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Humble Hackeresque Split Matrix using G80-1950

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eyesnine:
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I think I'm on to something with this new layout I've been using for the past week or so. I'm still getting used to it, but I think that if I stick it out I'll see some real benefits.

The keycaps I'm using are old and yellowed, but pay no attention to that! It's the layout that's the interesting part.

The unmarked double keys in the pic are left shift and space. The unmarked single keys in the bottom left are currently unmapped (due to the G80-1950's firmware limitations), but are intended to be the Windows and Application keys.

The central design decisions were to:
- place the modifiers under the left thumb, to prevent finger conflicts when the pinky is occupied with a modifier, and to make capitalizing entire phrases MUCH EASIER
- have a symmetric layout with the same number of keys for both left and right hands
- provide access to all standard keys (though, I did end up leaving out the right windows key)
- access the backspace key with the right index finger
- implement a full number pad, with access to tab, backspace, and modifiers
- allow access to the navigation keys (plus modifiers) from either hand, for both right hand dominant navigation, and for using the left hand when the right is busy mousing
- to prevent excessive pinky stretching, by moving keys downwards, especially 1 and 0 (! is SO much easier now)

Thanks for taking a look at my layout. Any feedback is appreciated!

mharrison:
Nice, but I don't know that I would call this "split". Where did you get the keyboard?

Inf3rn0_44:
Awesome board dude! Matrix ftw!

dorkvader:

--- Quote from: mharrison;488760 ---Nice, but I don't know that I would call this "split". Where did you get the keyboard?
--- End quote ---
He also posted in the great finds forum. There's a seller on ebay with a bunch. I think they're $70, which is good for a matrix 'board with browns and nkro.

eyesnine, excellent layout, I only wonder about the 9 and 0 positions. I really like having my brackets spmmetrical () and [] are all facing eachother. I feel like the position of 0 and \ should be switched...?

eyesnine:
I purchased the keyboard from an ebay listing. The seller still has a few available. Like dorkvader said, I started a thread in the great finds section when I bought the keyboard, and recently posted in that thread about the difficulties I had with setting up the keyboard. link

I would term this a split keyboard layout, though it definitely isn't an adjustable split keyboard.

The theory behind the placement of 9/0 can be demonstrated by a simple exercise. Place your fingers in a relaxed position on the home row, then extend your fingers without moving your hands. I don't know about you, but my fingers extend up and to the right on my right hand, and up and to the left on my left hand. Also, my pinky doesn't extend nearly as far as my other fingers. When my fingers are extended in this manner they rest naturally on the 1234 and 7890 as I have them placed on my layout (the 1 and 0 are one column outwards and one row upwards, relative to the home row position). My dominant index fingers are used for two numerals each: 4/5 on the left and 6/7 on the right.

So, in a way, the 9 and 0 are next to each other. It's just that next to, in this context, means adjacent equally extended fingers, when one finger is significantly shorter than the other.

I haven't fully adjusted yet (I can't jump between numerals and letters unconsciously without some more hard practice), but I have done some very fluent switching between numerals and letters, though with not near enough accuracy yet. I think I'll need to give this layout at least a few months before I see any real benefit from the new numeral placement. However, I am already adding exclamation marks like a champ!

The placement of the square brackets was a compromise. With a split size of three columns there aren't two horizontally adjacent keys after the standard letters and the punctuation marks ,./;' are placed in DVORAK, QWERTY, or Colemak (what I'm using), except on the bottom row, or above the numerals, both positions I deemed to be undesirable. So, I placed them vertically adjacent and it's not so bad, since the bottom right corner is fairly easy to navigate with the right pinky [the advantage it has by being short is it's an easier reach to the bottom rows].

The square bracket placement isn't ideal, admittedly. I haven't adjusted to this layout 100%, and I'd rather adjust to a layout that has horizontally adjacent square brackets if possible, but I just don't see how that's possible without making a serious compromise.

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