I'm gonna have to glue sandpaper to it or something. The Esc key is on the wrong row and it throws me off every time, etc. Muscle memory is huuuuuuge.
quasarj 6y ago
Unsure, but if it's the layouts you hate, there are plenty of great standard full size layout keyboards with mechanical keys. Of course, mechanical keys may not be for everyone, but I love them. I'd say check out my current favorite keyboard, the MK Typist: https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=3526 https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_det... I'm also fond of the Kailh BOX White switches, but they aren't for everyone.

rkangel 6y ago

I do know what you mean - there's a standard keyboard layout, it works well, there are plenty of keyboards using it. But then, I do care about the action of my keys - it's a small detail but I spend all day in front of a keyboard - and so I have a >£100 Das Keyboard. It's all a question of degrees. Maybe also there's a component of 'expression of self'. We are individuals with individual personalities. As coders our keyboard is important so it's a more productive medium than most to express our individual tastes.

ethanbond 6y ago

The way I view it is muscle memory is important because you use the tool so frequently. For the same reason, continuous minor improvements can add up quickly. People definitely go overboard but I think it’s worth it to experiment a little bit and see if you can gradually optimize some things you do a lot. I’m a big fan of the Ergodox keyboards and having a decent number of layers. For example, holding W turns my right hand into a window manager. Holding F turns my right hand into an app switch (H = Chrome, J = IntelliJ etc). All of this is on/near the home row so it’s minimally straining. Learning curves on new keyboards are awful though!

zaat 6y ago

No you are not weird, you are the standard, and that's why you are likely to have no difficulties to get your favorite keyboard at comfortable price in the foreseeable future. The weird ones are us, the custom mechanical keyboard enthusiasts, and because we are niche and have particular needs we pay much more and have much more to discuss.

sergiosgc 6y ago

It's a tool you put many hours of use into. Every professional in every area is like that about their tools. Lucky you to have set your preference on a cheap keyboard. I use a Logitech MX Keys everywhere I can. It costs ten times as much, though.

lm28469 6y ago

> Every time I read about people's obsessions with keyboards I feel like an outsider. Am I weird? As soon as you start digging in any type of hobby you'll find people going crazy about things you will not understand at all. From audiophiles, to barbecue enthusiasts, knife collectors, wood workers, if you go deep enough in the rabbit hole you'll feel like an alien I think some personalities are just drawn to these kind of things. They want "the best" and enter an interminable quest or discussing, comparing, building, fighting with other people about "what's the best", &c. I know because I'm part of it in some aspects of my life

m463 6y ago

I used to love apple desktop keyboards. Then they went to the flat aluminum ones and I couldn't feel the keys. The concave keys were traded in for flat keys and I could no longer center my fingers and feel the edges of the keys. So I hunted around and tried a bunch of keyboards. mechanical, mechanical knockoffs, clicky, smooth. I ended up with a topre realforce rgb. Extremely solid keys. Very smooth throw, and adjustable activation point. The other mechanical keys like cherry don't feel as solid. They wiggle side to side. The topre has a solid base and a cylindrical to guide the keys as they depress. I didn't want rgb, but in the end I set it to single color dim and I can find the keys in a dark room, which is great. Later I went back and tried my old apple keyboard and gah it felt like typing on bubble wrap. But I would not have known and I would have been happy if apple didn't change things around.

myself248 6y ago

Oh thank you, I thought I was the only one. I'm using the same Focus 6000 since 1992-ish. Recently I've been trying to introduce a Cherry G86-series SPOS keyboard, since it has a giant pile of relegendable/remappable keys that I want to use for CAD stuff. I've gotten all the remapping done and that works well enough, but just plain typing on the QWERTY portion is a PITA. Small r-shift key has me hunting every time, I think I'm gonna have to glue sandpaper to it or something. The Esc key is on the wrong row and it throws me off every time, etc. Muscle memory is huuuuuuge.

quasarj 6y ago

Unsure, but if it's the layouts you hate, there are plenty of great standard full size layout keyboards with mechanical keys. Of course, mechanical keys may not be for everyone, but I love them. I'd say check out my current favorite keyboard, the MK Typist: https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=3526 https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_det... I'm also fond of the Kailh BOX White switches, but they aren't for everyone.