
Weird Keyboards, Programmable Keyboards - ecliptik
https://blog.gboards.ca/2020/01/weird-keyboards-programmable-keyboards.html?m=1
======
lmilcin
I am currently building an ultimate programmable keyboard. It will have 40%
ortholinear layout but also an overpowered MCU (STM32L4 with lots of flash and
memory) that will be able to run a complicated controller.

The reason is I want steno at work where I can't have any custom software
running. I want to be able to lug around small high quality mechanical
keyboard that will have my entire input method programmed in with no need for
external software. Also I am fed up solving problems even if I have access to
OS. Not all software wants to play nice, etc.

It will have sd card slot for additional storage for mappings, steno library,
etc.

Currently it is functional basic keyboard (ie. works as a normal USB HID
keyboard, no extra features) on a prototype board. My next step is to design
PCB, backplate and enclosure and have them manufactured. I do assembly myself.

Once I have functional keyboard I will work on V2 that will have all the
features I wanted.

Possible extra features:

\- trackpoint (if I can find the part that will make it possible). I was
thinking one in place where you normally have J so you don't have to move your
hands at all to use your mouse. Mouse buttons would probably be programmed
some way on left hand.

\- small OLED display for statuses, maybe for editing steno dictionary, etc.

\- RGB LED under each key to be used from the controller for whatever reason
(not just for nice patterns but for actual useful stuff).

~~~
guessbest
This is the best idea I have read in ages, "the computer is an extension of my
keyboard". If the keyboard had an onboard macro editor, it would be perfect.

~~~
nine_k
Hello, this was called a terminal back in the day :) I noticed that the Gergo
keyboard from the original post has a small screen, like a real terminal
would.

~~~
guessbest
I think rather than a dumb terminal, the idea was to create an I/O unit which
would house user shortcuts and memory to handle the mental clutter of
clipboard history, snippets, and browser bookmarks without depending on the
host computer system which could be difficult to use due to locked down
policies by the IT department. Such an idea as "unclose window" and "restore
last browser tab" if unfeasible on a terminal. Also, a cloud connected
keyboard would store information retrievable across host machines using a
biometric ID to secure the data such as using fingerprints which, again, is
difficult for an even a power user to manipulate with given the standard
security practices in IT departments these days. Of course the I/O device
would have to be as potable as needed, while the host machines could be locked
to a desk.

------
codetrotter
I've been using the Dvorak keyboard layout since 2009/2010\. Back then I had a
TypeMatrix 2030 USB. I stuck with TypeMatrix most of the time between then
and... December 2017!

In December 2017, I bought an ErgoDox EZ Shine.

I immediatelly created a custom layout for my ErgoDox EZ Shine. A layout that
was heavily inspired by the key placement on my previous keyboard, the
TypeMatrix 2030 USB.

Over time I’ve made some small adjustments to the layout, occasionally
removing bindings that have been sitting unused.

Here is my layout in its current form: [https://configure.ergodox-
ez.com/ergodox-ez/layouts/PBKjJ/zb...](https://configure.ergodox-
ez.com/ergodox-ez/layouts/PBKjJ/zbdla/0)

I found the featured article interesting. I agree that the ErgoDox EZ is a bit
bigger than is probably necessary, and as a consequence of that, some of the
keys are not so easy to reach.

I like the two-button chording idea a lot. And I think the smaller keyboard
size that his ideas make possible seem quite appealing. At my desk at home I
use the ErgoDox EZ always, but when I am on the go I often use the builtin
keyboard of my MacBook Air even when I have the ErgoDox EZ with me in my
backpack or luggage.

What I would love to see some day is someone create a customized MacBook Air
aluminum casing that would put something like the programable keyboard of the
OP into it in place of the keyboard that Apple is shipping. And maybe make
said custom keyboard embedding adjustable in multiple directions and angles if
possible. Would maybe be difficult, but that to me would be the dream.

