Ok so I've been playing for a while on my regular iMac extended USB keyboard and works well enough. However lately I've found my D key is "sticking" a little (sometimes I have to hit it harder than other keys to get it to register); and I've read a lot about the supposed virtues of mechanical keyboards - and so I've been thinking about other options.
Here's the thing. On a standard Mac keyboard, as you would all be aware, the Control key is in the middle of the far left column. Last night I tried playing with a very cheap Elecom PC keyboard, which as most (all?) PC keyboards has the Control key located in the bottom left corner.
I found this much more awkward to use. Basically, to be able to set controlgroups I have to depress the control key with my small finger and span up awkwardly to hit a number key, twisting my hand around to the left.
On the iMac keyboard, I'm really just shifting my hand up the keyboard a little. I can use my small or my ring finger, and because my hand isn't twisting around I can be sure of hitting the key accurately. Plus, I have a greater reach (by about one number but still). (Basically, playing Z, I sit with my middle finger on S and my index on D for the eco, and my small finger is resting naturally over Control. When I want to do controlgroup magic, my small finger remains in place and I can simply shift my middle and index fingers up to the number row.)
Now, I appreciate that familiarity is a huge issue with input devices. Maybe after using a PC keyboard for a week or two I'll be wondering what I was complaining about. But I'm wondering if any other SC/2 players here have switched between Mac and PC keyboards and how you find the relative placement of the control key. Also, has anyone ever come across a mechanical keyboard with a Mac-style layout, ie. a big fat control key in the middle of the left column?
For the Swarm,
Cerebrate Aki
EDIT: Woah! Good golly Ms. Molly. Ok so, I was just looking at google images of mac keyboards and realized that standard US Mac keyboards are the same as PC ones - Caps Lock in the middle and Control in the bottom corner. (Snap Nermal!) However I use a Japanese keyboard. On the Japanese layout, the Control is where the US Caps Lock would be. Ok so my question has to be more specific - anyone here played SC2 using a Japanese Mac keyboard and how did you find it?
Image: http://images.apple.com/jp/imac/images/features_keyboard_20100727.jpg
Here's the thing. On a standard Mac keyboard, as you would all be aware, the Control key is in the middle of the far left column. Last night I tried playing with a very cheap Elecom PC keyboard, which as most (all?) PC keyboards has the Control key located in the bottom left corner.
I found this much more awkward to use. Basically, to be able to set controlgroups I have to depress the control key with my small finger and span up awkwardly to hit a number key, twisting my hand around to the left.
On the iMac keyboard, I'm really just shifting my hand up the keyboard a little. I can use my small or my ring finger, and because my hand isn't twisting around I can be sure of hitting the key accurately. Plus, I have a greater reach (by about one number but still). (Basically, playing Z, I sit with my middle finger on S and my index on D for the eco, and my small finger is resting naturally over Control. When I want to do controlgroup magic, my small finger remains in place and I can simply shift my middle and index fingers up to the number row.)
Now, I appreciate that familiarity is a huge issue with input devices. Maybe after using a PC keyboard for a week or two I'll be wondering what I was complaining about. But I'm wondering if any other SC/2 players here have switched between Mac and PC keyboards and how you find the relative placement of the control key. Also, has anyone ever come across a mechanical keyboard with a Mac-style layout, ie. a big fat control key in the middle of the left column?
For the Swarm,
Cerebrate Aki
EDIT: Woah! Good golly Ms. Molly. Ok so, I was just looking at google images of mac keyboards and realized that standard US Mac keyboards are the same as PC ones - Caps Lock in the middle and Control in the bottom corner. (Snap Nermal!) However I use a Japanese keyboard. On the Japanese layout, the Control is where the US Caps Lock would be. Ok so my question has to be more specific - anyone here played SC2 using a Japanese Mac keyboard and how did you find it?
Image: http://images.apple.com/jp/imac/images/features_keyboard_20100727.jpg
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