4 ms·

I'd just like to chime in to offer a different opinion - around 1.5 year in with my Ergodox EZ, and I have no issues with the thumb keys at all. I use them for

I'd just like to chime in to offer a different opinion - around 1.5 year in with my Ergodox EZ, and I have no issues with the thumb keys at all. I use them for space, shift and delete/layer switch on one side, and backspace, layer switch and return on the other. It's been working well for me. There's 3 more thumb cluster keys on each side, but they're unreachable from a typing position; I use them for stuff that isn't related to typing, like closing a window and setting/navigating through bookmarks in my IDE. Overall I'm a very happy customer. Never had issues and my typing speed on it is by far the highest I have had (though admittedly I haven't tried many others). I also have much higher accuracy than I'd ever had with a standard keyboard. The first 2-4 weeks were pretty painful indeed, but now I wouldn't consider switching for anything else.

mumblemumble 5y ago
I have never tried an Ergodox, but my main keyboard right now is a Redox, which is similar in terms of thumb cluster placement. The thumb keys gave me trouble at first, but I replaced the switches with ones that had a much lighter spring (35 cN, I think?) and since then it's been fine.
irjustin 5y ago
One of the problems that I have with the thumb cluster with the ergodox is placement. Given my hand size, I need to have my thumb in further extension to hit the cluster's first key. When my thumb is relaxed, it's actually sitting in the dead space. The Diverge 3[0] and the Keyboard.io[1] bring that first/main thumb key ever so slightly closer (i.e. more underneath the "b" and "n"). The next one is the the ergodox's thumbs are stacked columnar. This isn't how the thumb naturally extends, which is an arc. So the Diverge 3 and Keyboard.io both mimic this. For me, that was the deciding factor over the Ergodox. This reddit post sums my main concerns[2] [0] https://www.google.com/search?q=diverge+3&rlz=1C5CHFA_enSG897SG897&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjRn7zX4uHxAhUUSX0KHSxyC34Q_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1920&bih=976#imgrc=2DtRDl3LBV_QoM https://www.google.com/search?q=diverge+3&rlz=1C5CHFA_enSG89... [1] https://www.google.com/search?q=keyboard+io&rlz=1C5CHFA_enSG897SG897&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjFoZfe4uHxAhUOVH0KHW9fAxMQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1920&bih=976#imgrc=Pw5wVOPqh5wqLM https://www.google.com/search?q=keyboard+io&rlz=1C5CHFA_enSG... [2] https://www.reddit.com/r/ergodox/comments/e8t6pv/thumb_cluster_should_i_buy_an_ergodox/fagj8yj?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3 https://www.reddit.com/r/ergodox/comments/e8t6pv/thumb_clust...
- stavros 5y ago
  I made an open source split ortho keyboard for me (that I should really write about) and gave the thumb keys some thought and measurement. Maybe you'd like to try it out, it's quite easy to build: https://gitlab.com/stavros/george https://gitlab.com/stavros/george It resembles the Ergodox EZ, but with a more convenient thumb cluster.
yobananaboy 5y ago
> There's 3 more thumb cluster keys on each side, but they're unreachable from a typing position; I use them for stuff that isn't related to typing, like closing a window and setting/navigating through bookmarks in my IDE. I rarely use those smaller keys on the thumb cluster without moving my entire hand (which is generally for alt tabbing, and I should figure out a better way to do that). The main reason I was interested in the Ergodox was that my Razer Orbweaver was having issues, and I really liked the ortholinear layout for gaming. Now I've got separate layouts for different game types (fps, mmo, rts), and I just move the right half out of the way for more mouse room. Can't go back now, I struggle to type on any normal keyboards.

mumblemumble 5y ago

I have never tried an Ergodox, but my main keyboard right now is a Redox, which is similar in terms of thumb cluster placement. The thumb keys gave me trouble at first, but I replaced the switches with ones that had a much lighter spring (35 cN, I think?) and since then it's been fine.

irjustin 5y ago

One of the problems that I have with the thumb cluster with the ergodox is placement. Given my hand size, I need to have my thumb in further extension to hit the cluster's first key. When my thumb is relaxed, it's actually sitting in the dead space. The Diverge 3[0] and the Keyboard.io[1] bring that first/main thumb key ever so slightly closer (i.e. more underneath the "b" and "n"). The next one is the the ergodox's thumbs are stacked columnar. This isn't how the thumb naturally extends, which is an arc. So the Diverge 3 and Keyboard.io both mimic this. For me, that was the deciding factor over the Ergodox. This reddit post sums my main concerns[2] [0] https://www.google.com/search?q=diverge+3&rlz=1C5CHFA_enSG897SG897&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjRn7zX4uHxAhUUSX0KHSxyC34Q_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1920&bih=976#imgrc=2DtRDl3LBV_QoM https://www.google.com/search?q=diverge+3&rlz=1C5CHFA_enSG89... [1] https://www.google.com/search?q=keyboard+io&rlz=1C5CHFA_enSG897SG897&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjFoZfe4uHxAhUOVH0KHW9fAxMQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1920&bih=976#imgrc=Pw5wVOPqh5wqLM https://www.google.com/search?q=keyboard+io&rlz=1C5CHFA_enSG... [2] https://www.reddit.com/r/ergodox/comments/e8t6pv/thumb_cluster_should_i_buy_an_ergodox/fagj8yj?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3 https://www.reddit.com/r/ergodox/comments/e8t6pv/thumb_clust...

stavros 5y ago
I made an open source split ortho keyboard for me (that I should really write about) and gave the thumb keys some thought and measurement. Maybe you'd like to try it out, it's quite easy to build: https://gitlab.com/stavros/george https://gitlab.com/stavros/george It resembles the Ergodox EZ, but with a more convenient thumb cluster.

yobananaboy 5y ago

> There's 3 more thumb cluster keys on each side, but they're unreachable from a typing position; I use them for stuff that isn't related to typing, like closing a window and setting/navigating through bookmarks in my IDE. I rarely use those smaller keys on the thumb cluster without moving my entire hand (which is generally for alt tabbing, and I should figure out a better way to do that). The main reason I was interested in the Ergodox was that my Razer Orbweaver was having issues, and I really liked the ortholinear layout for gaming. Now I've got separate layouts for different game types (fps, mmo, rts), and I just move the right half out of the way for more mouse room. Can't go back now, I struggle to type on any normal keyboards.