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The 40% Keyboard

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Re: The 40% Keyboard

#11

Post by kranner »

TACIXAT wrote: post #4

Getting a (read: multiple) 60% keyboard really changed my life. It makes a lot more sense for not offsetting the mouse way to the right or the keyboard to the left (as you would with a full size). As well, not having to strain my wrist to hit arrow keys got rid of any pain I had. It's awesome having everything under my hands. I'll definitely follow this 40% project.

Same here but with a TKL (80%) keyboard. Using a full-sized keyboard with a mouse had offset my right (mouse) hand enough to give me sharp neck pain after a few hours of use. Switching to a TKL has completely eliminated this neck pain.

Re: The 40% Keyboard

#12

Post by toastal »

woliveirajr wrote: post #6
TACIXAT wrote: post #4

Getting a (read: multiple) 60% keyboard really changed my life. It makes a lot more sense for not offsetting the mouse way to the right or the keyboard to the left (as you would with a full size). As well, not having to strain my wrist to hit arrow keys got rid of any pain I had. It's awesome having everything under my hands. I'll definitely follow this 40% project.

This. Ater having a "centered" keyboard without all those numerical keys, I began to wonder how keyboards still have the same layout even if not everybody uses those nubers on a daily basis.

Repeat this to all laptop manufacturers. I'd rather have better grill speakers and a centered layout than a number pad and speakers under the keyboard.

Re: The 40% Keyboard

#13

Post by kranner »

dangus wrote: post #7

Call me cynical, but I think a lot of the small style keyboards I see around the office are more of a fashion trend than anything. I remember when the insistence was on number pads, and how dare they be removed from our laptops and desktop keyboards. Fast forward a few years and I was made fun of at a programming job for preferring a full keyboard with a number pads. I guess programmers are too cool to enter in dolla…

> [1] This makes no sense because the colored keys imply you enjoy looking at your keys and their unlabeled nature implies that you don’t need to look at your keys while you type. i.e. a fashion trend.

But you could still enjoy looking at your keyboard with the coloured keys while not using it to type at that exact moment.

Re: The 40% Keyboard

#15

Post by gt2 »

xwdv wrote: post #2

If you’re going to go small you might as well go all the way and get a 30% keyboard like the Gherkin. Very portable and not too bad as long as you’re willing to work with layers.

How do you quickly access the other layers to do a semicolon or colon or space with those keyboards? Saw a photo-- it's all letters.

Re: The 40% Keyboard

#16

Post by tomtheelder »

dangus wrote: post #7

Call me cynical, but I think a lot of the small style keyboards I see around the office are more of a fashion trend than anything. I remember when the insistence was on number pads, and how dare they be removed from our laptops and desktop keyboards. Fast forward a few years and I was made fun of at a programming job for preferring a full keyboard with a number pads. I guess programmers are too cool to enter in dolla…

I think this is sort of right, but I do think there is some value in key reduction for certain people. I switched to a 60% keyboard with roughly this [1] layout. The use of the modifier key lets me do almost everything I need to do without moving my hands around. Putting control where caps lock is was great for me because (a) I used caps lock rarely so I don't need it in such a primary position and (b) it let me stop reaching to the bottom corner with my pinky for control, which I use constantly. A keypad is probably advantageous in certain circumstances, but I had literally never used mine so I wasn't too concerned about losing that part.

My typing speed and accuracy went up (I measured that), and my hand fatigue was considerably less (that's subjective).

Then I acquired a configurable keyboard in a normal layout, just with no numberpad. But here is the thing: I don't use _any_ of the keys outside of the ones I had on my old keyboard. It's been years at this point and I don't think I will ever go back to using them. My next keyboard will definitely be another 60%.

A former coworker had a 60%, and an independent numberpad that he could use when needed, or slide out of the way for desktop real estate. That seems like a great setup to me.

I'm not sure I would recommend this to anyone, but I would encourage anyone to consider that a 60% (or perhaps less!) might be good for them. Also I would say that the adjustment period is _much_ faster than one might expect.

As for colored/blank keys, those are definitely purely aesthetic. Nothing wrong with making your things look nice!

[1] https://i.imgur.com/dPJ9dk6.jpg

Re: The 40% Keyboard

#17

Post by [deleted] »

kranner wrote: post #13
dangus wrote: post #7

Call me cynical, but I think a lot of the small style keyboards I see around the office are more of a fashion trend than anything. I remember when the insistence was on number pads, and how dare they be removed from our laptops and desktop keyboards. Fast forward a few years and I was made fun of at a programming job for preferring a full keyboard with a number pads. I guess programmers are too cool to enter in dolla…

> [1] This makes no sense because the colored keys imply you enjoy looking at your keys and their unlabeled nature implies that you don’t need to look at your keys while you type. i.e. a fashion trend. But you could still enjoy looking at your keyboard with the coloured keys while not using it to type at that exact moment.

[deleted]

Re: The 40% Keyboard

#19

Post by kettro »

I’ve been using an 1800 keyboard for the past few years (Leopold 980C), and think the size is perfect. I have access to all of the keys I need, all in a compact package. Add to that a programmable controller from Hasu, and it’s the perfect board for me. I never need to actually use the arrow keys, as I put them under a layer under hjkl. I also use a trackball (Kensington Slimblade), so I don’t need to have too much space to the right side of the keyboard.

Re: The 40% Keyboard

#20

Post by terandle »

dangus wrote: post #7

Call me cynical, but I think a lot of the small style keyboards I see around the office are more of a fashion trend than anything. I remember when the insistence was on number pads, and how dare they be removed from our laptops and desktop keyboards. Fast forward a few years and I was made fun of at a programming job for preferring a full keyboard with a number pads. I guess programmers are too cool to enter in dolla…

No numpad is an ergonomic benefit. Your mouse is closer so you don't have to move your hand as far.

The best way to have a numpad if you really need one, I have found, is to have a separate one like how the Microsoft Sculpt keyboard does it.

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