281–290 of 373 posts
I love the idea of a mechanical keyboard (and I would love to build one), but I hate the thick keys and travel distance of each key press (I'm used to the thing keys on my MacBook Pro). Are there any mechanical switches that are low-travel?
Check out the "Dactyl-ManuForm": https://github.com/tshort/dactyl-keyboard > a parameterized, split-hand, concave, columnar, ergonomic keyboard.
How about a 3D-printed DataHand clone... https://github.com/JesusFreke/lalboard
Building keyboards is such a rewarding activity. Once you go down that rabbit hole, you can go as deep as you want. Here's one I did a couple of years ago, including a custom PCB: https://medium.com/@friggeri/the-new-blanck-keyboard-c7563c4...
Nice... although I have so much muscle memory now, I don't think I could live with too much change (the spacebar in particular). Model-M for life! ;-)
I have since not dipped in, but the marbles roll around in my mind.
To me, such purchase opportunities inspire both money-spending as well as creative inspirations.
Around 2 years ago now, I took the plunge and bought myself an Ergodox EZ split island keyboard. Quite franky, it is the biggest quantum leap in the ergonomic experience of interacting with a computer I have seen since learning Vim. It is comfortable, effortless and fast. If you spend any significant time interacting with computers it is a complete no brainer to invest in optimising the IO channel between your brain…
$300 for the simplest keyboard...
Most of us here on HN spend so much of our lives typing that we really should invest in good tools, especially for comfort. I rely on my hands so much that I feel like spending $300 to protect them from RSI and to improve typing comfort and accuracy is a no brainier. I think anybody who types a lot should get an ergonomic split keyboard with mechanical switches (and learn to not bottom the keys out). Your hands will thank you. A once off cost of $300ish is really not that much compared to discomfort or injury.
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Writing Rust in Dvorak on an EZ Ergo for a living is next-level techno-paradise to many a nerd. Kudos for that! Also, if by any chance you feel like sharing details about how, and in which order you made these transitions; things you wish you knew before trying... please don't hesitate :)
I used Colemak (which is similar to Dvorak) and I would really recommend learning it if you don't already touch type. It does involve a little bit of pain at first and you'll feel really tempted to go back but in a week I was already fast enough to do useful work. I'm not a speed demon by any means, I type at the same speed I did before (60 wpm) except now I don't need to look at the keyboard which is very convenient…
The one thing I wonder about as a colemak user is should I have opted for a fully optimised layout instead? Having the common keys stay the same as qwerty was convenient while learning colemak but really isn’t necessary after a few weeks. I don’t regret choosing colemak though because it’s got good OS support (cones built in with Linux and OSX) while the fully optimised layouts typically have to be manually installed. I’ve been a happy colemak user for about 8 years now and couldn’t imagine still using qwerty.
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Do you still want the F1-F12 keys? If you don't, choose a keyboard with an appropriate physical arrangement (I happen to have [1], which would work for this), and program it accordingly -- any mechanical keyboard lets you move the key mapping around. Optionally swap the plastic key caps around. (You could also achieve this OS-side on any cheap keyboard.) If you want an additional row, you'll probably need to make the…
Is it generally reliable to buy such an item from aliexpress? Don't you end up with cheap version of more expensive keyboards? Asking because I've been looking for a 75% (non-split) keyboard for a long time, and it seems like aliexpress might have what I'm looking for. I'm just worried about ending up with a knock off.
Yes, it's a cheaper version, but most of the additional cost was for things I don't care about (aluminium case, geek cred) and the small disadvantage (different default firmware that's less programmable) can be fixed by reflashing, if I feel I need it.
Depending where you live, you might be hit with import taxes when buying something direct from China.
From a blogger in China [2]:
> USA is thriving with crowd funded fancy keyboards that will become available in year 3000, or DIY keyboards that take a life-time to build.
> Meanwhile in China, sound ergonomic keyboards, are a dime a dozen, and 5 times cheaper, and you can buy it NOW. Here's one of them.
[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/search/?q=VE.A%...
My problem with such keyboard is that it assumes: - you will mostly work on the same place (or you accept the burden of traveling with your keyboard and be "that guy" when you set it up. Personally for the same hurdle, I prefer a secondary screen on the go) - you will mostly work on the same machine (or you have multiple keyboards, one for each machine, and if you are in a data center or tech support, you move with y…
1. I am "that guy", but who cares? It's like a carpenter bringing his own tools. I bought a second one after 1 year of lugging it around, because it's worth it to me.
2. Use/buy US QWERTY on everything, with US-International dead keys. I've been typing German (QWERTZ) this way for >10 years now, and it makes some programming tasks/tools easier to use.
3. Alternatively get a set of blank keycaps for your keyboard. This is actually a key ;-) feature of mechanical keyboards, you can get keycaps in all shapes and sizes and even custom printed ones. I use blanks or US QWERTY.
4. Keep a second (regular) keyboard plugged in case a coworker comes around. This is easy, as there is usually one on the desk already.
5. Borrow keyboards from friends for 2 weeks and try them out full-time. Some that I've tried were downright painful. I know it's hard to return stuff in Europe but if you can, try to.
6. Although expensive I think it's a good investment, especially if may prevent health issues in the future. Some employers may even pay for it, or offer an alternative.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I used Colemak (which is similar to Dvorak) and I would really recommend learning it if you don't already touch type. It does involve a little bit of pain at first and you'll feel really tempted to go back but in a week I was already fast enough to do useful work. I'm not a speed demon by any means, I type at the same speed I did before (60 wpm) except now I don't need to look at the keyboard which is very convenient…
Thanks a lot! I've searched a bit based on what you said and sort of found a point of entry into Colemak. It's very enticing. I'm not a touch typist yet (use all fingers but quite inconsistently I suppose, yet 'fast enough' for me and without looking). Would it be sensible to make such a 'dramatic' layout change at the same time as the switch to a split ortholinear such as the EZ? It seems more straightforward to do…
If I were doing it again I would go for the split keyboard from the start.
My problem with such keyboard is that it assumes: - you will mostly work on the same place (or you accept the burden of traveling with your keyboard and be "that guy" when you set it up. Personally for the same hurdle, I prefer a secondary screen on the go) - you will mostly work on the same machine (or you have multiple keyboards, one for each machine, and if you are in a data center or tech support, you move with y…
Here's my solution to these issues: 1. I am "that guy", but who cares? It's like a carpenter bringing his own tools. I bought a second one after 1 year of lugging it around, because it's worth it to me. 2. Use/buy US QWERTY on everything, with US-International dead keys. I've been typing German (QWERTZ) this way for >10 years now, and it makes some programming tasks/tools easier to use. 3. Alternatively get a set of…
You may accept the price of those compromises depending of your context, what's important and the ROI or course. That's what our jobs are about after all.
I don't mean to say you should not buy those keyboards, I only want to provide another point of view.