[HN Gopher] Fulcrum: an ergo-mechanical split keyboard with extr...
       ___________________________________________________________________
        
       Fulcrum: an ergo-mechanical split keyboard with extra thumb
       functionality
        
       Author : zdw
       Score  : 92 points
       Date   : 2023-02-04 18:18 UTC (1 days ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (github.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (github.com)
        
       | crispyambulance wrote:
       | Finally, a keyboard for those of us who have extra thumbs! I've
       | long wanted to put my extra thumbs to work.
        
       | eecc wrote:
       | Won't you get RSI to your thumbs with this keyboard? How's it
       | better compared to a stenography keyboard?
        
       | tianh wrote:
       | Looks interesting, I already use a non-standard keyboard (Ducky 2
       | mini), which I really enjoy. It also uses another layer to access
       | F-keys and arrow-keys for example.
       | 
       | The only downside I experience is when programs do not allow re-
       | mapping of keys and use arrow-keys. Happens often with browser
       | games, which is really annoying. There sure is a way to get
       | around this since Ducky 2 mini is really flexible, but I'm
       | usually not so much invested to go down that path.
        
       | vl wrote:
       | Very cool project! I'm a big fan of vertical key rows and split
       | design.
       | 
       | So much so that I pulled the trigger and ordered new Kinesis
       | Advantage 360 Pro - currently I'm a happy user of Advantage2.
        
       | [deleted]
        
       | yewenjie wrote:
       | I like the idea for common words to be on a macro layer. I wonder
       | if there is some simple way to generate one's personalized top 20
       | words or something.
        
       | alanbernstein wrote:
       | Like a compromise between an ergo board and a data hand.
       | 
       | The motivation for this sounds convincing. My problem is that I'm
       | not willing or able to put the time into learning a new layout,
       | with or without a chording aspect.
        
         | [deleted]
        
         | angry_moose wrote:
         | I tried it to a lesser extent (Keyboardio 100) and stuck with
         | it just long enough to determine it would be great if I never
         | used any other computers with a standard keyboard. After 2
         | weeks I could barely even type on my laptop anymore - I just
         | couldn't hold both layouts in my head. Numbers, punctuation,
         | and special keys were completely different; even though letters
         | were "the same" they moved enough I was making a ton of typos.
         | 
         | I came to the conclusion I wasn't willing to buy an additional
         | keyboard for my work computer and give up my laptop so I ended
         | up selling it.
        
         | Firmwarrior wrote:
         | I think this is a super cool keyboard, but if I were going to
         | learn a chorded keyboard, I'd probably go all in on the type
         | steganographers use to type 300 WPM
        
           | dschil138 wrote:
           | I don't really think it's fair to call it a chorded keyboard.
           | It does have chords, but they are mostly optional and there
           | for convenience.
           | 
           | Every alpha letter has it's own key. Some are on a second
           | layer, but that layer is also "one-shot" so you don't even
           | need to chord to use it, like you do with typing capital
           | letters with shift, for instance.
        
           | capableweb wrote:
           | You could always use a "normal" (QWERTY) keyboard for steno
           | if you'd like, some people had success with Plover
           | (http://www.openstenoproject.org/) for doing this. You can
           | even try it in the browser:
           | http://www.openstenoproject.org/demo/
           | 
           | What would be really interesting would be a keyboard
           | specifically for programming. Chords that can be customized
           | to fit your language, would make a lot of sense. Integrate
           | some ideas from things like Paraedit et al, and you could
           | probably get up to crazy speeds in editing and writing really
           | quickly.
        
       | xiande04 wrote:
       | A keyboard with two thumb joysticks is something I've been
       | dreaming about for a long time! If I could upvote this a thousand
       | times I would.
        
       | rwilson4 wrote:
       | I have a Kinesis Advantage 2 and the thumb clusters are my
       | favorite part. I think I probably spend too much time optimizing
       | the layout of those keys though. Like, Escape is really awkwardly
       | placed in the default layout so I moved it to the right thumb
       | cluster, but I was actually just thinking about moving it to the
       | left cluster. Talk about micro-optimizations!
        