~~~
alin23
An alternative to your last sentence seems to be the Nuphy mechanical
keyboard: [https://nuphy.com/](https://nuphy.com/)

It is nowhere as elegant as actually replacing the builtin keyboard, it just
sits on top of it using magnets. But it is a product that actually exists.

~~~
codetrotter
Ooh, that’s neat! :)

Yeah something like that, but with programable keys placed ortholinearly and
with a split and middle buttons and thumb clusters like in the OP (which in
turn are similar to ErgoDox EZ that I like a lot).

------
SuperPaintMan
A user tipped me off that this was re-posted again after it didn't get much
traction last time. If you have any questions let me know and I'll try
answering them :)

Needless to say, it's been a few months since this was posted and I've doubled
down on the usefulness of chords/combos and overloaded layouts with GergoPlex.
Compared to the Gergo I was using before, the ergonomic gains are immense :)

(And Mods, can you remove the mobile bit on the link?)

------
siberianbear
The first keyboard he referred to was the original IBM "clicky" keyboard (aka
Buckling Spring keyboard) which is still available new. The right to
manufacture it has been sold to a company called Unicomp. [1] They've ditched
the legacy connector and now it will work with USB.

I personally own one of these and I love it. It causes less carpel tunnel
problems for me because the keys travel more and they don't bottom out quite
abruptly.

The only downside is that it is very noisy. If you can type at 80 wpm like me
and you work in an open cube environment, you'll make your cube neighbors
crazy. I no longer work in a shared office so nobody cares and I enjoy the
clicky sound.

[1] [https://www.pckeyboard.com/](https://www.pckeyboard.com/)

~~~
ytjohn
I have two of the Unicomp EnduraPro and it's been my favorite keyboard for
years. I'm one of probably 8 people in the world that like the Thinkpad's
Trackpoint, and this keyboard gives you that. During normal operations, I
don't have to move my hands off the keyboard.

The company is also rather responsive. I once dumped a large cup of soda right
onto the keyboard. It was out of warranty but they repaired it for a rather
reasonable amount.

More recently, I picked up the Ultimate Hacking Keyboard[1]. It was a bit of a
gamble because it's a smaller keyboard making use of layers (mod, mouse, and
function). However I adapted to it in pretty short order. On a full keyboard,
you do end up moving your hands to the arrow keys or the function keys. On
this keyboard, you almost never move your hands. It's got a nice tacticle feel
and it's quieter than the model M. With the mouse layer, I can keep my hands
on the home row almost as much as with the EnduraPro. There is a bit of
awkwardness with the default keymap in vim. The Mod layer's arrow keys almost,
but not quite, match up with vim's cursor movement keys, so I sometimes
confuse my muscle memory (and vim) when bouncing in and out of insert mode. I
should probably remap the arrow keys, but that's really my only complaint
about it so far.

[1]:
[https://ultimatehackingkeyboard.com/](https://ultimatehackingkeyboard.com/)

I do have UHK's trackpoint and key cluster addons on preorder, just waiting on
them to ship.

------
disabled
I used to be a specialized keyboard fanatic. Ultimately, what cured me of this
"need" was learning how to type in braille code, which uses 8 keys plus a
spacebar. Thanks to accessibility advancements, and especially on mobile
devices, I can carry around a mini braille display and efficiently control
everything I could ever imagine to need, without specialized keys. But, it
requires learning a certain combination of keys (as in commands) to do what
you want. I can also efficiently take notes in very advanced math using a
braille display plus a Raspberry Pi (see:
[http://liblouis.org/](http://liblouis.org/)), that none of my friends can do
efficiently, digitally. There is a really cool braille notetaker that is
integrated with Android, that allows for taking notes in various braille codes
(such as for math), but it is obscenely expensive, and is not as well
supported as the liblouis package. See:
[https://store.humanware.com/hus/blindness-braillenote-
touch-...](https://store.humanware.com/hus/blindness-braillenote-touch-
plus-32.html)

For the sighted (I am sighted, although I have a functional visual impairment
which affects my ability to read standard text), probably the way to go is to
use a BraillePen:
[http://braillepen.com/braillepens/](http://braillepen.com/braillepens/)

You do need an actual refreshable braille display to do this without audio
feedback (via headphones in public).

