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Comment by alanfranz | Hacker News Reader

I would love something like the old SK-6000 keyboard ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/264750292234 ), maybe without the numpad, but with all other keys, and possibly mechanical (silent) switches.

It seems that nowadays we get either extremely peculiar split keyboards (without F-Keys, PgUp/PgDown) or something just doesn't feel right (PgUp/PgDown keys aligned vertically instead of horizontally, cursor keys with strange alignments and positioning, et cetera). I think that a "normal keyboard just with a certain angle in the middle" would be simple enough and great.

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What you describe is just MS Natural 4000.

There's also MS Sculpt, with better keys: still rubberdomed, but less jiggly and way less clacky. The crowded home—pagedown column is actually alright once you get used to it, and I really don't use ‘delete’ and ‘insert’ much. However, the function-or-media switch is atrocious, pure disgrace as a design decision. I'm using ‘USB Overdrive’ to map ‘calculator’ to Fn instead, but it's still not the same. Might map the separate numpad, once I find batteries for it.

> the function-or-media switch is atrocious

It's so bad. It's unfortunate because it's otherwise a pretty great keyboard; I'd love something similar with an Fn row.

I vaguely think actually that the switch could be DIY-replaced with a button, to obtain proper Fn (or the reverse). Though this would likely entail some soldering on the PCB, and I'm not good with soldering.

Apparently craftier people even mod the controller out and a new one in, to run QMK: https://chrispaynter.medium.com/modding-the-microsoft-sculpt... (but still leave the switch untouched, for some reason).

I have the same issue, earlier I was using a Logitech Comfort keyboard: https://c1.neweggimages.com/ProductImageCompressAll1280/23-1...

which I loved, but have not found a good replacement, they are either split with a smaller angle or are those peculiar fully split ones as you mention.

Give a look at Cloud Nine: https://cloudnineergo.com/. I was using the similar MS4000 and the transition to the new keyboard was near instant for me.

My white whale is a split ortho linear with F-row. Evidently the market has spoken that if you want something non-traditional, it must go for minimal key count, because chording.

Have a look at this, it's almost close to what you're looking for https://shop.keyboard.io/products/keyboardio-atreus

Is this a joke?

I don't know why you would think that. I didn't mean it that way. It certainly is a minimalistic keyboard but a good one.

That keyboard had the best layout ever.

I still miss mine.

No, the MS Natural keyboard is not as good.

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