       | Sakos wrote:
       | I love the idea. Reminds me that I've always wondered why nobody
       | ever made a keyboard with analog joysticks for your thumbs. Feels
       | like keyboard design has stagnated because they reached a local
       | maxima for being good enough decades ago.
        
         | moffkalast wrote:
         | That's not the reason at all, the typical modern keyboard is
         | just about exclusively driven by legacy compatibility. The keys
         | are still in the exact same layout that was dictated by the
         | mechanical design of typewriters centuries ago for fucks sake.
         | Does anything still use the "pause" button? Why would anyone
         | ever want to lock the numpad? Why are like half of the keys
         | duplicated? These are real questions we should be asking.
         | 
         | The real problem is that people have gotten used to something
         | that barely worked, who then got catered to by manufacturers
         | which lead to new people learning that same layout,
         | perpetuating the same design into infinity because nobody wants
         | to relearn typing. Driving cars with a wheel and pedals
         | probably isn't optimal either, but it's all anyone ever learns
         | to use so that's what ubiquitous. Language is the same.
        
           | dschil138 wrote:
           | that's why it's so absolutely nuts that smartphone keyboards
           | are just touchscreen versions of legacy keyboards.
           | 
           | If there is any place absolutely ripe for new innovation and
           | optimizations, it's there. But there are hardly any
           | significantly-different options! (at least on iphone, can't
           | speak to Android)
           | 
           | Like, why can't I set my keyboard to delete the last word
           | when I swipe left across the keyboard? There are a million
           | low-hanging fruit things like that.
        
       | c54 wrote:
       | Interest concept. Are there any videos of someone using one ? I
       | couldn't find any on youtube
        
       | Waterluvian wrote:
       | Hyper optimized HIDs are a fascinating curiosity to me. I feel
       | like a lot of the time they're meant to fulfill a daydream of
       | optimization that oftentimes never gets realized.
       | 
       | It's like stenography, the cost of deviating from the norm is
       | high but very valuable for specific use cases.
       | 
       | Or maybe I'm just projecting my Jr. Engineer days where I spent
       | silly amounts of time optimizing my text editor with dreams of it
       | making me one with my computer.
        
         | dschil138 wrote:
         | I totally agree with you in theory but for this specific board,
         | can tell you that it improved my typing speed ~10wpm, and
         | completely eliminated my RSI issues.
         | 
         | When I say I had major RSI issues, I mean I once had to spend 6
         | weeks typing with only my left hand bc the right hurt so bad.
         | So it was worth it just for getting rid of that.
         | 
         | But in general I totally agree with you. I think about that a
         | lot when optimizing like VSCode settings, for example. Like
         | "this isn't really productive work here. it just feels like
         | it."
        
         | jjeaff wrote:
         | Ya this is exactly the kind of bike shedding I get wrapped up
         | in sometimes. Lately I have been creating custom shelving and
         | storage in my office for a clean look and better optimization
         | for lighting, camera, and sound.
         | 
         | I realize I could be working on real work when I do this, but I
         | enjoy it and I find it to be a needed break from real work as
         | well as actually engender a bit more excitement in myself to
         | get back to work.
         | 
         | Its nice to enjoy optimizations that you have worked on and
         | implemented yourself.
        
         | keybored wrote:
         | On the one hand, yes... no, in fact three things:
         | 
         | 1. On the one hand, yes. It can be very idealistic. You might
         | imagine that you will achieve a new level of productivity where
         | you will look down on your previous level and think: "How did I
         | ever get anything done down there?"
         | 
         | 2. Computer input optimization often gets derided with some
         | variation on the "my typing speed is not the bottleneck when
         | writing code". But first of all, productivity in the immediate
         | sense might not be the point: the point might be ergonomics and
         | health. And it sounds silly to get health issues by just
         | sitting and typing stuff and yet... well, it does happen a lot,
         | apparently.[1]
         | 
         | I have done some optimizations with regards to my keyboard but
         | the holy grail for me (I feel like) is stenography (which you
         | mentioned). But I fear that I'm not the kind of person that
         | could devote something like on average 30 minutes a day for
         | multiple months to that.
         | 
         | 3. Things like optimizing my setup is what makes me excited. So
         | if I can keep my idealism in check then the journey itself will
         | have been worth the effort.
         | 
         | [1] You're screwed either way: if you're in a physical
         | profession (a "trade") you wear your body out. If you are in an
         | office job you either don't use your body enough, get some kind
         | of ergonomic problem, or get burnout from being too much in
         | your head.
        
