Support for Alternative Layouts
This is a summary of how alternative layouts have been supported by kits such as Colevrak and Homing. It is not a discussion of alt layout performance and development, but if that interests you I highly recommend starting with Pascal Getreuer’s A guide to alt keyboard layouts (why, how, which one?). It’s a concise and comprehensive overview with links to some great sites that go deeper. He also has a separate Links about keyboards page. The Keyboard layouts doc he recommends explains layout goals and metrics in detail, summarizing the alt layouts discussed here as well as more than one hundred others. Sculpted-profile The majority of custom keycap sets are sculpted-profile (Cherry, SA, MT3, KAT, etc. - more on profiles generally here) so let’s start there. Because each row has a unique keycap shape, alt layouts require a unique keycap for each legend that moves off its QWERTY row. At first there were two The Dvorak layout was patented in 1936 by August Dvorak & William L....
Apr 23, 2024
Then there's Corsair. Their TKL K65 RGB is an excellent board, featuring their typical high build quality. An aluminum chassis with floating key design and great media controls. Free software makes fully utilizing the RGB lighting a breeze.
But Corsair has repeatedly stated they believe only the Cherry MX Red switch (or very similar) is needed for this segment. On their forums, by petition, and by email... their response is the same. "We'll put a word up the line, but we don't see it as a real demand." They simply do not believe anyone wants TKL design and tactile switches... I have no idea where they got this impression.
The thing is Corsair DID produce a K65 RGB with Brown/Blue switches, but only as a small batch, and only in Germany.
This seems like a dream project that could be a HUGE get for Massdrop. Imagine how many new users would sign up for a "Corsair K65 RGB with Cherry MX Brown/Blue switches... a Massdrop exclusive!"
I'm no business executive... but this seems win win. Massdrop gets the aforementioned benefits. Corsair gets to do real market research with no risk since the units are paid for in advance.
Who do we talk to about making this happen?