Planck EZ Review - The Best Small Mechanical Keyboard?
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- Опубликовано: 7 июн 2020
- A full review of this stunning 40% ortholinear (grid/matrix) mechanical keyboard - the ZSA Planck EZ. Choosing a mechanical keyboard is a tough process and the size and layout choices can seem daunting. In this video and the others on my channel I make the case for jumping straight into a small 40% keyboard like this one.
This video also includes a walkthrough of the configuration software and a lighting demo showing each of the amazing different lighting effects.
This is my own keyboard - I bought it after a lot of research and intend to keep it for a long time! I'm very positive about it but it is not sponsored in any way.
The ZSA Planck EZ mechanical keyboard is a really interesting keyboard that takes the typically intimidating elements of mechanical keyboard ownership and makes the whole experience very accessible and fun.
In this video I look at what makes this keyboard interesting and different from others on the market. This includes the company's support of open source, their staff and production ethos as well as some really interesting design features including the ability to change the switches yourself.
I also compare it with the Anne Pro 2 (60% size mechanical keyboard) which was the keyboard I used before this one.
Check it out here: ergodox-ez.com/pages/planck
My current layout: configure.ergodox-ez.com/plan...
My other videos looking at this keyboard:
Mechanical Keyboard Size Comparison: 60% vs 40%
• Mechanical Keyboard Si...
Are Ortholinear (grid/matrix) Keyboards Better Than Staggered?
• Conventional Keyboards...
What are MECHANICAL KEYBOARDS and why they're AWESOME! (+ Ergodox Planck EZ first impressions)
• What are MECHANICAL KE...
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Just a small correction: 'ErgoDox' is actually the name of the maker's other keyboard, the company is actually called ZSA. So the title at the start should be ZSA Planck EZ.
Also sorry about the dialogue audio, not sure what was going on there!!
Your intro volume is quite a good deal louder than the rest of the video, which is pretty painful and unappreciated when listening with headphones. You've got a great, calm voice, so it's even more noticeably painful =p Great informative video though with a fantastic aesthetic!
Thanks for the feedback - levels are a nemesis of mine! Will keep working on it.
@@BenVallack It's always a challenge when editing!
I have one with another name embossed. perixx 317. I bought ten for 179 US pesos. Should be good for 5-6-7 years ;-)
Such a smart review and calming voice. Now I'm going to give the Ortho layout a go. It's the logical option for the evolving world.
how’s it going ?
I second lucasgetons question, how are you getting on with it? I'm considering getting into ortholinear myself so would be interesting to hear how the learning curve is for people (other than Ben Vallacks of course)
I thirst lucasgeton’s question
Thanks for this video, incredible production and keyboard.
Hey man, really enjoy your intro/outtro with the music and your calm approach to making videos is quite refreshing in todays day and age :) Looking forward to more stuff from you!
Thanks so much for your comments!
I wholeheartedly agree! What's the name of the music during the lighting demo?
Thanks! It's a track from Artlist: artlist.io/song/31603/peace-be-still
Damn, I was about to by a 75% and I think you just convinced me to go ortholinear... great video!
I love your videos. They are clean, smooth and well edited. They are relaxing to me.
Please, never stop making videos!
Thank you so much!
Hi Ben, great video! I just got my Planck EZ, and you inspired me to get it!
Bought one right after watching your review! I can't wait to receive it and switch the keys around to my native dvorak arrangement.
You won’t regret it!
thanks for the review - ordered mine, waiting for it to arrive
The hardest part!
@@BenVallack true! should arrive today
Seeing these on reddit and watching other elitist reviews scared me away from orthos originally but this video honestly made me fascinated with them and makes me want to build one
I just got one of these and they're great but it's hard getting used to the layers. It can be disastrous to hit command-Q (quit) instead of lower-Q (exclamation point) for example :) Otherwise I find ortho layout easy to get used to for touch typing. One nice thing is that you can define a numeric keypad on a layer and have it light up because of the full per-key RGB lighting. Another neat trick is to combine right shift and enter so that you get shift when you hold the key down and enter when you tap it. That works really well without even having to adapt to it. I might also have to try escape and enter in the bottom corners though.
