And for learning touch typing, I recommend some 7h course that's based on mnemonics. Thats all you need to memorize a new layout like Querty, Colemak, Neo2 ... You won't believe it, till you visited such course (at least I couldn't believe it, that it's that easy with these methods) And if you want ergonomics but no much hassle, just use a split layout that solves the ulnary disposition. MS, Logitech and others offer such ergo keyboards. Column stagger and a non-querty keybind is nice, but it depends on your personal preferences, if you really need it.
@@mnurrreza What? Keyboards or touch typing courses? Since I doubt you live in the same area like me, giving you the name of the adult education center wouldn't be of use for you. Just search for touch typing courses in your local area or online, that claim to teach it in the matter of hours by using mnemonics. Be a bit careful with buying online.
This is awesome - now I understand why Foostan put 'snap slots' on the outer column of the corne pcb - I think I'm gonna have to get another kit and try this!! Thanks for the heads-up on the workman layout - not heard of that one before, will have to check it out 👍
Great choices. For even more ergonomics you can think about using legs. By changing the tilt of the keyboard you can ease the strain on your forearms. I started collecting parts to build a Corne.
I thought you actually meant his legs. Like with foot switches(actually is a thing, especially famous for Emacs). I could honestly be a thing for it though. Like you could have raise and lower there to not have to move there.
Thank you for justifying the smaller size! I have RSI and I'm looking into different solutions. I couldn't understand why people were getting micro keyboards, but -- duh -- less reach! Also thank you for posting so many different brand names. On general Google searches it's hard to find anything beyond ErgoDox, Kinesis, etc. I'm *very* interested in this layer/keymap idea!
Im excitedly awaiting a custom keyboard like yours I've commissioned. As someone who has suffered multiple RSI's from all kinds of activities it blows my mind how we haven't actually improved on the keyboard much. I've seen many physical therapists and this kind of setup/method just makes sense. I'm learning Colemak DH and it feels like I barely move my hands compared to qwerty. Do what is best for you and what makes you happy.
querty/non-querty debate becomes much less important when you type in multiple languages. I am pretty sure it is quite awful for Polish. Using a smaller, split keyboard on the other hand, that doesn't strain your pinky so much and allows to keep a proper posture while typing is a definite game changer.
That's what I was thinking too. I type in English, German and Polish on regular basis, and I know that while Colmak etc. are designed for English specifically (where e.g. the most common letter by far is E), German has its own layout that puts the most used letters in the home row (E and N being the most frequently used). As each language has its own frequency for each letter, e.g. in Polish the most frequent one is A, I can imagine other languages have their own layouts, too. Meaning I'd have to learn three new layouts, one for each language...
@@Kasiarzynka The question is more: which languages do you type the most in. Then, all you have to do is look at the heatmaps for those languages for Colmak, Qwerty, etc and determine which one suits you The problem, is that Qwerty, at least to my knowledge, isn't fully optimized for *any* language
Awesome video. Don’t let the naysayers get to you. This community needs more content like this to advocate for our hobby and explain its benefits. I realized a few weeks ago that we have dozens of UA-cam videos on how to build an Iris, a Corne, or an ErgoDox...but a paltry few on WHY someone would want to do that. And it’s so much more than choosing the perfect switches. Thanks for being one more voice promoting and explaining why ergonomic keyboards are so helpful.
I feel like installing encoders helps with adding a wheel for mod functions on one board and a wheel for profiles on another. This way you can cycle between gaming layouts, qwerty layouts, workman layouts, and other non qwerties, and still be able to switch between each ones mod layers. And even if ur not a big RGB guy. I feel like there is a way to color code what mod and layer are active at a glance.
Wheels aren't good for discreet selection from a limited set. On a key you can remember that 3 taps get you into some particular profile and use automatic muscle memory, but a wheel has to be used consciously every time. Wheels work fine when they adjust something where there are lots of equal choices, like volume or scroll. To adjust one parameter smoothly, not when each click completely changes everything. Though I guess you could hack in a fixed 5 selector hardware switch, or however many profiles you need. Still, keys will be faster and more reliable
As software engineer who wrote code a lot, the default layout force my hands to travel a lot especially for reaching directional arrow keys, it also make me bend my wrist often, or make me move entire arm and elbows Used keyboard mapping software like karabiner to have vim like hjkl key as directional arrow alternative, to reduce palm and wrist movement, tp keep my hands stay in it place but it is limited Writing code requires us to utilise special character like =>
I really like the novelty of small keyboards and alternate layouts, but the ergo benefits definitely outweigh that by a ton. I have a preonic right now and I'm still using qwerty to get used the the ortho layout but I also plan on getting a planck or a split 40% in the future and swapping to a different layout when I swap boards.
I am a gamer, but for ergonomics have moved onto a split mechanical. I feel that 65% is a nice compromise between having plenty of single-layer keys for quick reactions or programmable macros and smaller size so that I can easily rotate and reposition each half of the keyboard.
I’m very happy with my 65%ish split column staggered keyboard with home row mods , I have a bunch of keys that I’m not using or is hard to reach but it’s basically a non compromise from a standard keeb size and I can appreciate have a dedicated arrow keys.
I do a lot of gaming in my leisure time, so I have a Preonic and a Helix so I don't have to compromise. I use a Planck for work since it's easier to carry one solid board around instead of 2 halfs and a trss.
@@winterNebs ooo, please update on that. Have been looking for some wireless split documentations but as far as I know, the only ones around are the bluemicro and ZMK. ZMK in particular seems good, even has wired mode built in - check it out! (zmkfirmware.dev/docs/) Tried out imagining the arduino code myself too, but it'd be quite difficult since I'd have to use Software Serial or a variant of that to send the data to the computer. (Right Side has one bluetooth module, sending to the Left/Master Side via Serial, Left Side has one bluetooth module for receiving the data from the Right, and another one to send the data both from the right and from the left to the host via Bluetooth HID) Most other split bluetooth keyboards I've seen use some very advanced and not very easy to understand code that are very product specific (can't remember the name) This was my initial goal for a first keyboard, but I quickly gave up because of the lack of documentation and the fact that I'd be diving WAY too head first not only in Arduino but in handwiring a keyboard.
Switching to a new layout (namely Colemak-DH) was such a comfort gain for me, besides the split keyboard. You should try it. It's annoying for 3-4 months, then you're back to normal-productivity speed.
I like my dygma raise. Its a staggered, qwerty split keyboard with hot swappable switches and programmable functionality. The split makes a huge difference.
Yeah, I feel like that kind of keyboard is important. The split is optional and really good for ergonomics. I believe they just added a tenting option, which is also pretty important. Can play around with layers and other modern firmware functionality. The UHK v2 (ultimate hacking keyboard) is in a similar vein. It also has the option to add thumb clusters that contain different pointer functionality (trackpoint, touchpad, or trackball), but they're currently trying to catch up on initial orders, so it'd be a while to get one for people ordering one now.
