
Ultimate Hacking Keyboard - TomAnthony
https://ultimatehackingkeyboard.com/
======
fstanis
Regardless of whether you like the keyboard or not (or have no opinion), I
strongly recommend you check out their blog:
[https://ultimatehackingkeyboard.com/blog](https://ultimatehackingkeyboard.com/blog)

They gave a very thorough overview of the (many, many) challenges involved
with "kickstarting" a hardware product - and how they overcame them (from
issues with banks to FFC and CE certification). It's a great source of
knowledge for anyone who considers doing the same.

Laci also did an AMA on Reddit:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/3tkyme/iama_l%C3%A1sz...](https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/3tkyme/iama_l%C3%A1szl%C3%B3_monda_founder_and_ceo_of_the_ultimate/)

~~~
codethief
Funny that you would recommend their blog, I was going to do recommend the
blog[0] by the people behind keyboard.io[1] for the exact same reason.

[0] [https://blog.keyboard.io](https://blog.keyboard.io)

[1] [http://keyboard.io](http://keyboard.io) (If anyone from keyboard.io is
looking, please consider enabling TLS on your main domain.)

------
kabdib
I ordered a couple of these a couple of years ago. Still waiting.

Hadn't internalized the lack of an ESC key, so they are probably going into a
closet.

I'm _really_ happy with my Kinesis Gaming keyboards. Half a dozen of my cow-
orkers have bought them based on just a few minutes of using the one on my
desk. They're the best keyboards I've used in the last 20 years, since
Microsoft's Natural keyboards started to crater in design and build quality.

~~~
rsaarelm
I set up a linux trick recently where the caps lock key that's already being
remapped as control when it's held down is also set up to emit an ESC when
it's pressed and released using xcape. Works quite nicely, but I don't know if
complex behavior like that can be implemented as a hardware mapping.

~~~
PurpleRamen
Yes, they call it Dual-role keys. On their blog there is a recent update about
how this is now also visualized in their configuration-software. Seems the
firmware and their configuration-tool is quite powerful.

------
rpilgrimr
Just to clarify most common things:

1) This is a 60% keyboard - an accepted
standard.([https://www.keyboardco.com/blog/index.php/2017/08/full-
size-...](https://www.keyboardco.com/blog/index.php/2017/08/full-size-
tkl-60-and-more-a-guide-to-mechanical-keyboard-sizes/)) If you want arrows, F
keys, - get a 75%, TKL, or fullsize board.

2) No ESC key? This board is fully programmable. You can make ALL keys to be
ESC at the same time! Settings are saved ON THE board , so even if you go
anywhere else, you can still use your ESC key.

3) This board is actually shipping. It’s not a Kickstarter “we will make it
someday, maybe” thing. Guys did a great job keeping every backer updated on
current status in their monthly blog. Read it here, it’s amazing:
[https://ultimatehackingkeyboard.com/blog](https://ultimatehackingkeyboard.com/blog)

~~~
codethief
Re 1) and 2): Even if the keyboard is fully programmable, I still don't see
where I would put the arrow keys, F1-F12 and ESC here… Yes, you can come up
with all kinds of key combos but at the end of the day it will still take you
longer to press one of the F keys and, even worse, it will be far less
ergonomic if you have to press one such key combination repeatedly—especially
if the required super and meta keys are below your pinky & ring finger (= your
weakest fingers), instead of your thumb.

In my opinion, keyboard for hackers should have _more_ keys than regular ones,
not fewer. I like what the people at TrulyErgonomic[0] did here, namely put a
lot of keys in reach of your thumb and index. If only their support wasn't
abysmally bad…

[0] [https://www.trulyergonomic.com](https://www.trulyergonomic.com)

~~~
rpilgrimr
So you simply dont like the 60% board format.

~~~
codethief
Yup. I normally wouldn't complain but once you've had RSI you'll notice that
the state of things is that ergonomics are rarely taken into account and your
options when it comes to good ergonomic input devices are limited.

------
duxup
It looks like a cool product, but ...

I'm not a mechanical keyboard guy. I much prefer something like the Microsoft
Sculpt Ergonomic ... but it always made me sad that that style of keyboard
didn't have more competition.

The enthusiast keyboard scene seems to be mostly mechanical and I kinda want
something that feels more "in-between" what I think of as a heavy mechanical
and lighter laptop thing...

~~~
swampangel
There are "low profile mechanical" switches now that are more chiclet-like,
but I'm not sure if they've been put into an ergo design yet:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lAokeiYbzo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lAokeiYbzo)

I personally like Matias Quiet Click switches for a good feeling, quiet
switch. But the keys and keyboards from Matias have a deserved reputation for
being finicky.

I have a Matias Ergo Pro - which I otherwise like - but once in a while keys
on the left half will chatter until the board is unplugged.
[https://matias.ca/ergopro/pc/](https://matias.ca/ergopro/pc/)

~~~
ungzd
Just rubber o-rings on regular switches (instead of low-profile switches)
might be enough to reduce travel length, and as a bonus to make bottoming out
soft and silent, like on rubber dome keyboards. At least on MX, not sure about
dampening rings on Matias.

Also, to add "chickletness", there are XDA and G20 keycap profiles, which are,
AFAIK, especially popular to put on "ergonomic" splitted boards.

------
stitis
I am a keyboard fanatic. Two soldered, one repaired, two custom builds, QMK,
60%, 75%, 96, TKL, you name it. It’s a total disease to get hooked on this
stuff. I use both AHK on Windows and Karabiner on MacOS to map all my
shortcuts with more than 3000 lines of code to get them all working. CapsLock
is my Fn key and every key (literally all of them) have secondary functions
with Caps held. I also have hold macros, double taps, tip taps, two button
simultaneous combos, it’s crazy. I’m bragging about the awesomeness but also
complaining about the time spent on something so out there.

Back to UHK. The build quality is amazing, and allows me to rebind many of the
shortcuts so they work in HW instead of the OS, allowing me to use my
favorites on any computer.

If you’re looking for a starter, map your UHK Fn + hjkl to arrows (see Vim), b
to home “beginning”, n to end, d to page down, and u to page up. After a week
you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. Bonus points if you map another
to “delete word” by Option+BS or Ctrl+BS depending on your poison.

~~~
codethief
> CapsLock is my Fn key and every key (literally all of them) have secondary
> functions with Caps held. I also have hold macros, double taps, tip taps,
> two button simultaneous combos, it’s crazy.

I would love to hear more about the specific key chords you use and your
overall setup! Do you have a blog somewhere?

~~~
stitis
[https://github.com/StitiS/AHK](https://github.com/StitiS/AHK)

If you find it interesting and end up poking around to try it, feel free to
ask questions and I'll eventually get it updated to my latest.

