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Show HN: Split Keyboards Gallery

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Re: Show HN: Split Keyboards Gallery

#21

Post by nickpedersen »

salted-fry wrote: post #18
CarVac wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The answer to that is to make your own and hand-solder wire to the switches.

The thought has occurred to me - and I wouldn't mind a thumb-trackball on the right hand, either. Design in the physical world is well outside my wheelhouse though - is a keyboard an approachable project for somebody who hasn't done woodworking/machining before, or would I be better served working on smaller projects first?

Totally doable as a first project, I'm midway through building my first keyboard with a large number of modifications and it's been a really fun project. The Dactyl Manuform is a great starting point https://github.com/abstracthat/dactyl-manuform

And /r/ErgoMechKeyboards on Reddit is a great community for understanding what you're trying to achieve.

Re: Show HN: Split Keyboards Gallery

#22

Post by kowlo »

I was never taught how to type... I'm fast enough, 120-140wpm depending on the keyboard and what I'm typing. I think the speed came from playing online games and needing to communicate quickly before suffering the consequences of not controlling my character.

The end result is that I have a strange typing pattern and I use the "wrong" fingers for keys.

Re: Show HN: Split Keyboards Gallery

#23

Post by com2kid »

kowlo wrote: post #22

I was never taught how to type... I'm fast enough, 120-140wpm depending on the keyboard and what I'm typing. I think the speed came from playing online games and needing to communicate quickly before suffering the consequences of not controlling my character. The end result is that I have a strange typing pattern and I use the "wrong" fingers for keys.

I use my left thumb for left shift, and for all other left meta keys.

(I also hit 'a' with my left thumb...)

My pinkies are completely unused, except for right pinky on enter.

No idea how well I'd adapt to 'proper' typing!

(After all these years, my left thumb is notably more flexible than my right!)

Re: Show HN: Split Keyboards Gallery

#24

Post by least »

kowlo wrote: post #22

I was never taught how to type... I'm fast enough, 120-140wpm depending on the keyboard and what I'm typing. I think the speed came from playing online games and needing to communicate quickly before suffering the consequences of not controlling my character. The end result is that I have a strange typing pattern and I use the "wrong" fingers for keys.

I share this experience and my typing on a normal keyboard is still only using a few fingers and moving them around all over the place. On a split keyboard even, i still 'misplace' some fingers because my pinky finger is so short i can't hit 'p' key comfortably with it.

Still, I think having a split keyboard has overall been a benefit to my typing experience and type faster on it than I could on a normal keyboard.

Re: Show HN: Split Keyboards Gallery

#25

Post by least »

salted-fry wrote: post #15

I like the idea of a split keyboard, but I've never been able to go down that road because I sometimes hit keys with the "wrong" finger - most notably, I need to be able to hit B with my right hand because it's down-left in roguelikes (i.e. Nethack). What I'd love to see is a "106% keyboard", where a couple columns are duplicated on both the left/right side. Does anybody make such a keyboard?

So, this is one of those things that would likely be very painful for a short period of time as you adjust to typing on a split keyboard. I was the same way when I typed on a normal stagggered layout, but being completely unable to do that, brain relatively quickly adjusted to that change.

Re: Show HN: Split Keyboards Gallery

#26

Post by ghostpepper »

salted-fry wrote: post #15

I like the idea of a split keyboard, but I've never been able to go down that road because I sometimes hit keys with the "wrong" finger - most notably, I need to be able to hit B with my right hand because it's down-left in roguelikes (i.e. Nethack). What I'd love to see is a "106% keyboard", where a couple columns are duplicated on both the left/right side. Does anybody make such a keyboard?

On my keyboard, B is exactly equidistant between F and J so I couldn't even tell you which finger is correct for it. I wonder how it was decided which side it should go on in a split keyboard?

Re: Show HN: Split Keyboards Gallery

#27

Post by srcreigh »

Cool site. I didn't notice this much selection last year. I just ended buying a Kinesis Advantage 2.

I'm very happy with the advantage 2. I'm curious about boards with smaller keys, more compact layout, or extra keys in the same space.

The advantage 2 gives you easy access to the arrow keys with no loss of access to other keys. Eliminates the whole efficient arrow usage problem, or gives you more keys for commands if you use hjkl.

The advantage 2 is not a be all end all fix for hand / wrist pain. Consider starting a hand/wrist exercise regime if you have pain first. It could help enough to not need to buy a board.

https://youtu.be/EiRC80FJbHU

Re: Show HN: Split Keyboards Gallery

#28

Post by ashtonkem »

salted-fry wrote: post #15

I like the idea of a split keyboard, but I've never been able to go down that road because I sometimes hit keys with the "wrong" finger - most notably, I need to be able to hit B with my right hand because it's down-left in roguelikes (i.e. Nethack). What I'd love to see is a "106% keyboard", where a couple columns are duplicated on both the left/right side. Does anybody make such a keyboard?

You get used to that pretty quickly.

Re: Show HN: Split Keyboards Gallery

#29

Post by gorgoiler »

salted-fry wrote: post #15

I like the idea of a split keyboard, but I've never been able to go down that road because I sometimes hit keys with the "wrong" finger - most notably, I need to be able to hit B with my right hand because it's down-left in roguelikes (i.e. Nethack). What I'd love to see is a "106% keyboard", where a couple columns are duplicated on both the left/right side. Does anybody make such a keyboard?

What you need, and I’m pretty sure this is a serious suggestion, is a pair of identical 60% keyboards. It might just work wonderfully.

Re: Show HN: Split Keyboards Gallery

#30

Post by TacticalCoder »

salted-fry wrote: post #15

I like the idea of a split keyboard, but I've never been able to go down that road because I sometimes hit keys with the "wrong" finger - most notably, I need to be able to hit B with my right hand because it's down-left in roguelikes (i.e. Nethack). What I'd love to see is a "106% keyboard", where a couple columns are duplicated on both the left/right side. Does anybody make such a keyboard?

> What I'd love to see is a "106% keyboard", where a couple columns are duplicated on both the left/right side. Does anybody make such a keyboard?

I've seen some where the '6' is present on both the left and right-hand side of a split keyboard but '6' is really the one and only key on which there can be a disagreement as to where is the correct placement.

On non-staggered keyboard the '6' is, of course, on the right hand side of the keyboard but on staggered split keyboard it is, very often, on the left hand side.

Most split keyboards in that gallery that do have a numbers row (ie 60% of more, not 40%) do have the '6' correctly located on the right hand side.

Yet most (not all) split-staggered keyboard have the '6' located on the left hand side of the keyboard.

People who learned to touch-type using the "6 with left hand" school have a very hard time adapting to an ortholinear split keyboard. While those who learned to touch-type using the "6 with the right hand" have a much easier time adapting to an ortholinear split keyboard.

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