Usually you have to make a compromise between the amount of braille cells and
portability. My usual go to device is the HIMS Braille Edge 40. On the go, I
use a Handy Tech Actilino, which has 16 cells and is ergonomic and has an
auto-scroll reading feature.

------
IggleSniggle
Ever since I was a teenager I've wanted a one-handed keyboard that I could use
while walking around. Of course, at the time, I also had visions of a battery-
powered desktop in a backpack and a head-mounted display.

I recall the FrogPad and other chording keyboards that I can't recall the name
of, especially one that had switched _surrounding_ each finger giving 3 or 4
switches to each finger without moving the finger position.

Anyway, even though I never got a google glass, the dream lives on. Except
today the input interface that I would choose that's just out of reach is a
subvocalization interface.

~~~
_emacsomancer_
'Twiddler' is presumably the other one you're thinking of.

~~~
ungamed
I tried using it with emacs, with hilarious results..

It is -much- harder than you'd think.

~~~
_emacsomancer_
I've been gradually working on an emacs-centric layout for it:
[https://gitlab.com/emacsomancer/m-x-
tabspace](https://gitlab.com/emacsomancer/m-x-tabspace)

------
maccard
For my windows desktop, I have a StreamDeck [0] plugged into it. It's a 15 key
board, where each key is an LCD screen.

It's designed for streamers (twitch/youtube), but has a few features that make
it more general purpose. It can change layouts based on the active
application, the actions can be bound to keypresses, and it has an SDK [1].
It's pretty neat (although the hardware feels cheap, and the SDK is pretty
awful to use).

I've been tempted recently to look into hardware like the Loupedeck CT [2] as
a more "premium" alternative, (and I like the idea of using the the dials for
strange axes - scrolling tabs in a web browser/samples in a sampling profiler)
but their documentation is hidden, and it's almost 3x the price of the stream
deck.

[0] [https://www.elgato.com/en/gaming/stream-
deck](https://www.elgato.com/en/gaming/stream-deck)

[1] [https://developer.elgato.com/documentation/stream-
deck/sdk/o...](https://developer.elgato.com/documentation/stream-
deck/sdk/overview/)

[2] [https://loupedeck.com/en/products/loupedeck-
ct?skip=true](https://loupedeck.com/en/products/loupedeck-ct?skip=true)

------
Fang_
Been using a Gergo for well over a year now. I think I might own the first one
that was made with the low-profile Kailh Choc switches.

I can't imagine going back to anything else. The low profile, combined with
custom key layout (workman, modifiers on homerows, etc) has done wonders for
my RSI. Of course, tho "wow, what's that"-factor is also fun.

~~~
eeh
Modifiers on home row has been the killer feature for me. Do you have all four
modifies on each side?

------
melling
"But the ErgoDox suffers on massive flaw, the thumb cluster is horrible for
the outer thumb keys, half the buttons on the cluster are unusable/reachable
and it's got this giant top."

Never used an ErgoDox. How do others find the thumb cluster?

~~~
dharmab
I find the thumb clusters perfectly sized and positioned. I can easily hit the
bottom four keys on each cluster and can reach up to the top two without
issues. I suspect this depends strongly on the size and flexibility of your
hands.

~~~
rgharris
I have fairly large hands and _could_ hit all of the thumb keys. But I only
use 2 so that I don’t have any reach or large movements when typing. I agree
that it depends on hand size and your preference. Regardless, it has been an
awesome keyboard for me due to customizing layout/layers.

------
falcolas
I feel like a bit of a weirdo here - I love having a full sized, standard
layout keyboard. It makes me move my hands, which helps with RSI-type strains
on my hands. It allows me to use the same muscle memory no matter what
keyboard I find myself at (I currently have four, two of which are heavily
used). And I can find any rarely-used key by touch.