------
fstanis
I've been using it for a few months now. I didn't know how to touch-type
before it arrived and I forced myself to learn. Without that, this keyboard is
not very useful.

That said, after learning to touch type, I found some layout decisions
surprisingly intuitive.

Most notably, it turned out that having arrow keys on my home row is a great
idea. Only after I got used to that did I realize how annoying it is to leave
the home row on a normal keyboard.

Still not sold on escape and fn keys. I believe that it would've been better
if had an extra row for those, but I might learn to appreciate that too in the
future.

~~~
brazzledazzle
I have a decent keyboard with a small form factor but I can't get over having
to toggle the mode of the keyboard to turn on the arrow keys when I need them
(which is annoyingly often in macOS) or using a modifier key. I wish I hadn't
had such a hard time getting the WASD keys to work as toggle-able arrow keys
because I felt like my muscle memory there could have helped bridge the gap. I
should give it another go because I otherwise really like that keyboard.

~~~
ztjio
I know exactly how you feel which is why I feel this is the best compact
customizable keyboard around: [https://kbdfans.cn/products/gk64-mechanical-
keyboard-64key](https://kbdfans.cn/products/gk64-mechanical-keyboard-64key)

No gimmicks, just compact with the right keys and 3 hardware programmable
layers so you don't have to mess with OS specific settings if you don't want
to.

------
xte
Not for me. It's seems to be designed by someone who do not really use
keyboard, just plain classic Windows-style.

I'm an Emacs user, coming from Vim. I think as tons of other. I do not want
Vim-in-Emacs (evil-mode) but I do want single-keys commands and
modifier+single key commands, no multiple big combinations.

Having function keys only combined with shift, fn etc means that the designer
NEVER really use function keys. Missing hyper modifier (that I admit make
sense only for Emacs users, but it's support is still there in any GNU/Linux
distros, "easy for dummy" included) is another BAD move. Mini-trackball are
not IMVHO a good move. In the past we have many trackball/trackstick like
solutions, they ALL fail. The sole, lone, survivors are Logitech style, thumb
trackballs, and spaceballs (essentially a "hand centered" trackball) only for
3D design.

For now, for me least bad "high-end" keyboard still in production is the
freestyle edge. I'd like an ancient keyboard for I do not remember witch
vendor with full row of functions keys + a second row of shift+function keys.

~~~
jwr
Emacs user here. I have the UHK and I love it. I'm not sure if you realize
that you can remap anything on this keyboard. My Emacs setup uses Ctrl, Meta,
Super and Hyper. Thanks to the UHK I can also have non-conflicting keybindings
for window management (i3 on Linux, various apps on the Mac).

~~~
xte
I use EXWM so not much conflicting problems, at maximum coherence problems for
non Emacs apps... My main problem is not remapping but to few single physical
keys.

I love to have notmuch open with a single key, notmuch-mua-new-mail with a
single key or at maximum S-$notmuchSingleKey, a single key for eshell, a
single key for a featured terminal emulator, a single key for a browser,
single keys for windows manipulation/buffer killing or switching etc. Split,
tilting etc are nice layout but I need 150%-200% keyboards, possibly with
backlit and custom-printed caps. In the past I love Sun keyboards (type 6 and
7 for most), now I'm struggle to find good o possibly better alternatives.

I do not look for "fast typing", I'm not a machine paid to write fast, but
keyboard that enable me to use a real keyboard-based UI with comfort. Software
"solution" (like hydra, evil etc) are not good enough.

On remapping: why the hell anyone try to offer application for that. What's
wrong with a dirty-cheap flash storage on-board and a text files or few text
files and dir in witch you can flash a new fw, remap with simple text config
etc?

That's why I say no actual keyboard OEM really use keyboards...

~~~
codethief
> On remapping: why the hell anyone try to offer application for that. What's
> wrong with a dirty-cheap flash storage on-board and a text files or few text
> files and dir in witch you can flash a new fw, remap with simple text config
> etc?

Man, I would love a text-based config! (Especially since one could then put it
under version control.) These GUI tools suck.

~~~
tuxlifan
> [...] text-based config! (Especially since one could then put it under
> version control.)

At least for the VCS part: The config is saved in ~/.config/uhk-agent in a
json file (don't know if the file name there changes though) and there are
Export and Import options in the UHK Agent available.

The source for UHK Agent is available at
[https://github.com/UltimateHackingKeyboard/agent](https://github.com/UltimateHackingKeyboard/agent)
so at some point someone could make some CLI utility to load a pure text
config...

That said, the UHK Agent is available as an AppImage and it works
astonishingly well for me, even on a non-mainstream Distro (Void Linux).

~~~
xte
do not get me wrong, I'm very happy to read about open source design and code,
it's a must for me, something we should demand by law to guarantee common
freedom.

I simply criticize the resulting product since it does not fit IMVHO any IT
professional use case, it may fit well writer's use case, from journalist to
bloggers etc, but not people who really want a keyboard-driven comfort UI and
so a good keyboard to interact.

Also for me offer things like AppImage, Docker, Snaps, Flatpack is a MINUS,
not a plus. As said before a (small) flash memory, easily accessible as USB
storage, easily usable with a simple hardware switch/key combination that
trigger "apply actual config" or "use previous and reset" is FAR simpler, far
less error prone, far comfortable, far easier, far effective and even safe due
to a very reduced attack surface. Today we have the REALLY bad habit to follow
big-corporation made trend, but those trend are instrumental and useful for
them, not for us.

A stupid, on-the-fly example: a simple flesh memory exported ad USB storage,
Fat32. A directory named fw_update with a README inside "put new fw in my pwd,
hit this key combination and new fw is applied. If id does not work previous
one will be restored and here you'll find logs to debug". Another dir named
docs with plain text or pdf documentation, a subdir ex_configs and a top level
dir. configs in which we simply type with a small DSL our config. Eventually
on their website a webui to do the very same things with a GUI, eventually a
local app to do the same, but as wrapper to this barebone, simple interface.
Cross platform by it's nature and friendly to any "professional" user and also
didactic for dummies. The local apps can be a simple static binary for most
common OS (GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Windows, OSX at least), a VERY simple
one, with a super-simple web-ui served by a super-simple http server, can be
easily done with few SLoC in python or go for instance.

Also I see they offer additional keycaps, very good. But they are the same of
the built-in one. You sell a keyboard of this kind without a vast selection of
all-the-icons style keycaps and optional custom printed for extra fee? Of
course, nearly all vendor do the very same. And it's really a shame IMO, it's
clearly depict they do not know their customers or they are not really
"keyboards OEMs".

No optional backlit version? If there are cheaper Chinese keyboards for around
10 euros with it and no on a high end devices? Even as paid extra option?

For a high end device an optional secondary USB cable to the computer and a
couple of USB (perhaps USB3) port on the keyboard?

For a high end device aiming at IT pro, not gamers, an optional extension with
a card reader pcsc compatible?

The world is complex, trying to satisfy anyone it's hard, one size does not
fit all, so from a keyboard OEM, not a cheap one, I expect a sort of "modular
platform" that can be tuned both for IT pro, gamers and even hard-core typist
outside IT world. There are plenty of "high end" keyboard that are
substantially the same, trying to being different for the sole reason of
business competition not technical reasons.

------
_virtu
Kinda bummed to see that they don't support qmk. Why write your own firmware
when a sweet oss firmware with tons of backing already exists?

