Trying to find out how difficult (or not) it will be to switch from iso layout to ansi. Main reason is the much better choice of keycaps that will be available.
Have any of you made the switch ? If so how difficult was it ?
I switched from ISO to ANSI a few month ago. I touch type and I need German umlauts. Just as a background. This required me to find a layout that supports umlauts. I went with EurKEY. Overall, switching was easy. I do need a larger AltGr for umlauts but overall, switching was no big deal. I do like the shape of the return key on ANSI and that there are fewer keys right to my right pinky (on the home row). Typing umlauts is slightly less convenient, especially when capitalized, but not by much. Switching between ISO and ANSI and at the same time German layout and EurKEY is easy for me. Side note: I switched for the same reason (keycaps) and for writing code.
Nice to know. I’m also an ISO-DE user. I assume you use standard US ANSI keycaps and then in either the OS or Firmware you make the EurKEY binds for the modifiers ?
So far I have been having US international in Windows Setup. Seems to work okay ish so far but I don’t type German that offen. Mostly coding and English.
Different shape return needs getting used to and constantly mistake where the “?” Key and braces are.
I will look into EurKEY thanks for the reply already.
This keyboard supports QMK, you can create macros for whatever keys you’re missing. You can also swap characters if you like. @Waldhuette
Makes one wonder, why did ANSI become the de-facto standard in the mech keyboard community? Is it because of higher purchase power of US enthusiasts, or something else?
From a volume standpoint, wouldn’t ISO make more sense?
@FirstWizardZorander On a QMK keyboard you could swap that key to whatever symbol you want, right in the keyboard’s firmware.
Right, but on ISO keyboards have a vertical Enter key
Personally I like the ISO enter key way more than the ANSI one, it looks a lot more canonical for me and my pinky can press it better than the ANSI one.
I made the switch from ISO DE to ANSI US and I got used to it pretty quickly. I mainly switched because of the better layout for programming.
Main reason is the much better choice of keycaps that will be available.
That’s the problem with this hobby. I’m really used to ANSI ES and it’s a pain to get spanish keycaps. My solution was go for 40% and forget about what’s printed on keycaps.
More power to you. I alwqsw wonder how people manage with 40% keyboards
Lots of layers and not having a problem with being slower. 40% is definitely not faster. It’s more ergonomic in my opinion, though.
