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Show HN: Split Keyboards Gallery

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Re: Show HN: Split Keyboards Gallery

#91

Post by markmark »

Mister_Snuggles wrote: post #65
LeoPanthera wrote: post #37

I'm surprised the original[1] MS Natural Keyboard is not listed in the mass-market page. Maybe it's because it's not made anymore. I still have mine, it's years old, but it still works and I still love it, it seems to be the perfect angle for my hands. Even though it is absolutely enormous. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_ergonomic_keyboards#...

I couldn't touch-type until I got a Microsoft Natural Keyboard (the very first version listed). Eventually I got its successor, the Elite, then the 4000. Interestingly enough, the touch-typing skills that I didn't develop until getting the MS Natural Keyboard translate back just fine to regular keyboards.

I bought a 4000 when I decided it was finally time to learn to touch type properly so that I'd be force to use the right hands for each half (I tended to use my dominant hand far too much). It worked great for that, and now I use a kinesis advantage, which I love.

Re: Show HN: Split Keyboards Gallery

#92

Post by JoshTriplett »

TacticalCoder wrote: post #33
ghostpepper wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

> On my keyboard, B is exactly equidistant between F and J so I couldn't even tell you which finger is correct for it. It's not about distance but about logic. If the right index finger does y,h,n and u,j,m then the left index finger does r,f,v and t,g,b. Otherwise your left index only does five letters while your right index does 7. Depending on how "badly" a staggered keyboard is staggered, some keys can be closer…

> Otherwise your left index only does five letters while your right index does 7.

Which, if you're right-handed, makes some amount of sense.

Re: Show HN: Split Keyboards Gallery

#93

Post by mech422 »

This is sweet! I'm trying to find time to work on my 'trackdyl' (like the 'oddball' or 'beast' in the photos)

I wouldn't mind a split with a thumb cluster mounted 'electric eraser' either.. It would be so nice not to have to reach for a mouse/trackball all the time...

Re: Show HN: Split Keyboards Gallery

#94

Post by dr_kiszonka »

castillar76 wrote: post #56

I've used split keyboards for ages, and until recently had a Kinesis Gaming Edge that I really liked and still highly recommend. But what I found was that I was "freezing" while typing: instead of typing smoothly, it felt like every other sentence I'd pause for a sec and then keep going. After watching Thomas/chyrosran22's keyboard reviews on YouTube and his discussions of why ergo doesn't work for him, I realized wh…

That keychron looks so nice! I quite like the color scheme.

Have you seen any keyboard with a similar layout to Kinesis Edge but with attachments similar to those that UHK has (https://ultimatehackingkeyboard.com/product/keycluster).

Those more fancy, niche keyboards like Moonlander and UHK seem to offer great configurability, but simply have too few keys for me. My wrists like separate arrows, home, end, page up & down keys and not needing to change layers or press and hold four-key combinations :)

Re: Show HN: Split Keyboards Gallery

#95

Post by mech422 »

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?

there are 'trackdyl's out there with the trackball.. if you look in the photo gallery 'oddball' and 'beast' are probably the best known...

Re: Show HN: Split Keyboards Gallery

#96

Post by Cu3PO42 »

mholm wrote: post #9

Anybody have the moonlander and enjoy it? I currently have an ergodox infinity, and want something I can swap to Kailh Choc White switches. The layout and programming seems perfect for me, though I'm disappointing that it's still wired.

I very much enjoy my Moonlander. This is my first split keyboard so I have limited reference points, but the layout still seems quite sensible overall. There's a few things I wish were slightly different, though:

The lowermost of the three thumb keys and the red keys are a bit of a stretch to reach and I already have rather large hands.

The two keys on the bottom row closest to the center are quite comfortable to reach with my thumbs and I use them for extra modifiers. I hardly use the other keys on that row.

I prefer not to use the number row, I have mapped a numpad to another layer instead.

Re: Show HN: Split Keyboards Gallery

#97

Post by airhead969 »

The DataHand was the ultimate split keyboard innovation advancement short of implanting electrodes in your skull. It failed because of poor marketing and a ridiculous price (likely due to cost-inefficient engineering/manufacturing).

Re: Show HN: Split Keyboards Gallery

#98

Post by firstSpeaker »

dr_kiszonka wrote: post #94
castillar76 wrote: post #56

I've used split keyboards for ages, and until recently had a Kinesis Gaming Edge that I really liked and still highly recommend. But what I found was that I was "freezing" while typing: instead of typing smoothly, it felt like every other sentence I'd pause for a sec and then keep going. After watching Thomas/chyrosran22's keyboard reviews on YouTube and his discussions of why ergo doesn't work for him, I realized wh…

That keychron looks so nice! I quite like the color scheme. Have you seen any keyboard with a similar layout to Kinesis Edge but with attachments similar to those that UHK has ( https://ultimatehackingkeyboard.com/product/keycluster ). Those more fancy, niche keyboards like Moonlander and UHK seem to offer great configurability, but simply have too few keys for me. My wrists like separate arrows, home, end, page up &…

I use UHK. Note that it does not have the modules yet and the reason I switched to this when my previous vessel died was the modules.

As far as it goes they are postponing tease of the modules on every release date.

I am looking forward to the trackball and the key luster. Although now I am considering waiting for a bunch of reviews to come out before paying for those two modules.

Re: Show HN: Split Keyboards Gallery

#99

Post by lostdog »

sequoia wrote: post #81

I am up past my bedtime typing on hacker news just to mega-disagree about the goldtouch keyboard, of which I own multiple and have used exclusively for over 10 years to manage serious RSI which has left me debilitated at times and will probably never resolve fully. The goldtouch is a fantastic ergonomic keyboard. I’m sure others are just as good or better and didn’t object to the authors criticisms until s/he suggest…

The only truth about ergonomics is that everyone needs different things.

I used a goldtouch for years to manage some early RSI symptoms. In the beginning it helped a lot, but later my symptoms changed a bit and it stopped helping. Elevating my wrists to reach the tenting position was causing more problems then the keyboard was helping. I switched over to a Kinesis and it has helped me tremendously.

It probably still works for some people! I know we have some Microsoft ergonomic keyboard fans on this site, so maybe the author shouldn't poo-poo so many of these.

Re: Show HN: Split Keyboards Gallery

#100

Post by bbojan »

mamcx wrote: post #17
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?

I have made for myself something alike: https://imgur.com/a/By9YN2q Is made on wood, to being on the style of MS Ergo but not curved (yet I think it feel nice as is).

How/where did you get the custom key labels? Dye sublimation?
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