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Thanks for commenting on my Reddit question, sending engagement, lol

Great video! Just bought the moonlander and looking for layout ideas, definitely gonna steal some of your ideas!

I really like how you talk about your opinions and the importance of preference in keyboard choice I laugh at the “I’m not 10” jokes but I’ll be here representing those people in their 30s that still love some good rgb. I use it functionally to show me what layer I’m on and what keys are what but I’m also a sucker for the oooh pretty 😊. I still like oooh pretty in my 30s 🤩

Maybe I’m blaspheming over here but have you tried low profile keycaps on just the thumb keys (to keep from having to lift your thumb so high) and/or using heavier switches on just the thumb keys (so you can rest on them without pressing them)? I’m just starting to mess around with a moonlander but I’m also having thumb cluster comfort issues. I’m currently playing around with the angle of the cluster

Thank you! Impressive tip!

*fewer

Great video Ben. I’ve been using a 6 column, 4 row Iris keyboard for a few months now. I program but I use vim keymaps in all my IDEs, so I don’t miss the arrow keys often. I also have the arrow keys on one layer in the same positions as my HJKL keys (in Colemak-DH layout) so they’re in the same place as vim movement keys. Recommend trying out vim motions in your IDE.

Amazing video and channel you have. Such high quality 👌 Love it. And you are into the same nerd things :) Happy to connect if you like to :) Maybe you want to reduce even more? 😛 Greetings from Germany Edit: I totally agree, less keys don’t make you more productive, it’s just fun. I am planning a video about productivity on smaller boards for a while and came to the same conclusion so far. I love 36 keys, but they don’t make you more productive. But I don’t want to go back to a normal keyboard.

to solve the lack of dedicated arrow keys issue you could implement an "arrow lock" behavior similar to caps-word. hit a dedicated key or combo to turn on your arrow key cluster wherever you want, and whenever you hit another key outside those dedicated arrow keys it could toggle back off. other problems like over usage of thumbs from holding down to get to stuff on other layers can be addressed with sticky/one-shot layers or combos too. I think the spectrum you mention of more keys vs more layers is actually missing a third direction, which is more custom mappings/behaviors. great videos btw, you were the first split ergo + vim guy I encountered on my way into this rabbit hole!

I honestly put your opinion over everyone lol. Thanks for this one!

Using a 34 key ferris sweep, about to build a 36 key Cygnus and I’m struggling to figure out what to do with the extra two keys lol! I’m longing to try and Charbdys Nano+3 where I could use the extra thumb buttons for mouse clicks. I really like the small boards, my workflow consists of: * tiling wm * vim * terminal use with terminal multiplexer * Light browser use with Vimium (most things where I used to do in a browser I now instead have CLI/TUIs for and it’s awesome)

16:54 hmm

where the hell did you find a cornish zen in this day and age, i've been scouring the internet for one

for arrow keys have you tried adding a numpad in between the halves. I know it adds bulk but if you need the dedicated keys it makes sense. And its nice for the numbers too!

based on your reviews and some others, I bought an advantage360 usb...I've had it a day and I'm already typing twice as fast as the piantor... I think it's a combination of mx type keys and wider spacing...but I do find some of the pinky keys tough to reach on the advantage.....I'm on linux so I can't comment on the smartset software. but text files are easy enough, the features are limited compared to qmk but with the added keys you really don't need all the qmk functionality....I like the idea of not having to change much

I put together a repository on GitHub with configurations for Kanata and keyd with a set of layers you can use on top of your standard ANSI keyboard with the aim to get used to using less keys without having to get a special keyboard. I named it Kenkyo, which means humility in Japanese (apparently).

good timing for me. I've been using a Moonlander for around 9 months now, and I ordered a Voyager a few days ago ... I wonder if I'll be able to get used to less keys. I also have dedicated arrow keys (vim style) on my Moonlander.

Your channel was my introduction to the bizarre world of split keyboards, I’m now on my fifth purchase - a wonderful little Ferris Sweep from Boardsource. Just wanted to say thank you for all the hard work you put into making these wonderful videos!

I never use arrow keys

I bought a Moonlander and a used Kinesis Advantage2 and I just like how the Kinesis feels so much more and it's a bummer because I want to like the Moonlander so bad but it is so hard to use any of the keys on the outside perimeter.

Thank you! I've been postponing this learning for ages.

Another great video! 42 keys is rookie numbers! I can understand the benefits of more keys, but for me I think I’ve hit my sweet spot at 30 keys. Once the muscle memory is up to speed I couldn’t see myself being as productive on any more keys.

Just as I was contemplating buying a Kyria kit, you came out with this video. Excellent timing!

How many people have asked questions pertaining to the subject matter(s) addressed in this video, for them to spend copious amounts of <insert native currency>, hours developing memory muscle and tweaking layers to get the answer 🤔 Whilst this video may not answer every question or use case, it does a ruddy good job of answering most; plenty for the complete novice to make an informed decision. My hat off to you (Ben Frain)!

