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Split Keyboard for Professionals

ultimatehackingkeyboard.com

211–220 of 331 posts

Re: Split Keyboard for Professionals

#211

I don't really get this obsession with mechanical keyboards. I understand it can feel nice for some people, it's a matter of personal preference, nothing wrong there. But these mechanical keyboards are all so incredibly loud that your coworkers will hate your guts after just a half hour of sitting within 30 feet of you. At home, sure, knock yourself out. But in a workplace environment? Be nice and choose a more silen…

We have a ban on clickies in our office, or did when we were in the office. I use clears most of the time, couple others do as well, and then lots of browns. A good mechanical keyboard, that isn't intentionally clicky, tends to actually quieter than a traditional rubber dome keyboard, since you don't bottom out, or have o rings in it.

Re: Split Keyboard for Professionals

#212

I don't really get this obsession with mechanical keyboards. I understand it can feel nice for some people, it's a matter of personal preference, nothing wrong there. But these mechanical keyboards are all so incredibly loud that your coworkers will hate your guts after just a half hour of sitting within 30 feet of you. At home, sure, knock yourself out. But in a workplace environment? Be nice and choose a more silen…

Are these the same coworkers who are constantly on the phone within earshot, and whose music I hear blaring through headphones? I'd love to work in an office where the most annoying sound is a loud keyboard. I wish more companies gave thought to making a workspace quiet(ish).

Re: Split Keyboard for Professionals

#213

I come to keyboards from a slightly different background. I am missing a couple of fingers, on my left hand two fingers and one thumb can reach keys, on my right hand three fingers and a thumb can. I never learned "home-row" typing or any other fixed method, but I can comfortably touch type above 60 words per minute. This is a point of pride for me. I resisted the idea of split keyboards for quite a while because my…

Have you considered an alternate or fully custom layout?

Re: Split Keyboard for Professionals

#214

I don't really get this obsession with mechanical keyboards. I understand it can feel nice for some people, it's a matter of personal preference, nothing wrong there. But these mechanical keyboards are all so incredibly loud that your coworkers will hate your guts after just a half hour of sitting within 30 feet of you. At home, sure, knock yourself out. But in a workplace environment? Be nice and choose a more silen…

> But these mechanical keyboards are all so incredibly loud that your coworkers will hate your guts after just a half hour of sitting within 30 feet of you.

There are plenty of silent mechanical switches, the choice to use a clicky-clacky switch is down to the individual.

Re: Split Keyboard for Professionals

#215
post #204

Give any keyboard most of the benefits of a split keyboard by angling your hand/finger columns like `////\\\\` rather than like `\\\\\\\\` (as is commonly taught). You should be typing "Z" with your ring finger, not pinky. 'WSZ' column, not 'WSX'. Even the linked "Ultimate Hacking Keyboard" will require a VERY aggressive slanted placement of the left hand segment to give yourself comfortable inward left hand columns.…

Or to the Maltron dual-handed keyboards.

* https://www.maltron.com/uploads/6/1/2/5/61250099/s9751652005...

Re: Split Keyboard for Professionals

#216

I don't really get this obsession with mechanical keyboards. I understand it can feel nice for some people, it's a matter of personal preference, nothing wrong there. But these mechanical keyboards are all so incredibly loud that your coworkers will hate your guts after just a half hour of sitting within 30 feet of you. At home, sure, knock yourself out. But in a workplace environment? Be nice and choose a more silen…

mechanical != blue switches

Some mechanical keyboards are loud, but not all of them. My newest keyboard is a Kinesis Freestyle Pro with "Silent Red" switches. It is "mechanical" but quieter than my MBP. I am sharing a home office with my wife right now, and I was worried when I ordered the keyboard because she complains that my chair creaks and makes too much noise, but she was fine with the keyboard.

I have a CODE keyboard with brown switches at work, and putting dampers on all of the keys helped that quite a bit. My coworkers expressed some interest in that one, but no one complained.

Re: Split Keyboard for Professionals

#217

I don't really get this obsession with mechanical keyboards. I understand it can feel nice for some people, it's a matter of personal preference, nothing wrong there. But these mechanical keyboards are all so incredibly loud that your coworkers will hate your guts after just a half hour of sitting within 30 feet of you. At home, sure, knock yourself out. But in a workplace environment? Be nice and choose a more silen…

I am not a mechanical keyboard freak, but I do own one with black Cherry MX switches (they are the linear ones without click, basically Cherry MX red with stronger springs).

I can type more silent on that keyboard than on my notebook keyboard. If you don't hammer the key you only hear a faint noise of friction..

Re: Split Keyboard for Professionals

#218

I don't really get this obsession with mechanical keyboards. I understand it can feel nice for some people, it's a matter of personal preference, nothing wrong there. But these mechanical keyboards are all so incredibly loud that your coworkers will hate your guts after just a half hour of sitting within 30 feet of you. At home, sure, knock yourself out. But in a workplace environment? Be nice and choose a more silen…

It's not the click, it's the aesthetic - especially if one gets into customizing, building, by hand, selecting keys and keycaps, etc.

It's the equivalent of people who spend time and effort to really work on their car and make it what they want it to be. It's the equivalent of people who really appreciate a high quality tool instead of just picking up something cheap from the local store.

It's also art. Some keyboards are just beautiful creations with both utilitarian as well as artistic merit.

Yea and it's the click too for some, but "click" is just one option for people building mechanical keyboards. There are far more options than just "it clicks" and "it doesn't click" for switches.

Re: Split Keyboard for Professionals

#219

I'd like to try a split keyboard but I can't give up a bluetooth keyboard. It doesn't _seem_ like a major technical challenge to have a split bluetooth keyboard but I'm surprised one doesn't exist yet so maybe there's some challenge there. Being able to split the keyboard wirelessly would give you freedom to put your hands wherever the heck you want. It would be interesting to play with different hand placements.

Do you really need bluetooth to give you hand placement freedom? I'm currently trying out a keyboardio 01 mounted to my armrests, they connect via an ethernet cable, so I just ran a longer cable around the back of the chair.

Re: Split Keyboard for Professionals

#220
post #45
post #25

The trackball thumb module is a great idea - being able to mouse without moving my right hand off the keyboard would be ideal (you can buy an actual mouse to use for FPS games if you want that). For anyone who is seeing this and thinking they need to upgrade though, know that you really don't have to spend $300 to get a good-quality ergonomic keyboard. The Goldtouch GTN-0099 can be found in like-new condition for $60…

I own a Kinesis Freestyle2. It's collecting dust because I've found the keyboard layout suboptimal. My thumbs would awkwardly reach inwards for the modifier keys.

Are you a Mac user?

Apple keyboards seem to have a different layout where the command key is lined up with the gap between X|C. Being a half key off took me a little getting used to.

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