Keyboard Wonderland – ENGLISH Version – Part I
2.3 Choc
Choc are Kailh low profile switches which require special PCBs due to not only their the foot print size (which is very close to MX) but also due to different spacing requirements. Unfortunately MX keycaps are not compatible with choc keycaps and chocs require a 1.2mm plate (compared to 1.5mm for MX) and can not tolerate keycaps longer than 1U. Additionally the switch spacing is different (18 mm x 17 mm for chocs VS 19.05 mm x 19.05 mm for MX).
Chocs are interesting switches used primarily in atypical keyboards like the Corne, Kyria, Lily 58 and can yield true low profile keyboard masterpieces that are at times even wireless. I regard these also as an interesting option for laptop manufacturers that may want to include a mechanical keyboard without compromising too much with the external size of the end product.
There are also Cherry low profile switches with similar specs which have a MX compatible stem. This does not mean however that most MX keycaps would be compatible as the switch travel distance is much smaller. These are found in prebuilt chiclet style keyboards similar to laptop keyboards.
Comentarii
Kinesis copied Maltron.
Ian, I’m sorry, but if you point far enough backwards in time a germ gets blamed for splitting in two. Maltron had the ideas but the execution has been thoroughly terrible throughout time and they never caught on. At the same time I didn’t want to touch upon too much history because the article is complex enough as it is.
That being said, Kinesis is one of the first actually ergonomic keyboards that is actually good and was available and came up in searches online back around 2005ish, so I went with it as the contemporary origins. Maltron will always be remembered for this abomination which sold for $400 – https://youtu.be/fkGpFeUQ49Y
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