Hi folks,
I'm looking for a new keyboard. I do a reasonable amount of typing for my job (lawyer and research analyst) and leisure (prep for tabletop and general gaming), and having started to experience occasional aches and cramps I switched over to the MS Natural series about five years back, first the 4000 then the 7000 and now the Sculpt. This helped immensely, but having had to replace several keyboards due to feline intervention and the occasional misplaced glass of red, and starting to feel the annoyance of bottoming out and membranes, I've been wanting to move up to something cleanable, sturdy and with mechanical switches and nicer keycaps for some time now.
This seemed an unattainable dream every time went looking for something that ticked all the boxes - split half, raised/tented middle, mechanical but office-friendly switches, preferably wireless, not enormous, layout familiar to someone who has only ever used QWERTY. Having idly looked into this again just last week, however, it now seems that there are at least two candidates (ErgoDox EZ, Keyboardio Model M) and possibly more in the offing. I am somewhat technical, having built all my own machines since the 90s, but have never soldered or otherwise hardware-hacked, so would greatly prefer a ready-made solution.
I have done as much research as I can into each product from the sources I am aware of, however I still have doubts about both, in particular the thumb section design. I have long (base to tip of middle finger 11cm) but slender (middle knuckle 1.8cm wide) fingers and narrow palms (9.5cm across from base of thumb when spread; 7.5cm across base of fingers), and in a neutral position resting on keyboard the middle joint of my thumb sits only about 1.5cm away from the base of my index. From what I have read, a number of users of the ErgoDox EZ have complained that the thumb cluster is too far away from the rest of the keys with their thumb naturally falling in the gap in between. I suspect that I may also encounter this problem - I have an original Razer Orbweaver which I use for FPS titles, and the switch designated as 'Space' (which is intended to be hit with the thumb) I find a tortuously long stretch away from where my thumb naturally rests. From the product photos, the Keyboardio Model 01 looks like the thumb cluster may be more accessible, but I am worried that with the way I hold my fingers the base of my palm may be resting on the function toggle key.
Unfortunately, I also live in the most isolated capital city in the world, and there is virtually zero chance that I will be able to try either product in person, and at nearly AUD $500 for either I can't afford to take a punt on something that may not work for me. So - to get to the point - does anyone know if there has been published a set of measurements or to-scale diagram of either product, showing the distances between keys, so that I can try a mockup to see if it will work for me? Failing that, I wonder if perhaps anyone with similar hands to me might share their experiences with either? And just in case the incredibly unlikely should occur, anyone in Western Australia with either that I could test-drive to rule in or out?
TL;DR - dimensions for ErgoDox EZ and Keyboardio Model 01, product photos not helpful, opinions re suitability of smaller hands for either, outside chance of anyone from WA owning either.
Edited for clarity.