· 3 min read
Between my keyboard is my mouse
If you don't have a "between your keyboard", I'm sorry for you.
Life update, I got myself a split keyboard, around July this year. More precisely, for your reference and mine, it’s the Iris LM-K Rev. 1. Link here (if it’s not dead by the time you’re reading this)
Even more precisely?
Idk who wants to know this but
- Key Switch: Deep Sea Mini Islet (43g Silent Linear)
- Case: Translucent Black - Polycarbonate
- Keycaps: THT Blank Keyset
- Link cable: 30cm
Thoughts on the setup
Key Switches and Keycaps: The silent linear key + rubberish keycaps make is super silent, there’s literally nothing to hear. Initially, I felt that it was a bit sponge-y. This is because it’s a linear keycaps with only 43g actuation force. It would probably feel better with tactile keys, or heavier springs. I just don’t press the keys so hard. It’s hard to decide if I would go for other keycaps just cos of how silent my current setup is. Typing with lesser force has been working out for me (so far). Using blank keycaps takes me longer to identify keys because I have to count from the edges, as opposed to having symbols on the keys which you can identify quicker. It’s not too bad honestly, cleaning keyboard is easier because I don’t really care where the keys go.
Link cable: I would get a longer cable (1m, or maybe 10m). 30cm is borderline acceptable.
Learning the layout
Just like learning a new keyboard layout, it wasn’t a wonderful experience.
Funny story, I was just mindlessly typing on my split keyboard and somehow ended up 3rd (in terms of points) on typeracer. I guess it’s a testament to show how much more I can type without feeling tired. Also, if you intend to stalk that account, that’s my Colemak account, which I don’t type in Colemak anymore.
The bad and the ugly
Iris is considered the “bigger” split keyboards, other than some ZSA keyboards, in the sense that it has the most keys. Other types of split keyboards have even lesser keys than the iris. On my iris, I manage to squeeze all the keys on the base layer (except square and round bracket).
Smaller keyboards maintains usability by having multiple layers for different set of keys. This results in lesser finger travel, but I’m not sold on that idea yet.
Say no to rectangles?
So, am I never using a normal staggered keyboard (in the shape of a rectangle) again? Yeah of course not.
What now?
Friendship with QWERTY and stagger-ed boards hasn’t ended yet. I still need to look competent using a normal computer, or I might risk looking like CS Uni Professors that look like they never touch computers before (sorry not sorry).
On stagger, I currently can type in QWERTY. Eventually I would also learn to type using gallium on a stagger board. On my split keyboard, I’ll use gallium only.