I've been using an ergodox-ez with a workman derived layout for a couple years now. I am typing this on it. I love it. I think your keyboard looks cool but I would need at least one more row on the outside of each keyboard half before I would even try and set the layers up.
Nice man, thats pretty interesting. Personally I don't think I could ever sacrifice for low profile switches because from what I've seen there isn't much in the silent sector of low profile switches sadly
Honestly, I would be totally down to make all these changes. My only gripe with the ergo-keyboard market place is that there aren't a lot of options for bluetooth users. You can usually get something that is ortho but not split or split but still staggered (and often very bulky) but never something that is both and also a slim design. Like if I could find basically what you are using in this video but with Bluetooth capabilities I would be set. The hunt goes on.
Many are sold with a microcontroller that is called the Pro Micro. Someone developed an alternative controller with bluetooth capabilities, that could even connect the two halves (you need one for each). Look up the nice!nano (sold out right now, but still) and keyboards like the corne Lily58 or kyria.
I guess as a natural solution I tend to type with my wrists angled on the QWERTY keyboard. I've never done the home rest - my left hand floats around WASD and my right is angled such that it almost rests on MKL. I've subsequently never had wrist pain. I can type around 120 WPM this way without much effort. When I started typing at the home row to learn Colemak two days ago, I finally experienced the wrist/finger pain everyone keeps talking about. Albeit, after a boatload of practice and I can definitely see the benefits of Colemak, provided I can actually catch up. I will say, QWERTY is annoying as a programmer for sure... all the special symbols we use regularly are off-momentum to reach. I'm excited to get good enough at colemak that I can justify getting an Ergodox, and hopefully that shape will help me code with less nuisance.
Went from Razer Blackwidow Elite to Preonic. Currently looking at Dactyls and how difficult it is for a complete novice to scratch build/hand wire one. Maybe in a month or two I'll start this project
I have a Ferris Half Swept in the post and I can't wait to get into the split keeb scene. I recon I'm gonna keep using QWERTY for the time being, as attempting to switch to DVORAK was miserable for me.
I think something to also remind people is ergonomic keyboards are not the whole story. How you sit, your desk and chair height and layout, as well as how often you move greatly affect rsi’s. An ergo keyboard is not going to stop you from hunching forwards if your screen is too far from you.
The way I see it, ppl who like ergo keyboards do it for comfort and fun. Nobody ever said it's gonna fix your whole posture. Also ergonomics aren't everything, getting up, doing stretches, ect is far more important than sitting perfectly straight with a perfect setup.
started with a 60% programmable solely for being able to write firmware mods, but i've since moved to a 40% ortho because it's tiny and cute - it is rather interesting coming across people who came at this more from an ergonomics standpoint, as that wasn't a goal of mine but it's a much smaller change if i ever wanted to try it
I want to at least try a split board for starters, but i dont think i want to learn something that isnt qwerty. also want to try ortho and split ortho but im hella broke.
For the gamers out there, with the way these things work, you can just make your own 5x5, 5x6, 5x7 or whatever x whatever gamepad. Ortholinear or column stagger is what I recommend since WASD feels a little goofy due to the row stagger. Additionally, when searching for alt-layouts, you actually DON'T have to worry about shortcut keys being moved as much as you might think, you can simply make the layer when you press CTRL revert partially or fully back to QWERTY for the time that you hold CTRL, that way all the shortcut keys are in their correct place.
how does your gergoplex not wobble , do you have some kind of cushioning on the bottom ?? are there more such awesome split ortholinear keyboards apart from gergoplex and ergodox, moonlander which can be checked ? I liked the low profile of the gergoplex
Hey bud. Just picked up a Preonic and am loving the ortho layout (as well as home row mods), but already investigating my next move up from there to split as I've actually come to Preonic from a split stagger of the Dygma Raise. I'm still a heavy gamer, so would prefer to keep the number row just for ease of use. I love the columnar stagger combined with the thumb cluster of things like the Kyria, Gergoplex, and Miryoku. Do you have any suggestions for boards that would suit my purposes that I should look into?
30% life. Moved to the minidox about 3 months ago for work. and I won't be moving back. For my gaming computer, I use a hotdox, so it's more like a 60% But it's so that I have the number row. But I am thinking about going to the minidox for gaming too. I just need to play around with the layers before I get there.
I have a redox keyboard. But most of the time I use the 30% layout. The surrounding keys are more for convenience. I don't use one of the common layouts like Workman, because I'm from Germany and need to deal with äöüß. I'm still slow, but speed is not why I changed to this setting
I've been learning and using a non qwerty layout since the middle of last year. Ergonomically it's great and I can feel the benefits and reduced strain. But I am nowhere near my qwerty speeds on a standard keyboard.
I found useful to just practice every day. Not just using the keyboard but taking 30 minutes per day just to write random stuff like if I was in a typing course. The next day you wake up and your muscle memory have improved like magic.
I never seem to find a video on how to make layers on a normal keyboard, I mean, yes I've found colemaks big bag of tricks for xtend keyboard, but english isn't my mother language and I don't know anything about coding so having a video explaining how to add layers to a keyboard would be extremely helpful
Your keyboard has to be 'fully programmable' if it is not the most thing you can do is to map your ctrl to caps lock or some easy tweaks like that. You can't turn any keyboard to fully programmable one.
Currently learning Workman (day 2) on a Moonlander after 20-some odd years four-finger typing on QWERTY. It's definitely tricky, but I can tell it'll be worth the effort for the efficiency gains.
Workman is an absolete layout and shouldn't be learned by new typers. It has well known faults and mistakes in its design that cap many people's typing speeds and can make it even harder than even qwerty once they get around 60 wpm. It was designed to be better than Colemak but even old default non-modded Colemak doesn't have its flaws and typically allows people to type much faster
i once tried to switch from qwerty to my local layout. it took me 2 weeks to match my qwerty speed. but i didn't worked for it. i just used it for my daily work. but my local layout is not good for programming so i went back to qwerty again. weird thing is i can easily switch to my local layout if i try it for 10 min. it is like riding bicycle. but now i thing i can create my own layout for programming.
Watching this video is so cathartic and fuels my hatred towards society’s decision to keep the design of a standard keyboard. Like, seriously, why the heck did we keep the horizontal keyboard stagger from the typewriter? The designer of the modern-day keyboard literally kept a design compromise that has now become an ergonomic flaw and gives people carpal tunnel. I could go on and on, but the stupid keyboard stagger is my biggest gripe with the traditional keyboard design. It’s uncomfortable, not ergonomic, can permanently damage your wrist for life, solves a non-existent problem, and provides a steep learning curve for would-be typists
Most people have taken the standard staggered layout of keyboards today for granted, and it would probably take a couple of large tech companies like Microsoft to release ergonomic (and better yet, affordable) keyboards with columnar stagger to have them be "officially" adopted without being perceived as taboo or just straight up bizarre. Similarly with how newer phones have lost their headphone jacks even though it was considered such a dumb change when it began to crop up in phones- but hey, now that's the norm! There are some popular ergonomic keyboards out there on Amazon, but unfortunately all of them still feature the dreaded stagger. I've only found the Kinesis Advantage2 (on Amazon) to not be staggered, though its $360 price tag and bulky nature is not very inviting for newcomers to the ergonomic keyboard scene. Plus, I don't think mechanical ergonomic keyboards are beginner friendly- you have to learn about keycaps, switches, keyboard PCBs, QMK, etc. if you plan on building one, and if you just want to buy something that's prebuilt or assembled by someone else, you're going to have to seek out those niche markets. It's pretty easy to find prebuilt boards like the Ergodox EZ and Moonlander by simply searching "ergonomic split keyboard", but similarly with the Kinesis Advantage2, they have their steep price points.
