Looking for some purchasing advice.
At the moment I use a Typematrix non-mechanical keyboard which is starting to wear out and become unresponsive. I was really happy with it apart from wishing it was mechanical. A mechanical clone of that, maybe a bit wider, is really my dream.
So what are my options? The mechanical ortholinear keyboards I’ve seen tend to be of the compact and minimalistic variety, but size isn’t my priority I’m looking for something full-featured, preferably with some media keys and shortcut buttons. A number pad or some way to input numbers with a calculator-style layout is essential as my job involves numerical data entry.
Other “nice to have” things I’m more willing to compromise on:
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I type in Dvorak so blank keys or Dvorak labels would be preferable
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Hard-wired Dvorak switch is nice to have, the Typematrix has it, handy if I want to switch layouts in software to access special characters without worrying about finding a Dvorak-based layout.
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Ideally no assembly required
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I’m in the UK, I’ll import if necessary but local availability is better. On that note the 105-key layout is preferred (but not that the Typematrix has that either)
Open to alternative suggestions that ignore any of the above.
Don’t your wrists still bend at weird angles with ortho compared to a split colstaggered board? Why not a Lily58 or a Sofle board? With QMK and Via you can set up a number layer to be just like a numpad (I do this with my Corne board), as well as having a utility layer for media keys.
I’m mainly thinking of typing efficiency over wrist comfort but I’m not opposed to a split keyboard. Those are all viable options.
Then I’d recommend getting a Lily58 with MX hotswap sockets and putting whatever mechanical switches/keycaps you want on it.
This is DIY but the site does have an assembly service for their other boards, it might be worth contacting them about it.
Very much diy but this kind of layout from Weteor ticks a lot of your boxes.
https://github.com/weteor/ChonkyKong
Let me know if you need guidance on getting from the GitHub to an actual physical board. Soldering will be required (which I always encourage because I find it fun) but I recognize not everyone has the time.
I’m thinking ur options might be a smaller one with a numpad layer or an external numpad. Otherwise I think you’re going to struggle with finding this one m8ty.
The position of the number pad doesn’t matter, as long as it has one. The number pad layer is what the Typematrix has, that’s fine.
most ortholinear keyboards I’ve seen have a numpad layer and are customisable by via or something, so if you’re happy using a layer that definitely opens your options up.