KUL keyboards

[webwit]

Some new brand according to the EliteKeyboards newsletter:
https://elitekeyboards.com/products.php ... ed_up_labs

[Muirium]

Launching with a line of standard looking TKLs is kind of dull, but at least they're giving MX clear a shot right out of the gate. Made in Taiwan, and their ad copy bangs on about quality, as does everyone's. Let's see if they can prove it.

If I were a new entrant looking to make a splash, I'd launch a line of Bluetooth mech keyboards. That's where the future is, and right now there's slim, slim pickings.

[Grendel]

Made in Taiwan, and their ad copy bangs on about quality, as does everyone's. Let's see if they can prove it.

I have my doubts -- lasered ABS keys will not last as long as the switches are supposed to

[Muirium]

DT brand keyboards would come with either Round 5, GMK Dolch, or without any caps. Your choice!

[Hypersphere]

Just saw this today. Looks like a quality board with a few distinguishing features, such as a "diamond" key instead of the horrible Windows keys.

[trax]

Where I'm from the word "kul" means bullshit.
It looks like yet another tkl board at first sight.

It has a CE cert so it can be sold in EU (right?), I guess it makes for a good filco alternative (cheaper + more features) assuming it has good build quality.

[Findecanor]

Where I'm from the word "kul" means bullshit.

Where I'm from, "kul" means "fun".

I like that the GUI keys have the diamond symbol.
I also like that there are replacement keycaps included for swapping Left Ctrl with Caps Lock ... and there is a LED under the key in the left corner. I'm not so excited that the LEDs are blue, though.

The descriptions says "USB N-key rollover" ... whatever that means.

[Muirium]

Alternatives to the Windows symbol are a bit of a rite of passage for new keyboard makers. KBT has the squirrel. And Ducky has this chap:



Although, visiting both their sites, I see they each have boring Windows keys versions now too. Pity. I like my Macs nice and clean without any of that nonsense.

[002]

It looks OK, I guess. I don't know how I feel about the cut-out detail on the edges but otherwise it seems fine.
It seems they have a DIP switch for disabling NKRO over USB...why would you want to do that I wonder? Also I like the helpful hint on the back: "No screw under label"

[Muirium]

Some USB NKRO implementations are really dumb. One of those I understand is a virtual hub where the keyboard controller appears as several independent USB keyboards to the host, which is fine apparently in Windows, but fails on operating systems that correctly treat the mods on separate keyboards separately.

Even Soarer's USB NKRO can fail in some BIOSes, I've heard. (Where it has to operate in a different mode, which it does, but then they don't…) So sometimes there is a use for such a switch.

[002]

Ahh there you go! You have my vote for #1 Keyboard Expert.

[Laser]

Actually, not bad at all: taiwan made, mx clears (!), tkl, NKRO, no ugly branding, sane font, price lower than for filco ...

[wheybags]

What is the point in yet another maker of fairly ordinary cherry boards...

[Medowy]

What is the point in yet another maker of fairly ordinary cherry boards...

Because all the cool kids do it!

HOP IN THE CHERRY TRAIN!

[Hypersphere]

I like the fact that the Kul can be readily adapted to something similar to a HHKB layout. Namely, it provides DIP switch settings and keycap swaps to put Control to the left of A and to swap Backspace with Backslash. A giant Backslash key might look a bit odd, but at least it puts Backspace where I like it. Few keyboards provide for a Backslash/Backspace keycap swap. In fact, the only ones I have easily modified in this way are my IBM Model M keyboards.

[Muirium]

But what about the HHKB's most vital key of all: the Fn right of right Shift? 2.75 units is such a waste in the 60% zone. 1.75u Shift and 1u Fn is so much better. If there was a single improvement I could make to my Kishsaver, it would be the addition of that last key!

My Model Ms, meanwhile, could use a couple of extra mods, too.

[Hypersphere]

But what about the HHKB's most vital key of all: the Fn right of right Shift? 2.75 units is such a waste in the 60% zone. 1.75u Shift and 1u Fn is so much better. If there was a single improvement I could make to my Kishsaver, it would be the addition of that last key!

My Model Ms, meanwhile, could use a couple of extra mods, too.

Yes, I agree. This is another advantage of the IBM XT -- I was able to remap 1x keys directly to the right of both, the Left Shift and the Right Shift keys as Fn keys. While I have had trouble hitting 1x Shift keys on some keyboards, I find 1.25x to be just fine for the Shifts. Indeed, 2.75x is quite excessive.

On my IBM Model M SSK, I use a combination of both right mods as the Fn key (my SSK is remapped so that the bottom row is Option - Command - Space - Command - Option). Thus, Right-Command + Right-Option = Fn.

BTW, when I get around to modding my AT keyboard, I am considering a relatively conventional placement of a left Fn key to the right of the Left Shift, but a somewhat unorthodox location of a right Fn key to replace either the 1x Backspace or the Escape key, which on the AT is found in the upper left of the Numeric Keypad.

Back to the Kul keyboard, considering the phalangeal gymnastics required for Fn on my SSK, the placement of a Fn key directly underneath the Right Shift is not too bad. Even so, I agree that a better place for Fn would be to the right of a shorter Right Shift key.

[Muirium]

Hmm… so, on your SSK while using embedded HHKB arrows, to select multiple words from a line, you have to hold Shift, Option, two other mods to engage Fn, and then finally semicolon or quote to go left or right? That's gymnastics, all right! Fortunate for you that the SSK has native arrow keys.