Need all the keys, the row stagger is not that big of an issue, and i've just gotten used to reaching further for things like numbers and what not. The main issue for me is coding, but at the moment there is effectively 0 incentive for me to switch because of that, as the 100% qwerty keyboard I use works perfectly fine for what I am capable of at the moment. There is basically no incentive to switch for most people, because what we have now gets the job done. If it isn't broken why fix it, people who want to use other keyboards can, and people who use normal/common keyboards can continue to do so.
@@pastelsofneptune I think that hits the nail on the head. If a big name was to back a move towards ergonomics (in a mass way) like Google, Microsoft or Apple, a LOT of people would see the benefits. I believe it would be akin of the move from SD to HD video. It would only take a few years, especially if it was backed by companies as a push toward ergonomics of their employees. Seriously, this revolution wouldn't be hard to start... It just requires some influencial companies on board. But qwerty is too easy. For most people... It's 'fine'. I would move to something like Colemak tomorrow if I knew that I wouldn't have to constantly move back and forth... Which I think would be a much bigger pain.
@@xinfinity4756 and that's why it will never change. As I said above... It will require education as to the performance and health benefits... As well as a backing by major companies and corporate IT/HR departments to seriously make a move out of the dark ages. And the benefits probably don't outweigh the economic cost of doing this on a large scale.
Ironically, the first "home computer" keyboard I came across at school in 1981 was a Commodore Pet, and it had an ortholinear keyboard (with a qwerty layout). The second one the school bought had a standard qwerty keyboard! Missed opportunity!
gergoplex is waay to -dank- minimal (even though I like it a lot), I am getting a corne LP where I can check out a bunch of various switch kinds because hotswap And also keyboard is like the one single piece where RGB is not cringe, at least when configured reasonably If there was a corne lp with bluetooth, so that there's not even wires (I would easily sacrifice RGB for battery, although I don't think that's absolutely neccessary) it would be the ideal match for me. For gaming you can just keep a separate keyboard (low profile TKL in my case so that it'd easy to move around and store somewhere when unused), better that having to endlessly fix layouts/layers and changing/relearning stuff
This is one of the best video's I watched on YT. Why? Because it is well structured, absolutely to the point and gives a lot of information, without wasting any time of the viewer! Thanks a lot for sharing your experience! 🙂
This is interesting. I've been looking into non standard ergonomic keyboards on and off for a long time. Wish they weren't so damn expensive! Ive heard good things about Colemak as a layout. Might give that a shot too! Great vid. Thanks!
You can build it yourself for ~30$, if you have 3d printer. I've made 3 or 4 of them already, also switches can be gutted from older keyboard, when I find my end game layout i will order custom cnc case, pcb, etc.
The wrist angle I can deal with. When I use the plank I wouldn't actually bend my wrist. It's the shoulder strain that kills me. I have since switched to a moonlander and my shoulder thanks me for it.
I am using the Sharkoon TypeWriter with low profile switches because low profile switches are WAY more comfortable for me. Interesting video. What about other languages than English? Colemak and Workman are not automatically suitable for every language right? What about language specific letters and accents?
I use a one-handed keyboard for games. Ironically, I thought about getting a split keyboard because it would be similar to my one-handed keyboard for games lol. Now I will be able to type normally without needing to reach for another keyboard.
Curious why you say competitive gaming isn't viable on this type of keyboard? This is actually my main motivation for researching these types of keyboards. I am in the process of making the switch from controller to mnk and am really not loving the standard non-split keyboard. I'm trying to find a minimal ergonomic keypad I can use layers on for gaming. Would love to see a dedicated video of how you set up your keypad for gaming with some tips.
I've been using ergonomic split keyboards since the mid-90's but never took the jump to alternate layouts. The thing is, 99% of my typing is code and coding tends to run in bursts rather than long continuous typing sessions so I'm not convinced even my own ergo keyboards have really been all that useful. What really gets my hands is the damn mouse. Long CAD or modelling sessions can really screw up your hands. I occasionally switch between right and left hand mouse to prevent damage to my hands.
I'm investing my time in learning 24key layout (no middle column or thumb keys, just 12 ortho keys per side and lots of combos). My main reason is that I want to type on my keyboard no matter where I go. It's so freaking cool to administer a server from your phone in a coffee shop with basically 80% of comfort of your main pc. Lots of devices nowadays have screens and bluetooth, having your small keyboard work with any device is very useful. I don't even want to buy a laptop with builtin keyboard anymore, just a tablet is enough. Two 12 key halves can be connected and form a big 24 macro pad for more comfortable gaming or other apps, it all boils down to learning all these crazy combos and layers.
I have 16 layers on my Piantor keyboard. For gaming, I use 2 of them. I don't type texts while playing usually, byt when I do, I just switch to my first basic layer
So I never really learned how to type correctly. Never really needed to. But I want to change that. Do you think it'd be a good idea to just forgo the qwerty set up and just straight up learn workman or coleman?
No. Bad idea. Stick to qwerty and learn to touch type at 80-100wpm. If in the future you would want to learn colemak it will take you less time than the initial touch typing learning. Qwerty is essential and should remain in your muscle memory, so even if you switch to colemak, qwerty is not wasted, you will keep it active with ~1h weekly practice.
I got my low profile, split, ortholinear, tented, wireless (no wires at all, battery is very good), very portable since it's very slim keyboard. Guess the price? It's only 25$ in total. I brought two numpads (Deltaco TB-125) and wrote my own drivers.
Why do you opt for the gergoplex instead of the gergo? I just put together a lily58 and I think it would be hard for me to get used to not having modifier keys. I looked at they keymap.c file you linked in another comment and it differs from the keymap.c files I've seen before. Do you have the home row keys set tap for letter, double tap for one-shot layer? Also, do you have a preference between low-profile and regular height switches if portability isn't a factor?
I'll answer this point by point: 1. Gergo > gergoplex because I wanted less keys. A gergoplex would basically be the exact same as my previous keyboard: the kyria 2. Modifiers are something that I already moved away from when I switched to using home row mods on my previous keyboard, so I don't miss them at all. 3. Basically the home row layers are: tap for letter, hold for modifier. 4. Honestly at this point I don't really have any particular switch preferences. I used to (and still do) really like my kyria with 62g zilents, though there are cheaper alternatives like the bobas or whatever that I haven't tried yet. (the kyria also has SA keycaps so its insanely tall haha).