~~~
mondalaci
Because it's a tad easier to configure the UHK via Agent than QMK keyboards.
[http://ultimatehackingkeyboard.github.io/agent/](http://ultimatehackingkeyboard.github.io/agent/)

~~~
lghh
There are ways to do this with QMK as well.

~~~
mondalaci
I believe you, but I don't think they come close to Agent.

~~~
lghh
They do because they work on more than one keyboard.

~~~
mondalaci
Then show me a QMK GUI configurator that is as intuitive and powerful as
Agent.

~~~
lghh
Massdrop has a really nice one.

------
egorfine
Why did they name a keyboard with no escape, no arrows and no function row a
"hacking" keyboard?

~~~
rijoja
Because the escape key heavily used by VIM was placed there since it used to
have the position of where the caps lock is currently located. Hence all elite
users map the escape key to the caps lock key. As far as the arrow keys are
concerned the keyboard used for the original vim had arrow keys placed on the
keys h,j,k & l. Which is what real hackers use to navigate apparently.

~~~
Lio
Not sure I qualify as an “elite” but I’ve never seen an original keyboard with
the escape where thr caps is on a modern keyboard.

I’ve seen them in the place of the tab key but never on the home row.

Personally, as a long time Vi user, I think you’re better off mapping the caps
key to Ctrl and using C-[ for escape. That leaves you with many more Vim
insert mode commands within easy reach.

E.g. C-r <buffer> — to put a buffer

C-h — backspace

C-i — tab

C-m — CR

C-xC-f — complete filename

Etc, etc.

h,j,k & l are really only the simplest od vi navigation keys. Once you know
how to, say, jump to 3rd paragraph or to jump or to the middle of the screen
you won’t use them anywhere near as much.

Much as I love vi navigation owning a Pok3r keyboard has shown me how annoying
it is to not have dedicated cursor keys for GUI applications.

~~~
derimagia
Any keyboard can do it, it's just a software thing. Mac even supports
switching the Caps lock to escape in the system preferences.

~~~
Lio
Yep. It’s portability is what I love about it.

------
jamesfmilne
Jamie Zawinski wrote a fairly critical review of it

[https://www.jwz.org/blog/2018/08/ultimate-hacking-
keyboard/](https://www.jwz.org/blog/2018/08/ultimate-hacking-keyboard/)

Warning: jwz doesn’t care much for HN, so you will be referred to a NSFW image
if you follow the above link. I recommend copying & pasting the URL :-)

~~~
asymmetric
> Warning: jwz doesn’t care much for HN, so you will be referred to a NSFW
> image if you follow the above link. I recommend copying & pasting the URL
> :-)

Or use the opportunity to disable the referer header. In Firefox, it's
network.http.sendRefererHeader in about:config.

~~~
jumelles
> network.http.sendRefererHeader

In case anyone else wondered like me, change to 0 to stop completely, or to 1
to still work on click (no images)

------
jwr
I have the UHK and I love it. I would recommend this keyboard to anyone who
needs to work with several different operating systems. I have it set up with
keybindings for Mac, Linux and Windows and switch between the three quickly.
You can set things up so that switching is relatively painless, e.g. the same
shortcut will do similar things in all OSs that you work with (well, to the
extent that Linux apps do similar things given the same keypress...).

What I also enjoy is that I can place the halves on both sides of my laptop,
with my MacBook in the middle. A very comfortable typing setup.

BTW: Jamie Zawinski writes "I don't know about you, but the frequency with
which I change my keymap is: exactly once ever. So I don't really need this
thing glowing at me. You can turn the light off, but even when unlit it's
still ugly as sin. It begs for a piece of electrical tape over it. Also, I'm
baffled that they chose to devote so much physical space to such a useless
indicator."

I guess I'm different: I switch keymaps all the time. And this is a killer
feature of the UHK: easy management of keymaps, fast switching (using
shortcuts which _I_ can define!) and a visible indicator of which keymap is
currently active. But then this is a keyboard for hackers, who I'd venture to
guess routinely use several computers, right? :)

~~~
PurpleRamen
> But then this is a keyboard for hackers, who I'd venture to guess routinely
> use several computers, right? :)

Yes, and usually they all come with their own keyboards. I don't think many
are rich and crazy enough to spoil 300-400 Euro per keyboard just to have the
same at work, home and for the random access on the go. Not to forgotten that
you need to sync the settings for all of them when you change something.

~~~
semi-extrinsic
This is one of the big stumbling blocks for me when it comes to fancy
keyboards. I'm not going to spend $1000 on keyboards, and I'm definitely not
going to be dragging a keyboard back and forth between work, home and the
garage.

So for me it's a $99 CM Masterkeys Pro M at work, a saved-from-the-trash IBM
Model M at home, and a brilliant _machine washable_ Logitech K310 in the
garage.

------
roel_v
I've had mine for about 2 months now. I like it better than my Ergodox, but
it's not perfect (yet). Maybe I need to train muscle memory more still, but
I'm looking forward to the extra modules shipping for having extra thumb keys.
Furthermore I'm still annoyed at the arrow keys needing a modifier, where the
Ergodox has an extra row of keys for that. Hardware build quality is
impeccable, software/firmware is only just getting there though.
Programmability is better (well, easier) than w Ergodox, although I imagine
that by now there are graphical tools for that; back when I configured mine, I
had to hack the C firmware to get it to do what I wanted.

~~~
kingnothing
Why do you like it over the Ergodox?

~~~
roel_v
Because all keys are printed, build quality (I have an Ergodox EZ and it's ok
but not like the UHK), the palm rests are attached, the tenting works better,
I like having a proper graphical config tool. I think those are the main ones
but I'm not sitting at my desk looking at it, so I might forget something :)

~~~
mkozlows
Ergodox EZ has a graphical config tool.

~~~
mondalaci
There's quite a difference between the configurator of the ErgoDox EZ and
Agent. Agent is a tad more polished, allows multiple keymaps, editing macros,
directly saves configuration to the keyboard, restores configuration based on
keyboard memory, and allows customizing mouse speeds.

------
drewg123
Maybe just make it one row wider or taller so that it can have an escape and a
`~ key simultaneously? The need to make these things so small that compromises
like having to choose between esc and `~ is very strange to me. This is not a
portable device.

I have had a Mistel MD650L for the last 6 weeks, and I didn't notice that it
had the same issue as this one -- you need to press a mod key to switch
between esc and `~. I use both enough that this is a major PITA. I remapped
the "del" key to `~ for a while, but then I started to have to hunt around for
that key on my laptop.

