I'd love to get a split keyboard (especially one with a long cable so I can have the two halves shoulder-length apart), but 300 euros for a keyboard is WAAAY too much.
Maybe I can somehow repurpose my old (or even current) Das keyboard into a split one.
I'd LOVE to buy a split keyboard, but I can't seem to find any prebuilt that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, and soldering my own is not an option (I have some physical issues impairing my precision hand work).
Would love to get one (actually any split one), but they are crazy expensive. Add duties (I’m in the EU) and it goes beyond what I would be willing to spend for something that I can’t even try first. I don’t even need mechanical switches, wireless, backlight or programmability, but I will probably need two of them in the end.
DIY can lower the price, but it is a hustle and in the time needed is not free.
Maybe at some point Logitech will offer a split one for a more reasonable price, but I won’t hold my breath.
Now I've only used one split keyboard and only for about three years. The Ergodox Ez. And I think it combats every aspect you've pointed out, except the part about it being expensive.
However, put that into perspective and it feels like this keyboard will outlive me. I'll probably get another one for home use when I can go back to the office...
I'd love to try a split ergo keyboard, but 1) I have no interest in building one and 2) I have no interest in paying $300 for a fully-assembled one. There's got to be untapped market potential for fully assembled ergonomic split keyboards costing less than $300.
Split keyboards have been around for quite a while. You can even see the Kinesis Advantage keyboard featured in films like Flubber and Men in Black and plenty of companies have made ergonomic keyboards.
I think there's a sort of hobbyist renaissance going on right now, though. Plenty of new keyboards are being designed and built because it's more accessible than ever to design your own pcb or if not that to get someone else's design printed, which along with the general mechanical keyboard enthusiast market, has given people a wealth of options to choose from.
I love everything about it. I’d buy today except I’ll committed to split keyboards. They let me keep my shoulders back. If you ever make a versions that’s fully split (two halves that can be well-separated) and still non-ortho, even better if you can figure out how to wirelessly split…
My only other feature request would be a USB port for a yubikey.
Interesting feedback, as I have been considering an Ergodox. All I want is a split keyboard with 10+cm between the two sides, but the build quality of split normal keyboards (like Goldtouch, Kinesis Freestyle 2, Matias Ergo Pro) is shocking. I don't want something zany or a 60% keyboard (I like arrow keys, dedicated page up/down, home/end and function keys) but... the choices aren't there.
I get mild carpal tunnel symptoms when working straight on my Macbook, so I bought a Kinesis Freestyle Pro. The split and tenting are great and do the trick for my wrists but it's got a different layout than the MacBook. And a lot more keys than I need. It's large and a hassle to pack up and take with me.
Why does no one build a split keyboard that has the exact same layout as a MacBook? I feel like that would be my holy grail. I don't even care about mechanical switches (I know, blasphemy!)
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