         | mosquitobiten wrote:
         | > fulfill a daydream of optimization that oftentimes never gets
         | realized
         | 
         | with so many things, creating something like this maybe you
         | start like that but end up realizing you just wanted to express
         | yourself. challenging the norm is a given and popularity is
         | just a plus.
        
         | [deleted]
        
       | whitemary wrote:
       | Why would I invest the time, effort, and incalculable risk
       | involved in adopting and depending on a boutique experimental
       | keyboard system?
       | 
       | Why do all keyboard projects either mindlessly adhere to antique
       | conventions or hopelessly diverge into zaniness? Why is it so
       | difficult to find a multi-platform split keyboard with no
       | gimmicks, standard layouts, and sane defaults. I will buy a back-
       | stock of 10 when I find it. The closest thing so far is the
       | Mistel MD770 so I own 2 of them.
        
         | allendoerfer wrote:
         | > Why do all keyboard projects either mindlessly adhere to
         | antique conventions or hopelessly diverge into zaniness? Why is
         | it so difficult to find a multi-platform split keyboard with no
         | gimmicks, standard layouts, and sane defaults. I will buy a
         | back-stock of 10 when I find it. The closest thing so far is
         | the Mistel MD770 so I own 2 of them.
         | 
         | Try finding what you are looking for but with an ISO layout.
         | Which is why I am thinking about buying a second Mistel MD770.
        
         | goosedragons wrote:
         | There's loads of those? Kinesis Freestyle, Matias Ergo Pro,
         | Mistel Barocco, Cloud Nine ErgoFS. You could also build one.
         | 
         | A split keyboard only addresses one or two problems. The US
         | QWERTY layout is objectively awful and there's loads of room
         | for improvement. Even adding a single modifier key instead of
         | the massively useless space bar is a huge improvement but
         | people are married to the idea we must alternate thumbs to
         | space because 60 years ago it actually took effort to do.
        
           | whitemary wrote:
           | Kenesis Freestyle (tested) - NOT multi-platform, "Mac"
           | version has no function key
           | 
           | Matias Ergo Pro (not tested) - NOT multi-platform, A lot of
           | non-standard key placement and spacing
           | 
           | Mistel (tested) - Like I said, this is the best option
           | 
           | Cloud Nine (tested) - NOT multi-platform, ridiculous
           | footprint will hardly even fit on my desk WITHOUT a mouse,
           | countless unnecessary features, I do have a friend who loves
           | this keyboard but even they agree that they should have
           | better options
        
             | goosedragons wrote:
             | Matias Ergo Pro absolutely is cross platform. There's a DIP
             | switch under right CMD or alt and you can swap between
             | Mac/PC. I've done this. I'm not even sure how beneficial
             | "cross platform" is when you can just swap modifier
             | controls on the Mac (the problem platform) anyways?
             | 
             | Did you try the Kinesis Freestyle PRO? They advertise
             | advertise Mac and Windows support while the NON-pro is
             | Windows or Mac.
             | 
             | The function key isn't a real key either. It's a key to do
             | something on the keyboard itself. Plenty of Mac keyboards
             | made by Apple even don't have one.
             | 
             | Considering the "non-standard" key placements on these
             | keybaords are about as big of a change as the average
             | laptop and the Cloud Nine literally has a standard PC
             | layout so I think you're just really picky. Maybe just
             | build one?
        
