Do you use your tongue on the trackball? Or your member?
this post was submitted on 29 Nov 2024
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ErgoMechKeyboards
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Ergonomic, split and other weird keyboards
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Keep it ergo
Posts must be of/about keyboards that have a clear delineation between the left and right halves of the keyboard, column stagger, or both. This includes one-handed (one half doesn't exist, what clearer delineation is that!?)
i.e. no regular non-split¹ row-stagger and no non-split¹ ortholinear²
¹ split meaning a separation of the halves, whether fixed in place or entirely separate, both are fine.
² ortholinear meaning keys layed out in a grid
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I actually cast Mage Hand when I need to use it while typing.
Dave.
Open the pod Bay doors, HAL...
HAL, open the pod bay doors!
I'm sorry Dave...
Ok imagine you're my dad and you're helping me take over the family door opening business...
I can feel it, Dave. My mind is going. I can feel it.
I'm sorry Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.
Glove80?
Yep! Having a great time with it.
I've been meaning to move on up from mechs to ergomechs but the analysis paralysis is real lmao This one seems like a top contender though. You ever try anything else like the Dygma Defy or the Moonlander or anything?
No, this is actually my first split/ergo keyboard. I considered the Moonlander as well, but figured I'd go straight for the endgame, haha. The keywells really work great. My hands are on the larger side though, so I can reach all the keys with ease.
I jumped into ergo with the Moonlander about a year ago. I really love it personally. This one scares me but so did the Moonlander at first. But i chose that for comfort as well as for the design choices of customizability and supporting modding and things like that. But that's where my value was. Just think through what aspects are most important to you.
I recently bought a ZSA voyager for co-working.
Took me a few days to get used to the reduced keyset, but overall was very easy to adjust to. I mapped it very similar to my home keyboard (Maltron 3D).
A colleague just got a glove80 and I was able to type 70wpm after 5 mins with it. I think I'd have bought one of those for home if I didn't already have a maltron.
Great title.
Definitely could not do this setup myself.
It's sweet looking for sure but agreed, anything other than a traditional keyboard breaks my brain
SlimBlade Pro gang. It really is superior.
I tried so many trackballs before settling on the Elecom Huge. I really wanted to like the Kensington, but I think it would be infinitely more useful if it had both a thumb scroll and the orbital scroll.
My current setup for reference:
A fellow dygma defy owner! I just gave up my trackball for a magic trackpad.
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How do you like your Glove80? I never got used to mine, and went back to my tkl. I gotta give it another shot. I love the look, and the dual design eases my shoulder pain significantly. But my typing speed and accuracy took such a huge hit...
I've had one for about a year and a half and I love it! It took me a few weeks to adjust but then my typing speed quickly got back to normal. I did play around with rearranging a few keys too, which really helped. I haven't had any other ergonomic keyboards to compare to, but to me the thumb clusters and concave design are game changers!
If you don't mind, what's your layout?
Just a few minor changes to the default layout. I swapped the the up/down arrows on the right half so it matches Vim's j/k I also put the space bar and backspace on the left thumb cluster. This was mostly for games so I don't have to remap space. Delete went to the right thumb cluster. The last thing was to put '=' next to 0. My brain just couldn't handle the default '=' being on the left hand. Instead I put '' on the left hand below F1. I use that key less often so it wasn't a big deal. In general, I got used to the rest of the default layer pretty quickly, and the deviations aren't too far from a standard keyboard.
Thank you! I was having issues with muscle-memorizing the default, so anything that helps with that... well.... helps.
I like it a lot, but as you say it takes a lot of getting used to and practice. I don't think my WPM is near what it is on a regular keyboard, but we're talking a few weeks of use versus 30 years of muscle memory ... I'm gradually switching over to the Glove. Funnily enough I write better on it when I'm not thinking about it at all.
I'm in the same boat with the muscle memory. Never tested my official speed, but I've had several people comment that it sounds like I'm just smashing the keys down, but I'm actually typing. Don't really want to give that speed up, but I don't want that shoulder pain more...
How long did you try it? It took me a good two months to get back to full speed.
About two weeks. I had to get the speed back up, as work was starting to suffer. Two months? Worth the effort. I'll set it back up and give it a longer go.
The default keycaps are terrible. I can't wait for the imminent LDSA keycap batch!
Ohhhhh ldsa would be amazing!
you're inspiring me with the trackball. i'm on mac for work though, so i have a trackpad between my halves for gestures... maybe one day
It's really nice being able to scroll by twisting the trackball!
that sounds so cool 🥺
As a trackpad lover I think it is the best of both worlds. Wireless, easy to transport, can be positioned between keyboard split.
but is it a sphere 🤔
I hope so
Enjoy!
Setup is very similar to mine in shape, but different makes and arrangement.
Did you previously use your mouse in the middle pre trackball?
I'm on Elcom huge + hand wired scylla :)
Yes, or, I've had the mouse to the right, too. But I think it makes the most sense in the middle.
The Scylla looks pretty nice too!
Are you a vim junkie? Do you find your wrist is still a bit "cocked" when using mouse in the middle?( its what I was trying to avoid)
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YouTube started recommending me keyboard reviewers who have been showing glove80 and now here? Am I being manipulated by astute marketing??
2025 is the year of the ~~Linux desktop~~ ergomech keyboard
I think I'd be in to try at $200.
I'll just have to wait I guess until the prices aren't "enthusiast only"
I use a Kinesis Advantage 2. Also very expensive, but a bit older and a monoblock design instead of two halves. Despite being only a single piece, this thing alone reversed the developing RSI in my wrists thanks to the superior ergonomics.
The vertical mouse I resisted a lot longer but eventually I got tennis elbow so I caved. But where I love my Kinesis 2, I hate the vertimouse. It's comfortable, but imprecise, and too tall so I always accidentally knock it over switching between keyboard and mouse. Still, my elbow is healing, so I cannot and will not go back to a traditional mouse. I've been seriously considering a trackball though...
For those reasons, I would class these devices as medical requirement rather than luxury. If you have pain from computer work with non-ergonomic hardware, you deserve to spend the money on these things. You're taking care of yourself.