That said, I love the idea of a sub-30g actuation force for a key. More of
those, switch companies! And I appreciate that more and more choices are
available for people who aren’t me. :)

~~~
nfoz
I'm pretty hype to try the Keychron K1:
[https://www.keychron.com/](https://www.keychron.com/)

I think the "tenkeyless" layout is great: it's "full keyboard" size including
the separated arrows block and correctly spaced F keys, it's just missing the
numpad section that I rarely use.

It's also the "chiclet" style keys like a laptop keyboard, but with "low
profile" switches that I'm hoping will feel good but be less painful than
full-on cherry/gaming switches. I grew up on Model-M's, I used to love
hammering away, but I guess I'm one of the weirdos that grew to love the feel
of chiclet, where I can tell if I've pressed a key but don't need to press it
so hard. But most chiclet keyboards are too low-quality with not quite enough
travel. Balancing act.

~~~
falcolas
Great, a new keyboard rabbit hole to go down. :D

------
lawn
My Gergoplex got shipped recently and I'm excited to try it out. I'm
especially interested in trying out how the chording might work out.

~~~
ecliptik
I've had a GergoPlex for a couple months now and love it. It takes some
getting use to of course, but I frequently find myself trying to chord on my
60% board and wish I had QMK on it so I could mirror the layouts.

Few tips you may find useful,

\- Practice with it daily. My typing on it the first week was really bad, but
with a couple hours a day my WPM went up and now with alphanumerics it's
quick. I also do "learn to type" websites to use the lessons to cover the
entire board and force myself to do things I'm not doing as frequently day-to-
day.

\- Print out a copy of the keyboard layout
([https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rRS_TOYuIQQ/XhRERox3moI/AAAAAAABE...](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rRS_TOYuIQQ/XhRERox3moI/AAAAAAABEB0/uTThutO8H9o8HK-
sdNgzOKC1-gIdyEFoACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Capture.png)) and annotate it as you make
changes to the QMK layout. I keep it on the desk and use it for reference when
learning where the characters are and frequently update it when I change it to
better suit my personal layout. There's also [http://www.keyboard-layout-
editor.com/](http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/) to generate one.

\- Use lighter switches if you can. They work better for chording, and take
some getting use too, but your typing speed will increase and they work out
much better on a smaller board like this.

The only negative I have with the board, since it's so low-profile and light
is that it will move a bit and sometimes the board will rock. You can get the
gHeavy case for this, but it's quite expensive. I'm waiting for the day that
the GergoPlex sleeve is available which should help with the overall stability
of the board, [https://www.hidtech.ca/?product=gergoplex-
sleeve](https://www.hidtech.ca/?product=gergoplex-sleeve).

~~~
antigirl
I made this app for myself to help me learn my ergodox layout. It’s an always
on, on top app. One could easily repurpose it for their keyboard

[https://github.com/farzd/keydox](https://github.com/farzd/keydox)

~~~
ecliptik
This is super awesome, thank you for linking it and going to try and replace
the paper layout I have with it tonight.

------
easygenes
Wow! I got an original Kinesis Advantage about 12 years ago and loved
everything but how bulky it is. I even wrote to them asking if they were going
to release a slimmer one at some point. This custom world is new to me though
and has me thinking about flex PCBs and 3D printing to get that Kinesis curve
feel with exactly my own layout preference... exciting!

~~~
ianhowson
Google 'dactyl' and 'dactyl manuform'. It's relatively cheap to get the cases
3D printed. Most people are hand-wiring the switches rather than trying to
make flex PCBs.

~~~
lordofgibbons
I've been looking into getting the Dactyl Manuform for a few months now, but
haven't found any experience reports about it. Do you use it, and recommend
it?

~~~
ianhowson
Not yet -- ask me in two weeks!

I found enough reports on Reddit that I figured it was worth trying, and I
used a Kinesis Advantage for a long time.