I need at least one direct Fn key on my 60%s, including the Kishsaver. I find it's a little awkward stuck down a row at the bottom right corner, but then I've always Caps Lock as another Fn, too. One on each hand is a little luxury I've gotten used to. Despite my intent to try out Colemak someday, which suggests using Caps Lock as Backspace. I've one of those on the right, already, on row 2 where it should be!

[Hypersphere]

From my perspective, the main problem with the Kul cannot be solved by any amount of layout adjustment: it will still have Cherry mx switches.

Last night, I unboxed my Cherry mx keyboards and tested each one. They still do not feel right to me. It's a mixture of feeling too light and too scratchy, and having a disconnect between aural/tactile feedback and actuation. My Cherry switch boards also have an uneven feeling between the alpha keys and the stabilized keys, regardless of whether Costar or Cherry stabilizers were used. In contrast, I much prefer the feedback I get from either Topre or IBM buckling spring switches -- especially capacitive buckling springs like in the IBM XT keyboard.

[Muirium]

Congratulations, you have graduated to IBM snob! It's a fine wee club. Fancy some claret?

The one thing I still like about MX switches (besides ubiquity, modularity and caps choice; which are all big advantages in themselves) is the linears. Lube 'em up and they can be quite the trick. They ain't no Honeywell, but at least I can get USB out of them…

[Hypersphere]

Congratulations, you have graduated to IBM snob! It's a fine wee club. Fancy some claret?

The one thing I still like about MX switches (besides ubiquity, modularity and caps choice; which are all big advantages in themselves) is the linears. Lube 'em up and they can be quite the trick. They ain't no Honeywell, but at least I can get USB out of them…

I thought IBM snobs drank single-malt Scotch. Neat, of course. And while sitting in high-backed chairs upholstered in Cordovan.

In fairness, I have yet to try Cherry mx Clears. I cannot entirely rule out Cherry switches (for me) until I have tried these.

[quantalume]

Now that we've thoroughly hijacked this thread, what is the attraction of having the HHKB's function key to the right of right shift? It seems like there's a good reason for not putting anything there: it's quite a stretch for the right pinky, and, at least for me, most of the fingers have to come off the home row. What I've done is to place the function key between the Z and left shift on ISO boards (thankfully, the XT and old IBM mainframe boards have a key there). As a matter of fact, I like it there so much that I've abandoned ANSI boards (at least for this week )

While I'm criticizing the HHKB's layout, why not have the cursor keys under the same fingers that you'd normally use for the cursor cluster on full-size and TKL boards, i.e., the IJKL keys?

[quantalume]

I thought IBM snobs drank single-malt Scotch. Neat, of course. And while sitting in high-backed chairs upholstered in Cordovan.

I have it on good authority that this is what they drink:

lexington_bourbon750__32363.1377015236.1280.1280.jpg (72.33 KiB) Viewed 6937 times

[Hypersphere]

Now that we've thoroughly hijacked this thread, what is the attraction of having the HHKB's function key to the right of right shift? It seems like there's a good reason for not putting anything there: it's quite a stretch for the right pinky, and, at least for me, most of the fingers have to come off the home row. What I've done is to place the function key between the Z and left shift on ISO boards (thankfully, the XT and old IBM mainframe boards have a key there). As a matter of fact, I like it there so much that I've abandoned ANSI boards (at least for this week )

While I'm criticizing the HHKB's layout, why not have the cursor keys under the same fingers that you'd normally use for the cursor cluster on full-size and TKL boards, i.e., the IJKL keys?

Yes, on my XT I have put a Fn key in both places (to the right of each shift key). I initially had my HHKB cursor keys remapped to IJKL, but I found that I preferred the default cursor diamond [/;' . On my AT, I am going to try mapping a Fn key to the 1x backspace and putting backspace immediately above an ANSI return key; the other Fn will be to the right of the left shift. This arrangement will provide a diagonal symmetry for the Fn keys. Nice to have choices.

[Muirium]

I'm on this stuff after a trip in the week to Inverness:



The HHKB cursor diamond is indeed an acquired taste, a bit like Scotch! You move your right hand off home row to operate them, much like heading for the T cluster on a regular board. But it's a shorter trip, and the logic of Page Up/Down being slid next to the diamond makes it nice and comfortable, I find, compared to the traditional island sixpack housing half the navigation keys.

The advantage, for me, is that standard 2.75u right shift is too damn long anyway so an HHKB style Fn key comes for free, without disrupting the rest of the keyboard. It also looks reasonably symmetric, important for we symmetry snobs! Using my right hand for cursor control is a great improvement on boards like the Poker which go for WASD (ugh) instead, as I've years of habit behind using my right hand for arrows while my left handles the mods I use so often simultaneously for text manipulation.

I hedged my bet a bit with a second cursor block on my function layer, for the left hand should I ever need it. Namely ESDF, with Caps Lock as a home row reachable second Fn key. I use those left handed cursors seldom, but the Fn key is certainly useful in its own right.

[Hypersphere]

Back to the Kul ES-87 keyboard, I asked them which stabilizers they use. They use Cherry stabilizers. This certainly makes it easier to remove and replace stabilized keys, but it can make the downstroke a bit mushy. Kul said they were aware of this issue with Cherry stabilizers and they were planning to make some kind of adjustment to alleviate the problem.

[scottc]

Nice. I much prefer Cherry stabilisers. Costar ones drive me insane...

[SL89]

This reminds me of the CODE, but with a little more 'design' slapped on it.