That sounds like some hardware version of Vim (pressing ctrl+s out of habit.... ouch!). I am eagerly waiting for my planck to arrive, will try out your advice :)
This is a pretty cool keyboard and the end music is just epic man! Love it! I’m just starting to look into stuff like this I work in a office all day every day so I value quality products especially because i use it everyday and it’s important to like what your using for a healthy mind :) I think this might be on a list for me to check out. Thanks for your video I did subscribe too!
Thank you, Ben! Your review inspired me to buy Planck. Although I’m still “suffering” because of unusual size and ortho-layout (using Plank less than a week) I can clearly see the potential of this little thing.
Your're welcome! It won't take you long to adapt, so logical and your fingers will soon find the grid really easy to move around.
Really nice channel. You have my support!
Many thanks!
Amazing light show at the end
I'm actually learning to type on a split ortho keyboard right now as I watch this video. Great work!
Cool what keyboard are you using?
I guess the best is Planck split, you usually lose the rgb magic but have inhuman bliss I guess. Is a project you find in reddit
@@BenVallack Just finished putting together an Iris (rev4) 👍
I've owned my AP2 for almost 6 months, and am on my way down the rabbit hole (so to speak), landed on your ch (as the Planck will be my next keeb) and enjoyed both this review and review of ortho vs staggered. - subscribed, keep it up Ben!
Thanks for your comments!
I love my planck keyboard
the ortholinear layout did create a learning curve.
however
I went from 60-70wpm
to 30-40wpm when I first started using the planck.
now im back up to 60+ wpm and getting bette.
It's very nice to have a keyboard I can literally fit into my pocket.
Awesome video explaining the benefits of a small ortholinear keyboard from a regular person rather than a prosumer/elitist. I have recently dove into the world of custom mechanical keyboards and built a 40% ortho very similar to the Planck in a 3D printed case with 3D printed keycaps. Keep up the awesome content!
Thanks! really glad to hear I did manage to make the content nice and approachable. Awesome work to build your own!
Great video, I always enjoy new advocates for 'diy' keyboards, especially 40s. I was bitten by the bug a few years ago and decided to purchase the Atreus keyboard as my introduction to 40% split ortho boards. It took me about a year of switching back and forth. Now it is my primary keyboard and I find it difficult to justify the extra desk space required to use anything larger.
Thanks for your comments - yeah the customisation is such a boost to productivity it's unreal. I really want the whole thing to go a bit more mainstream. ZSA are definitely on the way to making it happen I think. That Atreus is a really interesting looking thing!
For many years now and then I would think about a new keyboard, but until now I could never find some quality information about them. Thanks!
Great video, thanks!
Your voice is very calming to listen to
Really cool, dude.
I'm currently thinking about getting the Ergodox EZ, but It's pretty expensive and I'm worried it might be too much of a difference to normal keyboards, so that I'm not comfortable with it in the end.
Anyways, I think the Planck EZ is a very interesting and awesome-looking keyboard aswell. I love your videos, btw.
I have 2 of the Ergodoz-Ez boards and I love them. I just ordered the Plank. The company is great and have very responsive. Ortholinear is so much better than the standard keyboard layout. You will love it
I have the white one and if you can type with 10 fingers without looking at the board, you will fly within a few minutes. But I am programming as well so the special characters and placing them the best way has a bit of a learning curve
Thanks for the video Ben! I literally just got mine yesterday. White glow with Kailh Coppers!
@112 188 I think it is. It saves on desk space, and I reach a lot less with my fingers. It takes a bit to get used to though. I'm almost at a week, and I'm kind of starting to get used to the layers now. It was really frustrating at the beginning.
