So, I never learned how to touch type on a standard QWERTY layout. When I got into ergo splits I need to learn how to touch type and decided to take the opportunity to learn an alternative layout. I chose Colemak DH.

Now I have two types of muscle memory. One that’s a janky peck style typing for QWERTY, the other pure touch typing for Colemak split keyboards.

This is one of my worries with adapting to a non standard layout. My work means I’m constantly on different devices and machines so I need to be able to use a normal keyboard and windows. Using Linux is already making the windows part frustrating.

I will say I have it on my radar to build a Ferris Sweep with ZMK and hotswap Choc sockets; between watching Ben Vallack’s excellent videos (thanks Ben!) and watching, “34 Keys is All You Need” - introduced me to the idea of using the Sweep with the Miryoku layout. As someone who spends all day either conducting workshops, interviewing clients where we type a mountain of notes, or turning those interviews and workshops into reports that extend into the multi-dozens of pages it appeals to me as seriously efficient and very travel friendly. Anyone have experience with said combo?

I have 2 very different modes:

• typing with 5 fingers looking at the keyboard on classical keyboards.
• touch typing with bépo layout on my split 40% keyboards

That’s two different things, like riding a bicycle and a motorcycle.

I need to fix the position and angle of split keyboards. If the halves move too easily, I lose accuracy. Therefore I prefer non split keyboards. If they have angled halves that allow the wrists to be comfortable, that’s the best of both worlds for me.

I constantly switch between an ergo keyboard with Colemak DH and standard keyboards with QWERTY at work. Somehow they feel different enough that I can keep the muscle memories separate and switch easily.

It’s not TOO bad. I am now forced to go back to the office once a week to sit in calls at the office instead of at home, which means that day I have to sit on my laptop in meeting rooms talking to TVs (yes, I hate that) and use the MacBook keyboard. It’s not the worst or hardest thing ever, but my wife has made fun of me for not remembering where the print screen key is on a full size. So there’s that.

I have started adding splits to each of the computers at home though. But honestly it’s kinda harder to use different split layouts more than moving between split and what we should call “bad” keyboards :)

Aside from the forced wrist pronation of standard keyboards, it’s always the pesky square brackets and parenthesis that mess with me when I switch.

I find it hard to adapt to ergo split keyboard (moonlander).

But I’m making a lot of typo on my wooting so maybe I just need to power through the moonlander until I am use to it.

After my kyria went dark, I had to type on a KBD candybar at work. and a logitech keyboard at home. The candybar is annoying but the non mechanical logitech is killing my hands. So I say the adjustment is not as bad if its mechanical, I can survive. But not a non-mechanical one, my hand muscles are sore after half a day.

Edit: I used to just carry my Kyria with me wherever I work since its so portable, which probably contributed to its demise…

I can switch between split and traditional row staggered (if the row staggered board is not a mechanical keyboard. Apparently my muscle memory for row staggered mechanical keyboards is messed up)

But I don’t like to use a „normal“ keyboard. Everything feels far apart and only reachable by weird hand motions. I got used to having everything in reach thanks to layers

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I daily drive my Moonlander for a good 95% if not more and when I go to the office once a week, I just bring the laptop.

I miss some automation and shortcuts but it’s not that terrible after the first 10 minutes of typing.

I do miss my Moonlander at work and I’m able to carry it with but I’m also lazy. 😊

It just takes me a minute or less to get back into a normal keyboard. Unless that keyboard has shitty switches. Like laptops or cheap keyboards. I never stop hating the mush when I use them.