         | seltzered_ wrote:
         | Ive been thinking about this quite a bit along with portability
         | in mind. Its led me to sketch out this idea involving smaller
         | 0.75u keys inspired by Atreus:
         | https://www.reddit.com/r/ErgoMechKeyboards/comments/x6mbjh/s...
         | - while the layout is a bit more ortholinear in theory one
         | shouldn't have to deal with layering. The bigger tradeoff is
         | its handmade due to the modified keycaps.
         | 
         | Plan to someday make it and share a setup on
         | https://reddit.com/r/ergomobilecomputers
        
         | dharmab wrote:
         | I had to learn an ergonomic keyboard after a severe injury. It
         | took one week to catch up to my QWERTY ability and two weeks to
         | surpass it.
        
         | morjom wrote:
         | Are moonlander and ergodox too zany or too out of the default?
         | I used a MD600 for a while, and found that keyboards that are
         | just qwerties chopped in half diagonally in the middle-ish
         | aren't really taking advantage of the splitness enough, so
         | ergodox or a dactyl seemed better for me.
        
           | whitemary wrote:
           | In my experience, splitting the keyboard in half delivers
           | 95+% of the ergonomic benefits with virtually zero tradeoffs
           | beyond the couple of days it take to adjust to it.
           | 
           | Could you elaborate on the benefits in taking more "advantage
           | of the splitness"? Maybe I'm overlooking a big missed
           | opportunity.
           | 
           | For me, I at least need to transition from my laptop
           | keyboards (linux/mac) to my split keyboards without
           | distracting from the work at hand. More generally, I think
           | professionals should never stray too far from industry
           | standard tools.
           | 
           | My main issue with ergodox is consumer lock-in. Dependence on
           | custom keybindings is one thing, but dependence on custom
           | physical keys is bad practice outside of special
           | circumstances.
        
             | mynameisvlad wrote:
             | > More generally, I think professionals should never stray
             | too far from industry standard tools.
             | 
             | I have used a Moonlander for close to two years now. Other
             | than the few days at the beginning before muscle memory
             | developed, I have had no issues going from a Moonlander, to
             | a standard mechanical, to laptop keyboards. It's not nearly
             | as big of a problem as you're making it seem, coming from
             | my own experience.
             | 
             | And why can't someone choose to use a tool that helps them?
             | What's so wrong with that?
             | 
             | > My main issue with ergodox is consumer lock-in.
             | Dependence on custom keybindings is one thing, but
             | dependence on custom physical keys is bad practice outside
             | of special circumstances.
             | 
             | What even is this argument? Oryx is just a layer on top of
             | QMK, an open source keyboard firmware. The keys are all
             | standard row 3 keycaps, with the exception of the thumb
             | cluster which are 1.5u and 2u keycaps. Sure, the thumb
             | cluster is unique, but that can be said for dozens of
             | different keyboards: A lot have macro keys, or twists and
             | knobs to control things like volume. Arrow key designs are
             | different from manufacturer to manufacturer. Hell, the
             | _entire layout_ is different based on which country you 're
             | in. Having a thumb cluster seems like an _extremely_ minor
             | lock-in considering muscle memory isn 't limited to one
             | layout at a time.
        
           | pletnes wrote:
           | My moonlander took a few days/weeks of getting used to, but
           | it's not very <<far out>> in my mind. The biggest hurdle is
           | getting used to the ortholinear keys, but this quickly feels
           | much better. Would warmly recommend to anyone spending much
           | time in front of a keyboard, really.
        