@112 188 Of course! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Cool what now after four weeks did you improve a lot error free and words per minute? Waiting since 11 days in Europe for their delivery
Giovanni Siciliano I’m definitely getting a lot better on the keyboard. I’m back up to mid 90s wpm. It took me about 3 weeks to figure out the configuration I liked for the keyboard.
I’m really enjoying it. I’m thinking of getting Gateron ink black switches and switching out the Kailh coppers.
I did replace the lower and upper key caps with rubber key caps to better help my thumbs find where they are.
@@dangerwang good tips thanks, the customization is infinite, and now we can also order a kit to do our split planck. 90 is more than decent, really good, i guess you can have a sens of where you are just taking twomiddle finger points, starting from the space bar, No big deal I guess if one starts with the Ben keycaps, with letters, is the one I ordered as well. Happy coding. I hope to find a solution to play on chess.com but not big deal, the ben solution of tablet plus keyboard is good and we can code in intellij, xcode with paas services
Excellent channel! Just getting into all this and I am finding your videos very interested, very well-produced and informative. Well done! Subscribed. Can you recommend a keyboard which has these good features that doesn't cost the earth?
Thanks so much! It's tricky to find cheaper keyboards without a big compromise in at least one area, i.e you have to build them yourself! Check out drop.com though.
Great video! Software developer here too. I'm sold haha I've started to read about the planck ez some months ago, bought it but cancelled the purchase due to other priorities. When I resume that topic, I was thinking about starting with a 65% one. Now I'm convinced to try this out. Good job and good luck with the channel.
go straight for the planck. i would recommend the kit instead of the EZ however; the kit comes with a metal case instead of the planck ez (all plastic). there is currently a group buy for the newest kit on drop.com
the kit is also a lot cheaper
Thanks for the tip. I was not considering that option. I'll check this out!
Thanks! Probably the best small ortholinear keyboard that's actually in stock right now
for sure!
Absolutely. I struggled to choose between this and the planck from drop by OLKB. I wanted to use my own xda keycaps and switches so I went with the planck kit (minus the keycaps and switches) from drop. I'm also super comfortable with qmk because I am a software engineer so creating my own layers was kind of fun.
Always been so curious about ortho. Just purchased this after watching this video. Really love that they have it available at all times. I am just an impatient chap.
Totally! Spending this much you want to know something happens straight away!
So I got my one already and it is so hard to type :) baby steps I guess.
I was wondering if you could tell me where you got the lovely carrying case you have shown in your videos? Thanks
VictorAndScience yeah it won’t take you long. Case is just a cheap flat case off amazon. www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00P0LR25K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_4kriFb4D7VE70
Excellent review, this helped me decide between the ergodox and the planck. Cheers.
Cheers!
Nice video!
Ben, your attention to the video quality is amazing you gotta receive a lot of fans, and you explain really well from a smart point of view. Would you recommend this Planck on the laps instead of a table, I love to sit and rest my hands, would shake the keyboard?
Thanks for your comments! If you check out the video about the best keyboard for iPads on my channel you’ll see some discussion on using this on your lap. Works just fine!
@@BenVallack just ordered, cannot wait,
to write some code and put your VIM shortcuts
I took a leap into the Planck this fall, between jobs, and I never regretted it. Once I can travel again, I'll be bringing one with me.
Awesome. Great keyboard. If you’re feeling adventurous try this layout! ruclips.net/video/vv98LPMA7-M/видео.html
Great video.
I bought an Ergodox EZ which I am very pleased with, but can't help but want a Planck for when I'm using a laptop or iPad away from home.... Great video!
Ordered a Planck… looking forward to it
My brain: yes
My wallet: NO
literally makes me so angry like how is it not $50 at most
@@bradwigs75 Shipping costs about $80, and they say they "have to pay for their workers". What a joke.
@@marcocheng9754 bruhhh fr, I cant believe that
That was a really clear video ! Everything to be learned about the keyboard was pointed out, good job Ben
quality content!
My ergodox EZ is coming tomorrow. I'm excited to get to play around with it.
