Ergo S-1 – An open-source ergonomic wireless keyboard
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Re: Ergo S-1 – An open-source ergonomic wireless keyboard
#2Project description: The Ergo S-1 is a fully wireless, split ergonomic keyboard that is compatible with cherry/gateron switches and cherry/oem/dcs keycaps. It runs on the fantastic ZMK firmware.
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I made one of these a few months ago, and I'm a big fan. It's like an open-source Kinesis Advantage 360.
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Project homepage: https://wizardkeyboards.com/ergo-s-1/
Hackaday article: https://hackaday.com/2022/08/10/from-product-to-burnout-to-o...
Re: Ergo S-1 – An open-source ergonomic wireless keyboard
#3Project description: The Ergo S-1 is a fully wireless, split ergonomic keyboard that is compatible with cherry/gateron switches and cherry/oem/dcs keycaps. It runs on the fantastic ZMK firmware. --- I made one of these a few months ago, and I'm a big fan. It's like an open-source Kinesis Advantage 360. --- Project homepage: https://wizardkeyboards.com/ergo-s-1/ Hackaday article: https://hackaday.com/2022/08/10/from-p…
The OG open-source Kinesis Advantage (minus curved form) is Ergodox, released in 2011. Ergo S-1 re-introduces the curved form and adds wireless support (which Kinesis never had), but unfortunately has less keys then both Kinesis Advantage and Ergodox, which can be a deal-breaker for those who uses those keys on their Ergodox. Personally, I use only 2 keys on each thumb cluster, removed some keys in the bottom row, but use every extra key in left and right column on each half.
Re: Ergo S-1 – An open-source ergonomic wireless keyboard
#4Why do all these new keyboard designs lack Function keys?
Layering is not a good solution when many applications already have double or even triple buckies on the F keys. What IDE doesn't?
Re: Ergo S-1 – An open-source ergonomic wireless keyboard
#5Project description: The Ergo S-1 is a fully wireless, split ergonomic keyboard that is compatible with cherry/gateron switches and cherry/oem/dcs keycaps. It runs on the fantastic ZMK firmware. --- I made one of these a few months ago, and I'm a big fan. It's like an open-source Kinesis Advantage 360. --- Project homepage: https://wizardkeyboards.com/ergo-s-1/ Hackaday article: https://hackaday.com/2022/08/10/from-p…
The OG open-source Kinesis Advantage (minus curved form) is Ergodox, released in 2011. Ergo S-1 re-introduces the curved form and adds wireless support (which Kinesis never had), but unfortunately has less keys then both Kinesis Advantage and Ergodox, which can be a deal-breaker for those who uses those keys on their Ergodox. Personally, I use only 2 keys on each thumb cluster, removed some keys in the bottom row, bu…
There has always been a wireless version of the above-mentioned Kinesis Advantage 360, also running the ZMK firmware.
Before it, there were the open-source Dactyl variants that more or less copied the Kinesis. The original Dactyl [1] (2015) has a layout like the Kinesis but the more popular Dactyl Manuform variants have different thumb clusters. And people have been building them both with wired and wireless controllers.
The history is not complete without mentioning that Kinesis (Model 100 in 1992) in turn had copied the Maltron [2], designed by Lilian Malt in the 1970's.
Re: Ergo S-1 – An open-source ergonomic wireless keyboard
#6Why do all these new keyboard designs lack Function keys? Layering is not a good solution when many applications already have double or even triple buckies on the F keys. What IDE doesn't?
There's a learning curve involved with these keyboards, as they move the modifier keys around. Because of this, the target audience is people who are willing to invest time and effort (not just money) into ergonomics. Those people typically already alter the default shortcuts of the software they use to fit their workflow.
Changing IDE shortcuts is really an easy win for ergonomics. Shortcuts aren't really designed: they grow organically as features are added, using whatever is free. Because of this, older features use simple shortcuts, young features require pressing more keys or even chords.
Re: Ergo S-1 – An open-source ergonomic wireless keyboard
#7Why do all these new keyboard designs lack Function keys? Layering is not a good solution when many applications already have double or even triple buckies on the F keys. What IDE doesn't?
Obviously what keys to include, what they do, and maybe other choices to make when designing a keyboard is almost entirely subjective, but here's my opinion:
Layering, chording, combos, and other methods of producing different keycodes aside from just throwing more buttons and adding more surface area ARE a good solution and arguably superior due to the following benefits:
- Ergonomics are better due to less overall movement and effort needed to produce a certain keycodes by moving two fingers slightly instead of moving your wrist or arm.
- Keyboard is generally cheaper to produce due to fewer parts required, simpler circuitry, smaller footprint, and other benefits. The arguable downside is that you are "hiding" the complexity in software (firmware?).
- It's more fun! This one is more subjective, but thinking about clever and more efficient ways to setup your keyboard can be a good time indeed! It feels cool to use.
Re: Ergo S-1 – An open-source ergonomic wireless keyboard
#8Project description: The Ergo S-1 is a fully wireless, split ergonomic keyboard that is compatible with cherry/gateron switches and cherry/oem/dcs keycaps. It runs on the fantastic ZMK firmware. --- I made one of these a few months ago, and I'm a big fan. It's like an open-source Kinesis Advantage 360. --- Project homepage: https://wizardkeyboards.com/ergo-s-1/ Hackaday article: https://hackaday.com/2022/08/10/from-p…
Price?
Re: Ergo S-1 – An open-source ergonomic wireless keyboard
#9Why do all these new keyboard designs lack Function keys? Layering is not a good solution when many applications already have double or even triple buckies on the F keys. What IDE doesn't?
There's a whole lot of folks that believe minimizing have movement is ergonomically better, if not faster, and therefore use keyboard layouts that require cords to type not just function keys but also numbers.
A popular way to handle modifiers, for example, is putting them on the home row. A tap gives you a letter; a long press gives you a modifier instead. This allows me to (for example) type Ctrl+alt+shift+left arrow without moving my hands at all.
Home row mods are really finicky though. It took me months to get really consistent at them.
Re: Ergo S-1 – An open-source ergonomic wireless keyboard
#10Why do all these new keyboard designs lack Function keys? Layering is not a good solution when many applications already have double or even triple buckies on the F keys. What IDE doesn't?
Even worse, the ones which (like this one) lack left and right modifiers such as Shift, Control, Alt and Super. For those who’ve never touch-typed, the right way to type a modified key (e.g. G) is to hold the modifier (e.g. Shift) in the opposite hand, then type the key (in this case, g).
I really like having return under my pinky, which means that I need another column in order to get quote somewhere decent.