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Comment by simonbarker87 | Hacker News Reader

I’ve been using the ZSA Moonlander since mid Feb and love the split aspect, what I don’t love is how high off the desk it sits, having the wrist rests above the keys like this seems like a great idea. I’ve often felt like I want an infinitely thin desk so I can type basically on my lap without totally destroying any vertical space above my knees.

For anyone interested in the Moonlander, I do recommend it but be prepared for your typing speed to tank for a good few weeks. Their customer support is also amazing, I had a minor issue with my board and then sent me a new left half no questions asked.

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> I want an infinitely thin desk so I can type basically on my lap without totally destroying any vertical space above my knees.

Keyboard trays come in in pretty thin, if your desk is high enough to attach an adjustable tray beneath it, it can work. Of course, you also need to have your monitor at a good height, if there's a conflict there, you have to do things like put the monitor at the edge of the desk and the tray out in front of the desk.

I also have a Moonlander. The hardware is absolutely spectacular, it looks incredible. However never really got used to it as I have it on my non-primary rig.

Yeah this is my problem with a non-staggered layout. I have to use a standard laptop for work (and carry it frequently to different rooms), so getting the muscle memory to shift back and forth is just too much.

I wish they made a version of the moonlander with a more standard layout, I’d buy a few.

Definitely recommend the moonlander, got mine last week and my productivity definitely tanked but it's getting back up there.

FWIW my RSI in my wrist has improved already a great deal since switching and it's only been a week.

I bought one for wrist and elbow RSI. I really am enjoying it so far as well. The biggest challenge I am having is finding a layout I like and sticking with it.

the one thing that keeps me from using my moonlander is that raising it up / tilting it so i can reduce RSI has resulted in a keyboard that just runs across the desk with every key stroke. I'm still trying to figure out how to resolve this. I think the problem is that my palm rest is so slick it forces me to apply pressure to the keyboard in order to keep my hands from sliding off of it. I may try a little adhesive sand paper on the palm rest as a first effort.

You could look at either getting a grippy mat of some kind to put under the keyboard. You could also try adding a little rubber to the contact points on the Moonlander with some Sugru [^1] or something.

Alternatively, you could try training yourself to let your hands float above the keyboard. I think that might be easier on your hands anyway; ymmv.

I have to keep my keyboard tilted at 15°; personally I don't have any problems with slippage. Sugru would be my first solution though if I did.

[^1]: https://sugru.com/

I’ve put a felt mat under mine and for the brief period of time I tried it tented I had no issue with sliding.

It was like £8 on Amazon so might be worth a try.

> what I don’t love is how high off the desk it sits

And one of the features of the Moonlander over the Ergodox EZ is it's thinner. Mechanical keyboards seem to be bulky by default.

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