Yeah, I agree! I would probably program it like a four column keyboard and place more rarely used symbols on those keys. Lateral movement for frequently used letters sounds like a pain.
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By the way: My only difference is robot influence. 🎵
Bastard keyboards is selling some of the coolest contoured keyboards out there. Furthermore, Quentin who runs the business seems like a great bloke. On top of that, every keyboard is open sourced as far as I know. Cyboard does also make contoured keyboards tailored to your own hands. I’ve heard great things about him as well.
If you’re interested in something different, one really promising keyboard project just launched: Svalboard. It’s a customizable and in many ways modernized version of the Datahand (and therefore not a curved keyboard, but it still retains all of the benefits of a curved keyboard). I just can’t stop to think about that one. It is however way out of my budget.
I would also consider 3w6. It ticks all the boxes, and the halves connect via USB-C instead of TRRS. I know Beekeebs.com and Keycapsss.com sell them.
If you’re also interested in trying splayed columns the rae-dux is an excellent option. This keyboard does not offer a bigger keycap for the innermost thumb though.
Wonderful! I do indeed own a 3D printer, and I live in Sweden. Quite far away from Pacifica …
This looks incredible! I would love to build one myself one day, if you ever offer a kit. The assembled keyboard is out of my budget, unfortunately, but it makes me very happy to see your progress.
Yeah, do especially take a look at the Dartyl variant: https://github.com/geoffder/dometyl-keyboard/tree/main/things/dartyl_choc.
Excellent work! I’ve wanted to implement this feature in a future keyboard as well. The angle of pinky columns on Dactyl keyboards have always felt a bit weird to me since the row curvature achieves the exact opposite of this.
Actually, some of the later Maltron keyboards have angled columns like this.
Excellent build! The row curvature of regular Dactyls has never made any sense to me. Problem solved with horizontal choc spacing instead. A much better option! :-)