Author Topic: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?  (Read 6620 times)

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Offline CPTBadAss

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KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 08:59:06 »
What angle do you like your keyboard at?

Recently the Ducky 4 was announced. The case seems to have hard legs which allow for a bit of adjustment. But the keyboard looks too steep for my tastes and those hard legs points mean I have to do something drastic like sand down the legs in order to get a flatter angle. It *looks* like it would be too steep for me to use stock. Maybe it's an illusion though.

That steep angle really hurts my hands and wrists when I type.

I *never* use the flip out legs on my stock keyboards. With the legs flipped down, the keyboard angle is too steep and hurts my hands to type on. I think the Filco angle is 7 degrees without the legs?

I have noticed that I do like a reverse angle where the modifier row is higher than the function row. And the tenting on the Microsoft Ergonomic 4000 or the Cherry G80-5000.

Edit: Doesn't have to be *literal* angles, just how do you have your keyboard sitting on your desk? Flat, legs out, on a ergotron arm, in your lap, on your head?
« Last Edit: Thu, 29 May 2014, 09:23:14 by CPTBadAss »

Offline Photekq

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #1 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 09:04:14 »
12 degrees.
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Offline esoomenona

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #2 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 09:13:05 »
Let me pull out my protractor.

Offline CPTBadAss

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #3 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 09:16:58 »
I bet there's an app for that.

Offline Defect

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #4 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 09:18:55 »
Flat and let the cap profile do the work.
Didn't even put the legs on my watermelon board, keep the legs tucked on all my stock boards.
Maybe a very very small angle.  Near 0

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Offline nubbinator

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #5 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 09:19:36 »
Angle is entirely contingent upon the desk height.  At work, I actually have mine at a negative angle since I have a tray at lap height.  At hope, it's a positive angle, but a small one.  I couldn't say off the top of my head exactly what angle that is, but it's under 10 degrees.

Offline CPTBadAss

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #6 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 09:20:58 »
Didn't even put the legs on my watermelon board, keep the legs tucked on all my stock boards.

You have a watermelon keyboard?? I gotta see this, pictures please :)

I hope it's all juicy and delicious

Offline Computer-Lab in Basement

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #7 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 09:32:29 »
Flat (no legs), and ~10 degrees off parallel to my left display.
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Offline mashby

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #8 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 10:53:14 »
Whatever the Hammer case is, but with SA profile key caps.  :cool:

Offline kurplop

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #9 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 10:55:39 »
It depends on how I'm seated but I usually have my  tray tilted at about -5 degrees.

Offline katushkin

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #10 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 10:56:54 »
I bring the legs out on all of my boards. Although I'm pretty sure newer boards have a lot shorter legs than, say, my Model M.
Can we get them to build the Alps ten feet higher and get Cherry to pay for it?
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Offline TheSoulhunter

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #11 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 11:29:17 »
5° with OEM profile...

Offline ideus

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #12 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 11:56:47 »
An interesting paper on the subject reported less wrist stress with negative angles. In my case I have been using mine with -3 deg, and it feels very comfortable, and I can even type faster. I want to use -5, or -7, but I may need a special device for that.

Offline mashby

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #13 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 13:05:19 »
How are you guys getting negative tilts on your boards?

Offline CPTBadAss

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #14 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 13:07:37 »
Propping the keyboard up with something? Perhaps a wrist rest?

Offline nubbinator

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #15 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 13:28:41 »
How are you guys getting negative tilts on your boards?

I have a tray on my desk at work that can be negatively inclined.  It does need something on the back to prevent slippage though.

I've also thought about making a case and wrist wrest with a negative slope.

Offline ideus

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #16 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 13:35:07 »
I am using a simple 7u space bar under the front of the board. As I have my board in a Fellowes tray it works like a charm. However I cannot adjust the tilt angle.

Offline kurplop

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #17 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 15:40:35 »


How are you guys getting negative tilts on your boards?

Adjustable tray controls slope and height. Important because any negative tilt will raise the front edge which can make the keyboard too high on most desktops.

