Відео

A modular trackball would be a great addition! Although, it seems thumb balls are the easier ones to fit, which is unfortunate for finger ball users such as myself.

Thank you for your comment. After making a layout switch last year, I found it useful to practice on longer words (English 10k on monkeytype), and focus on accuracy instead of speed (slow down when you sense a mistake is about to happen). Shorter words become significantly easier afterwards. You can also try the "read ahead" technique, where you try to read beyond the next space to even out the tempo and improve flow (it's less useful when you are not in typing test or other transcribing mode).

@@bueny52 Thanks a lot for your reply. This is very helpful. Did you still try to speed up your typing in that process or just focus on accuracy? I was practicing mostly short words, because they are most common. But it is a good point to "overpractice" and gain in that process also more confidence on shorter words likely!

@@nickgoogle4525 Yes I did try to speed up over time, but not right when practicing. I find it more helpful to target a constant, steady typing flow than bursts of speedy word(s) interspersed with mini breaks (particularly if they yield the same wpm on average).

The pro reds have a bit more rattle horizontally. The ambients also feel slightly softer when bottoming out (but could be an illusion from them being quieter)

I do tend to align the columns fanning out to make the thumb keys and the central index columns more accessible, but it's also due to stagger between the middle and the index columns a bit too aggressive on the Voyager (for me), and the outward rotation balances that out to a degree (making middle and index home keys more level)

@@bueny52 thanks, interesting!

It will depend a lot on what chair you use. Moosy (a fellow glove80 user) assembled a lot of useful information on mounting and covered the implementation used here as well, have a look: sites.google.com/view/keyboards/hardware/mounting

These are just regular numpads. The challenge is to find software that is able to map the two numpads differently (because they produce the same keycodes, and typical remapping softwares don't distinguish between the same keycode from different devices). I documented how to achieve this in the video description.

I like the raised index columns better than before, but I'm also limited by the intrinsic curvature (which makes it difficult to e.g. further raise the keys without them clashing into each other). The slight wrist supination introduced by the raised index keys does also alter the feeling of the palm rest. Personally it feels like a good compromise, but YMMV

Indeed. Although I've heard that Maltron is mostly a one-person shop now (could be a rumor), so I can understand if they don't want to change anything that ain't broken

@@bueny52 Yes a small operation but so much potential as they are the OG. It is no secret that Kinesis copied their design. Safe/stagnation = slow death in the tech space.

LOL international waters brother

Yeah, the thumb cluster height is a complicated issue. It's definitely lower than e.g. the Kinesis Advantages, but feels slightly higher than flat (like resting your hand on a desk surface), although the latter is not really fair given the 3d nature. I got cramps on the KA I tested due to thumb cluster height, but no cramps on the unmodded Glove80. I wasn't able to pinpoint what exactly felt "off" with the Glove80 until after I used the Maltron which has very aggressively raised index columns. My current conclusion is that it is perhaps more important to raise the index keys than to lower the thumbs (that's to say, the thumb can be higher than mid/ring/pinky, as long as its lower than or neutral with the index).

Indeed the Ambients are incredibly quiet. I'm using a modified Maltron layout, bit.ly/mtrino

If I can only change one thing about the strictly ortholinear layout, I'd make the two main thumb keys (one per side) 2u keys (and optionally rotate them slightly).

I don't have a review of it, but the RK split remains the most affordable pre-built hot-swappable wireless split keyboard (around 80 to 90 usd when on sale). If you come from the traditional row-staggered keyboard and want to try out true split without adjusting to column stagger, this would be the top candidate IMO. For perspective, something like the Dygma Raise would cost you around 400 usd (with wireless, without tenting), with the only benefit of 4 additional thumb keys.

@@bueny52 Thank you very much for your videos and for thanking the time for responding, I really appreciate it.

I had the same thought and looked hard on aliexpress, but eventually (reluctantly) chose the numpads instead because macropads are usually more expensive (even the generic ones), and the cheaper ones also don't have wireless. The only benefit for going with macropads is their programmability (and hot swappability if you go with the more premium ones), but given that the two halves don't talk to each other, the usefulness of programmability is limited (e.g., can't get hold-tap layers to work properly across both halves). I'd definitely look harder at the macropad option if I were more serious about the setup (and ready to shell out for the more premium ones, which when combined may not be much cheaper than a bona fide split keyboard).

@@bueny52 You can get them for around $/€ 35 ~ 40 (or cheaper) per piece, if you look around. As you said, there won’t be any cross talking (for extra shift layers), but they can be found with RGB. If you are really crazy, you could even use 2 Stream Deck XLs, but that would be extremely expensive (ZSA Moonlander territory) while the tactile feel and ergonomics (with the stands removed would be marginally okay at best. However, you would gain changeable legends (because screen) and the ability for cross talking as the Elgato software supports multiple devices at once, all affecting eachother, if desired.

Haha, a pair of stream decks is crazy. I wonder if we'd ever get a keycap technology with display (such as e-ink)

LOL best sales pitch for choc whites!

I appreciate the thoughts, but I'm not sure that's an accurate characterization. Most of the dactyls I've seen (though I've not used one) don't have the main thumb key lower than the home position of the index finger (which is the effect I'm going after with the switch raisers, and which, IMO, only Maltron got right). The OG dactyls have thumb keys similar to the Kinesis Advantage (very different from Maltron's in real use, though appearing similar on first top-down glance), and the manuforms additionally reorient the thumb key direction to make pressing more of an inward motion than in the up-down direction. I've looked at dactyls /manuforms multiple times and decided against getting one because of the thumb key height and orientation. Regarding the size of the glove80, yes it has more keys than most of the ergomechkeyboards, but in terms of typing experience, it actually feels more compact than, say, the ZSA Voyager (due to choc vs mx spacing and curved vs flat layout).