The chalice40 has arrow keys and is a beautiful 40% if you are able to find one. You can also add dedicated arrows to voyager if you move the alphas up one row. But if you have right thumb spacebar hold as layer1 and your arrows at hjkl on layer1, it doesn't get much more efficient than that... I have many keyboards now, and just use the same layers on all of them. I believe your thumb pain may be your greatest issue.

Ben, when can we get a video about the updated Kinesis 360? :)

good heavens, ben vallack jumpscare. also great video once again Ben, I feel like the writing, presentation and production value in this one were a lot more engaging and elaborate than some of your earlier videos. Really enjoyed it, great work!

How do you get arrows without layers on Glove 80? Doesn't keywell make it impossible?

Great video! I've been there as well... In my experience, getting used to the alphas, numbers and special characters in isolation is quite a smooth process but totally unrelated to using combinations of them as shortcuts while you're focused on something else. And ultimately, I figured that I want to be able to work on my laptop's keyboard while on the road so I reverted to some minimal adjustments instead. Instead of modifying the keyboard hardware, I made some software tweaks to what each key does, for example getting a pair of parentheses with an inward roll rather than an outward roll, removing dead keys for programming symbols, and so on.

Via software you can have layers, combos or home row. It can be easy way to try those concepts.

Will you be my internet dad?

CORNEISH ZEN im jealous

FWIW, I feel the same way about arrow keys. I wish more split keyboards didn’t give up arrow keys, which I probably use more often than certain characters.

With all the keyboards mentioned in this review, let alone the others reviewed on this channel, I'm keen to know which you'd consider your daily driver that you keep coming back to?

I think the space issue is just a mapping problem, I use left thumb for cntrl windows alt and right for enter space bkspace...in all layers, then a layer for numpad right hand, shifted symbols left hand, a third layer for media left hand, navigation right hand...finally a fourth for function keys...use a combo to toggle on any layer from layer 0 and a combo from each layer directly back to layer 0

I have a 42 key piantor, and have started using combos to toggle on each layer...so FJ->Layer 1, FK->Layer 2 etc and from every layer the equivalent of FD toggles back to Layer 0...this has been a great improvement to workflow and speed using the keyboard....

Extra keys with extra layers 😅

I love your review of this small keyboard and the breakdown of each day. I bought the Voyager from ZSA and it definitely took some getting use to. I've had it for about 6 months and I'm on the 49th iteration of my layout. After a while it become really comfortable and your hotkeys make you feel like a wizard.

Thanks for another informative keyboard video. As a result of your early videos I brought an advantage 360 pro keyboard. At the same time I discovered the Miryoku 36 key keyboard layout. So I used a keyboard from day one with a colemak layout , 36 key and layers. I’m 54 but picked up the changes really quickly. 1 yearish later, i wouldn’t go back to a standard keyboard. I’ve also altered my layout and layers to better suit programming too. The advantage of the 360 keyboard is that I can use the extra keys for other functions, like switching between us and uk layout, macros,kvm etc but 99.99% of my typing is on 36 keys and I can do a full day work and be pain free at the end. 36 keys on a ergo keyboard is super comfortable. Also picked up a corne keyboard for travel.

I love the fact that you [constantly] fail to stop making keyboard videos, they are always very straightforward and right into your face (which for a German like me is highly appreciated). I use a Planck (47 keys) also with Colemak-DHm including a mouse layer (I don't use a physical mouse any more). I could as of now never get used to low profile switches, I love heavy tactiles (75+ gr) and high profile keycaps (SA or MT3), I enjoy the physical sensation of typing, which is significantly removed when you use choc, chicklet or scissor switches. For certain letters (German umlauts or Polish diacritics) I have to use 3 or 4 keys at once but as you say - it's all about muscle memory and if you never have to move your fingers more that one key in any direction it's really just gettings used to. What's next? 16 Keys like Ben Vallack did? Steno on a UniV4? 🙃

Ben Vallack subliminal advertising at 2:33 Haha :) Well done

ive been seriously considering moving to a split key board like this

Hi Ben, that Zen looks amazing! I just got a corne-ish keyboard and can't quite figure out how to configure it. You mentioned you had a video about using what I think is the same GUI for ZMK that I've been trying to figure out. Could you put a link in the description or post in the comments please? Thanks for another great video!

chording should be used only for keys those are pressed rarely

good video!! 320 for such an small keyboard... a bit expensive..?

I have always used my symbols on different layer, it was hard to learn, but now I use them all the time it feels so much better now. I really wish the Advantage 360 did not have a number row

Quite the jumpscare at 2:33! Excellent video as always

Moved my mod keys to the row below the home row, because of key rollover: I'd get too many alts and shifts happening particularly on the home row. Still the timing for holding vs rollover is a bit tricky on my ZSA Moonlander; happy to investigate alternatives so with your videos I have extra pointers and ideas.

Thanks for the great videos! I apologize if you’ve said in another video, but what’s your favorite keyboard right now? The one you seem to always go back to for a daily driver.

Would love to see videos on ergonmic mouses or mice I guess, or an endevour to not need them atall anymore