this post was submitted on 28 Mar 2025
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Split Keyboards Are Superior And The Reason I’m The Writer I Am Today. (aftermath.site)
submitted 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) by Tea@programming.dev to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] simplejack@lemmy.world 241 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (8 children)

You will encounter this man at work.

They will ask for your help with something on their workstation, and it would be faster for you to drive with them watching over your shoulder, but this cryptic thing is their keyboard.

Instead, you will be forced to sit behind them like Patrick Swayze guiding Demi Moore at a throwing wheel. You will eventually take your shirt off, launch Unchained Melody in Spotify, then slowly guide them through a system setting panel.

You will notice how soft their hands feel. The hyper-ergonomic keyboard has allowed their fingers to move with minimal effort, allowing the skin to remain supple, smooth - almost unused.

You will ask yourself, “Is he right?” How could a keyboard be so aggressive and wrong, and yet, support something so gentile.

You try to deny the feeling. Your friends and family will mock you like your uncle Dvorak. Maybe you start with a trackball and see if being naughty feels right.

[–] Chozo@fedia.io 112 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Ergorotic literature.

[–] simplejack@lemmy.world 19 points 5 days ago

I thought that was rowing machine porn.

[–] grooving@lemmy.studio 32 points 5 days ago

This is coiling my cable just thinking about it.

[–] joseandres42@lemmy.world 10 points 4 days ago

I just keep the company keyboard on a drawer for the IT guy. I never thought all that I could be missing hahahaha

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 12 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Imagine having a keyboard like this, and still needing to be guided through a system settings menu.

[–] barsoap@lemm.ee 8 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

I mean yes but no. Back at some old job all the devs had the local admin password so we could do things like install drivers for bluetooth dongles on our own (I said "old job", didn't I) and usually everything was fine but at some point my machine just barfed, it would neither install nor uninstall drivers. I called an admin because I have no idea about windows internals. They were ecstatic, finally, an actual problem, and not walking someone in marketing through how to write an email. Some arcane regedit magic later the problem was solved, and yes I had layout switching ready on the taskbar.

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[–] tacobellhop@midwest.social 15 points 3 days ago

This is just ads with extra steps

[–] I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world 55 points 5 days ago (1 children)

That's ok, insanity comes in many forms.

[–] toynbee@lemmy.world 19 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

When I was a kid, I got my hands on a PS/2 Y-adapter and so typed on two keyboards - left hand on one on my desk, right hand on one on a keyboard tray. I don't know what my typing speed and accuracy were then, but a few years back an entire office of people tried to beat me in a typing test and couldn't. Since then I've taken a typing test on a laptop while sitting in a hotel bed and gotten a score of 158 with, IIRC, 98.2% accuracy. (This was my best score but even since then all of my typing evaluations have gone well.)

I also use a trackball as exclusively as my environment allows, including while gaming (other than Minecraft). I'm not remotely a pro, but among my peers I tend to score highly in, for example, FPS'.

I'm not trying to brag; there are many better than I in both categories. The reason I bring these up is to demonstrate that something being the convention doesn't automatically make it better and something being unfit for your preferences doesn't make it inferior.

edit: AFAIK, I only have one left hand.

[–] CoffeeBreakfast@sh.itjust.works 4 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Which trackball? I was looking at them the other day but couldn't decide

[–] toynbee@lemmy.world 8 points 4 days ago (1 children)

My favorite has always been the Kensington Orbit. Probably a lot of people - even those who like Trackballs - would disagree, but I've been happily using these for around 25 years. Except in Minecraft.

[–] aBundleOfFerrets@sh.itjust.works 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Why are you so vehemently opposed to the use of trackballs in minecraft?

[–] toynbee@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago (2 children)

I wouldn't characterize it as vehemence, but rather a combination of consistency and honesty. People are fairly consistently surprised at my enthusiasm for gaming with trackballs, as though it's automatically a detriment; I don't find it to be so, except in Minecraft, so I don't want to represent it as other than it is.

With the style of trackball I use - ball in the middle, left and right click on their respective sides of the ball - and the way I use it - thumb on left click, index and middle finger on the ball, ring and pinky on right click - right clicking can be a stressor. This isn't a problem when tapping once or holding, such as when engaging a scope; but when repeatedly right clicking, it tires whatever muscles and tendons run between the outside of my hand and my shoulder, which already has its own problems.

