Using a split keyboard
I am trying to transition myself to using a split keyboard when I'm on the computer. I always thought of split keyboards as peripherals for the truly hardcore hobbyists. I'm not a hobbyist by any means, but I do have some wrist and back problems. A split keyboard seemed like something that could help with some issues I was dealing with: wrist issues from having hands super close together, as well as neck and back strain from maintaining poor posture while on the computer. I liked the idea of putting the two keyboard halves a little more than shoulder-width apart would keep my chest more "open". Combined with actually sitting at a desk with a monitor at the correct height, the position of the keyboard halves should force me into a much better posture.
I ended up purchasing the ErgoDox EZ several years ago. The ErgoDox EZ from ZSA is a commercial version of the DIY hobbyist Ergodox. I never had a mechanical keyboard before but was always curious about them. I knew a few folks that were into them and owned a few and because they seemed to enjoy them so much I decided the EZ was a good starting point. It wasn't cheap, but I figured that over the long term the thing would pay for itself. I still think it will.
One of the things that initially attracted me to the EZ from ZSA was that it was highly configurable at the firmware level. Using their web application you were able to configure every bit of the layout yourself, define several different layers, modifier keys, macros - virtually anything you could think of. Their "configurator" was a really powerful tool. You'd take the ouput of the tool and use it to flash the keyboard firmware. Kinda fun! It was also a bit overwhelming.
I ran into a few issues right away:
- I couldn't find the right layout that would work well for writing code or using the Emacs text editor. I went through probably two dozen iterations taking small tweaks into the editor to try and then repeating that loop. I think eventually I got something pretty decent that works fairly well. I spent a lot of my first moments with the board going through this process and it really inhibited my ability to really just sit and use the thing.
- The keyboard layout was ortholinear. This means that the keys are all in vertical alignment with each other and are not staggered. Look down at your keyboard dear reader - are your keys staggered? It was a real big adjustment. Lots of typos. This was something that I'd eventually get used to.
- I wasn't the strongest touch typer to begin with. I didn't totally flunk out of Mavis Beacon's touch typing class but I wasn't the best at it either. Over the years I sort of worked out a way to type that probably wasn't exactly the best way. Changing to a split keyboard was difficult. Changing to a split keyboard with some wild customizations and layer switching and modifier key configurability was more difficult.
None of these issues individually or even all together were insurmountable. All these things I am certain I could have gotten used to if I just spent the time ... using the keyboard and getting used to them. I don't need to type at some ridiculous WPM speed, but I do want to be comfortable. I think the initial discomfort was just a bit too much and I ended up shelving the thing. It has lived in my closet for a few years I am sad to say.
My sore-ass back and neck are really forcing my hand though, so I busted the keyboard out again. The old layout I was constantly fiddling with was pretty alright and I started to use it as-is. I have to constantly consult the ZSA keyboard configuration tool to remember where I put certain things, but ... I'll get used to it eventually and soon enough won't need to do that anymore. Getting used to the thing in the context of the Emacs text editor remains the biggest challenge.
If you're curious at all about the layout I am rolling with currently, you can find it here. My goal with the layout was to sort of mirror things on both halves of the keyboard so I can do key chords in a more intuitive way: if a letter is on the left half then I will use ALT or CTRL on the right half, and if a letter in a chord is on the right half then I will use ALT or CTRL on the left half - and so on. It feels kind of like I'm playing the bongos or something like that. Fun. Most of my programming sybols are on the second layer and I get at those symbols in the same way except instead of holding ALT or CTRL I am holding the layer switch key on the opposite half. It surprisingly works pretty alright. Took a lot of just trying things out and finally just deciding to really lean into the split keyboard dynamic. A lot of things in my layout I just delayed on dealing with until I figure out what I want to do. For example the thumb clusters on layer-2 are nonsense. A couple keys on layer-1 aren't even mapped. That's fine! I'll come back to those things once I really get the hang of things.
Keep your fingers crossed for my sore-ass neck in the meantime!
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