Comment by 🚀 Hein
Re: "The keyboards rabbit hole"
Ergonomic keyboards are such a delightfully weird topic! They're such a harmless and low effort improvement to your work desk, but there's still weird looks every time, I'm loving it ❤️
The Microsoft natural keyboards have been my go to since I was a child. bought multiple of the 4000s. Just recently switched back to the awesome sculpt keyboard, since my self-built Corne is not so ... reliable. The sculpt's separate, wireless numpad was just a killer move, I'm still working on replicating this as a mechanical add-on for my Corne.
Now I just need to fix the loose solder joints for good...
2025-01-21 · 1 year ago
6 Later Comments ↓
🗿 argenkiwi [OP/mod] · 2025-01-21 at 23:21:
Interesting you ditched a Corne for a Sculpt! Did anyone get angry at you for it? XD I have been considering getting a pre-built Corne from AliExpress, but I fear it will not live to my expectations in terms of programmability. I would hate having it sit in a wardrobe.
I wish the split spacebars of some of the membrane ergonomic keyboards registered as 2 different keys, I would love to hit the backspace key with my right thumb.
🦂 zzo38 · 2025-01-21 at 23:52:
I use all of the keys, including the number pad (which can be used for entering numeric data, but also is useful for some computer games that allow diagonal movement, such as Hero Hearts).
🗿 argenkiwi [OP/mod] · 2025-01-22 at 00:11:
The Extend layer promoted by the Colemak community made me ditch a lot of the non-central keys. I stopped using the numpad and numrow when I managed to get my function, numbers and symbols layer to work while my spacebar is held (took a while to bring errors to a minimum).
I think it is safe to assume that the row stagger on keyboards has to do with avoiding the jamming of the typewriters. But I have heard many dispute QWERTY had something to do with that as well. I suppose it'd be impossible to confirm it 100% either way.
But it is so wide-spread that it won't change in our lifetimes. I think hardware is much easier to change than people's habits.
🚀 stack · 2025-01-22 at 16:10:
My out-of-fashion second hand Das boards cost me maybe $20 each on EBay.
🗿 argenkiwi [OP/mod] · 2025-01-22 at 19:09:
I like your style @stack.
I have been tempted by the 47-key Inland (house brand of Micro Center) for awhile now, and may succumb, if only for the learning experience (programming the layers I want). 30-day return. Lists for $40 USD. Would only be my 2nd mechanical kb.
— Inland 47-Keys Hot Swappable RGB Wired Mechanical Keyboard
Original Post
The keyboards rabbit hole — Many of us went down new rabbit holes during and after the pandemic (Gemini, cough, cough...). For me one of them was keyboards. I just wanted to share how, after almost 30 years, I significantly changed how I use them and what I expect from them. I believe it was the agressive influencer marketing around mechanical keyboards that got me thinking first. Thinking why they were unnecessary that is. I had been using membrane keyboard forever and I was doing just fine...
💬 11 comments · 2 likes · 2025-01-21 · 1 year ago · #keyboards