deskthority

Since 7bit had to mention it in the other thread I suppose we might as well discuss that here.

Here's my opinion:
The current way of having 1/2 key staggering for bottom to middle row and 1/4 from middle to top is just stupid.

Considering how I hold my hands I think 1/2 key staggering might actually be better than 1/4.

While we're at it. Why the fuckedy fucking fuck are keys getting smaller to the top? Look at this ANSI layout:



Your hands point toward the top middle of the keyboard but the keys are arranged like they are pointing outward. What is up with that? One of these days we should actually try the suggestion from the hypermicro thread and use a board upside down.

Edit: Removed the option to vote for split keyboards with matrix layout. We all know that's better but some people seem to prefer their boards in one piece.

I vote 1/2 but please post example pictures of each, to help folks better understand the options

Good old ASCII terminal keyboards where better. It is all about this fitting it all into a rectangle thing.

1/3 key symmetric staggering is best

1/4 and the staggering on the left hand should be mirrored to the staggering for the right hand.

I almost consider T to be the key above F in normal QWERTY layout. They hands are tilted in different directions. The left one just happens to have been moved too much to the point where people consider it to lean to the left and for R to be above F.

The right index finger that sits on J has U 1/4 staggered above it. That finger is also responsible for pressing Y. Y is already a bit of a stretch at 1 + 1/4 distance away. With 1/2 staggering it would be even further away. You can try what this would be like by putting your right index finger on M and trying to press H.

For the other fingers 1/4 or 1/2 staggering isn't as consequential because the index fingers are the only ones that are responsible for another column other than the one that they sit on.

I have a theory that the staggering is the way it is because of limitations in mechanical typewriters. No keys are in line vertically so that the arms under the keys on the typewriter can all go parallel into the mechanics and wont interfere. Can anyone confirm reject this?

It's true, and that's why keeping the zig-zag staggering is so ridiculous. It's like having cars keeping a shit bucket in the rear, like they did with horse carriages. It's incredible that all these high-end keyboards that focus on anodized cases, NKRO, or designer keycaps, fail to address the worst thing about the traditional keyboard.

It's like dressing up and genetically modifying donkeys to improve their use as a highway vehicle, when you already have the automobile. That's how I view the fancy KMAC's, Realforces, HHKBs, and FILCO's... they are dressed up donkeys compared to the Kinesis Advantage and ErgoDox layouts.

^what sordna said.

Stagger columns, not rows!

Well, yes but that is really hard to do in a rectangular case.

Something like this would be my ideal layout in a 5x15 matrix, since my elbows point to the sides and not directly at my torso.

On ANSI (and layouts without the 3 ekstra letters) it would obviously make more sense to place the gap between G and H instead.