If you haven't used a Kinesis, I would recommend buying or borrowing one
first. The price of a KA vs. a from-scratch Dactyl [Manuform] is similar, but
the KA doesn't need assembly and is easy to resell if you don't like it.

At this point I have a ton of keyboard parts lying around, I've used QMK a
lot, and I have strong preferences for certain switches (which I already own),
so the cost is just the 3D prints and assembly time (also low, because I've
built a few keyboards from scratch before.)

------
DavidVoid
I really gotta get myself a Georgi and properly learn stenography some day (or
rather, some year). You can only get so far by using Plover on a keyboard
without N-key rollover after all.

I _really_ like my HHKB, but I feel like a more ergonomic chording keyboard
(like the Georgi) will be beneficial for my fingers and hands in the long run.

------
Abishek_Muthian
Is there open designs available for inexpensive DIY one hand keyboard? The
accessibility keyboards are prohibitively expensive[1].

[1][https://needgap.com/problems/96-one-hand-keyboard-
keyboard-a...](https://needgap.com/problems/96-one-hand-keyboard-keyboard-
accessibility)

~~~
Luc
Not what you're asking but used one-handed Maltron keyboards can often be had
for little money on ebay UK. There's one for 45 Pounds at the moment. Bit
clunky and creaky though.

Personally I'd get a Kinesis Advantage with a footswitch. Use one half of they
keyboard as is, and the footswitch to change the layout.

------
indigo945
Unrelated thought: I just find it astonishing that it's 2020, we have plug-
and-play hardware of every kind, I can wirelessly connect my phone to my car
and it just works, and yet every time I reinstall an operating system I have
to manually tell it which symbols are printed on my keyboard.

~~~
slightwinder
Technically, you are not telling it what symbols are printed on the keyboard,
but which symbols you prefer to type. Because you can setup different symbols
than those printed, which many people make use of.

But sure, having some default-value returned by the keyboard would be sweet,
but probabvly also more problematic than helpful.

------
rudolph9
[https://shop.keyboard.io/](https://shop.keyboard.io/) Makes great stuff! I
have serial number: 32 of their Model 1 that I purchased on kick started years
ago.

The firmware is all open source and audrino too so hack away!

~~~
slohr
Yep, these are awesome! I'm typing on #82 of the first model01 run and it's
the first keyboard I can mash on all day without fatigue. I've tried a happy
hacker keyboard a maltron, one of the microsoft ergo keyboards, several
corsairs and the model01 has bested them all from my experience. For me the
killer app was being able to remap the large function buttons (under the meaty
part of both thumbs) to the enter and shift keys. Those changes coupled with
having the escape key activated with an index finger seriously changed my
life. From what I'm reading in the other comments there are other keyboards
that might allow the same type of mods but I honestly stopped looking once I
got this one. Yeah, I'm a total fanboy, and it should be said that there are
folks who were not able to get used to the layout, but for me it was worth the
investment.

------
p0llard
Non-mobile link: [https://blog.gboards.ca/2020/01/weird-keyboards-
programmable...](https://blog.gboards.ca/2020/01/weird-keyboards-programmable-
keyboards.html)

------
grawprog
I picked up an interesting keyboard for $2 at the thrift shop the other day.

[https://www.prehkeytec.com/products/programmable-
keyboards/m...](https://www.prehkeytec.com/products/programmable-
keyboards/mci-3100/)

It's a highly programmable and customizable keyboard with a built in magnetic
stripe reader. It's got a bunch of extra buttons, several keysets that can be
easily saved and swapped. It might be originally a POS keyboard, but it makes
a damn fine programming/gaming keyboard.

I'm pretty sure unless you pick it up used, you'll have trouble getting one
though. they won't sell it unless you're a commercial entity. If you ever see
one of these in a thrift shop or something, grab it up, it's worth it.

------
MivLives
I just got the last few parts to build a Gergo. I wish I had gotten choc
switches for it, but maybe if I ever build another one.

------
galkk
I'm interested in ErgoDox, but find it suspicious that the keyboard doesn't
have dedicated row with functional keys (F1-F12). If there are owners - what's
your approach? Some modifier keys?

