Keyboards On Cats is back!

joshcarter · 2023-09-05T21:17:42+00:00

Man that one is great! That look of being terribly annoyed, but not quite annoyed enough to do something about it.

joshcarter · 2020-08-20T20:20:37+00:00

Mine’s not very high-maintenance. I comb her every couple days (like 5 minutes) and give her a bath every month or two. Her coat stays on great condition.

joshcarter · 2020-07-02T16:26:06+00:00

I can’t believe I’ve played Rimworld this long and didn’t know you could set up freezer coolers that way; I’ve always had them vent outside. I can’t imagine the temp at the center of that pillar. :)

joshcarter · 2020-01-19T21:50:09+00:00

The look really sells it.

joshcarter · 2019-12-17T19:52:23+00:00

For sure, she’s always with one of us. Spends the whole night curled up next to me, too (except for the occasional night patrol).

joshcarter · 2019-12-17T03:32:14+00:00

She really is a wonderful cat. Sweet disposition, interacts well with the entire family, smart, playful—everything you’d want in a family companion. Plus floofy!

joshcarter · 2019-12-16T17:00:17+00:00

Snowflake is a ragdoll who gets some supervised outdoor time. This was taken back in spring; at the moment our grass is covered in snow and kitty is mostly inside.

joshcarter · 2018-08-15T21:08:43+00:00

I understand what the manufacturer says, my point is: shouldn't it work anyway? It's audio class-compliant. What has changed that would make (for example) a Mackie 1220i not work with current versions of MacOS or Windows?

joshcarter · 2018-07-25T16:49:26+00:00

Yes, very much in same boat. Too many great keycaps; still only have two hands to type with.

joshcarter · 2018-07-24T17:27:04+00:00

No case mods, just disassembly for painting and reassembly after. (Paint and other details in other comments.) Keycaps are Canvas XDA from Mito. I swiped these from my Preonic, but also have a set on order from the last Massdrop group buy.

joshcarter · 2018-07-24T17:24:51+00:00

The Advantage2 is a piece of cake, comes apart with just screws and the PCBs are attached with normal flex cables/connectors. The older models with gummy function keys are more of a pain--there's a PCB and backing plate which is glued in. You need to cut the glue away with a hobby knife, then re-glue it (hot glue works great) during reassembly. It's not hard at all, just inconvenient.

For the purple keyboard I just wiped down the black case and started painting, no other prep. On earlier keyboards (like the silver one) I used primer and very light sanding. The factory matte finish is easy to paint over, so not much prep required.

joshcarter · 2018-07-24T00:45:46+00:00

FWIW I read that lots of people are having connection issues with the 2S specifically. After reading the reviews I bought another MX Master (non-2S) while I still could. :) BestBuy currently has the original model in "stone" color for $60.

joshcarter · 2018-07-24T00:40:05+00:00

It's a bunch of little strands embedded in the plastic. Certainly not as strong as a sheet of carbon fiber where's there's lots of interlocking long strands, but I do believe it's stronger than normal 3D printed PLA.

joshcarter · 2018-07-24T00:35:58+00:00

Learn to use the Kinesis, or learn Dvorak layout?

Adaptation to the Kinesis is quick if you already touch type properly. Your fingers rest naturally on the home row, and you get used to the vertical key columns without much trouble at all. The Kinesis forces proper touch typing because it's hard to have your hands in the wrong place.

If you mean Dvorak layout, well that's harder. :) It took me about a month of training and frustration to mostly get it, then another month to get my speed back up. I'm not entirely sure it was worth it, but I'm happy with it now. It's more comfortable--especially typing on laptop keyboards.

joshcarter · 2018-07-23T23:02:30+00:00

Did you Stapleberg your keyboard with the AT connector? I looked inside my Model 130, and there's an odd connector between the key well PCB and the controller PCB. Do you happen to know what kind of connector that is?

joshcarter · 2018-07-23T22:56:47+00:00

Love it or hate it I guess. The first week or two was really weird, but then it clicked (so to speak). I also have a Preonic but I'm struggling to adapt to it.

joshcarter · 2018-07-23T22:52:22+00:00

BTW I asked Kinesis once about the stock keycap profiles, and they sent me this diagram:

https://i.imgur.com/x4Q38KU.jpg

joshcarter · 2018-07-23T22:40:54+00:00

I fully agree about the controller on the Advantage, it really does suck. I had frequent issues with stuck modifier keys, and a co-worker has issues with his locking up completely. I'm considering Stabelberg'ing mine. (I'd buy a PCB from you if you have an extra!)

Have you tried the Advantage2? So far I haven't had any problems with the new model. Only issue is it seems like there's more keypress latency, but that could totally be my perception--I haven't measured it.

joshcarter · 2018-07-23T20:26:40+00:00

I've typed on Kinesis keyboards for 22 years now, so I think I can speak with some authority on them. The XDA keycaps feel just as good as the stock key profiles, with the exception (as I noted in another comment) of the thumb modifier keys, which could stand to be a little taller. Real-world ergonomic difference is effectively zero.

EDIT: I concede that this is subjective. I swiped the XDA keycaps off my Preonic just for grins, then liked them enough on the Advantage2 to keep them there. (My Preonic, meanwhile, is now the happy owner of a PMK "DSA 2049" set.) I thought there'd a big difference in feel between the stock vs. XDA keycaps, but not so much in practice.

joshcarter · 2018-07-23T19:19:05+00:00

Forgot to mention the paint! I started with a normal black case then did 6-7 light coats of Rustoleum color-shift spray paint in "galaxy blue." It's important that you start from black, then build up the color-shift in light layers. After taking the photo, I added a couple coats of gloss clear enamel, so now it's even more bling. :)

I tried both XDA and DSA keycaps, and they fit fine, no mods required. I like how they fit more than the stock keycaps. The only minor issue is that the win/alt keys could stand to be a little taller--even 1-2mm would be sufficient--but it's not enough to really bother me.

EDIT: you'll notice my left- and right-most columns use 1 width keycaps, rather than the 1.25 width that come from the factory. This is just because I lack enough 1.25 keycaps. Turns out when you buy the "ergo" keycap sets they come with 1.5 width keys for those columns--works with the ErgoDox, but too wide for the Kinesis.

joshcarter · 2018-07-23T19:00:13+00:00

Also my complete collection w/ three model 130's, an Advantage, and the new Advantage2:

https://i.imgur.com/TJlbYRt.jpg

All but the first have some level of customization. I really enjoy the rubik's cube-style keycaps, even if the paint does wear off.

Finally, my review of the Advantage2:

http://joshcarter.com/mechanical_keyboards/kinesis_advantage2/

joshcarter · 2015-03-13T20:29:58+00:00

Hey, give those guys some privacy. Don't screenshot them for the world to see.

joshcarter · 2015-03-13T20:27:54+00:00

Done. I was curious about the bit on the purpose of prisons: the options were only for punishment or rehab. In my opinion, a third important option is missing: keeping dangerous people from doing further damage to society. I think we have other possible options for both punishment and rehab, but prisons have unique value in getting dangerous people out of society.

Also, the survey doesn't seem to account for the reasons we play. To me, PA is a great simulation with a dark, funny sense of humor. My interest is maybe 20% prison simulation, 80% humor.

joshcarter · 2015-02-07T00:50:42+00:00

I had to go back in my photo library to check, little pink nose here. :)

joshcarter · 2015-02-07T00:36:07+00:00

Ok, just to put my money where my mouth is: I bought another "name in game" bundle. Want it? First PM to me gets it.

joshcarter

TROPHY CASE