While the planck looks really nice I get some wrist pain after long days at the keyboard and hope something like the ergodox will help.
I’m sure it will :)
Hi, love the video. Appreciate your reasoning for different choices you make. Seems well thought out! Would you mind showing your settings for tap/ hold times etc. I struggle to find one that works for me. I find the tap/hold times differ pr finger and and whether its a mod or regular key. Thx for the great content :)
Yeah that is probably the hardest thing to get right. If you look in the description for some of my layout videos you should see the links to configurations.
I've just purchased a Moonlander, and have been watching your videos, and really appreciate them. One thing I would add, is that as someone who has a Ultimate Hacking Keyboard version 1 and has ordered a version 2 as well, is that the Agent software for the UHK is potentially nicer in terms of ease of use. Which is only in sending the new configuration to the keyboard. The Agent software can send it directly to the keyboard, and it is real time. There isn't any reset necessary. This is convenient and nice. Granted the the UHK only has 4 layers, but does support hyper keys. I got both, because I feel like your videos highlight that there really isn't that big of a comfort gain from switching from a staggered to ortholinear layout. In fact, how all speed typing records are broken using staggered layout would seem to further point this out. For speed alone. Comfort and ergo are two other metrics. I'm going to find out, but watching your videos has made me wish I just went with the Planck EZ and the UHK. Thanks again and cheers!
Thanks for your comments. I think the swithch to ortho for me was much more about increasing my accuracy. I just hat that illogical 'where am I' feeling on the staggered keyboards.
Great video have you ever looked into the Drop Preonic MX Kit V3 it’s basically a 50% keyboard so the same ortholinear design but with a number line up top you can also change the space bar in a few interesting ways
Too many keys! 40% is the absolute maximum! Check this out: ruclips.net/video/S0bBmcoVsm8/видео.html
Thank you and best regards
Try changing shift to shiftenter 👍shift when press down enter when clicked
Thanks for the review. Can you lock the layer you want to jump to - ie numlock - or do you need to keep the layer key pressed the whole time? Nice video.
Cheers - yep you can choose to use a toggle layer switch if you want.
Hehe, we’re clearly not the only ones who like his video, they put this video on their website for the keyboard.
Thanks for posting this! I just purchased mine and just counting the days until it arrives. Is your configuration up on Oryx?
It's a tough wait isn't it! Yep - configure.ergodox-ez.com/planck-ez/layouts/mlGOX/9OZnW/1 stay tuned for a revised version though!
Ben Vallack Thanks! It really is tough! Looking forward to more of your videos to ease the wait!
Hey man, thanks for this video! I got inspired and went ahead to get one. It has arrived but I'm having trouble connecting it to my M1 mbp. Any advice on this?
I wish they took that layer idea, placed it on a 100% size keeb and enabled profiles for programs.
Imagine being able to SEE shortcuts inside vscode when you press the ctrl/shift/alt keys! Or even the weird Ctrl+K Z combos they have!
That would be amazing!
Hey, love the channel. Do you mind sharing your keyboard layer file with us to test out or use as a base?
Also, would you ever consider doing a video on how an ortholinear 40% keyboard compares to a more traditional split tented ergonomic keyboard? As a software dev I'm curious whether you think it makes a big difference in terms of being able to type comfortably all day. Maybe good posture/keyboard positioning with a plank is just as ergonomic as using a much more expensive ergonomic keyboard.
configure.ergodox-ez.com/planck-ez/layouts/mlGOX/latest/0 this is the one in the video but I do have an improved version that I'm woking on. I'm interested in the split keyboards too - ultimately though they a practically limited to desk use and my vision of computing requires a more portable setup. I certainly think you can maintain an 'all day' posture with the planck. A split board lets you rotate your shoulders back a bit more but the difference certainly isn't huge.
Hey great video! I was wondering how difficult it is to keep switching between this keyboard layout and staggered one? For example when you're using your laptop's keyboard or at an office.
