Thoughts on Mechanical Keyboards and the ZSA Moonlander • Hacker News Board

Re: Thoughts on Mechanical Keyboards and the ZSA Moonlander

#261

Post by thtmnisamnstr » Mon, Sep 29, 2025, 7:37 PM UTC

Jenk wrote: post #244

linsomniac wrote: post #230

I've had a Moonlander for a couple years, and an ErgoDox Ez for 3-4 years before that, and, honestly, I'm looking to move to something else. My biggest issue seems to be that I'm switching between a Macbook and the Moonlander all the time, and the Moonlander I just find myself making too many dumb typos on. In particular, I think the ortholinear layout isn't doing me any favors, and the missing extra keys on the righ…

You may be interested in the Glove80[0]. I moved from the Moonlander to it for the very same reason. I have since moved on to a very small form-factor (Pteron36, which has just 36 keys) as I my hands started to tire from reaching for the keys on the perimeter so chopped right down. Or get the soldering iron out and build one of the many kits available[1] [0]: https://moergo.com [1]: https://golem.hu/board/list/low-pr…

What they are describing sounds like the Glove80. I've been using the Glove80 for a year, and I'm a huge fan of it. Took a while to get used to, but now typing is way more comfortable than it was on even my old Freestyle Kinesis.

Re: Thoughts on Mechanical Keyboards and the ZSA Moonlander

#262

Post by alfiedotwtf » Mon, Sep 29, 2025, 7:40 PM UTC

There’s nothing more fitting than a completely customisable keyboard for an Emacs enthusiast!

Thinking now though, it would be cool to have Emacs layers on a keyboard to cover C-x etc.

Side note: in 2025 it would have been nice if ZSA would make a wireless version :(

Re: Thoughts on Mechanical Keyboards and the ZSA Moonlander

#263

Post by alfiedotwtf » Mon, Sep 29, 2025, 7:41 PM UTC

linsomniac wrote: post #230

I've had a Moonlander for a couple years, and an ErgoDox Ez for 3-4 years before that, and, honestly, I'm looking to move to something else. My biggest issue seems to be that I'm switching between a Macbook and the Moonlander all the time, and the Moonlander I just find myself making too many dumb typos on. In particular, I think the ortholinear layout isn't doing me any favors, and the missing extra keys on the righ…

You sure this doesn’t exist on Temu? I’ve had a few custom keyboards printed, and they have all been nice… though for wireless everyone uses ZMQ because from memory I believe QMK will never support wireless properly

Re: Thoughts on Mechanical Keyboards and the ZSA Moonlander

#264

Post by sleepybrett » Mon, Sep 29, 2025, 8:01 PM UTC

IMO the moonlander and other ergodox type boards are nothing but worse kinesis advantage / dacyl keyboards.

By flattening the keywells the board requires more reach and worse outcomes though the thumbpads will probably help with most peoples wrist issues.

Re: Thoughts on Mechanical Keyboards and the ZSA Moonlander

#265

Post by sleepybrett » Mon, Sep 29, 2025, 8:02 PM UTC

linsomniac wrote: post #230

I've had a Moonlander for a couple years, and an ErgoDox Ez for 3-4 years before that, and, honestly, I'm looking to move to something else. My biggest issue seems to be that I'm switching between a Macbook and the Moonlander all the time, and the Moonlander I just find myself making too many dumb typos on. In particular, I think the ortholinear layout isn't doing me any favors, and the missing extra keys on the righ…

When i switched to my kinesis advantage (then called the essential) in about 1999-2000. I had to spend a very dedicated amount of time using ONLY that keyboard. Once I became fully proficient I was able to switch between the advantage and 'normal' staggered boards without any problems. Muscle memory is incredible.