Offline jonathanyu

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #18 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 16:19:43 »
12 degrees + cherry profile

Offline Mr. D

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #19 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 16:25:17 »
Just recently started using my boards with the legs not flipped out and it feels a lot better.  Once I get a chair that sits taller I'll have to try a negative angle.
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Offline Kayla

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #20 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 16:35:23 »
I like mine flat. I dont use the feet at all, or any kind of other artificial angle adjustment.

Offline James35

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #21 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 16:48:04 »
This was the first thing I noticed with the Ducky Shine 4.  The permanent legs was a bad move for ergonomics.  To answer your question, I like a keyboard lying flat.  I sometimes even tilt my keyboard tray so the F-key row is lower than the spacebar.

Offline Kayla

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #22 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 16:50:38 »
Thankfully these are just teaser/concept photos not final design decisions. Ducky has changed things dramatically before retailing before. :p
Even if it was just the space bar..

Offline rowdy

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #23 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 17:55:27 »
Looking at the picture of the underneath of the Shine 4, there are two rectangular rubber feet at the front edge, and two more at the back edge.  The base of the case looks flat.  I'm guessing that the feet either retract or can be removed, to allow the keyboard to lie flat.

And I prefer my keyboard flat on the flat desk surface.
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Offline minho

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #24 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 18:20:51 »
Looking at the picture of the underneath of the Shine 4, there are two rectangular rubber feet at the front edge, and two more at the back edge.  The base of the case looks flat.  I'm guessing that the feet either retract or can be removed, to allow the keyboard to lie flat.

And I prefer my keyboard flat on the flat desk surface.

Really hope that's the case... [no pun intended  :p]

But yea I like my keyboard flat. Any angle at all makes me feel like my wrists are starting to get carpal tunnel.

Offline SonOfSonOfSpock

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #25 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 18:31:13 »
I try to get the angle to be as close to zero as possible. I have a keyboard tray that is set to a negative angle because most keyboards have a positive tilt to them.

Offline divito

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #26 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 18:34:28 »
I always use the feet that come with the keyboard. Along with my chair arms level with my keyboard surface, this leaves my hands in their most relaxed position. Having level arms, and no feet causes extra strain on my hands and wrists.
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Offline osi

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #27 on: Thu, 29 May 2014, 18:54:48 »
If a board has legs generally I use them but I have no good reasons to why. Habit I guess

Offline ideus

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #28 on: Fri, 30 May 2014, 17:54:30 »
I try to get the angle to be as close to zero as possible. I have a keyboard tray that is set to a negative angle because most keyboards have a positive tilt to them.

According with research on the subject, anything from zero, up to 20 negative angle, may benefit you wrists health.

Offline nuclearsandwich

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #29 on: Fri, 30 May 2014, 18:26:46 »
When my desk is the right height, the 13 degree incline on the 456GT is divine. Otherwise flat as a pancake.

Offline CPTBadAss

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #30 on: Fri, 30 May 2014, 21:19:44 »
Bring that 456GT to keycon. If you don't, the kingsaver stays in Ohio.

Offline t2russo

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #31 on: Fri, 30 May 2014, 21:21:56 »
I really like the feet + spacer angle of the KMAC.  I run feet on all three of the aluminum cases I have, but the KMAC is the only case that has absolutely no angle without using the feet.

Offline CPTBadAss

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #32 on: Fri, 30 May 2014, 21:25:43 »
I'm with you t2russo. KMAC feels real nice, both the angle and in general, I could and have typed at it all day. :D

Offline anoxy

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #33 on: Fri, 30 May 2014, 21:42:32 »
Flat master race checking in. I just think it looks better that way. And I don't use my keyboard enough to worry about ergonomics.

Offline nuclearsandwich

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #34 on: Sun, 01 June 2014, 10:20:11 »
Bring that 456GT to keycon. If you don't, the kingsaver stays in Ohio.

Alright, but it's so heavy!  :eek:

Offline CaptLock

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Re: KTOD - What angle do you like your keyboard at?
« Reply #35 on: Sun, 01 June 2014, 10:29:22 »
I keep mine flat.