Form Factors

Full Size

The most common keyboard form factor is “full size.” If you’re using a PC keyboard now, it probably looks a lot like this:

The key features of a full size keyboard are:

A main alphanumeric cluster

Function Keys + Print Screen/Scroll Lock/Pause above alphanumerics

Standard navigation cluster with arrow keys + PgUp/PgDn etc.

Numpad to the right of nav cluster

Most modern full size keyboards, including the Filco pictured above, have a standard layout, with a rectangular alphanumeric cluster, 6.25x spacebar and 1.25x bottom-row winkey modifiers (Ctrl, Alt, Win, Menu), and placement/size of keys exactly as depicted above. However, as I noted above, a keyboard does not have to have a standard layout to be considered full size (or any other form factor, for that matter). In general, it only has to meet the bulleted requirements listed above.

In fact, prior to about 1995, most full size keyboards were 101-key rather than 104, because Windows and menu keys had not yet become a standard. In 1995, 101-key keyboards would have been said to have a standard layout. Today, that’s no longer the case.

The full-size form factor is a classic because it’s highly functional. However, by no means it is the only form factor available — something you might not have realized if you haven’t had past exposure to mechanical keyboards. Unlike rubber dome keyboards, mechanical keyboards are readily available in other form factors such as tenkeyless, 60%, 75%, and more. Read on for the details.

Tenkeyless

Tenkeyless keyboards are full-size keyboards minus the numpad. (“Tenkey” = 0 through 9.)

There are many potential advantages to the tenkeyless design:

Occupies less space on your desk

Allows you to better center your keyboard relative to your body

Allows you to place your mouse closer to your body, which many people find more comfortable

Is more portable

Appeals more to the minimalist aesthetic

Retains normal function key row

If you don’t regularly use the numpad on your keyboard, you may find that the benefits of a tenkeyless keyboard are very compelling.

60 Percent

60% keyboards* are even more minimalistic than tenkeyless keyboards:

*The term 60 percent refers to the number of keys. Most keyboards with this form factor have approximately 60 keys, or 60% of a full-size keyboard.

60% keyboards offer significant space and weight savings — they’re easy to carry back and forth to the office, or in conjunction with a proper carrying case, to carry in a backpack. You can center them relative to your body even better than tenkeyless keyboards. You can even place them directly over your laptop keyboard 🙂

Of course, using a 60% keyboard necessarily involves some compromises. Unlike a tenkeyless keyboard, which is the same as a full-size keyboard minus the numpad, 60% keyboards have no arrow keys, nav cluster, or function keys. Instead, they rely heavily on secondary key layers — to access missing keys, you have to hold down a modifier key in combination with another key. For example, on the Poker II pictured above, the arrow keys are accessed with Fn + WASD. You can see that the Fn layer legends are printed on the front of the keys.

75 Percent

75% keyboards are much less popular than 60% keyboards, but are an interesting compromise between 60% and tenkeyless:

They add dedicated arrow keys, a function row, and a few extra keys that can be mapped as a navigation cluster (PgUp/PgDn etc.) in the rightmost column. Thus, they mitigate some of the greatest potential weaknesses of a 60% keyboard while saving more space than a tenkeyless keyboard. If you want a board more compact than a tenkeyless, but you need dedicated arrow keys or function keys, for typing or gaming, check out 75%… but keep in mind there are very few models readily available.

Unlike tenkeyless and 60% boards, which often come with a standard layout (including those pictured above), no 75% boards have a standard layout. The 75% form factor, due to placement of the arrow keys and the rightmost column, is inherently incompatible with a standard layout.

Other Form Factors

The above form factors are not the only ones in existence, but they are the major ones. There are variations, such as the Leopold FC660C/M’s 66% design, the Quickfire TK’s unique navclusterless design, and the Happy Hacking Keyboard’s signature design with a short right shift and pinky-activated Fn key.

Chances are, your perfect form factor exists somewhere out there.