@@winterNebs Thank you for your responses. Home row mods seem really interesting and powerful. One more question: do you find that you ever accidentally press the home-row buttons for too long and activate a mod key when you meant to press a letter?
@@friar-wad With the right config in QMK I very rarely misfire them. The only time I will make a mistake is sometimes not holding long enough to trigger the mod.
If someone was interested in making all these changes, what order would you recommend pursuing them in? Would your recommended order differ from the order you made these adjustments in? Thanks for the great content!
I haven't actually done it, but I plan to go directly from a TKL/fullsize to a split board. Probably the Lily58 or Kyria, the former bigger than the latter. I don't think it's necessary to take all the "detours" mentioned in the video (60%, 40% ortho, big split ortho, staggered split, smaller split.) Feels like a "waste" of both time and money, besides you will know it is not the end goal and therefore likely just want to move on. Probably best to jump on something like the Lily58, since it's quite normal but still have many of the good things. Or go one step deeper with the something like the Kyria or Corne (losing the num row). I feel that anything more would be too steep to begin with. If you are talking about all the other stuff like layout too, then I would guess it is best to either switch that before you switch keyboard, or after. This because it will otherwise probably be too much to keep track off. Besides, layout you could switch without having to buy and build a new keyboard, so it is an easier entry. But then again, I haven't switched layout, so take it with a grain of salt.
@@ano_nym it's too late to save me... I'm rocking a 34 key layout of my own on a boardsource Microdox kit I soldered myself. thanks for the input though, I was srsly considering the Lily58 and the Corne.
For me (fastest to slowest in adjustment time) Standard TKL 65% - no adjustment, i wasn't using num pad. Ortho 60% with split space - ~2 days, ortho layout was the fastest to adjust to for me. Split, vertical stagger, 45% - couple of weeks, for all the layers, and many thumb keys, and also home mods. Split, ortho, 20%, non qwerty - still in the process, but i think i can adjust in couple of months.
Dude, just got into programming and finished first cs50 lecture. How do you code in 30% keyboard? How do you input all the special characters? $#{} etc.,?
Seems like Dvorak was intentionally not recommended as an alternative. No explanation despite it being the one alternative most people can name. Why the exclusion? Was planning on making it my next goal after relearning how to type (correctly) on my Kinesis Advantage 2 with Dvorak secondary legends to the primary Qwerty legends. Great, informative, motivating video by the way.
It's a very outdated layout, and quite frankly there are just better alternatives out there. It's still miles more efficient than QWERTY, but if you're going to dedicate all that time and effort to learning an alternate keyboard layout, you might as well choose something better.
Can you please help me answer this its really important. Where does the Gergo Plex ship from is it from Canada or China ? we currently have import restrictions from certain countries so its important to know this. also do they provide tracking details while shipping ?
@@winterNebs Thanks a lot for your reply. Do we need Choc Mod Kits and MBK Addon. also whats a MBK Addon its just not clear to me are they extra keys ?
@@winterNebs I am sorry I did not reach you from a sales rep perspective but as a person who introduced me to the wonderful world of split keyboards , gergoplex , workman layout. I am really thankful for your videos they have opened a new world to me and it's a bit complex to me right now so reaching out to you to understand it. Thanks.
i want to add something. for me the biggest proof that you want lose your muscle memory is that i write in 2 languages english and greek and they have different layouts and sometimes i write greek with the english layout and i have no problem with remembering the different positions that many letters end up having.
0:18 id say it more because you dont have to bottom out to trigger the switch, which makes for a better experience; typing or gaming. Customization is rather niche end of it
WHY I USE REGULAR KEYBOARDS:I actually put my hand diagonal if I type and if i'm playing something i put my keyboard diagonal my left hand to the WDSA and my right hand to the mouse. it feels way better- My back used to be sore because I used to type how you did when i was 6-8
Is it possible to build a custom keyboard with chiclet/scissor switches instead of the mechanical ones? Seems like only the mechanical are being sold??
hey yeah, i want to use ortholinear (40 percent) as well. but * i want smth cheap 😥 so, like 20-30 USD (even that's a fairly large amt in my currency) * non/mechanical : not an issue * split/one piece : not an issue
If you're a gamer, you could try a custom keymap specifically for gaming, and use fn as a toggle. I think that's a no compromise solution
I have one on my 40% ortholinear, it's amazing tbh, kinda like a dedicated game pad.
Ortholinear is great for WASD too, or the Colmak, Dvorak or Workman equivalent.
And for learning touch typing, I recommend some 7h course that's based on mnemonics. Thats all you need to memorize a new layout like Querty, Colemak, Neo2 ...
You won't believe it, till you visited such course (at least I couldn't believe it, that it's that easy with these methods)
And if you want ergonomics but no much hassle, just use a split layout that solves the ulnary disposition. MS, Logitech and others offer such ergo keyboards.
Column stagger and a non-querty keybind is nice, but it depends on your personal preferences, if you really need it.
@@haifutter4166 can you link it?
@@mnurrreza What? Keyboards or touch typing courses? Since I doubt you live in the same area like me, giving you the name of the adult education center wouldn't be of use for you.
Just search for touch typing courses in your local area or online, that claim to teach it in the matter of hours by using mnemonics. Be a bit careful with buying online.
This is awesome - now I understand why Foostan put 'snap slots' on the outer column of the corne pcb - I think I'm gonna have to get another kit and try this!!
Thanks for the heads-up on the workman layout - not heard of that one before, will have to check it out 👍
Excellent video! You out-did my version IMO. This is quick, accurate and informative. Subscribed.
Great choices. For even more ergonomics you can think about using legs. By changing the tilt of the keyboard you can ease the strain on your forearms.
I started collecting parts to build a Corne.
I thought you actually meant his legs. Like with foot switches(actually is a thing, especially famous for Emacs).
I could honestly be a thing for it though. Like you could have raise and lower there to not have to move there.
Thank you for justifying the smaller size! I have RSI and I'm looking into different solutions. I couldn't understand why people were getting micro keyboards, but -- duh -- less reach! Also thank you for posting so many different brand names. On general Google searches it's hard to find anything beyond ErgoDox, Kinesis, etc.
I'm *very* interested in this layer/keymap idea!
Im excitedly awaiting a custom keyboard like yours I've commissioned. As someone who has suffered multiple RSI's from all kinds of activities it blows my mind how we haven't actually improved on the keyboard much. I've seen many physical therapists and this kind of setup/method just makes sense. I'm learning Colemak DH and it feels like I barely move my hands compared to qwerty. Do what is best for you and what makes you happy.
Love it! Look forward to seeing more from you!
fancy seeing you here Mr. Beanbag Moonlander 😂
@@Patrickblox Hehe!
querty/non-querty debate becomes much less important when you type in multiple languages. I am pretty sure it is quite awful for Polish.
