geekhack Community > Ergonomics

Seeking commercial columnar-staggered split keyboard

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wolfv:
I am looking for a keyboard with these specific attributes:
- commercial pre-built
- columnar stagger or ortholinear
- fully split (separated sides)
- 60% to 85% size keyboard
  - no number pad (Tenkeyless)
  - function row optional
  - navigation cluster optional
  - Fn optional
- no thumb cluster
- QWERTY
- US ANSI

Something like these keyboards, but with the rows not staggered:
- kinesis Freestyle2
- mistel MD600
- mistel MD770
- Cloud Nine ErgoTKL
- matias Ergo Pro

I haven't found such a keyboard after extensive searching.
There are so many knowledgeable people on this forum.
If such a keyboard exists, someone here would know about it.

moosh:
What about a Moonlander or Dygma Defy?

wolfv:
Hi moosh,
Moonlander and Dygma Defy have thumb clusters.
I don't want thumb clusters or layers because I don't want to spend time learning them.

vvp:
May be you can reconsider.

Thumb clusters are the best innovation of ergonomic keyboards. One can put modifiers on them (and maybe the most common keys like space and back space). It is comfortable to have modifiers on thumbs. It is also easier to press a modifier and a key with the same hand which is useful sometimes. It is easy to get used to modifiers on thumb clusters. Definitely much better than having modifiers in the outer bottom row and shifts in the outer second row from bottom.
Pressing modifiers on standard locations with pinkies is not comfortable. Pressing them with thumbs is not comfortable as well since one must move hand ... because (or course) a big-ass-space-bar is wasting the very useful keyboard real estate (the place where thumbs can easily reach without hand move). These problems are solved by thumb clusters.

wolfv:
Hi vvp,
After reading your praise of thumb clusters, I decided to try one.
Though, it will have to wait until later this year when I have more time.

From what I understand, it's better to have thumb clusters not on the same plane as the finger keys.
Like the the thumb clusters on:
- MoonLander
- dactyl manuform
- Glove 80
- Designer Keyboard

Thank you all for your suggestions.

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