             | birken wrote:
             | I got a Moonlander about 3 months ago, and it took me about
             | a month of getting used to the key layout until I was
             | typing at similar speed to a Macbook keyboard (which for me
             | is fairly fast, about 120wpm). The hardest letters for me
             | was shifting from my index finger to my ring finger for
             | 'c', and shifting '.' from my other index finger to my
             | other ring finger. I basically got used to never typing a
             | key with my ring finger below the home row and with the
             | ortholinear keys it was just no longer possible to type
             | quickly while having my index finger handle everything. The
             | keys also poke out quite a bit more than other keyboards so
             | when you stretch to type a key with the "wrong" finger you
             | are also much more likely to accidentally press another
             | key.
             | 
             | Getting used to spacebar, backspace and enter, all of which
             | I shifted to thumb mappings, took only a few days. You hit
             | those keys so often you learn the muscle memory very
             | quickly. This to me is by far the best part of the
             | moonlander, having 4 super-accessible thumb keys and 2
             | semi-accessible thumb keys that I can program is a massive,
             | massive improvement over a standard keyboard. Your thumb is
             | completely wasted in a normal layout.
             | 
             | I still am far below my "normal" speed for programming, but
             | that is because I'm trying to figure out the best custom
             | mapping for (){}[]<>=+ and then train the muscle memory.
             | 
             | Overall I'm very happy with the purchase, I feel like it is
             | much more ergonomic and with another few months of service
             | and perfecting my layout it will hopefully end up being
             | much faster and more convenient than a normal keyboard
             | layout as well.
        
             | zwayhowder wrote:
             | The biggest hurdle is wondering why your space bar is no
             | longer working on a normal keyboard, and realising that you
             | are actually smashing the alt key :D
             | 
             | But seriously, I love my Moonlander(s) and have no regrets
             | buying them.
        
               | mynameisvlad wrote:
               | > The biggest hurdle is wondering why your space bar is
               | no longer working on a normal keyboard, and realising
               | that you are actually smashing the alt key :D
               | 
               | This hasn't really been an issue for me after the first
               | week or two of use. My muscle memory adjusts based on
               | which keyboard I'm using. Typing this on my MBP's laptop
               | keyboard while I work using my Moonlander day-to-day.
               | 
               | > But seriously, I love my Moonlander(s) and have no
               | regrets buying them.
               | 
               | Also got a second for the office because of how much I
               | love it. Only _minor_ regrets because spending over 1k on
               | two keyboards (after caps, etc) is a tough pill to
               | swallow.
        
               | zwayhowder wrote:
               | It is, but then I broke a finger and was able to remap
               | both keyboards to compensate. That was pure magic.
        
               | mynameisvlad wrote:
               | Agreed, I make small tweaks occasionally to improve some
               | behavior and it gives me a good feeling deep down to know
               | I can change what any key does at its most basic level. I
               | don't even use layers too much but most of my keys will
               | have both a tap and tap-hold option and it's crazy to
               | think that I can choose to change it at any time without
               | any issue, and having it carry over between computers
               | since it's all in the keyboard itself.
               | 
               | I still haven't figured out a good combination for an
               | Esc/backtick key since I use both keys pretty commonly
               | and there just isn't space for both.
        
         | cinntaile wrote:
         | https://kinesis-ergo.com/shop/freestyle2-for-pc-us/
         | 
         | What's wrong with this one? Pretty vanilla.
        
           | whitemary wrote:
           | I tried it and had to return it. It's not multi-platform and
           | the mac version is horribly designed so you have to sacrifice
           | media keys to have function keys.
        
         | Groxx wrote:
         | Open source software, all hardware listed, and built by hand.
         | 
         | I think the risk is _extremely_ calculable. It 's laid out
         | explicitly.
        
         | djbusby wrote:
         | Did you see Keyboard.io one? It's a big butterfly shape,
         | ortholinear(is that what it's called?)
         | 
         | Took a while to get used to, 20+ years of muscle memory for
         | pinky work that is now thumb.
         | 
         | And I don't get lost going back to standard/laptops.
        
         | dschil138 wrote:
         | Hey, I made this. It was only ever intended just for me, bc I
         | have bad (really bad) RSI. I truly did not ever expect anyone
         | else to want to make one. But I shared it on the ergomech
         | reddit and people were interested so I put some work into the
         | Github repo.
         | 
         | That being said, after realizing some people were actually
         | interested, I also added a more standard 40-key version, bc I
         | know most people don't want to go all the way to 20 keys. There
         | is a pic of that version farther down on the README page.
        