Thanks! Actually I wouldn't even entertain the idea. I tried typing on my laptop keyboard the other day and it was pretty impossible. It's odd because I didn't actually find it that hard going from staggered to otholinear but it's certainly not something I want to undo and switch back and forth now. The beauty of this keyboard though is it's extremely light and portable - and whatever you plug it into doesn't need any software running on it. So whereever you go, you can just take the keyboard and plug it into whatever machine you're using - I like to think of it as your person productivity interface with any machine you may need to operate.
Hey there Ben, great video! Wondering if the software offers the ability to program macro keys (example alt/shift/1 assigned to a single key). maybe obvious but I'm new to the mechanical keyboard world.
Cheers,
Cole
Thanks! Absolutely, pretty much any key combo can be assigned to a given key.
Hi Ben. Great video - thank you - I've just ordered one of these. On a practical note, would you recommend any particular travel case for the EZ? Thank you!
Thanks! I just chuck it in with the iPad in a laptop sleeve.
Hi Ben! I see you owned an Anne Pro 2 before moving to the Planck EZ. As an AP2 owner considering a shift to the Planck myself, I’d like to ask you some questions about the EZ’s typing experience.
My AP2 with Gateron Browns is broadly enjoyable to type on, but I have an oversensitivity problem where button presses often double or triple.
I chalked the problem up to its relatively “budget” price, but I’m worried that the Planck might have the same issues. For a keyboard that’s asking for $250, I need to know that it will be polished enough to avoid such problems.
P.S. I’m also interested in using the Planck to type the occasional mathematical symbol. I wonder if the Tap Dance feature can be used to directly map special symbols like squared, square root, logarithmic bases etc. to the number row when typing on an iPad? The symbols system on that device is atrocious: even the Command + Ctrl + Space shortcut only opens bloody emojis instead of anything useful!
Hi Ben! Thank you so much for making these vids. Super helpful! Do you find yourself using this one after you've discovered the GergoPlex?
I’m using the GergoPlex pretty exclusively but I do miss the convenience of Oryx!
@@BenVallack Nice. And you write code with them? All good there? :)
@@nkabbara Yep, changing layers for symbols does tend to be a bit fiddly sometimes but then I am reducing my finger movement so it‘s pros and cons with the small layout boards.
@@BenVallack I agree. I just ordered one. I’m coming from freestyle pro, so super excited for the minimal side of things. Do you have your layout somewhere for the gergoplex? I’m thinking about how to handle the shift key.
Can macros be assigned to a key in any of the layers? Great video, thinking about purchasing one of these for my music production setup! If I could setup a layer to have several macros, this would defeat the need for having other pieces of equipment on my desk :)
Thanks! Yep :)
Ha! Get it, he said "shifting to a keyboard like this". How about "raising or lowering or fn1 or fn2 or raise + lower or space hold func to a keyboard like this".
Nice video! I watched a video of yours last week when I was impatiently awaiting the arrival or my Drop x OLKB planck pcb, case, and board. I have now been using it all week and can officially no longer type on a regular keyboard. My brain is broken HAHA
I really like their split ergodox board but going ortho 40% was a good enough change of pace for a while for me. I want to eventually make my own split Ortho but it seems like too much of a challenge to tackle at the moment.
I’d have to stick with staggered due to gaming but the liner is pretty nice when typing papers.
Couldn’t you adapt to the grid for gaming? Or you mean because you already have a keyboard setup for that?
Hello Ben! nice video. Love the format and the content. I have a question about the keyboard: did you had any pain in your wrists after using it the first days? I just got a Vortex Core (40%) but I am giving it back since I instantly got wrist pain (mostly right one). I also come from a 60%. I am curious about the ergonomics of this keyboard.
Thanks for your comments :) Interesting - no I didn't notice any wrist pain - I found it much better than 60% actually due to more reliable rest/home orientation due to not having to stretch fingers so far. I'm trying to think what might cause this as obviously your fingers are basically in the same position in relation to your arms etc. It's not like you're coming from a split keyboard which might be a bit of a shock. Is it something to do with using your thumbs for layer keys that you weren't doing before perhaps?
