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how's the moonlander btw? i'm thinking about getting one specifically for work.



steep learning curve if you've never used a split\ortho board but once you learn how to type again (couple of weeks for me), other than that my wrist pain is now gone! only real downside is people asking why I have a pair of glowing oven gloves on my desk


I'd like to add that switching to a drastically different keyboard is the perfect opportunity to simultaneously switch keyboard layouts if thats something you've been considering. I switched from QWERTY to a layout based on Programmer Dvorak when I got my Moonlander. I'm really glad I did.


This was exactly my line of thought when I got the Moonlander (except I thought Colemak). It has been gathering dust in my shelf for almost 2 years now.


What kind of board do you use instead?


I mainly use my macbook m1 as my keyboard (also when connected to external screen)

Before this I used a thinkpad as my keyboard


Same, though it was painful. Took me ~6 months to go from 6-fingered pecking to full proficiency with split-keyboard Dvorak. 100% worth it, though.


I have one. Personally, I prefer the Kinesis Advantage2 when it comes to plain typing, because I find dipping my hands into a well of keys is more a little comfortable than tenting them. The Moonlander has better software, aesthetics, and is more compact (which would be useful for someone else, but not me). The main reason I got it, though is that it supports GeminiPR, which makes it suitable for stenography.

Ortholinear split takes a while to get used to but you really never want to go back to a regular keyboard after you get used to it - it makes you feel like you've been breaking your wrists.


Two years or so in, I'm hooked. I've already decided that if I return to office I'll need one for each location (not interested in carrying one back and forth).

I've used an "ergonomic" "split layout" keyboard for years. Specifically, I used the MSFT Natural 4000 since about 2010 due to RSI and typing-related pain. Even with that keyboard, I still had pinky/ring-finger related RSI from modifier keys (shift/ctrl/esc), but it was rather minimal if I was careful and kept my "off-hours" related typing minimal.

I picked up the Moonlander after looking at multiple truly-split keyboards including the Ergodox, Nyquist, Kinesis Advantage 2 (and later 360). I've used a Via/QMK keyboard as well and I will say that Oryx and the Configurator seem much more user-friendly and featureful.

The auto-shift feature is great, as I rarely need to use the shift key for normal typing. Having a toggle key to quickly disable it for things like gaming or the odd application that doesn't detect keydown/up for shifted keys as expected (or perhaps it's on the kbd firmware side and isn't sending a held-down shifted key, who knows) is rather useful.

Layers are your friend and don't be worried about printing out a layer map while you're learning. And don't be afraid to change your layout to try something.

I changed my layout multiple times a day for the first two or so weeks, maybe once a day for another two weeks, then perhaps once a week to once a month over the next few months. I think I last changed my layout 6 months ago to add a new shortcut for a feature added to my IDE.

If you're already accustomed to a split keyboard, expect minimal growing pains beyond learning your layer keys and such. But if it's your first time using a split KB, then you'll have that adjustment too. MSFT used to have a sculpted kb that wasn't a full split and that was a good "training wheels" kb for a split, but I don't think they make that board anymore. Basically, if you don't alrady use a split, expect to reach for keys on the other side a bit until your brain adjusts.

I also suggest using background colors in your layers to indicate hotkeys and such. It started as a crutch for me, but I've come to really like it as it serves as a bit of a reminder for those less-used shortcuts.

The ability to hot-swap your key switches and caps is great. I ended up with a highly tactile switch that isn't much louder than the usual "cherry MX browns", but that is entirely optional. The out of the box keys are perfectly fine for those not interested in that feature.




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