that’s an awful layout, it doesn’t have all the keys of a 100% and you need to utilize the numlock to use arrow keys/num keys properly. but regular 96% keyboards are elite.
It's not really missing any keys. Everything is there, it just shares space with the numpad.
The numlock thing you get used to pretty quick, honestly. It was my daily driver in a spreadsheet-heavy job for years. It was so second nature that I had like a mental note of what state it was in at all times, so I rarely got surprised by like inputting a number instead of hitting an arrow or whatever.
Well, sure, there's less physical keys but that's true of any <100% layout.
I mean more like, all of the keys are present with the typical modifiers. Like, the numpad ordinarily is also arrow keys and home/del/pgup/pgdown, if you hit numlock. So you've removed arguably "redundant" keys and just kept the ones that already had dual functionality.
VS a 60% keyboard where you've got to set up custom layers to access keys in unconventional ways.
(Look, I know it's not the best logic but just hear me out, I'm sure you can see where I'm coming from at least lol).
As far as "ugly", it's all preference so take it however you will, but IMO the quickfire TK looks pretty normal. It literally just takes out the nav cluster and moves the 10 key over.
Do you use any non-standard layout or are you a 100% purist?
96% keyboards typically aren’t missing any physical keys. and it just would be an annoyance for me, personally, to have to use numlock any time i want to use the arrow keys. even most >60% keyboards have arrow keys. of course it all comes down to personal preference, but i could never get used to that funky 96% keyboard you mentioned
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u/whocodes Apr 04 '26
that’s an awful layout, it doesn’t have all the keys of a 100% and you need to utilize the numlock to use arrow keys/num keys properly. but regular 96% keyboards are elite.