Re: Thoughts on Mechanical Keyboards and the ZSA Moonlander

#266

Post by anttiharju » Mon, Sep 29, 2025, 8:03 PM UTC

linsomniac wrote: post #230

I've had a Moonlander for a couple years, and an ErgoDox Ez for 3-4 years before that, and, honestly, I'm looking to move to something else. My biggest issue seems to be that I'm switching between a Macbook and the Moonlander all the time, and the Moonlander I just find myself making too many dumb typos on. In particular, I think the ortholinear layout isn't doing me any favors, and the missing extra keys on the righ…

Zsa voyager is low profile, you aware of that?

Happy user for 1+ year here

Re: Thoughts on Mechanical Keyboards and the ZSA Moonlander

#267

Post by eikenberry » Mon, Sep 29, 2025, 8:08 PM UTC

cosmic_cheese wrote: post #259

linsomniac wrote: post #230

I've had a Moonlander for a couple years, and an ErgoDox Ez for 3-4 years before that, and, honestly, I'm looking to move to something else. My biggest issue seems to be that I'm switching between a Macbook and the Moonlander all the time, and the Moonlander I just find myself making too many dumb typos on. In particular, I think the ortholinear layout isn't doing me any favors, and the missing extra keys on the righ…

I've made a point of staying away from more radically different layouts precisely because I live in a reality where use of laptop keyboards is frequent and dragging an external board around isn't really practical. It would be nice if laptop manufacturers standardized on a modular keyboard deck design, making it viable to do small-batch group buys of replacement decks with relatively esoteric layouts. This wouldn't co…

I find laptop keyboards to be so poor in general that catering to them seems like a lost cause (in my case). I would prefer a laptop w/o a keyboard (basically a beefy tablet) where I would bring my own keyboard. Ideally I'd like it to be even more modular than that and I might even look into it one day using frame.work components and a 3d printer.

Re: Thoughts on Mechanical Keyboards and the ZSA Moonlander

#268

Post by jjcm » Mon, Sep 29, 2025, 8:13 PM UTC

If you're looking for a split keyboard that still has a more standard row-staggered layout, I'd highly rec the Dygma Raise.

Far less of a learning curve and the build quality is quite good.

Re: Thoughts on Mechanical Keyboards and the ZSA Moonlander

#269

Post by jadbox » Mon, Sep 29, 2025, 8:22 PM UTC

linsomniac wrote: post #230

I've had a Moonlander for a couple years, and an ErgoDox Ez for 3-4 years before that, and, honestly, I'm looking to move to something else. My biggest issue seems to be that I'm switching between a Macbook and the Moonlander all the time, and the Moonlander I just find myself making too many dumb typos on. In particular, I think the ortholinear layout isn't doing me any favors, and the missing extra keys on the righ…

Fwiw, I love my Kinesis mWave. Zero complaints.

Re: Thoughts on Mechanical Keyboards and the ZSA Moonlander

#270

Post by cosmic_cheese » Mon, Sep 29, 2025, 8:48 PM UTC

eikenberry wrote: post #267

cosmic_cheese wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've made a point of staying away from more radically different layouts precisely because I live in a reality where use of laptop keyboards is frequent and dragging an external board around isn't really practical. It would be nice if laptop manufacturers standardized on a modular keyboard deck design, making it viable to do small-batch group buys of replacement decks with relatively esoteric layouts. This wouldn't co…

I find laptop keyboards to be so poor in general that catering to them seems like a lost cause (in my case). I would prefer a laptop w/o a keyboard (basically a beefy tablet) where I would bring my own keyboard. Ideally I'd like it to be even more modular than that and I might even look into it one day using frame.work components and a 3d printer.

The issue with the PC tablet form factor, in my opinion, is that it's extremely limiting so long as you're trying to keep the device reasonably light and portable. It's also awkward at sizes larger than ~13". If I think about a tabletified form of a 16" M4 Max MBP for example, it'd be so clunky (including kickstand an all that) that I'd question the usefulness of it being a tablet. A 13" MacPad Air would probably be the upper limit.