How much do the steel plates weigh?
The MIT top plate weighs
4 oz / 114 g, and the bottom plate weighs
7.5 oz / 219 g.
Do you plan to cut holes for opening switches without desoldering?
I haven't had too much interest in this from comments, but I'll likely have this as an option - depending how many people are interested in it, it may cost a little more.
What does assembly consist of? SMD diodes, witches, connector and Teensy? Will PCB-mount switches be supported?
Interest Check #2 covered this, but all PCBs are SMD and assembled, meaning the diodes, USB, and IC (Teensy equiv.) are soldered on. PCB-mounted switches and stabilisers will be supported.
How on earth are you supposed to hit <space> comfortably? Is it ergonomic to have such a tiny spacebar placed so far away from the thumbs?
I use the "classic" layout (non-split), and I've found the spacebar to be quite comfortable. I'm not sure how your hands line-up on the keyboard, but my thumbs sit in-between the function keys and the spacebar.
Where can I read about some of the ideas/philosophy behind this layout?
The conception and evolution of the idea can be found on the reddit links on the site, but the general idea is just a completely programmable 12x4 grid with a 2x spacebar (with numerous variations, of course).
(Attachment Link)
Is it more correct to use both the left and right modifier keys, like using left-ctrl+C and right-ctrl+C?
I quite like this. The size of the backspace/other mod keys is the only thing I'd really change about the keyboard as I'm using it now (the one pictured on the site). I may be able to make the PCB compatible with the top 3/4 of your layout - I'm afraid the bottom may make things a little crowded. I would be a fan of something like this:
http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/layouts/545b3e07edb4237f20c9cf9a050e1ab7 If you can decide on one, let me know, and I'll do what I can to support it.
This kind of keyboard absolutely requires split logical layout though, which makes the key in the middle a bit difficult to reach.
I've seen comments like this rather often, but I'm not convinced of this point - the Planck is basically the same as any other ortholinear keyboard with a smaller space and a crap-ton of modifiers. I find the keys in the center the easiest to reach, while the outside three (six total) are more difficult. I've designed my layout so those are rarely used, so it works for me. If I use the arrow keys, I drop my whole hand down to use them. After seeing the comments about the caps+wasd, I think I'm going to try something similar with my arst (colemak's asdf) and the FN1 key.
Good news the board is supposed to be programmable.
This is entirely accurate, and with some luck, it will be very easy to change layouts. My goal is to have some sort of online editor/sharing for layouts - like keyboard-layout-editor.com, but with a "download hex" (the thing that gets flashed to the board) option.
Has anyone even tested it for more than a few hours of typing? It’s IMO irresponsible to get people buying into a production run without at least a few weeks of full time testing by at least a couple of people.
I've been using this exclusively for a month (I'm a soft dev), and ptramo's been using it off and on for a week or so - I'm not sure of his exclusivity. I consider myself sensitive to RSIs, but have never had any problems since switching away from qwerty (dvorak for 5 years, colemak for 2 months) - if you use qwerty and are concerned about ergonomics/split-hand stuff, I'd switch your layout, or try something like the ergodox.
To be clear, I've found the Planck very comfortable to type on. The only real problems I've had have been with mod size (backspace, shift), and some odd key combos with symbols (zooming/tab switching) that I haven't rebound yet.
EDIT: I should note that I have fairly large hands with a 8.5" / 21.5 mm wingspan (pinky to thumb when stretched) and just under 8" / 20 mm from palm to finger tip.