For desk work that is not typing, look into a gaming keyboard and mouse. My drafting co-workers have bound short macros to the extra keyboard keys for frequently used commands, I am weighing the benefits to use the same approach for frequently used equations during design calculations.
A reasonable suggestion, though I find that the time required to bind the macros, then remember them, then remember to use them, is too much effort for me. That, of course, is up to personal preference.
Also: do you know of a gaming keyboard that is a Mac keyboard (presence of appropriate keys and layout) and has clicky-keys (a la the Apple Extended / Matias ProTouch Edit: got the name wrong, it’s the Matias Tactile Pro)?
Das Keyboard now comes in a real Mac version (they used to just have exchangeable keycaps and it’s never been quite ideal). It’s clicky and nice. It doesn’t have lunatic gaming ‘features’ like enormous rubber WASD though.
Yep, I’ve seen the Das Keyboard. Layout is still somewhat incorrect (see my comment here), even on the “Mac” version, though the fact that it’s based on the Model M (or… so the imply?) is cool. Of course it also doesn’t seem to have any extra keys that might be bound to macros or whatnot, which was the motivation for the original comment.
In general, gaming peripherals for Macs are hard to come by; Razer has at least 3 keyboards that allegedly support Mac OS X; you might have to modify or get over keys (mis)labeled for windows users. In general, most gaming keyboards like to have a very tactile feel that allows one to be certain of keypresses. I’m not sure exactly what feature you are describing with ‘clicky-keys’; are you looking for a long stroke, or for keys that register a keypress before bottoming out, and have significantly less resistance for the bottom portion of the stroke?
I’m describing the feel that you get with “mechanical-switch” keys (google it for images/explanations). The Apple Extended Keyboard (and Apple Extended Keyboard II), and, more recently, the Matias Tactile Pro (not ProTouch, whoops) are two keyboards that use such technology. Most other keyboards do not.
The Razer “for Mac” keyboards seem to have obviously non-Mac layouts, which rearrangement won’t fix. That’s a deal-breaker for me. The correct layout and the feel of a good keyboard is more important to me than additional keys or whatnot. My question was mostly due to curiosity.
I’m not sure what ‘layout’ issues you are referring to, but I’m not a Mac user and I have trouble adjusting to any laptop keyboard. I’m guessing that the layout issue is that you need four bucky keys to the left of the space bar and two to the right, instead of 3/4? Or is the location of the arrows and lack of the right half also critical?
EDIT: Mechanical keyboards can be tactile, noisy, both, or neither, depending on the specific nature of the switch. Which are important to you?
EDIT 2: What feature does the Matias Tactile Pro 3 keyboard lack that a ‘gaming’ keyboard would have?
What’s a “bucky key”...? (Edit: I see you were referring to this probably. Interesting, hadn’t heard the term before) Anyway, there are several layout issues. I’m pretty picky when it comes to keyboard layout. Um, let’s see. Correct number and layout of modifier keys (Control Option Command Spacebar Command Option Control; anything else is incorrect); correct numpad layout (18 keys, not 17, with Enter and 0 being the only two large ones); presence of volume control and eject keys above the numpad; shape of Return key (one-row height, not two-row); a properly sized backslash key… that ought to mostly cover it, I think.
I’m talking about the feel of the keyboard when I say that I prefer mechanical key switches.
As for what a gaming keyboard adds, I’m not the one who brought it up; wadavis mentioned them in this comment, citing extra keys to which macros might be bound. I’ve never used such a keyboard myself, I was just curious whether such a one might exist which would also fulfill my other criteria for a keyboard.
If all you want is programmable macros, then something like the Nostromo or Orbweaver could serve you well; every button and each direction of the 8-way hat switch can be changed to any input or macro possible from a USB device, including mouse clicks, multimedia commands, launching programs, or changing its own settings.
If your typical workflow can be reduced to 15-230 macros that you can keep straight, it could replace the keyboard as a primary input device. If you would benefit from 15-20 macros that you need to take a hand away from the keyboard to execute, it could serve as a useful addition. If you just want a keystroke combination that executes a series of commands, that’s probably better done in software.
I had good results with CopyPaste, a program which creates multiple clipboards you can store things in on a semipermanent basis. ctrl-shift-v-2 could be the command to paste the second stored clipboard, for instance (depending on your settings—it was very configurable). That only works for things that allow the use of the edit menu—not palette hotkey selections—but it could be a help.
For desk work that is not typing, look into a gaming keyboard and mouse. My drafting co-workers have bound short macros to the extra keyboard keys for frequently used commands, I am weighing the benefits to use the same approach for frequently used equations during design calculations.