~~~
yencabulator
Pretty much any keyboard without dedicated function keys, you press Fn+number.
ErgoDox has similar, except fully configurable. I believe I have F11 and F12
on somemodifier+shift+1 and 2, too. (I personally use function keys so rarely
I can't even remember how to type them on my ErgoDox.)

------
RBerenguel
I have a Gergo and a Ginni. A fan of the Gergo (the Ginni is fun), if I needed
to go back to an office I’d get a second one

------
nqzero
off-topic: dark mode makes me physically ill. is there a way in css to disable
it for this page (i've unsuccessfully tried some obvious things with color and
background, but i'm a backend dev and my FE/css is out of date)

~~~
badtuple
This JS snippet brute forces everything to have a white background and black
text. Should be able to paste it into your browser's dev console.

    
    
        var el = document.querySelectorAll('*');
        for(var i=0;i<el.length;i++){
          el[i].style.backgroundColor = '#FFF';
          el[i].style.color = '#000';
        }
    

If you don't mind sharing, why does it make you physically ill? I've heard of
people not liking it, but this is the first I've heard of an actual medical
issue and I'd like to be aware of it when designing things.

~~~
nqzero
funny - i never thought about using js, even though when i'm doing webapps,
that's how i generate all my html and css. thanks ! and looks like google's
official high-contrast extension will do this (i've been wary of using random
extensions that do this since they get access to everything)

it's a form of photosensitivity, maybe similar to [this form of
epilepsy]([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photosensitive_epilepsy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photosensitive_epilepsy)).
i also don't do great with 3D movies and if I don't have something concrete to
focus on ~50 feet in front of me, I'm prone to motion sickness)

while i'm reading the dark mode text i'm generally ok, but when i look away i
get scrolling almost-horizontal light-and-dark bars in my vision and extreme
nausea for a few minutes, milder auras, cramping and nausea for several hours
and don't feel "myself" for about a day. i've never been in a situation where
it happened and I couldn't walk away (i'll either lay down or sit facing a
blank wall) but I'm guessing I'd get what doctors diagnose as a concussion
(i've had several triggered by similar things without evidence of impact)

i haven't gotten a medical diagnosis, but assume it's a combo of being capable
of extreme focus (both intellectual and athletic) and being prone to
electrolyte imbalance

on my best days, I can handle dark mode for a few minutes without symptoms.
and over time I've had more and more "best" days (mostly through managing
electrolytes) so possible that i'll eventually not have to worry about it

I appreciate both the query and the intent to act on the info :) Not only for
this particular set of symptoms, but more generally - visual designers have
wide audiences and it must make for an interesting and at times frustrating
set of trade-offs

------
verandaguy
Just wish these shipped with MX-compatible switches. My best-feeling caps are
MX, and there's not a whole lot out there that's compatible with these
newfangled switches.

~~~
SuperPaintMan
Some do, take a look at the Ready options for Gergo that can be built with 35g
Kailh Box Pro Reds. For GergoPlex and a few others I went with Kailh Choc only
due to sizing differnces in the caps, using a hybrid footprint means that
chording is much harder (and seeing as vertical chording on MX caps is iffy at
best, it makes sense).

------
new_realist
My ideal would be a Dactyl with palm buttons.

------
DenisM
Wish I could have a Blackberry-style keyboard for my iPhone, just that I can
have the entire screen to see what I just typed.

Anyone?

~~~
dddw
Someone tried to make a snap on keyboard for iPhone on kickstarter but got
sued the bejezos by BlackBerry. Yesterday I sold my last Blackberry keyone
running android. The're quiting for real this time.

~~~
SuperPaintMan
Eh, we'll see, I'm hoping we get some news in August after the TCL contract
ends officially but I'm not holding my breath.

I'm still dailying my Key2 and have a UniHertz Titan setup ready to go for
when it dies. It's not perfect, but it beats typing on glass :)

