4 ms·

How are they on a day to day basis? I’m thinking on getting one but not sure how big of an upgrade it is from unsplit ones.

xqcgrek2 4y ago
Huge different especially if you tent them. I have large hands and always also felt cramped on unsplit keyboards but not on split keyboards
MivLives 4y ago
Been using one for over two years now. They're great, but I'd say go for one that isn't row staggered (the keys don't line up vertically in columns).
- samatman 4y ago
  I'd like to add nuance to this advice. For reasons I don't understand, ortholinear is either a Really Big Deal or it just... isn't. I'm the latter. Switching to the ErgoDox layout took some doing, it's been an iterative process of tweaking the layout, but actually typing on linear keys was a transition I barely noticed. For different brains it's a complete showstopper and they have to learn how to type again, for many people that won't be worth it. I prefer typing on linear keyboards. There is unfortunately little way to tell which camp you're in without trying for yourself.
  - MivLives 4y ago
    ErgoDox isn't actually ortholinear, it's columnar. Ortholinear is just a straight grid of buttons. Columnar is what most split ergo boards are. Having used one I don't find ortholinear very good feeling without a split, as it makes your wrists go in a weird angle. I sorta transitioned in via way of an ortholinear which I think helped a bunch. Rather then going from a normal board to a splitergo, I used a preonic for a few months first. I have let others use my split board, and I've seen what you're talking about. Some people are able to adjust pretty easily, others just panic. The harder part is all the weird thumb buttons they have to use (backspace, enter, and [] are all thumb buttons for me) For any one worrying you lose skill in other layouts when you switch, I haven't found that to be the case. For the most part I can transition back to a laptop keyboard pretty easily and only attempt to hit certain buttons that aren't there once or twice in the first few minutes.
    - samatman 4y ago
      It's an ortholinear split key board. https://switchandclick.com/best-ortholinear-keyboards/ https://switchandclick.com/best-ortholinear-keyboards/ Here's another one https://dygma.com/blogs/product-development/new-ortholinear-keyboard https://dygma.com/blogs/product-development/new-ortholinear-... These are all what you're trying to say is only called 'columnar' because the vertical is staggered but the horizontal is straight. As I hope I've demonstrated, in practice your criticism is without basis, these boards are described by their own manufacturers as ortholinear.
cestith 4y ago
I've been using Keyboard.io Model 01 boards for a few years now as my daily drivers for typing, ever since they arrived from backing the Kickstarter campaign. For my broad-shouldered build, the split has been good for my shoulders, elbows, wrists and fingers while the ortholinear key arrangement seems to be good for my wrists and fingers as well. Those shipped with Mathias Quiet Click (or optionally Clicky) switches soldered. I like them enough I've also backed the Model 100 for two boards. These boards are socketed and have a wider variety of switches available. The top enclosure has also switched from maple to walnut. https://shop.keyboard.io/ https://shop.keyboard.io/
- perrylaj 4y ago
  I'm in the same boat - backed the original Kickstarter for the 01, bought a second to keep at the office, and have a 100 on order through the more recent Kickstarter. Took a bit of getting used to, but I really enjoy them. My biggest complaints were handled with the model 100 (serviceability), looking forward to the new one arriving.

xqcgrek2 4y ago

Huge different especially if you tent them. I have large hands and always also felt cramped on unsplit keyboards but not on split keyboards

MivLives 4y ago

Been using one for over two years now. They're great, but I'd say go for one that isn't row staggered (the keys don't line up vertically in columns).

samatman 4y ago
I'd like to add nuance to this advice. For reasons I don't understand, ortholinear is either a Really Big Deal or it just... isn't. I'm the latter. Switching to the ErgoDox layout took some doing, it's been an iterative process of tweaking the layout, but actually typing on linear keys was a transition I barely noticed. For different brains it's a complete showstopper and they have to learn how to type again, for many people that won't be worth it. I prefer typing on linear keyboards. There is unfortunately little way to tell which camp you're in without trying for yourself.
- MivLives 4y ago
  ErgoDox isn't actually ortholinear, it's columnar. Ortholinear is just a straight grid of buttons. Columnar is what most split ergo boards are. Having used one I don't find ortholinear very good feeling without a split, as it makes your wrists go in a weird angle. I sorta transitioned in via way of an ortholinear which I think helped a bunch. Rather then going from a normal board to a splitergo, I used a preonic for a few months first. I have let others use my split board, and I've seen what you're talking about. Some people are able to adjust pretty easily, others just panic. The harder part is all the weird thumb buttons they have to use (backspace, enter, and [] are all thumb buttons for me) For any one worrying you lose skill in other layouts when you switch, I haven't found that to be the case. For the most part I can transition back to a laptop keyboard pretty easily and only attempt to hit certain buttons that aren't there once or twice in the first few minutes.
  - samatman 4y ago
    It's an ortholinear split key board. https://switchandclick.com/best-ortholinear-keyboards/ https://switchandclick.com/best-ortholinear-keyboards/ Here's another one https://dygma.com/blogs/product-development/new-ortholinear-keyboard https://dygma.com/blogs/product-development/new-ortholinear-... These are all what you're trying to say is only called 'columnar' because the vertical is staggered but the horizontal is straight. As I hope I've demonstrated, in practice your criticism is without basis, these boards are described by their own manufacturers as ortholinear.

cestith 4y ago

I've been using Keyboard.io Model 01 boards for a few years now as my daily drivers for typing, ever since they arrived from backing the Kickstarter campaign. For my broad-shouldered build, the split has been good for my shoulders, elbows, wrists and fingers while the ortholinear key arrangement seems to be good for my wrists and fingers as well. Those shipped with Mathias Quiet Click (or optionally Clicky) switches soldered. I like them enough I've also backed the Model 100 for two boards. These boards are socketed and have a wider variety of switches available. The top enclosure has also switched from maple to walnut. https://shop.keyboard.io/ https://shop.keyboard.io/

perrylaj 4y ago
I'm in the same boat - backed the original Kickstarter for the 01, bought a second to keep at the office, and have a 100 on order through the more recent Kickstarter. Took a bit of getting used to, but I really enjoy them. My biggest complaints were handled with the model 100 (serviceability), looking forward to the new one arriving.