Using a smaller, split keyboard on the other hand, that doesn't strain your pinky so much and allows to keep a proper posture while typing is a definite game changer.
That's what I was thinking too. I type in English, German and Polish on regular basis, and I know that while Colmak etc. are designed for English specifically (where e.g. the most common letter by far is E), German has its own layout that puts the most used letters in the home row (E and N being the most frequently used). As each language has its own frequency for each letter, e.g. in Polish the most frequent one is A, I can imagine other languages have their own layouts, too. Meaning I'd have to learn three new layouts, one for each language...
@@Kasiarzynka The question is more: which languages do you type the most in. Then, all you have to do is look at the heatmaps for those languages for Colmak, Qwerty, etc and determine which one suits you
The problem, is that Qwerty, at least to my knowledge, isn't fully optimized for *any* language
Love it! 🔥 Waiting for my Ultimate Hacking Keyboard v2 to arrive (sticking with staggered for now).
Awesome video. Don’t let the naysayers get to you. This community needs more content like this to advocate for our hobby and explain its benefits.
I realized a few weeks ago that we have dozens of UA-cam videos on how to build an Iris, a Corne, or an ErgoDox...but a paltry few on WHY someone would want to do that. And it’s so much more than choosing the perfect switches. Thanks for being one more voice promoting and explaining why ergonomic keyboards are so helpful.
@Cole Harvey definitely, I have been watching on InstaFlixxer for months myself =)
I feel like installing encoders helps with adding a wheel for mod functions on one board and a wheel for profiles on another.
This way you can cycle between gaming layouts, qwerty layouts, workman layouts, and other non qwerties, and still be able to switch between each ones mod layers.
And even if ur not a big RGB guy. I feel like there is a way to color code what mod and layer are active at a glance.
Wheels aren't good for discreet selection from a limited set. On a key you can remember that 3 taps get you into some particular profile and use automatic muscle memory, but a wheel has to be used consciously every time.
Wheels work fine when they adjust something where there are lots of equal choices, like volume or scroll. To adjust one parameter smoothly, not when each click completely changes everything.
Though I guess you could hack in a fixed 5 selector hardware switch, or however many profiles you need. Still, keys will be faster and more reliable
ColemakDH on a Corne. Taking forever to learn, but I fecking love it.
As software engineer who wrote code a lot, the default layout force my hands to travel a lot especially for reaching directional arrow keys, it also make me bend my wrist often, or make me move entire arm and elbows
Used keyboard mapping software like karabiner to have vim like hjkl key as directional arrow alternative, to reduce palm and wrist movement, tp keep my hands stay in it place but it is limited
Writing code requires us to utilise special character like =>
I really like the novelty of small keyboards and alternate layouts, but the ergo benefits definitely outweigh that by a ton. I have a preonic right now and I'm still using qwerty to get used the the ortho layout but I also plan on getting a planck or a split 40% in the future and swapping to a different layout when I swap boards.
corne qwerty here, cool video bro. thanks, I will share it with my colleagues 😎👍🏻
I am a gamer, but for ergonomics have moved onto a split mechanical. I feel that 65% is a nice compromise between having plenty of single-layer keys for quick reactions or programmable macros and smaller size so that I can easily rotate and reposition each half of the keyboard.
I would LOVE if you would do a video on how to get into ergo keyboards.
I'm not a "maker" so resources would be really really really helpful
I’m very happy with my 65%ish split column staggered keyboard with home row mods , I have a bunch of keys that I’m not using or is hard to reach but it’s basically a non compromise from a standard keeb size and I can appreciate have a dedicated arrow keys.
I do a lot of gaming in my leisure time, so I have a Preonic and a Helix so I don't have to compromise. I use a Planck for work since it's easier to carry one solid board around instead of 2 halfs and a trss.
Yup, it can be a little annoying to carry two pieces. Once I get my ferris, I will work on a fully wireless split build.
@@winterNebs ooo, please update on that. Have been looking for some wireless split documentations but as far as I know, the only ones around are the bluemicro and ZMK. ZMK in particular seems good, even has wired mode built in - check it out! (zmkfirmware.dev/docs/)
Tried out imagining the arduino code myself too, but it'd be quite difficult since I'd have to use Software Serial or a variant of that to send the data to the computer.
(Right Side has one bluetooth module, sending to the Left/Master Side via Serial, Left Side has one bluetooth module for receiving the data from the Right, and another one to send the data both from the right and from the left to the host via Bluetooth HID)
Most other split bluetooth keyboards I've seen use some very advanced and not very easy to understand code that are very product specific (can't remember the name)
This was my initial goal for a first keyboard, but I quickly gave up because of the lack of documentation and the fact that I'd be diving WAY too head first not only in Arduino but in handwiring a keyboard.
@@owobooperlv7673 zmk and nice nanos is the plan for now. Probably won’t be any time soon though.
QWERTY 5x6 Dactyl Manuform Tightyl here. I enjoy the video.
Switching to a new layout (namely Colemak-DH) was such a comfort gain for me, besides the split keyboard. You should try it. It's annoying for 3-4 months, then you're back to normal-productivity speed.
Nice video!
Could you make a video about your keymap/layout? I'm interested.
I like my dygma raise. Its a staggered, qwerty split keyboard with hot swappable switches and programmable functionality. The split makes a huge difference.
Yeah, I feel like that kind of keyboard is important. The split is optional and really good for ergonomics. I believe they just added a tenting option, which is also pretty important. Can play around with layers and other modern firmware functionality.
The UHK v2 (ultimate hacking keyboard) is in a similar vein. It also has the option to add thumb clusters that contain different pointer functionality (trackpoint, touchpad, or trackball), but they're currently trying to catch up on initial orders, so it'd be a while to get one for people ordering one now.
I've been using an ergodox-ez with a workman derived layout for a couple years now. I am typing this on it. I love it. I think your keyboard looks cool but I would need at least one more row on the outside of each keyboard half before I would even try and set the layers up.
Nice man, thats pretty interesting. Personally I don't think I could ever sacrifice for low profile switches because from what I've seen there isn't much in the silent sector of low profile switches sadly
Honestly, I would be totally down to make all these changes. My only gripe with the ergo-keyboard market place is that there aren't a lot of options for bluetooth users.
You can usually get something that is ortho but not split or split but still staggered (and often very bulky) but never something that is both and also a slim design.
Like if I could find basically what you are using in this video but with Bluetooth capabilities I would be set.
The hunt goes on.
Many are sold with a microcontroller that is called the Pro Micro. Someone developed an alternative controller with bluetooth capabilities, that could even connect the two halves (you need one for each). Look up the nice!nano (sold out right now, but still) and keyboards like the corne Lily58 or kyria.
Thanks. Hope you do a Dactyl/Manuform evaluation some time.