~~~
mondalaci
You can remap the ~ key on the UHK to be Esc by default and ~ via the Mod
layer if you want to.

We plan to design further UHKs of different form factors. I don't get however
why you don't consider the current model compact.

~~~
graedus
> I don't get however why you don't consider the current model compact.

Are you referring to this?

> This is not a portable device.

The way I read it, drewg123 wasn't saying that this particular keyboard is not
compact compared to other keyboards. Rather, a keyboard in general doesn't
need to be particularly portable, so why attempt to shave an extra inch off by
eliminating useful keys?

~~~
drewg123
Yes, that's exactly what I'm trying to say. I didn't notice the tradeoff on
the kbd that I have now before I bought it. So every time I go to use tilde, I
need to stop, think, and hit the mode key. I'd much rather have another row
with fn/esc above the numbers, just like on regular keyboards. I was actually
hoping this keyboard had that. I can't seem to find a "mild" ergo split
mechanical keyboard with enough keys; I'd buy one if I could find one..

------
sand500
Another split keyboard alternative to this and the UHK is the freestyle edge:
[https://gaming.kinesis-ergo.com/edge/](https://gaming.kinesis-ergo.com/edge/)

Had way less of a learning curve than my ergodox.

~~~
suprfnk
> Had way less of a learning curve than my ergodox.

The big difference to the keyboard you linked, the Ergodox is an ortholinear
keyboard. It is to be expected that that comes with a learning curve if you've
only typed on a staggered keyboard. I personally think ortholinear is worth
the learning curve.

~~~
JdeBP
It's a shame that the Ergodox marketing blurb implies that they invented it.

> _archaic design, which we fixed_

It was fixed a long time ago, by other people.

Maltron keyboard designs have had this since the 1980s. Lillian Malt
criticized "[t]he uneven stretches caused by the diagonal slope of the rows of
keys on qwerty" in 1977. PCD Maltron's first demo keyboard from 1976
eliminated that slope.

* [https://www.maltron.com/maltron-history.html](https://www.maltron.com/maltron-history.html)

That wasn't a novel criticism even then.

------
exitcode00
A "hacking" keyboard without a numpad and f-keys? Lame..

~~~
rijoja
Can't think of any terminal application that heavily uses function keys,
really.

~~~
Too
All IDEs use function keys for code navigation and debugging.

------
tashoecraft
Good on them for shipping. Followed them for awhile, but eventually went with
a keyboard.io. I'm rarely traveling whilst needing a dedicated keyboard, and
all the extra add ons weren't necessary for me.

~~~
jimmy1
I was curious so I looked at their marketing vid. "I found a bunch of research
about keyboard design [...] and every keyboard design in the last 20 years has
flat out ignored it"

It also seems they flat out ignored the single most beneficial feature for a
keyboard on hand ergonomics: having your hands rest at a negative slope. The
UHK seems to have this feature.

~~~
tashoecraft
You can just spin the base and have whatever slope you want

~~~
jimmy1
interesting, thanks for pointing that out. I am attracted more to the finishes
on the keyboardio than the uhk, it will be a tough decision for me

------
miguelrochefort
Staggered keys. Seriously?

I'll never stop being amazed by how conservative these designs are.

~~~
IronBacon
I have an Ergodox and a TECK (I prefer the latter to the Ergodox) and I cringe
every time I need to use a "standard" (horizontally) staggered keyboard. It
boggles my mind on how this industry continue to adopt a layout that was the
result of technical limitations of the 1800, fuck ergonomics, we don't want to
confuse our customers... Bah!

~~~
brodsky
Could also be due to the product being aimed at touch typist audience with
lots of muscle memory of traditional keyboards?

~~~
IronBacon
Not in my opinion.

I think I've learned to touch type on a mechanical Olivetti typewriter, the
hand stance was different and it required a lot, and I mean it a lot of force
applied to the keys to print a character, anyway I probably used to touch type
on staggered keyboards for more than 10 years, the transition to columnar
keyboards was painless and I'm not going back.

The only two problematic keys are probably Y and B where you can learn to
reach both with the same hand (I think my instructor left us freedom and I
probably used the right index for both).

I switched 2~3 years ago to Colemak, I thought Dvorak moved too much keys
around, and I have the impression that I'm slower than when I was on Qwerty
and I still confuse the R with the S (I need to think to press the key instead
of simply thinking the word, that is more than a decade of muscle memory) so
you have a sample of one that is a weak argument. ^__^;

------
jader201
Why are we still designing “ergonomic” keyboards where all of the keys — for
both hands — still angle to the left?

I know that would be straying from a long-lived standard, but if we’re going
to split the middle, why not also go ahead and angle the keys on the left half
to the right?

~~~
aasasd
More to the point, the keys should't be angled any way, the key blocks should
be. That is, each half should be ortholinear. Because fingers aren't angled on
the joints.

Also a flat keyboard isn't “extremely ergonomic,” because human fingers rotate
on joints instead of being extendable and retractable. The keys should form a
bowl for each hand, like on Maltron and Kinesis Advantage.

~~~
SmirkingRevenge
The advantage is great. The bowl-form is now a must for me - and while I've
dreamed of a split-ergo keyboard with a trackpoint on it for ages, I can't go
back to a flat keyboard.

------
honkylips
I quite like mine. I haven't used it continuously - still getting used to the
no-other-keys on a minimal keyboard. I like the cursor keys being a mod, but
that seems like a lot if you want to do a lot of cursoring.

I haven't delved into the software at all - i need to.

I am just happy to have a split keyboard. I've waited yeeaaars for two-halves.

It feels like a very solid product. I like the purposeful click as the two
halves join together.

It did take a couple of years, but I was in no hurry. I await my addon-
modules.

Oh, and I also got a Das 5Q about the same time. Looks pretty but a very
different mechanical feel than the UHK, which I just love.

I have nothing but good things to say about this thing at this point. A joy to
type on, with both arms wherever-the-hell i want them.

------
Hayframe
I've been using this keyboard for 8 months, always split; in my workplace we
tend to move stations very often to work in pairs, so I can just merge them,
move around and split them. Turns out it is very easy to carry them from home
to the workplace, and around the workplace.