@@BenVallack Well I am not sure where the pain comes from. Keyboard has MX Browns with DSA keycaps (so very low profile and not really have a feeling you pressed them), the modifiers are placed on the right (Fn1) and cannot be moved around. Actually just that one but an important one. Rest of keyboard can be reprogrammed. What I felt is that in order to rest correctly on the home row I would get my hands closer and then angle the wrists a bit to the outside. This is where the size I thought was the problem. But if you say you did not have problems it could be just me that I do not have the proper settings. Have you tried a split keyboard? I would love a split plank to be honest. An already assembled one without me needing to go through group buys etc.
Vlad Filip Yeah I think a planck that could be clipped in and out of two parts would be really cool. I haven't actually tried a split keyboard though.
@@BenVallack Well... you convinced me. I just ordered mine in black. They are also going to increase the price by 50$ starting 1st of July so it is better to order it now. And since you said you are also a programmer, maybe it would be nice to see a video from you on how you use it for coding. You showed the layout but have you tried macros?
Vlad Filip Heh I’m sure you’ll really enjoy it. I haven’t got as far as macros yet actually - will definitely give it some thought though.
I've got the Massdrop Planck and it's got a sturdy metal backplate but not RGB, which is better in my view. It's been my daily driver for the past two years already.
Let's address the elephant in the room. It's not for everyone. People who are used to type must be willing to start anew to get the most out of it and many, *many* will tell you they feel handcuffed because it's so tiny on the desk.
Once you're set, though, you'll never want to switch back. I literally combine it with an OTG adapter to type on my smartphone (if it's long, I don't really need it for small messages). In my case I also used the keyboard switch to learn Bépo, a better alternative to the traditional French Azerty layout.
Would you happen to know if there’s any coiled cables that I can replace the one it comes with that is compatible with it on the iPad Pro?
Great video! How would you compare this keyboard with the olkb/drop planck?
As far as I can see this is basically a newer improved version by a larger more 'normal' business model. However it sounds like it was designed with the collaboration of the olkb team. It has the blessing of the olkb designer too. There's a quote from him on the Planck EZ product page.
Hi Ben.
I like the idea to have all necessary keys literally one inch away from the fingers. I’d like to give Planck a try some day.
So my question is how comfortable is to have the arrow keys at the lower left corner? How easy to get the fingers back to the “main” position? Did you try the combination of “ihjk + layer key”?
Yeah, I switched out the arrow keys to thn hjkl posisitons very early on. Part of the joy of the plank. Cheers!
Thank you, very insightful.
On your videos you seem to switch between your 60% keyboard and the planck. Can you comment on how hard it is to switch back and forth between them?
I have an ultimate hacking keyboard and when I switch to the laptops keyboard (mac) I am very slow.
I don't use the 60% any more - I replaced that with the Planck. ZSA then sent me the Moonlander so I switch between the Moonlander and the Planck now. They share the same basic layouts so it's pretty easy to switch. Cheers!
Hey, im loving your videos. A little comment. I think the audio of the video has a little too much bass, maybe its my headphones
Cheers and thanks for the feedback! The audio in this is really odd isn’t it. Not sure what was going on. Hopefully the more recent ones are a better!
a cheaper alternative would be ortho48 but with a some diy and soldering
I really, really hope they make this in a 50% soon
@@colbyboucher6391 Yeah, I was thinking about the preonic, but no RGB was kind of a dealbreaker, especially for a board like this where lights would really come in handy for highlighting the raise and lower keys. I'm in no rush though, I can wait for a Preonic EZ
Awesome video!
Quick note though - I know the typical “best?” question in titles is a bit typical for reviews of nice products, but for people who aren’t exactly an expert on the field in which they’re reviewing a product from, hinting at the possibility that you would have a notably fair opinion (Which would make a “best product” claim viable) makes that a bit uncomfortable for me.
