I think having a split keyboard so my mouse can be in the middle would really help my comfort at the desk. Is there a style that doubles up the middle keys? My typing style means sometimes I use my right hand to hit T, left to hit Y, etc.
Is this a style already, or would I need to build my own?
I am completely new to this domain and would appreciate advice from knowledgeable enthusiasts.
No feedback about the doubled middle keys, but mouse in the center of your desk? Do you have a third, middle arm? I don’t see that being ergonomic at all.
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so what you’re saying is… moving your arm outwards to use the mouse is more ergonomic than moving it inwards? 🤔
Absolutely. Since your arms aren’t along your body’s symmetrical plane but are offset.
And moving your arm to the center of that requires pushing against your torso/chest.
I’m getting exhausted just thinking about it
I have to move my right arm inward every time I have to type. If it’s exhausting thinking about it, imagin actually having to do it every day for my work :(
Yes? Inward shoulder rotation is a big factor in rounded shoulder/“computer guy” hunch.
So, the inward rotation I use to access my keyboard is the same problem.
yeah that’s why you should split it in half and move them apart
I’m a “touchpad in the middle” guy myself. Love it.
I use my mouse in the middle and it’s much more comfortable. My keyboard halves are quite far apart-- more than most split keyboard users-- and as the other poster suggested, I do a significant amount of my work with keyboard only.
It feels much shorter and my arm feels much more supported when I move my right hand inward to the mouse instead of flaring my elbow outward. In general, elbow tucked is a more ergonomic and stable position, even in e.g. a bench press, and so it’s less fatiguing. Less fatigue means more time without hunching.
That’s my experience, anyway. Different bodies and different setups might end up optimizing differently.
Maybe it turns out not to be better. I wont know untili try.
Observing the way i use my desk. I have to twist to the left to use my keyboard. My right shohlder is on fire. I need something better.
I’d argue that it’s not ergonomic but it saves on desk space. Could work well with a split keyboard and a trackball on a small desk.
Can you combine a mouse and keyboard? I loved the little button thing some laptops had. If my mouse is part od the keyboard, then no one can complain my mouse is in the middle lol.
And that would be even less arm movement which is good?
Yep, it’s called a trackpoint: https://lemmy.world/post/7943240
Absolutely, and they look pretty damn cool: https://bastardkb.com/charybdis/
EDIT: keep in mind, most kits like this will be ortholinear, so you’re going to have to learn how to type on that. It’s not that hard, only took me a couple weeks of practice and now I can switch back and forth between ortholinear and standard qwerty easily.
These are funky and cool. I definitely would try something like that. As someone just starting out with this kind of thing, what features can i search for? Many of these keyboards don’t have all of the standard keys. How do i find one that has the buttons I need?
Is there a site that consolidates and compares that i could check out?
There are a lot, I don’t know if there’s a central one. Keeb.io might be a good starting point, just to see what’s out there and familiarize yourself with some price points of different kits.
The common solution for not having enough keys is using layers. For example, I built a split Redox that has room for MOST of the keys that I need, with the exception of the function row up top. So, I set up a layer that activates when I hold my “Fn” key. Fn+1 is the same as hitting the F1 key, Fn+2 is F2, etc.
That’s a very simple example, layers can get VERY complex.