Making a split keyboard out of a regular keyboard in software

[dotancohen]

Any therapist will tell you that your hands should be shoulder-width apart when you type. Sounds great, until you try looking for a keyboard that is shoulder-width wide. Therefore I came up with this keyboard layout to fake it:
http://dotancohen.com/eng/noah_ergonomic_keyboard_layout.html

The current version is based on QWERTY, but I plan on publishing a Colemak version later this week.

I haven't actually yet typed on it, my Kubuntu box is giving me a hard time in configuring any new layouts. So if someone spots anything wrong in the configuration file, or knows how to get it working in Kubuntu 10.10, or types on it and has any feedback, I'd love to know. Thanks!

[Tony]

Split keyboards specifically change the angle between wrists. On normal keyboards moving a few keys farther apart do not achieve that objective.

[wanabe]

I think the main objective was to have a wider "stance" on the keyboard.  interesting idea, but not sure that I could get used to it

[bpiphany]

Separating the hands straightens the wrist a little, which is good. Also the arms are turned further apart instead of just the wrists straightening as with angled keyboard halfs. This shouldn't be a big problem if the rotators in your shoulders are not way off what they should be like. This layout is an improvement although perhaps not as much as a truly split keyboard.

[dotancohen]

The goal is not to truly replace a split keyboard, but rather make using a non-split keyboard as comfortable as the hardware will allow without a saw, epoxy, wiring, and conductive glue. I probably should have used a more conservative title.

Any ideas for improvement? What _really_ bothers some of the more fastidious typers here about QWERTY or other layouts?

[Ekaros]

So 2 HHKBs isn't an option?

[dotancohen]

So 2 HHKBs isn't an option?

At my college I once tried typing with two USB keyboards. It went pretty well, but I had a hard time finding F and J after using the number keys.

[sordna]

Nice idea! But I think the left hand's stagger problem remains. I think remapping the left side keys in software so the columns lean to the right, will allow you to have your elbows wider apart while still maintaining straight wrists better than just separating the hands by a couple of keys while maintaining the asymmetric left hand stagger.
EDIT: Wow, Ripster has already done what I was talking about, what do you think of making the stagger symmetrical ?



Source: http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?8288-Why-are-keyboard-keys-skewed&p=146411&viewfull=1#post146411

[dotancohen]

I love the idea, Sordna. However, I think that simply retraining my fingers to hit the different keys (such as hitting R with the middle finger) would work just as well, save for Q. Furthermore, as my target keyboard layout has a wide Left Shift key instead of squishing the \ key next to it, the idea would require me to move the QWERTY row over two keys. That is quite a tradeoff!

I do agree with the retraining of the hands, however, as I do see that it is pushing my whole left hand into a better position. Thanks for the tip!