Minecraft is the only game I play that requires me to repeatedly right click. (I know that now you can right click and drag to place lots of blocks, but that hasn't always been true and doesn't really allow for precision in my experience.) Therefore, it is the only game to which I feel my trackball is not well suited.

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[–] TheBat@lemmy.world 85 points 5 days ago

[–] muzzle@lemm.ee 9 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Can you recommend a cheap split keyboard? I'm not sinking 300$ to discover I hate it

[–] Benaaasaaas@group.lt 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Keychron has a cheap one

[–] merde@sh.itjust.works 1 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

180£ isn't cheap

[–] Benaaasaaas@group.lt 1 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

180 for a keyboard - not cheap
180 for a split mechanical keyboard - relatively cheap

I'm not aware of any other split keyboard that's cheaper.

[–] GoumLeChat@jlai.lu 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

So is this the new trend after 60% mechanical keyboards, ultrawide monitors or immutable distros ?

Maybe it would improve my typing speed, but I've been using a conventional keyboard layout for so long now, I'm fine with where I'm at. Almost thirty years of muscular memory made it "hard coded" in my hands.

[–] merde@sh.itjust.works 1 points 21 hours ago

it seems to be perfect for people who are not working on a desk

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 41 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

I kinda like using a split keyboard sitting in an arm chair. Put one side on the left arm rest, the other on the right. Feels like I'm in the captain's chair of the Enterprise.

[–] smiletolerantly@awful.systems 24 points 5 days ago (4 children)

I built and configured an Arkenswoop some time in 2023. It's really nice. However... I have gotten quite fast on a conventional keyboard just by using it over the years, and re-learning that is just so tedious. Every time I try, something with a deadline comes up, and I switch back "temporarily".

Anyone have experience overcoming this?

[–] gusgalarnyk@lemmy.world 11 points 5 days ago (3 children)

I switched to a new key layout and was slowed down for like a month, and almost every day I could literally feel myself speeding back up. It was such a cool experience, and one that I imagine has beneficial like neural effects, that sometimes I think about switching it up just for fun.

I'd suggest just sticking with it. I now use English, German, and my custom Workman layout at home without any issue switching between them. Practice makes perfect and cause a bunch of work and fun things encourage typing a lot, practice comes easy and getting back to your normal speed happens quickly.

Picking a new layout like Workman or Dvorak where you can feel the benefits, plus a split keyboard's ergonomic benefits, and I think anyone would struggle to go back (assuming they do it for a month and give it a fair shake).

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[–] toynbee@lemmy.world 5 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I'm going through this currently trying to find a privacy respecting Android keyboard.

Latest effort is Futo, recommended by a coworker. So far, I don't like it.

[–] smiletolerantly@awful.systems 6 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

As a fellow Futo user: it's not great out of the box. My biggest recommendations are:

  • under Languages and models, download all the voice models (if you use those), transformers, and wordlists you can for your languages
  • if you use multiple languages, set the check on "multilingual typing" for ALL of those languages
  • this is probably the biggest one: in text prediction -> Advanced Parameters, DRASTICALLY change the values. The original ones are 3.4 and 4.0 for LLM strength and autocorrect threshold, mine are currently set at 28.5 and 0.8, respectively. This takes the autocorrect from "occasionally working" to "as good as SwiftKey" for me.
  • Keyboard and Typing -> Long Press -> Show hints. Could not find that for ages so thought I'd add it here.

Also, two super useful shortcuts: you can press the space-bar and move your finger around to move the pointer; and the same for backspace to fine-control what to delete.

Hope this helps, but if not... What additional gripes do you have with it?

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[–] mox@lemmy.sdf.org 29 points 5 days ago (1 children)

A good tool improves the way you work. A great tool improves the way you think.

[–] pineapplelover@lemm.ee 13 points 5 days ago (1 children)

May I introduce to you, the Banana Board. A keyboard that works by squeezing a banana shaped device.

[–] illegalflyer@lemm.ee 22 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Split keyboard + a tiling window manager made my life better

[–] monarch@lemm.ee 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

What WM if I may ask.

[–] illegalflyer@lemm.ee 1 points 5 hours ago

Sway

[–] daggermoon@lemmy.world 17 points 5 days ago (3 children)

Where's the rest of the keys? Also these things give off Nintendo Power Glove vibes.

