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Comment by angry_moose | Hacker News Reader

I tried it to a lesser extent (Keyboardio 100) and stuck with it just long enough to determine it would be great if I never used any other computers with a standard keyboard. After 2 weeks I could barely even type on my laptop anymore - I just couldn't hold both layouts in my head. Numbers, punctuation, and special keys were completely different; even though letters were "the same" they moved enough I was making a ton of typos.

I came to the conclusion I wasn't willing to buy an additional keyboard for my work computer and give up my laptop so I ended up selling it.

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I had a similar experience after switching to DVORAK as a nerdy teenager, however I found by just leaving my smartphone on QWERTY, I'm able to switch and still type 40 - 50wpm with minimal practice on a real keyboard. I'm more like 100wpm on DVORAK.

Practicing both layouts a little may make it possible to keep both modes in your head, but I don't know if a completely different input mode would make this harder.

I did not have the same experience with the keyboardio (model 01 in my case).

Not only did I not have trouble going back to a standard keyboard, but even after not touching the keyboardio for months, my muscle memory remained intact. Even the custom shortcuts I had set up remained in my memory. I was really impressed by that.

The only reason I'm not using that keyboard fulltime is that the keys kindof "stuck" where they become hard to press down. It's too bad because I really like the keyboard a lot! Unfortunately the model 01 does not have hot swappable switches.

I did switch out my switches for something clackier, and when I did I ended up pulling up some traces on the PCB. I was able to patch it with some jumper wire, but really don't want to risk it again to take the switches off and lube them. Bummer, because it's a fantastic keyboard otherwise.

From what I hear the first step is learning the new layout and the next step is being able to switch between the two.

Though... how often are you using other peoples keyboards? I hear this complaint a lot and I wonder about it.

I never use other people's computers (think about where their fingers have been), so this would never be a concern for me. I use an Ergodox and it's a little rough switching to the laptop (how can people hold their hands so close together?), but I can do it. I still use QWERTY though, with a bunch of local tweaks for non-letter characters.

I would say that if you type fast enough for as long as you desire without pain, the cost of learning a new keyboard layout is a questionable investment. But, if you have hand pain, you should probably work on resolving that immediately, or pain may become a disability. (I followed my own advice, my right pinky used to hurt after a day of work. Moving all the important symbols away from that pinky key, probably most notably backspace, cleared everything up. Many more years of typing stuff into a computer in my future.)

There are 4 keyboards I use regularly:

1) Home desktop 2) Work laptop (docked in my office) 3) Work laptop (actual keyboard) 4) Personal laptop

There's nothing I could do about either laptop. I could have spent another $300 to get another keyboardio for my office, but that seemed like a waste of money when I wasn't sure about it.

I help my significant other and family with their computers enough for it to be a problem.

My wife uses a mac, she's on her own.

Interesting. I switched to a custom ergo layout (ZSA Moonlander) but my traditional QWERTY laptops are sufficiently different that I have no problems going back and forth between that and my desktops.

Take look at KMonad. It may give "normal keyboards" some of the ergonomic aspects, like chords, IR modifiers on the home row.

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