[deleted] · 2022-02-15 10:28
[deleted]
ftrx · 2022-02-15 13:57
Personally I still struggle to find a viable solution... I've reasoned a bit about creating my custom keyboard, it's practically possible, I know the bit of electronics needed, how to look for parts, how to assemble them, I can find third parties to cut an aluminum chassis + eventual 3D printed plastic to lower the cost but it's still a LONG project and the outcome is definitively expensive considering components and their cost at scale...
All commercial keyboards even the DIY programmable kits run the race of being as small, so cheap, as possible for the OEM and as expensive as possible with the *excuse* that being little is an expensive, valuable feature. Also most "programmable" QMK-based etc keyboards are essentially crap in both UI and implementation terms. If I pay 300+ euros for a keyboard programmable means "give me a damn flash memory with a classic minimal fs, like fat16, with few files and dir: a doc one, with a small pdf/txt/html quickstart + detailed manual, default config, few default example configs for most common usage etc, another with the user-saved configs, a simple text file with a scancode-symbol mapping per line, the running config. Programming means write/modify the running config, save it once done and keep going. OPTIONAL webui, locally served from the few Mb flash memory via python/go single, no deps, "program" with a simple html+css+minimal js, no network resources needed, for a visual UI to "drag&drop" program the keyboard from localhost. It's not cheap? Well for the price of a low end Android smartphone it THE BARE MINIMUM an OEM can give IMVHO. At such price tag I expect also few "modular compartment" to buy gadgets around like a USB hub for various USB standard, a multi-card reader, an extra "macropad", ...
So far the least sub-optimal keyboards I found are Redragon K550 Yama, not really programmable (since macro do have a NON programmable delay) but at least have many keys and a decent price tags for the product, Unicomp PC122, even cheaper plastic, even inferior finishing quality, crappy switches, but at least many keys (even if LESS than they appear since for the USB version many are duplicates), and again a reasonable price tag, REAL aftersale service and possibility to easily interact as needed. I've tried the Cloud Nine C989M that formally have a bit of keys, and it's an ergo splitted unlike the two above, but it's plastic crappiness level is really too much... A forth option Freesytle Pro, not many keys, expensive for the product, but at least a splitted one with a bit of keys...