A reasonable suggestion, though I find that the time required to bind the macros, then remember them, then remember to use them, is too much effort for me. That, of course, is up to personal preference.
Also: do you know of a gaming keyboard that is a Mac keyboard (presence of appropriate keys and layout) and has clicky-keys (a la the Apple Extended / Matias ProTouch Edit: got the name wrong, it’s the Matias Tactile Pro)?
Update: I have recently purchased the Unicomp Spacesaver M[1], and it is everything I ever wanted from a keyboard. I can’t recommend it highly enough!
[1] Basically, it’s an IBM Model M—with buckling-spring keys—but with a Mac layout and a USB connection.
Das Keyboard now comes in a real Mac version (they used to just have exchangeable keycaps and it’s never been quite ideal). It’s clicky and nice. It doesn’t have lunatic gaming ‘features’ like enormous rubber WASD though.
Yep, I’ve seen the Das Keyboard. Layout is still somewhat incorrect (see my comment here), even on the “Mac” version, though the fact that it’s based on the Model M (or… so the imply?) is cool. Of course it also doesn’t seem to have any extra keys that might be bound to macros or whatnot, which was the motivation for the original comment.
In general, gaming peripherals for Macs are hard to come by; Razer has at least 3 keyboards that allegedly support Mac OS X; you might have to modify or get over keys (mis)labeled for windows users. In general, most gaming keyboards like to have a very tactile feel that allows one to be certain of keypresses. I’m not sure exactly what feature you are describing with ‘clicky-keys’; are you looking for a long stroke, or for keys that register a keypress before bottoming out, and have significantly less resistance for the bottom portion of the stroke?
I’m describing the feel that you get with “mechanical-switch” keys (google it for images/explanations). The Apple Extended Keyboard (and Apple Extended Keyboard II), and, more recently, the Matias Tactile Pro (not ProTouch, whoops) are two keyboards that use such technology. Most other keyboards do not.
The Razer “for Mac” keyboards seem to have obviously non-Mac layouts, which rearrangement won’t fix. That’s a deal-breaker for me. The correct layout and the feel of a good keyboard is more important to me than additional keys or whatnot. My question was mostly due to curiosity.
I’m not sure what ‘layout’ issues you are referring to, but I’m not a Mac user and I have trouble adjusting to any laptop keyboard. I’m guessing that the layout issue is that you need four bucky keys to the left of the space bar and two to the right, instead of 3/4? Or is the location of the arrows and lack of the right half also critical?
EDIT: Mechanical keyboards can be tactile, noisy, both, or neither, depending on the specific nature of the switch. Which are important to you?
EDIT 2: What feature does the Matias Tactile Pro 3 keyboard lack that a ‘gaming’ keyboard would have?
What’s a “bucky key”...? (Edit: I see you were referring to this probably. Interesting, hadn’t heard the term before) Anyway, there are several layout issues. I’m pretty picky when it comes to keyboard layout. Um, let’s see. Correct number and layout of modifier keys (Control Option Command Spacebar Command Option Control; anything else is incorrect); correct numpad layout (18 keys, not 17, with Enter and 0 being the only two large ones); presence of volume control and eject keys above the numpad; shape of Return key (one-row height, not two-row); a properly sized backslash key… that ought to mostly cover it, I think.
I’m talking about the feel of the keyboard when I say that I prefer mechanical key switches.
As for what a gaming keyboard adds, I’m not the one who brought it up; wadavis mentioned them in this comment, citing extra keys to which macros might be bound. I’ve never used such a keyboard myself, I was just curious whether such a one might exist which would also fulfill my other criteria for a keyboard.
If all you want is programmable macros, then something like the Nostromo or Orbweaver could serve you well; every button and each direction of the 8-way hat switch can be changed to any input or macro possible from a USB device, including mouse clicks, multimedia commands, launching programs, or changing its own settings.
If your typical workflow can be reduced to 15-230 macros that you can keep straight, it could replace the keyboard as a primary input device. If you would benefit from 15-20 macros that you need to take a hand away from the keyboard to execute, it could serve as a useful addition. If you just want a keystroke combination that executes a series of commands, that’s probably better done in software.
Off the top of my head, no.
I had good results with CopyPaste, a program which creates multiple clipboards you can store things in on a semipermanent basis. ctrl-shift-v-2 could be the command to paste the second stored clipboard, for instance (depending on your settings—it was very configurable). That only works for things that allow the use of the edit menu—not palette hotkey selections—but it could be a help.