I guess as a natural solution I tend to type with my wrists angled on the QWERTY keyboard. I've never done the home rest - my left hand floats around WASD and my right is angled such that it almost rests on MKL. I've subsequently never had wrist pain. I can type around 120 WPM this way without much effort.
When I started typing at the home row to learn Colemak two days ago, I finally experienced the wrist/finger pain everyone keeps talking about. Albeit, after a boatload of practice and I can definitely see the benefits of Colemak, provided I can actually catch up.
I will say, QWERTY is annoying as a programmer for sure... all the special symbols we use regularly are off-momentum to reach. I'm excited to get good enough at colemak that I can justify getting an Ergodox, and hopefully that shape will help me code with less nuisance.
Went from Razer Blackwidow Elite to Preonic. Currently looking at Dactyls and how difficult it is for a complete novice to scratch build/hand wire one. Maybe in a month or two I'll start this project
QWERTY vs others really depends on the language you mostly type in, or if you type multiple languages, it's possible no particular layout is optimal.
I have a Ferris Half Swept in the post and I can't wait to get into the split keeb scene. I recon I'm gonna keep using QWERTY for the time being, as attempting to switch to DVORAK was miserable for me.
I think something to also remind people is ergonomic keyboards are not the whole story. How you sit, your desk and chair height and layout, as well as how often you move greatly affect rsi’s. An ergo keyboard is not going to stop you from hunching forwards if your screen is too far from you.
The way I see it, ppl who like ergo keyboards do it for comfort and fun. Nobody ever said it's gonna fix your whole posture. Also ergonomics aren't everything, getting up, doing stretches, ect is far more important than sitting perfectly straight with a perfect setup.
started with a 60% programmable solely for being able to write firmware mods, but i've since moved to a 40% ortho because it's tiny and cute - it is rather interesting coming across people who came at this more from an ergonomics standpoint, as that wasn't a goal of mine but it's a much smaller change if i ever wanted to try it
I want to at least try a split board for starters, but i dont think i want to learn something that isnt qwerty. also want to try ortho and split ortho but im hella broke.
I just got an ortho linear keyboard, it is taking a bit to learn but I can already see a benefit compared to the traditional
For the gamers out there, with the way these things work, you can just make your own 5x5, 5x6, 5x7 or whatever x whatever gamepad. Ortholinear or column stagger is what I recommend since WASD feels a little goofy due to the row stagger. Additionally, when searching for alt-layouts, you actually DON'T have to worry about shortcut keys being moved as much as you might think, you can simply make the layer when you press CTRL revert partially or fully back to QWERTY for the time that you hold CTRL, that way all the shortcut keys are in their correct place.
how does your gergoplex not wobble , do you have some kind of cushioning on the bottom ?? are there more such awesome split ortholinear keyboards apart from gergoplex and ergodox, moonlander which can be checked ? I liked the low profile of the gergoplex
Hey bud. Just picked up a Preonic and am loving the ortho layout (as well as home row mods), but already investigating my next move up from there to split as I've actually come to Preonic from a split stagger of the Dygma Raise. I'm still a heavy gamer, so would prefer to keep the number row just for ease of use. I love the columnar stagger combined with the thumb cluster of things like the Kyria, Gergoplex, and Miryoku. Do you have any suggestions for boards that would suit my purposes that I should look into?
30% life. Moved to the minidox about 3 months ago for work. and I won't be moving back. For my gaming computer, I use a hotdox, so it's more like a 60% But it's so that I have the number row. But I am thinking about going to the minidox for gaming too. I just need to play around with the layers before I get there.
I have a redox keyboard. But most of the time I use the 30% layout. The surrounding keys are more for convenience.
I don't use one of the common layouts like Workman, because I'm from Germany and need to deal with äöüß.
I'm still slow, but speed is not why I changed to this setting
I've been learning and using a non qwerty layout since the middle of last year. Ergonomically it's great and I can feel the benefits and reduced strain. But I am nowhere near my qwerty speeds on a standard keyboard.
I found useful to just practice every day. Not just using the keyboard but taking 30 minutes per day just to write random stuff like if I was in a typing course. The next day you wake up and your muscle memory have improved like magic.
@@user-ft2md2gd4s30min is a lot
I never seem to find a video on how to make layers on a normal keyboard, I mean, yes I've found colemaks big bag of tricks for xtend keyboard, but english isn't my mother language and I don't know anything about coding so having a video explaining how to add layers to a keyboard would be extremely helpful
Your keyboard has to be 'fully programmable' if it is not the most thing you can do is to map your ctrl to caps lock or some easy tweaks like that. You can't turn any keyboard to fully programmable one.
You can use software like KMonad or Karabiner Elements.
Currently learning Workman (day 2) on a Moonlander after 20-some odd years four-finger typing on QWERTY. It's definitely tricky, but I can tell it'll be worth the effort for the efficiency gains.
Workman is an absolete layout and shouldn't be learned by new typers. It has well known faults and mistakes in its design that cap many people's typing speeds and can make it even harder than even qwerty once they get around 60 wpm.
It was designed to be better than Colemak but even old default non-modded Colemak doesn't have its flaws and typically allows people to type much faster
Hey nice video, is the editor on 3:06 vim?Coul you share the .rc config filee!? It’s super cool that look.
This is all really cool but how tf do u use vim with a new keyboard layout?
i once tried to switch from qwerty to my local layout. it took me 2 weeks to match my qwerty speed. but i didn't worked for it. i just used it for my daily work. but my local layout is not good for programming so i went back to qwerty again.
weird thing is i can easily switch to my local layout if i try it for 10 min. it is like riding bicycle.
but now i thing i can create my own layout for programming.
What does your symbol layer look like? Im making one for my corne
Oh shit, we use the same keyboard, and workman too haha. I'm just about 70wpm yet tough.
You've inspired me to switch to ergonomic keyboard 😍
My life will never be the same
Great video! Do you know if I could buy a keyboard like that but without having to build it?
Yup, the gergoplex in the video can be purchased prebuilt
Watching this video is so cathartic and fuels my hatred towards society’s decision to keep the design of a standard keyboard.
Like, seriously, why the heck did we keep the horizontal keyboard stagger from the typewriter? The designer of the modern-day keyboard literally kept a design compromise that has now become an ergonomic flaw and gives people carpal tunnel.
I could go on and on, but the stupid keyboard stagger is my biggest gripe with the traditional keyboard design. It’s uncomfortable, not ergonomic, can permanently damage your wrist for life, solves a non-existent problem, and provides a steep learning curve for would-be typists
Most people have taken the standard staggered layout of keyboards today for granted, and it would probably take a couple of large tech companies like Microsoft to release ergonomic (and better yet, affordable) keyboards with columnar stagger to have them be "officially" adopted without being perceived as taboo or just straight up bizarre. Similarly with how newer phones have lost their headphone jacks even though it was considered such a dumb change when it began to crop up in phones- but hey, now that's the norm!
There are some popular ergonomic keyboards out there on Amazon, but unfortunately all of them still feature the dreaded stagger. I've only found the Kinesis Advantage2 (on Amazon) to not be staggered, though its $360 price tag and bulky nature is not very inviting for newcomers to the ergonomic keyboard scene.