           | whitemary wrote:
           | I did not mean this as a criticism, but more as a cry for
           | help! I have worsening RSI but a massively customized
           | keyboard project would be so incompatible with my job
           | requirements. I just wish so bad that there were a sane
           | middle path.
        
             | dschil138 wrote:
             | I totally get you. I think that exists tho! Someone else
             | mentioned the Keyboardio100 which might work well for you.
             | 
             | But I would also argue that it's totally worth learning a
             | new layout. I think people overestimate how hard it is, and
             | the difficulty of switching between them. If you have RSI,
             | I would _definitely_ recommend getting some type of split
             | ergo board (maybe Corne?) and learning Colemak-DH layout.
        
         | keybored wrote:
         | Is it really that binary? It seems that there are plenty of
         | custom keyboards that are very vanilla, like 60%.
         | 
         | Personally I think custom keyboard people are a bit too in love
         | with 60% and below + a dozen F-combinations (for arrow keys and
         | so on).
        
         | CarVac wrote:
         | Layers have less "incalculable risk" when you design the layers
         | yourself for your needs and according to your logic.
         | 
         | Don't use layer setups other people designed verbatim; take
         | inspiration from them.
         | 
         | For example, my own ergo keyboard has no dedicated backspace
         | button; instead I chose to have fn-M (a thumb function key) and
         | it's actually better for me than reaching for a true backspace
         | key.
         | 
         | I would _never_ expect anyone else to be able to use my
         | keyboard though.
        
         | brekkiemax wrote:
         | [flagged]
        
         | snozolli wrote:
         | _Why would I invest the time, effort, and incalculable risk_
         | 
         | What incalculable risk?
         | 
         | You're just learning new muscle memory. Particularly if you're
         | just talking about different key alignments (grid vs
         | traditional typewriter staggered style).
         | 
         | If you're talking about learning a new layout, like going from
         | QWERTY to Dvorak or Colemak, that's a much bigger commitment,
         | but still not a risk or something you can't simply change your
         | mind about.
         | 
         | I've gone from QWERTY to Dvorak and back, and from traditional
         | to Kinesys and back. It's like learning to drive a stick shift,
         | you can always give up or switch back and forth.
        
           | whitemary wrote:
           | Consumer lock-in is a risk. For a professional practitioner,
           | adopting dependence on custom hardware gadgets from boutique
           | hobby ventures is a risk.
           | 
           | Speaking for myself, I also depend on having a job where I
           | have a boss. It's an authoritarian relationship. If my skills
           | cannot be applied with required industry standard hardware,
           | it's much harder for me to get/keep a job. For a professional
           | employee, this counts as another risk.
           | 
           | These risks are incalculable because the degree of dependence
           | cannot be known until much later once all the quirks of the
           | new system have been accounted for.
        
             | doix wrote:
             | > Consumer lock-in is an incalculable risk. For a
             | professional practitioner, adopting dependence on custom
             | hardware gadgets from boutique hobby ventures is an
             | incalculable risk.
             | 
             | It's literally all open, you can build it yourself. If you
             | really do develop a dependence on it, as long as you
             | archive everything, you'll be able to get another one. You
             | can't say the same about depending on a commercial
             | keyboard.
             | 
             | I am slightly worried about my moonlander breaking and then
             | no-longer being manufactured in 5-10 years, but I know I
             | can learn a new layout in a few days, so it's not a big
             | issue.
             | 
             | > Speaking for myself, I also depend on having a job where
             | I have a boss. It's an authoritarian relationship. If my
             | skills cannot be applied with required industry standard
             | hardware, it's much harder for me to get/keep a job. For a
             | professional employees, this is another incalculable risk.
             | 
             | Where have you worked that mandated you use a standard
             | keyboard? I've had the opposite, when I had bad wrist
             | problems, my employer bought me a whole bunch of different
             | ergonomic keyboards and mice to try (including foot pedals)
             | until I found something comfortable.
        