I'd say it's what makes this keyboard very different from other splits, since
all the rest (remappable keys, layers, etc.) are commonly found in keyboards
that lack the function row or arrow keys anyways. If it weren't for the
ability to carry it easily I would have definitely looked at the competition
for other split keyboards.

------
kingnothing
I'm highly skeptical of any "ergonomic" keyboard that doesn't use some form of
columnar layout.

------
cordite
Very neat, totally want, just with ortholinear keys and with a low profile.

~~~
btschaegg
> [...] totally want, just with ortholinear keys [...]

This. I was actually pretty hyped about the UHK, but seeing the delivery
schedule, opted for an ergodox. After a week or two I really started noticing
how annoying that shift between the key rows is on a normal keyboard.

~~~
cordite
I used an ergodox for a while, but I was chafing my thumbs on it. I seem to do
better with low profile keys. Currently I use the TypeMatrix for 6 years now
(and have 3 of them).

The key tactility isn't where I want with the TypeMatrix, but the low profile
(as well as good labeling for non a-z keys) design seems to be most
comfortable.

------
thecrumb
Wish you could 'rent' one of these for a few weeks. $300+ is a lot of
investment for something you may not like. I bought a Kinesis and it's just
gathering dust on my desk.

~~~
mondalaci
You can just return your UHK in 30 days if you don't like it. You'd have to
pay for shipping, but it's not a major expense. See
[https://ultimatehackingkeyboard.com/shipping-and-
warranty](https://ultimatehackingkeyboard.com/shipping-and-warranty)

------
Hashbrown777
I ordered mine a couple years ago but honestly it'll be worth the wait. I
don't care much for the mechanical keyboard, what I'm itching to finally use
is the on-board remapping of keys.

At the moment I use dvorak and there are some applications that simply refuse
to listen to the OS configurations. Especially remote desktop on windows and
anything that isn't rdesktop on linux (which like to read direct keycodes an
use the guest OS' configuration I guess?).

Having the keyboard handle this in-hardware means the computer can never make
these mistakes, it'll just think it's a qwerty. Also in going to other
people's desks at work, I can just carry this tiny KB with me instead of
switching my brain over back to qwerty on their KBs.

On top of dvorak though, I though to myself "why only move the alpha keys in
the name of ergonomics?", so I've also really mangled my non-alpha keys using
.Xmodmap and autohotkey for my windows machines.
[https://i.imgur.com/4Q51VIL.png](https://i.imgur.com/4Q51VIL.png)

As ridiculous as it looks this is an amazing setup. Having shift pressed by
the thumbs is incredibly easy, especially contrasting it to using the pinkies.
Moving backspace and other command keys to the centre was also a really
liberating change, I never have do move my hands.

Like dvorak though, using software to implement this is problematic.
Autohotkey/windows for instance likes to lock my shift key in occasionally
when I use my moved alt key, requiring a logout :/ Having these issues dealt
with via a hardware solution is going to be extremely satisfying.

~~~
earenndil
Lots of keyboards let you remap keys directly on the hardware. I'm currently
very happy with the kinesis (which has backspace, delete, space, enter,
ctrl/alt, pageup/pagedown, and home/end on the thumbs).

~~~
Hashbrown777
Wow, whoops, thanks. It's a serious wonder how I hadn't ever seen these guys
before. I looked into it a bit before going "well I guess I should get this".
Kenesis' SmartSet is basically UHK's Agent. The Advantage series looks bulky
as but the Freestyle is basically the same keyboard as the UHK but is so much
cheaper.

All I came across where huge keyboards, or ones paneled of wood, or some bowl
ones and ones where the keys were orthogonal (although I use dvorak and have a
trackball, I wasn't ready to completely jump in the deep end and get one of
those flight-control looking beasts). The 'programability' was usually in-
software like with Logitech's LGS, but it seems if I found this in my search
it's what I would've gone with.

Going forward I guess I can be satisfied by the more solid design of the UHK
(7segment LED for layout display instead of some lights, a replaceable and
much longer cable between the two halves, magnetic rejoining of the halves for
transport, and the addition of modules whenever they finish designing those).

Looks like it's not as revolutionary as I thought, but I'm still pretty
chuffed with how much of an improvement it seems to be in the evolution of
these keyboards. I haven't got mine yet, but I doubt my opinion will sway as
I'm yet to read a bad thing about them (that would affect me like 'where are
my f-keys' or 'I hate staggered rows') for the people who have received
theirs.

------
Tbohnen
I was part of the pilot run so hsve been using it for a couple of months now.
I love the fact that I can easily put it in my bag and travel around with it.
I use mac but it's so easy to change to ubuntu layout when Pairing and you
just keep on being productive.

I use emacs, vim, visual studio code and intellij with vim plugins on non
native vim and the esc / ctrl modifier is great. It's a 1000 times better than
the normal ctrl.

One thing that I appreciate the most about the UHK is @mondalaci's drive to
make this a brilliant product. From the newsletters to responding almost
instantly to any query someone might and even helping me out with my config.

I was starting to get very sore wrists after typing a lot and now, during one
of the most intense coding years of my life, no sore wrists!

The UHK is part of my kit now and sure, there are a couple of things to get
used to and some things I would have liked to change in beginning but have
gotten used to. I really dislike typing without it now

------
h1d
Happy hacking keyboard has been my main for 10 years. The pushes feel very
comfortable, Ctrl is in the middle row, small enough to carry around and no
need to reach out on any far keys as keys are in your reach. Your friends
amaze at you with the version without any characters printed on the keys even.

I just figured Bjarne Stroustrup is using it.

[https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/4dsv9i...](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/comments/4dsv9i/bjarne_stroustrup_creator_of_c_uses_hhkb/)

(Even a photo of RMS using it in the thread.)

There's also a black version.

[https://www.pfu.fujitsu.com/direct/hhkb/images/detail_hhkb-p...](https://www.pfu.fujitsu.com/direct/hhkb/images/detail_hhkb-
pro2-b-1.jpg)

(HHKB lite is a complete different thing which I will never buy.)

------
bitesthedust
I'm very happy with mine. I did not notice the lack of a dedicated escape key
when I ordered mine, but I it's turned out to not be an issue for me. My
wrists are very happy. Anyone who bought one and doesn't like it and wants to
sell theirs, I'll give you $50. ;-)

------
stevenicr
What is the deal with the wire between the two halves I see on all of these
split keyboards?

My first thought is that if they were two wireless pieces, then timing of the
receiver could be an issue and it could see key strokes in the wrong order(?)

I guess power is also a thing. Perhaps it would require two usb sticks a
receivers?

I've been keeping an eye on these discussions for some time and seeing some
that are so close to my vision of a perfect design, the wire in between the
two pieces limits one of my use cases.

Noticed mention in the thread about "Let's Split" \- a quick search shows some
pics that appear to show some without a wire between them, so maybe it's an
easily solved issue, or could be trick photography hiding the in between
wiring(?)

Glad to see more and more people working on better keyboard layouts!

~~~
fstanis
According to Laci, power + modules made them decide not to go with wireless:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/3tkyme/iama_lászló_mo...](https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/3tkyme/iama_lászló_monda_founder_and_ceo_of_the_ultimate/cx75yt7)

~~~
mondalaci
Great find! Didn't even remember of talking about this.

~~~
fstanis
I actually had some trouble finding it, but I had strong memory of reading the
answer to the wireless question in the past, since I wondered the same.

Have you considered adding it to the FAQ? I feel this is a thing many are
curious about.

~~~
mondalaci
I'll build a knowledge base on the UHK site soon, and I'll add it.

------
andrewla
I personally use a regular keyboard rather than a split ergonomic keyboard;
I've never really had any discomfort even typing for long periods, so have
never really felt the need, and I have a tenkeyless keyboard that I'm very
happy with.

The main thing that I notice when I try out split keyboards is that the middle
keys on the keyboard are forced to "choose a side". My typing style admits
some degree of alternation; I may use my left hand to hit the 'h', especially
when my right hand is doing punctuation work on the side of the keyboard.

So my question is why aren't these keys simply replicated. Just have
t/y,g/h,v/b/n on both sides of the divide so that you don't have to make a
choice; just like the spacebar is replicated.

~~~
redwards510
> I've never really had any discomfort even typing for long periods, so have
> never really felt the need

See, the thing about Repetitive Stress Injury, at least in my experience, is
it just starts hurting one day out of the blue, and at that point you are
screwed because you can't just "take a break" from using a keyboard/mouse.
Every day you just worsen it and freak out wondering if your career is going
to be over because it hurts so much to do your job. In my case throwing away
corny rainbow-led gaming keyboards/mice and getting a split keyboard &
vertical mouse saved my life. But I wish I had never got to that point!

------
etatoby
I've been using a Truly Ergonomic for close to a decade, heavily used every
day (yes, the same unit) and it still is the best keyboard I've ever used.
Highly recommended.

[https://trulyergonomic.com/](https://trulyergonomic.com/)

------
jnordwick
Whoever made this didn't seem to program much in vi or emacs.

\- you need as modifier for esc. \- control is shoved in the corner. \- return
is too small \- no easy arrows

I'm sure I could get used to other issues like needing a modifier for function
keys, but those three are a real deal breaker.

If you are going to do a hackers keyboard, make it so you don't need shift for
the parens, brackets, or other commonly used symbols when coding or at a shell
prompt.

(My emacs setup makes heavy use of function keys including modifiers with them
so that might actually be a deal breaker too. Having to be a world class
pianist to compile doesn't sound like a step up.)

Edit: i hate hn formatting so very much

~~~
hannasanarion
No keyboard would be a hacking keyboard if it were not hackable.

The central feature of the UHK is how extremely easy it is to reprogram, you
can put any key anywhere, with 4 layers to work with (normal, fn, mod, and
mouse) and borrowings from qmk like different behavior on a key when is tapped
vs held, one-shot-mods, and tapdancing.

~~~
brodsky
what are one-shot-mods and tapdancing? I'm new to this terminology! :) thanks.

~~~
hannasanarion
One-shot-mods is when you press a button once, and then release it, and it has
an effect on the next button you press. For example, to get to upper case,
instead of holding shift and pressing buttons, you can press shift once, and
only your next button press is shifted.

Tap dancing is when a button does different things for how many times you
press it in a row. For example, one of my keyboards has the button to the left
of the pinky finger (the one usually labeled "caps lock") with this schema:
tap: backspace hold: control double tap: escape double tap-hold: super

~~~
brodsky
wow, 'double-tap => Esc' is genius. I have a habit of smashing Esc a few times
anyway ("for good measure"? I don't know). I will be sure to try this once my
UHK gets here. Thanks!

------
BananaHemic
I purchased this keyboard two years ago, and it was absolutely worth the wait.
My thoughts after 2 weeks of use:

\- The lack of an escape key was initially a real pain point, but with agent
it was easy to change the backtick key to escape \- The feel of the keys are
incredible, but I am coming from a cheap dell keyboard so I don't have a solid
basis for comparison \- Mapping mod + hjkl to the arrow keys has been
incredibly efficient \- The mouse mode in the keyboard is unusable in its
present state, but hopefully the extra modules solve this

Overall I'd give it a solid 9/10, presuming that you remap the keys to fit
your individual workflow

------
ksmithbaylor
I have been looking at this recently with great interest!

A problem I have with all other split layout keyboards is that they place the
B key on the left side of the keyboard. However, I type the letter B with my
right index finger, not my left. I know this is "incorrect", but it is firmly
ingrained in my muscle memory and while I've tried changing it in the past,
I've had little success.

I got very excited when I saw the "key cluster" module, since if it were
available for the right side, it would allow me to just place my own B key
next to N where I want it.

Is this planned? I would buy this in a heartbeat if so.

~~~
linsomniac
I used to have this habit as well. I ended up borrowing a ErgoDox Ez from a
friend when my normal keyboard broke a few years ago, and bit the bullet and
unlearned this habit and a bunch of others, and it was, to me, worth it.

I also always typed shift with my left pinkie, no matter what the next
character was, even A. I also would _ALWAYS_ look when doing numeric keys, and
sometimes other combinations. I ended up with blank keycaps, and broke that
habit.

You can do it!

------
petepete
I've tried so many styles of keyboard over the years and nothing has ever made
me feel as 'at one with the computer' as the HHKB Pro 2.

It's so close to perfect. Typing feels amazing, it has a really pleasing
'thunk' if you bottom out, the CTRL key is in the _correct_ position, it's
almost symmetrical and everything's within reach. When used with a suitable
wrist rest I can type for hours on end without complaint.

Worth every penny.

Additionally, I've seen "pimped" versions of the HHKB and it's honestly
ridiculous. Why take something beautiful and minimalist and have weird-shaped
keys?

~~~
gnulinux
Is it programmable? I don't suppose programmability is absolutely necessary
since I use emacs and so "everything is programmable" but still, while I'm
updating my keyboard from shitty MacBook Pro keyboard, I might as well get
something programmable.

~~~
petepete
Not programmable. Programmability isn't something I care for in a keyboard.

I understand it's a must for some people though, it's a good thing that
there's plenty of choice these days.

------
_ph_
Looks very nice, a big bonus that it is available as an ISO layout. The
difficulty with finding a decent keyboard is, that as a German, I need an ISO
layout, which rules out a lot of potentially great keyboards. But
unfortunately it is missing the row with the escape and function keys and the
cursor keys.

Currently I am using the Microsoft Sculpt keyboard, and I am mostly happy with
it, except that the escape/function key row is only half sizes. If it were
full sized, I probably would be compeltely happy with it.

I would be willing to shell out serious money for my dream keyboard, but so
far the offerings are few and scarce.

