Category: Keyboards
Blogging on the iPad
I wrote the last post “Not If, But When” on the iPad, using the iOS WordPress app. That was my first attempt at writing more than tweets on the iPad. I noticed a few things: I found that typing a long-form piece was a slower experience, but completely workable. I was frustrated, however, by the lack of any clear way to create links. After some more experimentation I found that starting to type “http://” makes the app ask you if you want to create a link. It would be nice to have a dedicated button, or at the very least a quick introductory message showing how to create one.
I wrote this post by starting it as a draft in Mars Edit, and then continuing it in the WordPress iOS app. I can imagine that my usual process will most likely involve the reverse: starting a post in iOS and finishing it in Mars Edit.
I still don’t see how to create curled quote marks with the software keyboard; I imagine that hooking up a Bluetooth keyboard is the only way to get those. I just installed a Markdown plugin on this blog, and using that syntax on the iOS app surprisingly works. So that gives me support for things like emphasis and blockquotes. Not bad.
Filco Keyboard Deep Clean
Click for full-size
Some maintenance work on the Filco Keyboard. So much grit had built up on the keycaps, and I had a feeling that it was even worse under the keys.
What I wasn’t prepared for was how much dirt was under there:
Crumbs, dust, hair, and who knows what else.
I pulled all the keys off (using a makeshift keycap puller). The longer keys (spacebar, shift, enter, etc.) had extra wire stabilizers that required some finessing. Then I dumped them in soapy hot water, scrubbed them, and laid them all out to dry. Then I took a bunch of q-tips dipped in diluted alcohold to the board, trying to get most of the dirt there.
Reassembly:
Next time I’ll have to find a can of compressed air before doing this; it would’ve made cleaning the board a lot easier.
Leopold Keyboards at EliteKeyboards
It looks like EliteKeyboards is no longer carrying the Filco line of Cherry MX boards. Instead they’re offering up what looks like a very similar option from Leopold.
Geekhack.org has a thread here with some good info on the Leopold. Apparently the designer is the same guy behind the Filco boards. No wonder they look very similar.
Das Keyboard III
Das Keyboard, Take Three. If this had been announced a month ago I might have paused before importing the Filco. It appears to use the blue Cherry keyswitches, which are a bit clickier (and consequently louder) than the brown switches on the Filco. It also has a USB hub, which the Filco lacks. It would be nice to try one, if only to feel (and hear) how it behaves.
More importantly, the new Das comes in two flavors, one of which has the characters printed on the keys. I can appreciate that not having the keys marked would make you a better touch typist if you stuck with it, but I like that they’re finally giving users another option — especially if they’re less concerned with touch-typing elitism and just want a great-feeling keyboard.
As for the Filco, I’ve settled in after a period of adjustment. It’s a bit higher than the Macally Icekey that it replaced, so my hand position had to change slightly. The keys have a very “light” feel — it doesn’t require much pressure to type a character, so I find myself bottoming out less unless I’m really typing fast.
Filco Majestouch
Update 2009-06-23: It looks like there is finally an official US distributor of Diatec/Filco keyboards, Elite Keyboards. The “Otaku” version has no markings on the keys, like the Das Keyboard.
This just in, after clearing customs from Japan: a Filco Majestouch FKB104M/EB.
I first heard about Filco via the geekhack.org keyboard forums, and eventually ended up placing an order for one via BeNippon. I had originally tried to get the newer FKBN104M/EB (which features N-key rollover) via another Japanese buying service, but it was sold out everywhere they looked. So I went for the standard model, figuring that since I’m not a gamer the lack of N-key rollover wasn’t going to affect me.