For example, I’m sure the average joe doesn’t know just how expensive calligraphy pens can be, or how deep the rabbit hole goes on video game speedruns.
For example, I’m sure the average joe doesn’t know just how expensive calligraphy pens can be, or how deep the rabbit hole goes on video game speedruns.
Keyboards are generally known about, but the ergo part of it is a rabbit hole within the rabbit hole. Some people literally design, 3D print, wire up, solder and program one-off keyboards because they don’t like the ones made by other people.
It’s infectious too. I REALLY want to get good with one! and don’t get me started on the absolute craziest style: chorded keyboards! Insane!
I wonder if someone could outperform a Stenographer with a chorded?
Steno machines are also “chorded”, and they type in a form of shorthand where sounds, words, and phrases can be represented by just a few characters. My guess is that given equal skill levels, a steno machine would still be faster.
Stenographers usually use something pretty similar so I doubt it. The ones I’ve seen (to be fair, live captioners, not stenographers) use something that’s closer to a piano than a normal keyboard, and it types full words rather than letters, but also has a regular typing functionality. Pretty cool to watch honestly.
No way. Stenographers can transcribe speech live. Some have been timed at close to 400 wpm. While the top chorded typing is closer to 250wpm. Good, but nowhere close to a stenotype. Both are pretty ridiculously fast though. A pretty fast typist can barely approach 100.
I switched to colemak-DH a while ago and it’s been great. Much more comfortable than QWERTY even on a standard keyboard.
Have you tried one? I’ve been pretty curious about them
Not yet but I am seriously considering building a badass ergo keyboard at some point once I see a good enough design to copy.
Oh my gosh, I searched it and it looks hard to use but once you get good, you can type faster than the fastest typist using a regular keyboard.
Interesting!
Oh hey, you called? https://imgur.com/a/INk7FzQ
Love the wires (that are hidden) also fit the color scheme
O good lord, the way those wires are bundled is porn to me.
that is a fantastic build. and the wax lacing! It’s such a lost art, but it works so damn well! Next PC build I do I’m lacing all of my cabling.
You’re very brave showing your wiring.
Just built a simple 3x3 macropad and I spent several hours trying to keep every last bit of the wiring clean and I still have a rats nest…
Woah…
Have run across a community for that a lot since coming on Lemmy. It is pretty crazy and I had no idea.
They were/are one of the largest enthusiast groups on Reddit, so it makes sense they have a large presence on Lemmy too.
I did exactly this! It was super fun! Ergodox keyboard is very expensive. I spent about $40 on my custom one. It works great too :)
How did you spend only $40 on a custom ergo? When I built mine, I 3d printed the cases myself, but it’s still $30 for cheap key switches, $20 for cheap keycaps, $20 for a pro micro, and at least $40 for PCBs,unless you handwire.
Or did you reuse existing switches and keycaps?
Sorry, forgot to mention, I handwired and reused key caps. I have a lot of extra sets from liking keyboards for a while lol.
I also used a pi pico which took some extra tlc but saved a good chunk of money (1 pico is 7 dollars and only one is necessary).
The DIY fallacy. “You can do this yourself for just $20. You only need some string, a plastic bottle cap. And $5k of equipment and materials that have accumulated in your garage from around a decade of on and off hobbyist hoarding. Then you too can own a solar powered battery 3D printed fusion ferromagnetic screwdriver.”
I get it, but to be fair, the keycaps I already had were only about $20 on Amazon. So if you want to be pedantic I spent $60 total. Still beats the $300 plus for the ergodox. Also, if you really want to get into it, it took me around 25 hours to fully complete since I opted to hand wire. So factor in whatever your hourly rate is times 25 hours to get the opportunity cost of the diy job. Maybe you’re right and it just makes sense to buy the darn thing. At least I had fun though.
Most people don’t even own a soldering iron to wire it all. That’s another $20 right there. Just, it’s fine to say DIY is about the fun. And by all means, anyone who wants to have fun tinkering with some tech, go ahead, it’s a blast. But it’s never about the money. It’s disingenuous to tell people, “Oh I did this $300 at retail machine for $10”. No, you didn’t, you are just doing creative accounting and failing to report previous expenses. Because if it could be done for $10, big manufacturers would be doing it for $7, because they have the advantage of economics of scale.
Dactyl manuform user here. Can confirm
I wish there were keyboards with smaller keys. I feel like keyboards and pianos are made for people with huge hands. For some chords (in my beginner’s book) there’s just no way physically for me to execute them. I think if I had had a smaller keyboard I would have had a much easier time and would have stuck with it longer.
I would never program and build my own keyboard but I get it.
check out Drops Preonic. because it is ortho, all the keys are much closer together. I have one at home and at work.
There used to be smaller keyboards. Chyrosran22 reviewed one from the 80s, but I can’t find the video right now. Maybe someone else remembers the model.
yup. [email protected]
The nice thing is that it’s possible to find your “endgame” where you are satisfied without spending a TON. I’m happy with my Drop ALT, stock key caps, and Zeal Zilent v2s. Mind you that was my 3rd or 4th board of varying “depth” in the scene. 🤣