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
Some of the vendors on this list have had their share of controversy, I'll try to keep it noted if there has been an issue with them.
Hope this can be useful to consumers or even people who want to host a GB. You do not HAVE to go through Massdrop!
TheKey.Company
Notable GBs: GMK Terminal, GMK Led Zep (In production)
https://dixiemech.com/
Notable GBs: GMK 9009 (in production)
Originative.co
Noteable: GMK Hyperfuse R2, GMK Miami Nights, SA & DSA Hyperfuse + Penumbra R2 + more. Very often keep keysets in stock, expect a markup
Controversy: Prices on higher end especially for in-stock stuff. Current issue with REVO RJ HHKB GB.
Zfrontier (https://en.zfrontier.com/collections/keysets)
Noteable: Multiple successful JTK, Maxkeys sets. GMK and SP set GBs now too I believe.
Often times used as a proxy for Asia with other GBs as well. There have been several successful, exclusive GBs on Zfrontier. From my personal experience, they truly care about the customer which is always refreshing to see
Keyclack.com
Noteable: GMK Hydro, GMK Oblivion, SA Camping, GMK Muted
CONTROVERSY: Definitely worth noting there has been massive delays and very little communication with certain buys from this site. Users of Massdrop will feel at home.
PLEASE COMMENT IF THERE'S ANY SITES YOU'D LIKE ME TO ADD OR ANY ISSUES WITH VENDORS PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT