Mechanical Keyboards

I'm a 65% user and it's great. The only keys right of the main block that I ever really use are delete, PrtSc, and the arrow keys - so all a full size keyboard does for me is force me to awkwardly bend my arms to the left as I type. I especially dislike numpads on laptop keyboards for that reason.

And I work with numbers a lot. I just prefer the number row. I have remapped the rightmost column of keys to more useful functions as well.

The avarage user doesn't need all the buttons accessible at every moment as such are willing to trade convenience for space saving and cost reduction. Some people though mainly professionals with hyper specific niches go the opposite direction and trade space and cost for oversized keyboards in the name of efficiency.

Trading terminal keyboards are the easiest keyboards to point to utilizing their additional keys for more streamline trading in an era before algorithmic trading

Belive it or not just like click switches, large keyboards still popup within the mech keyboard community. Hyper 7 being the most well known (and has a group buy currently going) but there's also the wombat 200% which features twenty rotary encoders. Some people have been getting the best of both worlds by utilizing a modular mindset. A 75% keyboard with an external numpad and macro pad has the same functionality as a battleship.

I dont prefer smaller, because at work when I'm in the office I do a lot of spreadsheet work and consequently use the numpad and arrow keys alot.

At home while gaming I almost never use them and never did, had mini keyboards for years but sometimes I have to use my computer for actual work and lo and behold if my halds and fingers dont immediately start looking for the numpad...

When I used full size keyboard it knocked down my microphone so many times that it became anoying. Moving the keyboard away from microphone wasn't an option because it wasn't comfortable for my hands. Moving microphone itself also wasn't an option because of the cabels and also there is no better position for it on my desk. Combine all of that with the fact that I didn't even use numpad. Smaller keyboard is so much better for me but I see why some people like full size ones.

It probably feels more ergonomical, I would also have a smaller if I were to buy one tbh

I have a split ergo (Ergodox) and an ortho (Preonic). The Ergodox is my normal keyboard and has modifiers and a number row. I use the ortho for cad/3d work when my right hand stays on a mouse so I can type commands and inputs one handed. I still don’t have muscle memory fully down to use layers for symbols and numbers but could get there.

I use keyboards in the 40%-65% range. For me it is about reduced travel. Almost no travel for typing any key and minimal travel for the mouse.

I wouldn't use a keyboard that small if it wasn't for QMK, the open source keyboard firmware. We essentially have dedicated layer keys. A key when tapped or held remaps the keyboard. For myself that is usually caps lock and a couple keys on the bottom row. I select keyboards that have the space bar split into 3-4 keys for this to work. 4 is preferred to put backspace next to space.

With 40 keys and 3 layers that's (40 keys - 3 layer keys) * (1 base layer + 3 activated layers) = 148 keys within reach of home row. A full size is around 120 keys.

I'm used to software using "leader" keys like vim and tmux, so it never really bothered me to use layers. I don't get why anyone would want their hands always moving to reach keys since I started using layers.

I don't have a use for a numpad and it typically sits where I have my mouse so I rather have the space than the numpad. If I really needed one I'd likely just get an external numpad that I can plug in and have it to the side somewhere.

Personally, my favorite size / layout are , as they keep their F-keys and the Home / Page keys, but everything is compacted into one uniform block without useless gaps. Perfect blend between functionality and aesthetics for me.

There’s a lot more keyboards without the numpad and the block of middle keys - whatever they’re called - or with the middle keys reduced or squashed up awkwardly on the side, than full-size plain old 102- or 104-key layout keyboards.

I don't like reduced-size keys or reshaping the block of six keys. My guess is that reshaping the block of six keys (Insert, Home, etc) is to mirror laptop layouts, so one doesn't have to switch between different layouts mentally. No real need on a desktop, but on a laptop, space is often at a premium.

But getting rid of the numpad is something that I am definitely enthusiastic about.

There aren't that many uses for the numpad. In my experience:

• You actually do a bunch of numeric entry. I think that very few people do this, but for those people, sure, it's useful.

• A few games use it, largely because it happened to be there for numeric entry. Because laptops don't generally have a numpad, shifting to keybinding schemes that use it have become far less common.

However, the numpad sits right where the mouse would ideally be if the keyboard is reasonably centered.

In general, I'd rather have my hands stay on the home row. If you have to use keys off in neverland, like arrow keys or F-keys or the like, you need to relocate your hands. Preferable to use modifier keys and chord them with regular keys in the "main block" of keys. If you're a vi or emacs user, you likely don't use the arrow keys for cursor movement.

There was also a trend back around, oh, early 2000s to have a bunch of extra keys added to the keyboard, stuff like Play, Pause, etc. That seemed to kinda fall out of favor.

Numpad not needed since already have number keys above the alphas (and you can buy separate tenkey pads if they’re really needed). The extra space on desktop gained by a shorter keyboard is far more useful. All of mine except two are TKL, the others are 60%. Below that you fall into specialist territory and having typed on QWERTY layouts with function keys for decades I think I’m a bit too old to unlearn and relearn typing, but some people find it fun to use weird and wonderful ortho, dactyl or 40% keebs with multiple programmable “layers”.

User getting younger and keyboards smaller.

Isn't more keys generally better?

No. It's not. 101 keyboards have a lot of redundancy and that's just wasted space on the desk.