[beaglebone] Slightly OT: Keyboards

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1

Hi,

thsi is somehow OT but on the other side: who to ask else if not
those which uses these boards...? :wink:

I want to use my beaglebone as a mobile device (hopefully my English
does not goes screwed up here: I dont mean anything like "mobile
phone" here...I mean something to carry with me...) also.

For this purpose I need a small but useable USB wire based keyboard (no
bluetooth based thingie or similiar, which only adds another pair of
batteries).

Since I am little of a keyboard nerd (I am using an old IBM model M),
I asked the guys at www.geekhack.org, but the recommended solutions
are keyboards which normal sized keys but less than 104 (no number
block, and more functions on a single key and a slightly different
layout.

I will use the keyboard for typing (programming) only, so the keys
[]{}\|<>()*^~ and such should be acessible easily (not via
FN-ALT-CTRL-SHIFT-META-ESC-somthing).

Most preferable is a mechanical keyboard (CHERRY MX Blue switches for
example), but then I am already with the normal sized key problem
described above.

Is there any keyboard, which is small in size, good useable, USB wire
based, with no fancy LED light show (look at the KBT pure or KBT
race!) and which works with the beaglebone ?

Thank you very much ina advance for any help!
Best regards,
mcc

2

I know what you mean: most 'modern' keyboards have a crappy 'feel': mushy, no tactile feedback, short key travel, etc. The good ol' PC keyboard had a good feel, if you didn't mind the noise. At least, the boss knew who was working by listening;-)

But, back to the Beagle, I plugged an an Apple Mac mini keyboard (Mitsumi, in fact) in my BB xM and Linux was happy with it. Mine has the US layout and it matched Linux/GNome default layout, so what I see (feel?) is what I type

cheers!

3

The Cherry compacts are nice
http://www.amazon.com/Cherry-G81-1800-Compact-Keyboard-CLASSIC/dp/B006841R5Y/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1344380452&sr=8-4&keywords=G81-1800
http://www.ikey.com/keyboards/keyboards-desktop/sk-79.html

Think geek full size roll up may not feel they way you want put
portable and light
http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/edc1/?srp=48

Cheers
-Nathan

4

As a keyboard geek I can recommend apple aluminum keyboards. For a
long time I've used Model M, and now I use wired full-size aluminum
apple keyboards with all my computers. They are very comfortable, have
a delicate but well-recognizable "click" and are in general "nice in
touch". This are my personal keyboards of choice after Model M (and
I'm very picky). The only drawback is the default X keymap, where the
function keys are accessible in combination with 'fn' key. It was
annoying a bit in the beginning, until I realized that I use the
"alternate" functions more often than the F-keys.
If the full keyboard is still too big, the mini keyboard has similar
feel. More keys have dual functions, but it should be manageable

Regards,
j.
.