Down the ergonomic keyboard rabbit hole • Hacker News Board

Re: Down the ergonomic keyboard rabbit hole

#161

Post by toyg » Sun, Oct 11, 2020, 9:54 AM UTC

autocorr wrote: post #155

ZeroGravitas wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The makers of the Ergodox EZ (it's open source so you can get Ergodoxes from various sources as well as build your own) also make the Moonlander, which is a step closer to the Kinesis in shape. I looked into it as a potentially more mobile alternative to the Kinesis but decided to stick with the Kinesis. I'm hoping if my current keyboard ever dies Kinesis will have a new QMK-based version that comes in two halves, or…

Given the rapid development of the hobbyist landscape from 3D printing, I suspect it will only be a matter of time before Kinesis comes out with a split design. Although the Kinesis is actually very easy to mod, and there are quite good resources on replacing the microcontroller with something that can run QMK. If you're not familiar, here's a link[1] to a PCB design that will route the ribbon cables to a Teensy. [1]…

Uh, Kinesis has several split designs already (Freestyle 1/2/Pro/Edge). Not shaped like the Advantage, but I’m pretty sure shaping is not popular enough to sustain the kind of volume they aim for.

To be honest, I just wish they had an ortho version of the FS Pro.

Re: Down the ergonomic keyboard rabbit hole

#162

Post by manuelabeledo » Sun, Oct 11, 2020, 10:26 AM UTC

polote wrote: post #47

dkersten wrote: post #11

I use a slightly configured Kinesis Advantage 2 and colemak as my keyboard layout (I used to make the Kinesis do the colemak, but now its just qwerty and the OS handles colemak). I find typing on it extremely comfortable. I've also found these beneficial: https://www.mycarpaltunnel.com/ I like Ergodox, especially because of their super flexible configuration, but I dislike the flatness of the keyboard compared to the…

There are keyboards for people who want a truly ergonomic input system and there are keyboards for fanboys Kinesis advantage 2 is for the first kind and ergodox is for the fanboys The most efficient tools are usually the most ugly and boring ones

I disagree. Ergodox-type keyboards are:

* More affordable.

* More portable.

* More configurable, both hardware and software.

Under your last statement, an Ergodox would be the more efficient tool for quite some people.

Re: Down the ergonomic keyboard rabbit hole

#163

Post by m463 » Sun, Oct 11, 2020, 11:23 AM UTC

petercooper wrote: post #3

Quite the rabbit hole and definitely worth the read :-) This seems a good place to bring up an odd experience of mine. I've had carpal tunnel for decades but no longer get many flare ups. After trying numerous keyboards, the solution turned out to be using Apple's Magic Keyboard and whatever their huge trackpad is called. The key for me seems to be low key travel, a smallish keyboard (to avoid any stretching), and av…

For me what fixed it was a left-handed mouse.

before that I overused my right hand - both for the mouse and things like the arrow keys, enter and backspace.

Re: Down the ergonomic keyboard rabbit hole

#164

Post by m463 » Sun, Oct 11, 2020, 12:37 PM UTC

I guess I didn't fully understand how deep rabbit holes can go.

Re: Down the ergonomic keyboard rabbit hole

#165

Post by auslegung » Sun, Oct 11, 2020, 2:30 PM UTC

lostapathy wrote: post #121

auslegung wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That isn’t my experience. I have an ErgoDox EZ, and while it’s married to QWERTY, I’ve customized everything else and have 4 layers I regularly use. I also use my MacBook’s keyboard when not at my desk and I never have a problem context switching. I also recently got a windows laptop and put pop_os on it, and after a few days was able to context switch between OSes with different keyboard and different shortcuts with…

What are your 4 layers? I only really live in 2

QWERTY, keyboard shortcuts for window management via Rectangle, numbers and symbols, mouse control. Media keys are on one of those layers but that knowledge resides in my fingers not my head, and I’m not at my keyboard.

I want to try a 40-key board so I’m trying to make more use of the layers.

Re: Down the ergonomic keyboard rabbit hole

#166

Post by klysm » Sun, Oct 11, 2020, 3:57 PM UTC

cjbprime wrote: post #151

klysm wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wanted to build a custom keyboard with a track point but couldn’t find any suppliers. Does anybody know of any?

There's the Tex Yoda and other Tex keyboards -- I suppose if nothing else there's buying one of those keyboards and repurposing the TrackPoint and its PCB if necessary?

Yeah the only way I've seen to do it is to rip one out of an existing keyboard sadly.

Re: Down the ergonomic keyboard rabbit hole

#167

Post by titanomachy » Sun, Oct 11, 2020, 4:07 PM UTC

dkersten wrote: post #57

ZeroGravitas wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The makers of the Ergodox EZ (it's open source so you can get Ergodoxes from various sources as well as build your own) also make the Moonlander, which is a step closer to the Kinesis in shape. I looked into it as a potentially more mobile alternative to the Kinesis but decided to stick with the Kinesis. I'm hoping if my current keyboard ever dies Kinesis will have a new QMK-based version that comes in two halves, or…

> the Moonlander, which is a step closer to the Kinesis in shape Just took a look, doesn't really look much difference. I mean the 3d curvature of the keys, your hand is kinda in a semi circular channel. I just find it comfortable, especially to reach the furthest rows of keys from the home row. Its not a huge deal, just something I like about the Kinesis. I also use the Kinesis foot pedals -- does something similar…

What do you use the foot pedal for? I had a hard time understanding what it's useful for.

Re: Down the ergonomic keyboard rabbit hole

#168

Post by Timpy » Sun, Oct 11, 2020, 4:08 PM UTC

meken wrote: post #24

I, myself, went down a similar rabbit hole years ago. I could probably write a similarly long blog post, detailing all the twists and turns, highs and lows of that period. Reading this was kinda triggering some repressed PTSD from it lol. The highs and lows, thinking that you've found the perfect layout, only to encounter an edge case which there's no solution for and giving up. The continual wishful thinking that "o…

I experimented with putting replacing some of the number row, I replaced 9 with backspace. It never occurred to me to put the ctrl/alt/shift family up there though, that's really genius.

Re: Down the ergonomic keyboard rabbit hole

#169

Post by castillar76 » Sun, Oct 11, 2020, 4:48 PM UTC

So here's my thing, and I'm wondering if this is true for anyone else. I have a huge keyboard switch tester, and I've heard excellent things about the Ergodox and Moonlander keyboards. But that's a lot of money to invest in an unknown, particularly an unknown where I don't know if the keyboard layout will work and then I'd like the ability to try out some different switches to find something that will really work.

Seems like there's a market here (not huge, but maybe growing?) for either a rent-with-option-to-own thing, or an exchange system wherein people can trade around to try them out.

Re: Down the ergonomic keyboard rabbit hole

#170

Post by StevenWaterman » Sun, Oct 11, 2020, 5:22 PM UTC

selud wrote: post #153

Does the article say which website or tool was used to relearn to type, did I miss it? I've got this journey (hopefully not all of it) ahead of me and am looking for ways to aid the transition.

I didn't mention in the article, but used https://www.keybr.com/

Good luck!