Fair comment - although objectively I can’t find a better small mechanical keyboard on the market which is where I was coming from on the title. Find me a hot-swappable, 40% board with software like Oryx that doesn’t require building yourself or waiting for drop shipping...
Really interested in ortholinear as an idea and this keyboard looks pretty cool but after watching the lighting show... there are quite a lot of alignment issues there. G, T, and R in particular
Yeah those keys are a bit wonky! I hadn't noticed but now I can't unsee it lol. Not quite sure what would cause that - I will move the switches around and see what I can see.
@@BenVallack Haha oh no! Hope that fixes them
Hi Ben. Interesting video -- thanks. Do you remember how much you paid in import duties etc?
I think it was pretty much as expected, £60 or £70 from memory!
Are you able to post a link to your original layout? I think it looks great and I'm not ready to jump into workman layout right now.
I don't know if he has done it yet, but you can find other users layouts at GitHub
Crazy to see how you went from "the keycap legends don't match the function and it annoys me" to a fully functional 16 key blank keyboard. I'm down to 30 keys but I don't think I can go any lower while maintaining productivity as designer. 47 keys is my sweet spot for graphic and web design work.
Hehe
Can you review/recommend a budget ortholinear keyboard? Because this one is too expensive to try.
I ordered a Idobo 75 Ortholinear and I can't wait to get it.
The awesome thing about it is, it only came with case, plate, pcb and cable, I had to choose the keycaps myself as well as the switches. I settled with blank grey/white with blue accents and Kailh BOX White switches. Since the pcb is hotswapable with time I want to test out switches without soldering.
Hot swappable is such a cool feature isn’t it! Enjoy.
Ive wanted these boards for so long now but im an MMO gamer so i dont know how well these will actually suite for me. the spacebar being so small concerns me especially in Black Desert Online where you use space a lot
Great video! I have one question. Once you load the firmware on the keyboard, does it work cross platform? I have a windows pc, but I frequently have to run Linux on a VM (I love your vim layer btw).
Yep that's the beauty of it - no software needed on any device it connects to. All the devices see is a USB keyboard. Thanks for your comments!
@@BenVallack Wow awesome! Thanks.
I'm on the ZSA mailing list - they linked your video in an email I got this morning. You should reach out to them, maybe review the ergodox ez too!
Between the moonlander and this, what would you say is your favourite?
Hi Ben, what is the name of the jazz track at the beginning of this video? Thank you.
Hi man, at some pointed y layout was similar to yours that I believe i modified your base layer (the right control position and use, added ~ where u had the control) check it out if that is the case, dont want to mess ur settings
and added F2 to the raise layer tho
I'm looking for a small keyboard for my car (I have an android stereo, so I need a keyboard to put the gps and I hate the touch display). What do you recomend?
Hey, quick question. Can these be bought with a nordic layout? I couldn't find anything on their website.
You can program it to whatever you like so it's just a question of if you can live with the keycaps. This is why they should offer blanks really.
Love the idea, Ben-but now I have a question; how do you charge and type? Have you found a decent solution for this?
Not yet heh!
@@BenVallack The two best I have thought of is a dual usb c adapter, which are cheap on Amazon, or using the one dongle from Apple that has hdmi, usb a, and a charge port. Add the usb c to a dongle into the mix and you should be good, but the dongle on dongle action seems wrong somehow.
Yeah I'm holding out for a sort of clip on type adaptor I think, I think they do exist but not figured out which to go for.
@@BenVallack yeah, I see those ones a lot-I have a few favorites in terms of “I might get that,” but none ever seem to have more than one usb c port. I am thinking about getting this one though, a cheap splitter that isn’t too terribly bulky... www.amazon.com/dp/B0882Y5RWG/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_0gLSFb59F9W7F
Could be an interesting video idea, testing splitters to solve this issue.
Thanks for the video! How did you make it work with iPad? My Planck EZ does not work with my iPad Pro 10.5.