[–] markstos@lemmy.world 6 points 5 days ago

It uses layers, the same way a phone keyboard has a separate layer for numbers and symbols. Holding down one of the three thumb keys on either side activates a new layer. Since you can use your thumb and fingers at the same time, there’s no lose in typing speed. Indeed, the layout puts numbers and symbols closer to the home row on a layer than using a physical number number.

For all symbols, you would have needed a shift-modifier to access those before. With this design, the symbols are closer but use a layer switch key instead of a shift key to access them.

Everyone who uses a phone keyboard has learned a new compact keyboard layout. It’s not so hard.

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[–] Infynis@midwest.social 16 points 5 days ago

Fuck, I don't want to be a keyboard pervert, but these are some good points

[–] ryan213@lemmy.ca 10 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I just want The Wheel.

[–] Bamboodpanda@lemmy.world 10 points 5 days ago (1 children)
[–] ryan213@lemmy.ca 5 points 5 days ago

One of Jobs' many failures was not getting this into market.

[–] gofsckyourself@lemmy.world 9 points 5 days ago (5 children)

I've used plenty of ergo keyboards and fancy layouts, but as soon as I try to use a regular keyboard I have to re-learn how to type and it really halts any productivity.

This sort of thing may be nice if you only ever use one computer or you're willing to pack around your keyboard.

Even still, I never liked ergo boards enough to think it's worth the effort, especially considering being useless on other keyboards once I'm used to ergo.

Now I just stick to a 75% or TKL. Keeps me versatile.

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[–] queermunist@lemmy.ml 9 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Imagine playing Dwarf Fortress in a recliner with a pair of these.

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[–] PlutoniumAcid@lemmy.world 9 points 5 days ago (3 children)

I was the lucky owner of a rare FingerWorks Touchstream keyboard for many years. If you don't know it, it's the precursor to the keyboards used in Star Trek Enterprise.

It's a keyless keyboard. Two large flat mousepads with a keyboard layout printed on top, and you type by pure touch. There's no mouse; the surface just cleverly detects when you are doing mouse gestures. Or a lot of other gestures.

Trekkie joke aside, it's actually the magic tech that made the iPhone possible. Of course Apple didn't invent anything, they bought existing future tech.

I miss that keyboard. They still sell on ebay, for 1400$!

[–] datendefekt@feddit.org 6 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Many, many moons ago (must have been around 2006?) I managed to procure a FingerWorks. It was magic, like holding a piece of computing history!

It allowed a lot of the gestures we take for granted, to switch applications or workspaces, to go back a page, etc. But it also had really cool stuff. You could bind gestures like twisting your fingers clockwise to open a file (just like opening a jar!) or counterclockwise to close it. Pinch and zoom for copy and paste.

I was only able to get a hold on a Dvorak copy. And because the key labels were printed on the board, you couldn't really change the layout. Getting used to a split layout, no keys and Dvorak at the same time was too much and I had to sell it again. But I've been using split keyboards ever since!

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[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago (2 children)

I think one of my favorite keyboards ever was a Microsoft “Natural” keyboard. I think they were available in the mid ’90s or so. Not quite a real split keyboard, but the ergonomics were great. I think I gave it away…it was great for typing, but I wanted a simpler keyboard for gaming.

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[–] trotfox@lemmy.world 7 points 5 days ago (2 children)

There's a dude developing out a neat split keyboard that's ergo but you are typing in like chunks of words or something.

Looks like your fast af once used to it.

Each finger goes up down left right i believe. Can't remember the name!

It's quite refined looking.

[–] Undaunted@feddit.org 11 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Do you mean the CharaChorder? I thought about getting one in the past bit it looks like a super steep learn curve and I'm not sure if I'm willing to subject myself to it.

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[–] Bwilder@lemmy.ca 9 points 5 days ago

Pretty sure you're talking about the Svalboard. I don't think it uses chunks of words though. Each finger has access to 5 keys and you can map any layout. https://svalboard.com/

But maybe you're thinking of stenography where you have fewer keys but you press them in combinations (chords) instead of individually. That looks crazy fast. https://youtu.be/7jVXrX5TDk4 https://www.artofchording.com/introduction/#stenography

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