Plus, I don't think mechanical ergonomic keyboards are beginner friendly- you have to learn about keycaps, switches, keyboard PCBs, QMK, etc. if you plan on building one, and if you just want to buy something that's prebuilt or assembled by someone else, you're going to have to seek out those niche markets. It's pretty easy to find prebuilt boards like the Ergodox EZ and Moonlander by simply searching "ergonomic split keyboard", but similarly with the Kinesis Advantage2, they have their steep price points.
Need all the keys, the row stagger is not that big of an issue, and i've just gotten used to reaching further for things like numbers and what not. The main issue for me is coding, but at the moment there is effectively 0 incentive for me to switch because of that, as the 100% qwerty keyboard I use works perfectly fine for what I am capable of at the moment. There is basically no incentive to switch for most people, because what we have now gets the job done. If it isn't broken why fix it, people who want to use other keyboards can, and people who use normal/common keyboards can continue to do so.
@@pastelsofneptune I think that hits the nail on the head. If a big name was to back a move towards ergonomics (in a mass way) like Google, Microsoft or Apple, a LOT of people would see the benefits. I believe it would be akin of the move from SD to HD video. It would only take a few years, especially if it was backed by companies as a push toward ergonomics of their employees.
Seriously, this revolution wouldn't be hard to start... It just requires some influencial companies on board.
But qwerty is too easy. For most people... It's 'fine'.
I would move to something like Colemak tomorrow if I knew that I wouldn't have to constantly move back and forth... Which I think would be a much bigger pain.
@@xinfinity4756 and that's why it will never change. As I said above... It will require education as to the performance and health benefits... As well as a backing by major companies and corporate IT/HR departments to seriously make a move out of the dark ages.
And the benefits probably don't outweigh the economic cost of doing this on a large scale.
Ironically, the first "home computer" keyboard I came across at school in 1981 was a Commodore Pet, and it had an ortholinear keyboard (with a qwerty layout). The second one the school bought had a standard qwerty keyboard! Missed opportunity!
gergoplex is waay to -dank- minimal (even though I like it a lot), I am getting a corne LP where I can check out a bunch of various switch kinds because hotswap
And also keyboard is like the one single piece where RGB is not cringe, at least when configured reasonably
If there was a corne lp with bluetooth, so that there's not even wires (I would easily sacrifice RGB for battery, although I don't think that's absolutely neccessary) it would be the ideal match for me.
For gaming you can just keep a separate keyboard (low profile TKL in my case so that it'd easy to move around and store somewhere when unused), better that having to endlessly fix layouts/layers and changing/relearning stuff
This is one of the best video's I watched on YT. Why? Because it is well structured, absolutely to the point and gives a lot of information, without wasting any time of the viewer! Thanks a lot for sharing your experience! 🙂
If it's low profile then where can I buy your keyboard please? Thank you!!!
Where do I buy/how do I build your keyboard?
Did you try Dactyl Manuform?
wanna see how it compares against these alternatives
Where can I buy one of these/get the parts
How much was this keyboard? Looking into making my own and honestly my hands would like the change.
This is interesting. I've been looking into non standard ergonomic keyboards on and off for a long time. Wish they weren't so damn expensive!
Ive heard good things about Colemak as a layout. Might give that a shot too!
Great vid. Thanks!
You can build it yourself for ~30$, if you have 3d printer. I've made 3 or 4 of them already, also switches can be gutted from older keyboard, when I find my end game layout i will order custom cnc case, pcb, etc.
@@JamesSmith-ix5jd hmmm... Interesting! I've never thought of printing my own keyboard! New project!
The wrist angle I can deal with. When I use the plank I wouldn't actually bend my wrist. It's the shoulder strain that kills me. I have since switched to a moonlander and my shoulder thanks me for it.
I just ordered my Moonlander but now I know where my journey is headed to. Thank you for this Video. Is the Gergoplex configurable?
If you can use gmk, it's pretty configurable
I am using the Sharkoon TypeWriter with low profile switches because low profile switches are WAY more comfortable for me. Interesting video. What about other languages than English? Colemak and Workman are not automatically suitable for every language right? What about language specific letters and accents?
currently at the stage where i want a planck
Where can I get the parts to build it or buy one
I use a one-handed keyboard for games. Ironically, I thought about getting a split keyboard because it would be similar to my one-handed keyboard for games lol. Now I will be able to type normally without needing to reach for another keyboard.
Curious why you say competitive gaming isn't viable on this type of keyboard? This is actually my main motivation for researching these types of keyboards. I am in the process of making the switch from controller to mnk and am really not loving the standard non-split keyboard. I'm trying to find a minimal ergonomic keypad I can use layers on for gaming. Would love to see a dedicated video of how you set up your keypad for gaming with some tips.
Direct muscle memory is faster than layering. Try actually measuring your best responses and compare reaction times to competitive gamers
60% split is still decent for gaming, so there's that option
I've been using ergonomic split keyboards since the mid-90's but never took the jump to alternate layouts. The thing is, 99% of my typing is code and coding tends to run in bursts rather than long continuous typing sessions so I'm not convinced even my own ergo keyboards have really been all that useful. What really gets my hands is the damn mouse. Long CAD or modelling sessions can really screw up your hands. I occasionally switch between right and left hand mouse to prevent damage to my hands.
I'm investing my time in learning 24key layout (no middle column or thumb keys, just 12 ortho keys per side and lots of combos). My main reason is that I want to type on my keyboard no matter where I go. It's so freaking cool to administer a server from your phone in a coffee shop with basically 80% of comfort of your main pc. Lots of devices nowadays have screens and bluetooth, having your small keyboard work with any device is very useful. I don't even want to buy a laptop with builtin keyboard anymore, just a tablet is enough.
Two 12 key halves can be connected and form a big 24 macro pad for more comfortable gaming or other apps, it all boils down to learning all these crazy combos and layers.
I have 16 layers on my Piantor keyboard. For gaming, I use 2 of them. I don't type texts while playing usually, byt when I do, I just switch to my first basic layer
So I never really learned how to type correctly. Never really needed to. But I want to change that. Do you think it'd be a good idea to just forgo the qwerty set up and just straight up learn workman or coleman?
No. Bad idea. Stick to qwerty and learn to touch type at 80-100wpm. If in the future you would want to learn colemak it will take you less time than the initial touch typing learning. Qwerty is essential and should remain in your muscle memory, so even if you switch to colemak, qwerty is not wasted, you will keep it active with ~1h weekly practice.
A telegraph machine is an ergonomic 1%-layout keyboard
Well explained!
how do you assign Tab and Lower on the same key? I'm only seeing an option to switch to layer while held.
I was looking for a 30% split! Can you tell the name of that keyboard? Link to store o github repo? Thanks!!!
