What’s a “bucky key”...? (Edit: I see you were referring to this probably. Interesting, hadn’t heard the term before) Anyway, there are several layout issues. I’m pretty picky when it comes to keyboard layout. Um, let’s see. Correct number and layout of modifier keys (Control Option Command Spacebar Command Option Control; anything else is incorrect); correct numpad layout (18 keys, not 17, with Enter and 0 being the only two large ones); presence of volume control and eject keys above the numpad; shape of Return key (one-row height, not two-row); a properly sized backslash key… that ought to mostly cover it, I think.
I’m talking about the feel of the keyboard when I say that I prefer mechanical key switches.
As for what a gaming keyboard adds, I’m not the one who brought it up; wadavis mentioned them in this comment, citing extra keys to which macros might be bound. I’ve never used such a keyboard myself, I was just curious whether such a one might exist which would also fulfill my other criteria for a keyboard.
If all you want is programmable macros, then something like the Nostromo or Orbweaver could serve you well; every button and each direction of the 8-way hat switch can be changed to any input or macro possible from a USB device, including mouse clicks, multimedia commands, launching programs, or changing its own settings.
If your typical workflow can be reduced to 15-230 macros that you can keep straight, it could replace the keyboard as a primary input device. If you would benefit from 15-20 macros that you need to take a hand away from the keyboard to execute, it could serve as a useful addition. If you just want a keystroke combination that executes a series of commands, that’s probably better done in software.
What’s a “bucky key”...? (Edit: I see you were referring to this probably. Interesting, hadn’t heard the term before) Anyway, there are several layout issues. I’m pretty picky when it comes to keyboard layout. Um, let’s see. Correct number and layout of modifier keys (Control Option Command Spacebar Command Option Control; anything else is incorrect); correct numpad layout (18 keys, not 17, with Enter and 0 being the only two large ones); presence of volume control and eject keys above the numpad; shape of Return key (one-row height, not two-row); a properly sized backslash key… that ought to mostly cover it, I think.
I’m talking about the feel of the keyboard when I say that I prefer mechanical key switches.
As for what a gaming keyboard adds, I’m not the one who brought it up; wadavis mentioned them in this comment, citing extra keys to which macros might be bound. I’ve never used such a keyboard myself, I was just curious whether such a one might exist which would also fulfill my other criteria for a keyboard.
If all you want is programmable macros, then something like the Nostromo or Orbweaver could serve you well; every button and each direction of the 8-way hat switch can be changed to any input or macro possible from a USB device, including mouse clicks, multimedia commands, launching programs, or changing its own settings.
If your typical workflow can be reduced to 15-230 macros that you can keep straight, it could replace the keyboard as a primary input device. If you would benefit from 15-20 macros that you need to take a hand away from the keyboard to execute, it could serve as a useful addition. If you just want a keystroke combination that executes a series of commands, that’s probably better done in software.