@@bueny52 Well yes. Most Dactyl forks has some weird thumb cluster placement.But from what I can tell you are someone familiar with modelling \ 3d printing, and doesn't mind keyboard looking diy or iffy. So it shouldn't be hard for you to fix \ remade thumb cluster placement. I myself is in the process of choosing the right placement & orientation for a thumb cluster by using two separate shell pieces as to not reprint the whole thing every time.

@@bueny52 Many forget Maltron is the original and kinesis copied it but needed to make changes to the design to avoid patent infringement (with a sub optimal result).

You are right, I'm using a modified Maltron layout, bit.ly/mtrino

@@bueny52 Why don't you use something like colemak dh? That layout, seems fine but i dont think that its the best one. unless its made with maltron in mind then i see where it comes from. also how the hell is the guy assigning e as a thumb button?

Oh I can go on and on about layout design :D but long story short, Colemak is designed under a very different philosophy (regardless of whether or not to preserve the zxcv), so in the end it's about with which philosophy you resonate more (assuming both are well executed). The e on thumb comes from the original Maltron layout, but a letter on thumb seems to be picking up momentum in layouts designed for programmable keyboards.

Mostly for convenience (e.g. when working between two computers)

the short answer: pr0n

💀💀💀

It's not better for wpm, more of an ergonomic improvement

I'm using MoErgo's official quick release mounting plate. The arms are Pro Signal 1290B.

@@bueny52 thanks!

@@bueny52 What plate are you using for the trackball base?

It's a generic 100x200 vesa mount adapter

@@bueny52 Thank You!

I'm using the Pro Red here. Both the (regular) Red and the Pro Red are linear switches but they have different activation forces, 35 Newton for the Pro Red, and 50 N for the Red. I haven't used the Red per se but have tried choc White which has the same 50 N force (albeit on a different keyboard), and I much prefer the Pro Red for its efficiency. I've also tried lighter switches (pink at 20 N and purpz at 25 N), and while they are nice for the weaker fingers/positions (e.g., pinky, and non-home row ring finger), I still prefer Pro Red as the better all-arounder.

No mod other than the official acrylic mounting plate. It's the factory sound signature.

Impressive. The red pros sound much quieter here than what I hear in other reviews

They definitely sound quieter and mellower on the Glove80 than on the ZSA Voyager. MoErgo said they did something to the pro reds shipped with their keyboard to make them different from the factory ones.

Yes, those are the MBK convex from MoErgo

@@bueny52any particular reason for using concave caps? or just that it looks nice

@@lixingchen8293 I find these more comfortable for the thumbs. With cylindrical keycaps, the edge will cut into your thumbs if they are not aligned with the "tunnel" between the two edges.

It must be the mythical ASMR

Thanks for your interest. I'm using a modified Maltron layout, bit.ly/mtrino

I use a modified Maltron layout, bit.ly/mtrino

Yes, I use the nocturnals on weaker fingers/positions where it's less likely to misfire.

@@bueny52 I do not understand that, the lighter nocturnals are more likely to misfire...!?

@@nickgoogle4525 I meant misfire (for me) is less likely on weaker fingers (e.g. pinky) than on stronger ones (e.g. index), so I can afford to use lighter switches on weaker fingers without worrying too much about misfire

Both are excellent keyboard and have their own strengths. I use the glove80 as my main workhorse, and take the Voyager on travels (and experiment with new switches, of course ;)

Both the twilight and the nocturnal are on the left half, the right half has the regular linears (pro red, purpz, and pink) for comparison. Sound-wise I don't perceive any difference between the twilight and the nocturnal. I use the lighter ones (nocturnal and pink) on pinkies and other weaker spots. I haven't really had time to type on them yet but force-wise I'm expecting them to be more or less like the pro reds and pinks.

It doesn't help that the surface he's typing on sounds very resonant. Would be good to try on a denser surface (concrete or something). Although this is more true to real life scenario

In a way yes, but for a typical hard surface material, the resonance is more or less unavoidable because it is mostly due to the triangular chamber created between the metallic backplate and the desk surface, by Voyager's tenting legs. So it _is_ a more faithful reflection of real life scenario as you pointed out. (And with that in mind, it's even more impressive what the Ambients achieved)

@@bueny52 oh, that's great that they both sound the same. One of my biggest issues with the Voyager is that it's too loud for the office I work at, so I'm going to have to get some of these switches. Right now I am using sunsets and I like them, so I am interested in the sunrise as well.

You need the official driver for remapping to be saved on the keyboard. It's a GUI so a bit tedious to remap every key. I don't have the config file but it won't be useful to you anyway since I'm using a non-standard letter layout. If you only need host-side remapping (which you'll lose when moving to a different computer), I use AutoHotKey on Windows. You can download the official driver at en.rkgaming.com (menu->download, then scroll to the bottom for the "FULL Software" entry). Note that some of the Fn functionalities (such as backlight, connectivity mode, etc) are hard coded to the physical Fn key, even though the software allows you to give it a different role such as a different letter (you'll end up triggering both the new function and the Fn behavior if you do that)

I'm glad the finer aspects didn't get lost. Appreciate the appreciation!