             | snozolli wrote:
             | _Consumer lock-in is an incalculable risk. For a
             | professional practitioner, adopting dependence on custom
             | hardware gadgets from boutique hobby ventures is an
             | incalculable risk._
             | 
             | Just... Unplug the keyboard and go back to your old one!
             | 
             |  _If my skills cannot be applied with required industry
             | standard hardware_
             | 
             | The only time your boss cares what keyboard you're using is
             | when you hand in a requisition form. Even then, they're
             | likely to be happy to foot the bill to have a productive
             | employee and potentially avoid a future disability claim.
             | 
             | Again, you can just switch back to a regular keyboard. The
             | human body is much smarter than you seem to think it is.
        
               | whitemary wrote:
               | The boss will care when you need a couple weeks to adapt
               | your precious keyboard setup to the new company hardware,
               | or when you can't work on the plane or at a coffee shop
               | on work trips, or when you need to haul an armful of
               | peripherals to the conference room for a standard
               | meeting.
        
               | snozolli wrote:
               | _when you need a couple weeks to adapt your precious
               | keyboard setup to the new company hardware_
               | 
               | You mean plugging in a keyboard? Seriously, what are you
               | even making up in your head here?
               | 
               |  _or when you can 't work on the plane or at a coffee
               | shop on work trips_
               | 
               | Your examples imply a laptop, which already has a built-
               | in keyboard. Why would you haul your workstation keyboard
               | into a meeting?
               | 
               | Again, you can simply switch back. Learning a new
               | keyboard configuration doesn't eliminate the old layout
               | from your muscle memory. Even going back to QWERTY after
               | learning Dvorak is pretty seamless.
               | 
               | To give a similar example, do you normally use a mouse?
               | Do you take the mouse with you to the coffee shop,
               | airplane, or meeting, or do you just use the trackpad
               | while you're there? Same thing.
        
               | jack_pp wrote:
               | Haven't tried learning DVORAK to see how easy I can
               | switch back but as a 12 year vim user, not having access
               | to vim bindings feels like coding with handcuffs. Luckily
               | all major IDEs come with decent vim bindings but I would
               | be afraid to learn another layout because then I'd become
               | dependent on it and I'm not so sure I'd be able to switch
               | seamlessly without a painfully dreaded time window to
               | adjust.
               | 
               | Even if it takes a week to go back, previous comments
               | were talking about being productive in a coffee shop or
               | on a work trip which happen rarely. If you spend hundreds
               | of hours with a custom keyboard / layout but then have to
               | switch for 10 hours every couple of months I doubt you'll
               | be feel at home during those 10 hours and I doubt you'll
               | be productive.
        
               | leipert wrote:
               | Honestly, not that big of a deal, switching between
               | layouts. At some point I switched between DE and US-
               | International where basically all of the characters used
               | for programming are in different places. I still can go
               | back and forth between them.
               | 
               | I know people who have tried a bunch of different
               | layouts, and maybe the best comparison is "swimming
               | styles". The people who tried like more than two, had no
               | problem switching back and forth. If you are a
               | professional swimmer, you will have no trouble switching
               | between styles.
               | 
               | For vim and Dvorak specifically there seem to be macros
               | which map Dvorak to QWERTY under the hood if not in edit
               | mode. So you can use muscle memory for that.
        
               | [deleted]
        
         | bee_rider wrote:
         | The Kinesis Freestyle Pro is a pretty boring (in a good way)
         | mechanical split keyboard. It has an (optional) tenting kit,
         | which I guess could be seen as zany, but it really adds quite a
         | bit of comfort.
        
           | whitemary wrote:
           | I tried it. It's not multi-platform and the so-called mac
           | version has no function key so you must pick between media
           | keys and function keys.
           | 
           | It also takes up a lot of unnecessary desk space and has a
           | lot of bonus keys nobody asked for, but I would have still
           | used them (one for win and another for mac) if I could adjust
           | volume on the mac version without a 3rd party hack.
        
             | bee_rider wrote:
             | Yah, I'd probably be happier with a version that lacked all
             | the extra keys on the left and right as well as useless
             | stuff like the function and media keys, but I just ignore
             | them.
        
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