~~~
_ph_
Following a link in this discussion, I found the matias, which is avaliable in
ISO layout and has the extra keys:
[https://matias.ca/ergopro/pc/](https://matias.ca/ergopro/pc/) does anyone
have experience with their "quit click" keys?

------
anotheryou
Are there any chiclet style split keyboards?

~~~
CarVac
There is a Let's Split kit with Kailh Choc low profile keys. It's not chiclet,
but it's short travel.

~~~
anotheryou
sold out :/

------
pro_zac
After using the Comfort Keyboard system [1] for about 10 years, I made the
switch to the Koolertron split keyboard [2]. I'm a huge fan of having the left
spacebar programmed to backspace. It comes with extra key caps so you can make
them all black.

[http://www.comfortkeyboard.com/keyboards_ergoflex.html](http://www.comfortkeyboard.com/keyboards_ergoflex.html)

[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076FTNXDX/](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076FTNXDX/)

------
lghh
There are plenty of keyboards that do this exact same schtick with better
firmware, better layouts, and/or at less cost. The only thing this adds are
the add-ons which are gimmicky...

~~~
nine_k
This is one of the few I see with a trackpoint / trackpad as an option.

Having a separate mouse next to a programmers keyboard sort of defeats the
purpose, because it makes you move your hand constantly. But a pointer device
is often the most ergonomic option if one of your tools is a browser.

------
asymmetric
I like it from the description, but I'm not sure about the fact that it's not
ortholinear (i.e. keys are not in a grid).

How do people feel about the effect of ortholinearity on ergonomics?

------
utopcell
I find Massdrop's CTRL mechanical keyboard [1] fascinating. AFAIK it is the
only keyboard whose keys are not soldered on the PCB, which allows you to swap
mechanical key types out or mix-and-match.

[1] [https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-ctrl-mechanical-
keyboa...](https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-ctrl-mechanical-keyboard)

~~~
JimmyAustin
The CTRL's predecessor, the K-Type, also featured hot-swap socket.

There are a few others (like the GK64 and the Ergodox EZ) that also feature
it!

~~~
utopcell
Thanks, I did not know about these keyboards.

------
Penguin-Guru
I for one am very excited about this. Loud, directionless, and without escape
is exactly how I prefer my keyboards. It is unfortunate that the modules
aren't ambidextrous, but I hardly use a mouse anyway and I'm right-handed.
Rather than fixing that, I hope they start working on Bluetooth modules next.
Maybe some battery modules and get this baby working on my phone.

~~~
brodsky
I wonder if one can use a USB OTG adapter to make it work on a phone? I will
certainly try once I get mine. Thanks for the idea!

~~~
mondalaci
Yes, totally. See
[https://twitter.com/ZephyrRz/status/1003112556091838467](https://twitter.com/ZephyrRz/status/1003112556091838467)

------
tomjakubowski
Congrats on shipping, Laci!

~~~
redwards510
This. I've been following this product since it was first announced and I know
it's been a looooooong road to travel for the team. If anyone is pondering
doing a similar hardware product, you should check out the UHK blog because
Laci goes into a lot of technical detail about development, procurement, and
certification issues the UHK team ran into over two years.

I was mad when the projected date was missed, but as time went on, I strangely
got less mad until I just threw up my hands and said "It'll be here when it's
ready." I'm glad they didn't cut any obvious corners trying to get this out to
meet angry customers mad about the ship date.

~~~
mondalaci
Thanks for the nice words! Our backers have been super nice about the
announced delays, and cherished that we insist to quality so much. We're so
glad to finally ship!

------
bitxbit
I just came here to say HHKB and rubre domeh. I actually moved on to custom
myself but still stick with the original HHKB format.

~~~
twiceaday
Reference:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bm02Gc7dNh8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bm02Gc7dNh8)

------
13415
I'm using a Pok3r and the programming is great for remapping keys - I
definitely need Ctrl on Capslock. I bought it because my Unicomp was taking up
too much desktop space.

To get to the point: Even as an Emacs user I am missing the arrow keys and
Insert and Home. Tenkeyless is better.

So for me the above keyboard wouldn't be the ultimate hacking keyboard.

~~~
diffeomorphism
Maybe a naive question, but why should one reprogram keys in hardware instead
of software (xmodmap, xkb, xcape etc.)?

~~~
13415
I dual boot Windows and Linux, and remapping on both platforms consistently
(incl. system updates, etc.) is a pain in the ass. I also need to use a remote
desktop connection with a normal keyboard from time to time, which makes the
software solution even more annoying.

------
frostburg
Interesting. I'm going to build a Nyquist (60%, split, ortho, I picked Zealios
67g switches) in a few days, I'm currently waiting for a few parts to arrive,
maybe I should consider designing some kind of wrist-rest that allows for a
negative slope.

------
5_minutes
Unfortunately availability of many of the products mentioned here are limited
in Europe, require int shipping and which makes it also hard to try out and
send it back. So it becomes tricky looking at a 300 Euro somehthing product

~~~
rpilgrimr
UHK is shipped from Europe.

------
diimdeep
Interested ? Take a look at [https://github.com/diimdeep/awesome-split-
keyboards](https://github.com/diimdeep/awesome-split-keyboards)

------
ne01
The website is down. I was wondering if it looks anything like Typematrix
2030.

Typematrix 2030 + Dvorak layout == high accuracy stealth flying experience.

My fingers fly on a Typematrix 2030. Give it a try, you are going to love it!

~~~
joeymink
I type in Dvorak and used a typematrix 2030 for about 2 years. I never got as
fast on their board as I could on a standard, staggered layout. Don’t know
why...

I’ve a UHK arriving soon, stoked to try it out. It’s been a lot of years and a
lot of keyboards (goldtouch split was probably my fav), will the uhk win me
over? Time will tell :)

------
jokoon
Why is it so small? TKL (tenkeyless meaning a keyboard without a numpad) is
just small enough, and honestly I use the END/HOME/DEL keys a lot, so I cannot
conceive a keyboard without them.

Better posture?

~~~
mondalaci
The UHK is a 60% keyboard which only features the alphanumeric block. The idea
is that the hands shouldn't move, only the fingers should move. This design
results in heavier chording, so it's a deliberate compromise with which some
are comfortable, others are not.

------
Exuma
The sounds don't work, that's mostly what I wanted to hear.

------
yourpalkeith
The idea that pouring time into customizing your keyboard just so will _boost_
productivity is madness. Is typing speed really the bottleneck for anyone?

That said - beautiful keyboard.