Interesting - I just plugged it straight in and it worked. Actually is that the one with Lightning connector? I think you may need a special cable or use the Lightning to USB adaptor dongle (rather than just a Lightning to USB-C cable).
Ben Vallack Yes, mine is the one with lighting connector. The lighting-to-usb adapter I used is the one came with my IPad. Anyway, many thanks!
How difficult is it to use a staggered layout after getting comfortable with the ortholinear layout?
Ortho seems to be logic choice, but rough to adapt :o
@Ben Vallack: Once the keyboard is flashed using the software on one computer, can I use the keyboard on another computer without having to install any software or drivers on that second machine?
Absolutely, everything you need is on the board.
Coming here after seeing your split keyboard review kind of comparing this to the ergo dox ez. Mac user. Programmer for a living. Haven’t hard serious wrist problems but would prefer more ergonomics. Any SOLID reasons you could recommend to upgrade the $120 for moonlander compared to Plank?
Yeah once you’ve tried a split it’s easy to see why people like them. It’s the tenting ability as well as the wrist angle impact. I think you could be quite happy on a Planck though especially if you havn’t had wrist issues up to know. The other option is to build your own split.
@@BenVallack thanks! Might try out the Plank since it seems more portable as well and does require learning the “thumb cluster” idea. Building my own seems like too much work 😅
is there an a tkl or 75% avaliable of that board?
Amazing. But I ordered mine from Drop
Hey Ben, do you mind sharing your keyboard layout? I'm always interested in how others have set up their layers. Thanks!
configure.ergodox-ez.com/planck-ez/layouts/DZyRq/latest/1 - quite different from the one in the videos now!
@@BenVallack Awesome, thanks for sharing Ben! I haven't seen that Start functionality before. That's an interesting idea!
Cheers yeah works really well! Next video includes some more details on that.
@@BenVallack Looking forward to the next video Ben!
Please make a review for minidox split.
Looks like a nice layout but I think I'd miss the bottom corner buttons - they are super useful to be able to hit with your palms.
if you want to free two keys for space for other keys you could program Lshift and Rshift plus space for \ and /. I've done that and now I have more keys for other stuff like Fn or menu. I also programmed Fn-Q for ? symbol. Believe it or not, it's better than shitf-/
This is really interesting - how do you set up shift+space to be a slash though? I can't see how to do it! I have managed to set it up with the dual function shifts so tapping shift fires the key but holding behaves as shift, which seems to be simpler than needing shift as well, although means the key fires on the way up instead of the way down.
I'm thinking of getting the white version with kailh box white switches. do you think the keys or the case will yellow over time, because i plan on using this keyboard with a very long time. and also, do you think the kailh box white switches would be too loud for a classroom environment?
No yellowing so far on mine. Yeah go for Kailh Silent Pink for classroom :) They are the quietest I’ve seen. Very pleasant to use too.
@@BenVallack maybe i'll get kailh box red or box silent red because i've heard they are less wobbly
@@BenVallack love your videos
Is it possible to make it light up only the led of the switch that's been pressed? Could you make a how to do vid?
It is possible, I think I have done some videos on working with the lighting settings specifically.
@@BenVallack ty i search it up
I've been searching for a travel case for this keyboard. It looked like you found one that works at 3:45. Can you share what you are using? Thanks
This is the one I have but they have a different version available now www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B015W2HFT4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fab_tNTBFbH2CHSPS
Thanks
reminds me of Shawn wasabi s Midi Fighter
Is it possible to to replace the space bar with 2 different 1u keys?
Unfortunately not.
This keyboard is super uncomfortable for me and way too crowded due to the size. I know Ben showed that you can do it with straight wrists, but check out any other Planck videos and you’ll see tons of crazy wrists angles that people end up with. Could be the distance between your body and the keyboard / arm length is a factor here. The only way to straighten my wrists was to push my chair way back from the desk and extend my arms out straight. Is that how people type?