What is SpaceFN and why you should give it a try
The SpaceFN concept - setting up your space key as a layer switch when held - is probably one of the most useful tweaks in the keyboard hobby. Let me explain how it works. My SpaceFN article on kbd.news made some rounds recently - quite surprisingly given the age of this concept. This piece you're reading is a condensed version of the full post. If you're left with unanswered questions, you'll most likely find the info you're looking for in the original write-up. On my imaginary top list of the most useful keyboard features, tweaks and hacks, SpaceFN would deserve a podium finish for sure. But what makes it so special? In short: SpaceFN is easy to implement, easy to learn, costs nothing, can be used with any keyboard, and can improve your productivity instantly. I will list its benefits below, but can state right at this point that the SpaceFN concept, setting up your space key as a layer switch when held, is clearly one of the most useful tweaks in the keyboard hobby....
Apr 30, 2024
Alrighty, I can't take it anymore. I tried typing this comment with the XMIT keyboard itself, but it's just unusable. In my case, it's specifically the spacebar, and it's caused by the stabilizers they put on this thing. They are just the worst. They aren't attached to anything, so they just fall out of the keyboard if you remove the keys they're on, of which a couple came off in shipping and I had to look around the box to find them. It looks like they should be grabbing something down there, but that doesn't seem to be the case. *Quick edit: I played with them a little bit, and they do snap onto the stabilizing wire, but that didn't solve my problems, or even alleviate them. As you could see above, the stabilizers are either sticking or preventing the spacebar from actually working. It didn't seem to matter where I pressed, or if I pressed harder directly on the switch, but something is very wrong. I wouldn't have cared too much, but I have a set of keycaps I was planning to put on this board, but the stabilizers don't seem compatible with SA profile caps. They just kept falling out of the spacebar. There's also a very audible pinging on just about every key that's pressed. Not the biggest deal, but could get annoying after a while.
The keyboard itself looks really good, the bamboo is nicer in person than the photos. The switches though are the high point, personally. They might be one of my favorite switches, it's just a shame I won't get to use them.
*Edit 3/23: Unfortunately, I couldn't get it working well enough to keep, so I'll be returning this. I'm beyond disappointed, I loved everything but the stabilizers. Hopefully if they do another round of these, they'll just use stabs that are proven.