This is the first time I built a keyboard!
A cheapino!
It took a little bit of time to get everything figured out, but I was able to finish that build relatively easily.
However, I am having trouble customizing the layout... I can't load it in the qmk.fm tool and when I upload a json file it gives me something that doesn't match my keyboard.
Also, the encoder currently types 'y' when turned right, I got 2 thumb keys working as spaces and I don't have a modifier key.
As far as I can tell, everything is soldered right, the diodes are in the right direction...
Did I mess up my soldering or is the cheapino firmware buggy?
Any app that can help me flash/customize my keyboard? I'll keep googling.
Thanks!
I'm all about DIYing things, but I'll never understand these fancy keyboards without the basic keys needed for a keyboard to function - number keys, function keys, arrows, etc. That extra 3 square inches of desk real estate is just not important enough to get rid of those things. I can appreciate the work put into something like this, but I just don't get the limitations.
The idea is to minimize required motions of hands and fingers, not desk real estate. Even the ordinary keyboards have layers (Alt, Ctrl, ...) and these minimalistic ones just use the idea of layers to put the most used and important keys on the home row where they are most easily accessed. And not on a key that you need to stretch your finger or even move your hand.
I don't care about the aesthetics - my main keyboard is pretty ugly Fifi keyboard. But the ease of typing is fantastic. Occasional switch to ISO keyboard just reminds me that I am not a creature with a hundred tentacles sprouting from my chest ;) The amount of jumping and stretching is just terrible.
But yes, few months of muscle memory relearning can be painful.
I'm not convinced that anyone types that much that an extra few millimeters of finger movement amount to much of anything.
If people want to mess around with such extreme keyboards as a hobby, then have at it! But I'm rather hard pressed to believe in this day and age - especially since almost everything has a GUI - that people are typing sooooo much that an extra row of numbers or other keys and moving your finger that tiny distance means anything. I've replied to someone else stating that I used to work for a large high end furniture company which had tons and tons of studies on ergonomics and such in office environments. No one is going to convince me these ultra minimal keyboards are for ergonomics or speed. They're for tinkering around, having something that others say "oh, that's different" and a way to pass the time. Which is fine.
Well ... not here to convince anybody of anything.
But yes, the unnecessary finger movements mean a lot.
I'm not a professional typist or anything but much of my work is done in CLI or an IDE. While the bottleneck is usually my brains and not my fingers, the ease of typing that comes with all the keys easily accessed is an excellent experience.
Of course everyone is allowed to believe what they choose to believe though.
As createkarma said, it's about not having to move your hands to reach keys you like to use. I'm on a 34 key layout, and I've found using my keyboard feels much nicer without have to move my hands around.
Any symbols that I find are important but don't fit on a dedicated key are a combo (e.x. Q+W gives esc or comma+dot gives slash). It definitely takes a bit of getting used to but now that I've become accustomed to it I really don't know if I could go back to using a board with a more traditional key layout.
I always saw QAZ style keyboard didn't understand how you could ever use something like that but now I not only get it but I would honestly recommend people try it out because ive come to really appreciate how it all works
How do you type numbers? Or use the arrow keys? Or get into the BIOS if yiu have having computer issues? Just because a key is there, doesn't mean you have to use it all the time, but I'm not using unicode to type "38294729 + 64828 / 52.73" because I'll be 83 years old by the time I finish. The aesthetic of the keyboard seems cool, but when you go to such extremes that you eliminate some of the most basics of functionality of a device, it kind of turns into a joke, in my opinion. A row of numbers at the top there wouldn't kill the aesthetic one bit and increase usability infinitely.
Numbers are on a row under my home row. Arrows are under ijkl on a different layers. I can access all f-keys and delete quite easily.
It's ever so slightly less efficient in key presses for the sake of not moving my fingers more than 1 key on any direction (exception being to the far pinky keys).
This is a visualization of my current layout if you're curious
ETA: I funnily enough have a keyboard with a number row that I opted out of using because they felt a bit far to reach. Here is my current keyboard. I don't use the number row, the outer most Column, or the outer most thumb keys
I also don't understand it at the moment, but I was curious so I built the cheapest good unit I could find to try it out.
Maybe I'll like it or maybe it'll go to eBay. We'll see.
What got me interested initially is the regonomic aspect of split keyboards since I spend most of my time at the computer and I'd like to avoid injury.
The vast majority of "ergonomic" keyboards are marketing BS. You want a comfortable typing pose? Tilt the keyboard away from you so your wrists are in a more natural slightly bent downward pose. Most keyboards are laid out the opposite way - tilted toward the person so you can see the keys easier, but that outs your wrist in an unnatural bent up pose.
Used to work for a very high end furniture company so we have tons of ergonomic studies. There is so much to all this but people rather get something pretty than comfortable.
Anyways, not trying to badmouth this keyboard, but if it had the very important keys that people use all the time, it might actually work.
I actually bought myself an ergonomic keyboard months ago that does support tilting it in the other direction, with a curved wrist rest to help.
It works quite well, but I also like the concept of the one I built.
I's like to tilt it to make it more comfortable, if it turns out I like using it.
From what I understand, you can have all the keys you need on a keyboard like that, but it requires muscle memory of key combinations, and I do not know yet if that's for me. I'd have liked to start on a board with more keys, but it's expensive just to see if it suits me or not.
I can also see it being useful in VR while playing games like Elite Dangerous, to have one half per arm on a chair with a HOTAS setup.
It's definitely a niche thing.
edit: just read your other comments and I think you should chill a bit. I see these things as specialized and personalized computer input interfaces. People are different and input methods should be too. It might not fit your bill, but it might for some people here or maybe they like experimenting to find what works for them.
I don't want this to become a VI vs Emacs flame war analogy.
I have no idea where you think I wasn't being "chill". In fact I was reading your reply and was going to offer up suggestions in designing a tilt mechanism to get it to tilt away from you since that is just the kind of stuff I do for a living.
The part with the pickup trucks... idk.
I will not be able to design an intricate tilt mechanism in the short term, I have almost no CAD software knowledge... Thanks though.
I was planning on 'baking' the tilt into the case model or glue little feet.
I felt the same way but I have been using an ergodox for a while, so I already don't have a numpad which I didn't miss. I recently modified my ergodox firmware to map only 44 keys and removed the rest, similar to this layout. It is an interesting concept and I can appreciate how little I have to move my hands now. I don't miss the number row or function row, those were easy enough to get used to, but some of the missing symbols are harder to get used to. I want to try a few more changes before I decide if I like the smaller keyboards better or just want the standard keys back
This reminds me of those lowered mini trucks. You ever seen those? They are slammed to the ground. They cut up the bed where yiu normally haul stuff, and fit it with airbags to let it drop so low. Even at their higher settings to drive it, they are so low that they sometimes get hung up on a speed bump. So it can't haul stuff anymore. You can barely drive it, and almost all it's functionality is out the window all for a hobby and aesthetics. Yeah, I think these kinds of keyboards are the lowered mini trucks of the computer world.
And yet here you are participating in a community meant to discuss these keyboards.
I think there's definitely an element of bling, but there is practical utility as well. I spend 8h+ at the computer, I want it to be as comfortable as possible. Btw, if you think this keyboard has too few keys, check out the steno keyboard, used in courts all over so they can keep up with the speed of speaking: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stenotype