He was using a Gergoplex, gboards.ca
can you tell me where i might find a tkl that is ortho linear with each key programable
just need a mouse/stick on that thing too, so you don't have to reach for the mouse.
I got my low profile, split, ortholinear, tented, wireless (no wires at all, battery is very good), very portable since it's very slim keyboard. Guess the price? It's only 25$ in total. I brought two numpads (Deltaco TB-125) and wrote my own drivers.
Why do you opt for the gergoplex instead of the gergo? I just put together a lily58 and I think it would be hard for me to get used to not having modifier keys.
I looked at they keymap.c file you linked in another comment and it differs from the keymap.c files I've seen before. Do you have the home row keys set tap for letter, double tap for one-shot layer?
Also, do you have a preference between low-profile and regular height switches if portability isn't a factor?
I'll answer this point by point:
1. Gergo > gergoplex because I wanted less keys. A gergoplex would basically be the exact same as my previous keyboard: the kyria
2. Modifiers are something that I already moved away from when I switched to using home row mods on my previous keyboard, so I don't miss them at all.
3. Basically the home row layers are: tap for letter, hold for modifier.
4. Honestly at this point I don't really have any particular switch preferences. I used to (and still do) really like my kyria with 62g zilents, though there are cheaper alternatives like the bobas or whatever that I haven't tried yet. (the kyria also has SA keycaps so its insanely tall haha).
@@winterNebs Thank you for your responses. Home row mods seem really interesting and powerful.
One more question: do you find that you ever accidentally press the home-row buttons for too long and activate a mod key when you meant to press a letter?
@@friar-wad With the right config in QMK I very rarely misfire them. The only time I will make a mistake is sometimes not holding long enough to trigger the mod.
@@winterNebs You sould make a video commenting on your keymap.c for those of us that don't really know that much about qmk
I learned to type on Dvorak, and I have a keybind to switch to QWERTY to use dumber apps. Is it worth learning Workman or Colemak-DH?
thank you but I'm gonna ignore your suggestion about not switching everything right away.
If someone was interested in making all these changes, what order would you recommend pursuing them in? Would your recommended order differ from the order you made these adjustments in? Thanks for the great content!
I haven't actually done it, but I plan to go directly from a TKL/fullsize to a split board.
Probably the Lily58 or Kyria, the former bigger than the latter. I don't think it's necessary to take all the "detours" mentioned in the video (60%, 40% ortho, big split ortho, staggered split, smaller split.) Feels like a "waste" of both time and money, besides you will know it is not the end goal and therefore likely just want to move on. Probably best to jump on something like the Lily58, since it's quite normal but still have many of the good things. Or go one step deeper with the something like the Kyria or Corne (losing the num row). I feel that anything more would be too steep to begin with.
If you are talking about all the other stuff like layout too, then I would guess it is best to either switch that before you switch keyboard, or after. This because it will otherwise probably be too much to keep track off. Besides, layout you could switch without having to buy and build a new keyboard, so it is an easier entry. But then again, I haven't switched layout, so take it with a grain of salt.
@@ano_nym it's too late to save me... I'm rocking a 34 key layout of my own on a boardsource Microdox kit I soldered myself. thanks for the input though, I was srsly considering the Lily58 and the Corne.
For me (fastest to slowest in adjustment time)
Standard TKL 65% - no adjustment, i wasn't using num pad.
Ortho 60% with split space - ~2 days, ortho layout was the fastest to adjust to for me.
Split, vertical stagger, 45% - couple of weeks, for all the layers, and many thumb keys, and also home mods.
Split, ortho, 20%, non qwerty - still in the process, but i think i can adjust in couple of months.
What is the workman keyboard used around 1:30 on the righthand side of the screen?
You would recommend using a split keyboard still with qwerty?
Or is it a no go?
Those are independent steps. You can first get split keyboard, then learn new layout or continue using qwerty
I am looking into split keyboards only because my shoulders and wrist pain because of a unified keyboard
Dude, just got into programming and finished first cs50 lecture. How do you code in 30% keyboard? How do you input all the special characters? $#{} etc.,?
He presses a key under his thumb, the rest of keyboard is now full of &()#{\[]
Seems like Dvorak was intentionally not recommended as an alternative. No explanation despite it being the one alternative most people can name. Why the exclusion? Was planning on making it my next goal after relearning how to type (correctly) on my Kinesis Advantage 2 with Dvorak secondary legends to the primary Qwerty legends. Great, informative, motivating video by the way.
It's a very outdated layout, and quite frankly there are just better alternatives out there. It's still miles more efficient than QWERTY, but if you're going to dedicate all that time and effort to learning an alternate keyboard layout, you might as well choose something better.
@@sabbath9503 What are better options?
I just want a gergoplex with a trackpoint.
im pretty sure chyrosran would look at this and punch you LOL
Why did you move from kyria to gergoplex? Why did you choose Workman over Dvorak?
Can you please help me answer this its really important. Where does the Gergo Plex ship from is it from Canada or China ? we currently have import restrictions from certain countries so its important to know this. also do they provide tracking details while shipping ?
Canada and yes it has tracking lol
@@winterNebs Thanks a lot for your reply. Do we need Choc Mod Kits and
MBK Addon. also whats a
MBK Addon its just not clear to me are they extra keys ?
Right now I really dont know of whom to exactly reach for answers on gergoplex so asking you as you already have ordered it. hope you will help me.
@@sanketss84 you should contact germ. (Her info is on the contact page lol) I’m not a gboards sales rep, so that’s your best bet :)
@@winterNebs I am sorry I did not reach you from a sales rep perspective but as a person who introduced me to the wonderful world of split keyboards , gergoplex , workman layout. I am really thankful for your videos they have opened a new world to me and it's a bit complex to me right now so reaching out to you to understand it. Thanks.
I use the workman layout as well.
Workman is berry cool
I just realised that there's a spectrum between qwerty and stenograph, I suppose morse paddles are even more extreme lol
i want to add something. for me the biggest proof that you want lose your muscle memory is that i write in 2 languages english and greek and they have different layouts and sometimes i write greek with the english layout and i have no problem with remembering the different positions that many letters end up having.
0:18 id say it more because you dont have to bottom out to trigger the switch, which makes for a better experience; typing or gaming. Customization is rather niche end of it
WHY I USE REGULAR KEYBOARDS:I actually put my hand diagonal if I type and if i'm playing something i put my keyboard diagonal my left hand to the WDSA and my right hand to the mouse.
it feels way better- My back used to be sore because I used to type how you did when i was 6-8
Is it possible to build a custom keyboard with chiclet/scissor switches instead of the mechanical ones? Seems like only the mechanical are being sold??
Kailh X switches
hey yeah, i want to use ortholinear (40 percent) as well. but
* i want smth cheap 😥
so, like 20-30 USD (even that's a fairly large amt in my currency)
* non/mechanical : not an issue
* split/one piece : not an issue
Sir how we buy it means i am from pakistan ...and there is no keyboard like this
CRKBD is life.
Good video.
when this piano I can buy?