~~~
brodsky
It's not (just?) the typing speed though - for many it's the ability to limit
hand and arm movement, and alleviate the effects of many types of RSI. I just
ordered one, and as I type this through noticeable pain in my right wrist, I
eagerly anticipate this keyboard helping me continue a healthy career.

------
fwip
Are there any info/specs on the touchpad module? I love having the touchpad
next to my thumbs on my macbook, but I'm admittedly spoiled by how nice this
one is.

~~~
mondalaci
Any specific questions, feel free to ask me.

~~~
fwip
I guess I don't know hardly anything about touchpads. Does it support multi-
touch?

~~~
mondalaci
Yes, it does.

------
leshow
I've found the ergodox to be the 'ultimate hacking' keyboard. Although, pretty
much anything that flashes QMK will be sufficient.

------
dsego
Why is it staggered?

~~~
mondalaci
Because it's easier to get used to. We plan to build a columnar UHK
eventually.

------
benjiweber
Looks neat, but doesn't look like they have a UK layout? Not sure I could cope
with the tiny enter key on the US/ISO layout

~~~
tuxlifan
I thought that would be a big problem for me, too, being used to inverted-L
shaped enter keys basically my whole computer life.

After a few days I stopped worrying because the UHK enter key is actually
easier to reach for my right pinky finger than the one on my previous MS
Natural keyboard was. OTOH the "\|" key above the enter key I'm still
mistyping occasionally.

------
sajattack
As a lefty thinkpad enthusiast I'm really disappointed the trackpoint module
only works on the right half of the keyboard.

~~~
mondalaci
Wish we could make both-sided modules of every kind, but high demand is
questionable, and the tooling prices are high. Possibly later.

------
shmerl
I'm really uncomfortable with keyboards without a proper function keys row.
Numpad also is good to have but less critical.

~~~
_virtu
I've found a function layer easier to use than having a dedicated row for it.
Having f1,f2,f3,f4,f5 map to a,s,d,f,g is a dream when debugging, you don't
have to move your hand at all.

~~~
shmerl
You have to press an extra modification key for that? It's a trade-off that
doesn't sound comfortable to me.

------
krupan
Everyone: make the left space bar your function key. It makes using function
keys, ESC, arrow keys, etc. super easy

~~~
jwr
I use it as the Mouse key. I consider the key that is usually CapsLock (Mouse
on the UHK) to be Control, which I guess dates me to the Sun keyboads.

The beauty of the UHK is that everyone can set it up to his/her own
preferences!

------
saintPirelli
Well, I need a numpad for Blender though.

~~~
BananaHemic
You can use their keyboard customization program to do this, so for example
you could have a blender mode that when active lets you use a certain group of
keys as the numpad

------
ConcernedCoder
I read the 1st line of the description as:

"Increase your productivity by never leaving the home NOW."

lol... I need to get outside.

------
patleeman
I'm typing on one right now.

I'm a fan of split keyboards and like it more than my ergodox.

------
ramenmeal
This thing has been or was in the works FOREVER. They kept adding more and
more functionality to it and delaying the release to the point that I gave up
on it. They added a trackpoint and trackpad for the keyboard advertising
"never leave the home row" ffs. /rant sorry.

~~~
mondalaci
Just for the record, we haven't added any functionality after the campaign
ended that caused extra delay. It was just incredibly time-consuming to start
manufacturing.

------
barbecue_sauce
Minor quibble, but I'd rather the B key be on the other side when split.

~~~
ken
Back when I had to learn touch typing (do they do that any more?), we learned
the 'correct' finger for each key. The five columns of letters on the left
belong to the left hand, so the "B" is in the correct place. The "6", however,
is on the left of the split, while it belongs to the right index finger. Most
split keyboards get this 'wrong' \-- in the sense that old people like me who
learned to "touch type" will have to re-learn it.

The root cause of all this disagreement, of course, is the weird offsets of
the rows. Why aren't the keys in a square matrix formation? There haven't been
typebars on keyboards in decades, and the fingers on my left and right hands
are symmetric.

If you're going to make everybody learn new muscle memory for escape, space,
arrow keys, function keys, etc., why not fix the row spacing, too, while
you're at it? I find it strange to maintain just this one legacy misfeature.

------
amelius
What would be the best location for a dedicated "lambda" key?

~~~
nfd
Maybe under some simple chord?

------
amelius
Looks like CGI, and not a real product yet. Be careful when ordering.

~~~
mondalaci
The UHK IS a real product! See
[https://twitter.com/UltHackKeyboard](https://twitter.com/UltHackKeyboard)

------
zorkw4rg
> Increase your productivity by never leaving the home row.

I can't possibly be the only one who read "Increase your productivity by never
leaving home.", But awww I'm so much more productive in the office though =)

------
sam0x17
The trackpoint module makes this super sexy for me

------
3rdAccount
Anybody have a keyboardio to compare against?

~~~
thraxil
I have a Keyboardio Model 01. I haven't tried the Ultimate Hacking Keyboard so
I can't compare directly. From looking at it:

* Keyboardio has vertical key columns rather than the staggered ones on regular layouts like the UHK. That took some adjustment, but is much nicer once you're used to it.

* The thumb keys layout on the Keyboardio has clearly had a lot of thought put into it. When I got it, I expected that I'd hate it and remap a lot of them, but it really works very nicely. The modifier keys on the UHK look much harder to hit without some awkward stretching. Hard to say without actually trying it though.

* I do like the Thinkpad style trackpoint module. I'd love to have something like that on the Keyboardio. It does have a mouse layer, but it's hard to use and I mostly forget that it exists.

Overall, I absolutely love my Keyboardio. The sculpted keycaps, thumb key
layout, palm keys and overall feel are extraordinary. Every detail is really
aimed at maximum ergonomics and long term comfort. The biggest issue that I
have with it is that it kind of spoils you for other keyboards. It's a little
big and bulky, so if I'm travelling, I have to choose between lugging it
around with me or suffering with a regular laptop keyboard for a while. It
also took me a solid month of deliberate practice to really adjust to the
Keyboardio layout when I first got it. The UHK looks like it might be easier
to switch back and forth between it and a normal keyboard.

------
nickhudspeth
You'll never get me away from my VE.A

------
lispm
why is control on the outside and why are there no unshifted parentheses?

------
ur-whale
No esc key ... Hacking keyboard ... Doesn't compute.

~~~
kgwxd
For vim, I trained myself to use ctrl+[ a long time ago because of where ESC
is usually located these days. Is ESC good for other things?

