So I guess this is the second time I'm writing about a niche product I bought, but this won't be a product review, since I just want to talk about why I bought a split keyboard, how it is after a week, and my own general thoughts. :)
I bought my split keyboard, "corne 4x6" key layout (like this but with a number row), from aliexpress (~$80). I bought it because at home on my qwerty keyboard I had a very custom layout through software (xkb), inspired by felix lechner's "rocket layout" for use with emacs.
What's the "rocket layout"? Most vitally, it puts the most important key (the control key) in the center on the long bar key (now the control bar). I had no problem with the rocket layout once I got used to it, I think it's genius.
Anyways, I since got employed. I guess I dug myself into a org-mode sized hole over the years because the hardest part of the job for the first few weeks was relearning how to use a normal computer rather than a spaceship. I put in a software requst for emacs and autohotkey (which can remap keys) to have a comparable experience, and was given emacs in a month or two, but I got rather impatient waiting for autohotkey.
But my keyboard came last week. I was telling my coworkers how I was going to go home and practice my keyboard, but I don't think they get it. I couldn't use it at all last week, mostly due to myself never learning how to touch type (with a 'columnar' key layout rather than a row staggered one, my index fingers aren't able to hit other finger's keys as easily), so I decided to relearn starting with the colemak layout. It also came with the qmk-vial firmware installed[^1], which allowed creating 'layers' to make up for the fact it is a much smaller amount of keys altogether. An endless amount of tweaking will be needed to ensure the key combos don't negatively interact with all the other keychords. It feels like I finally have control of my input device at all levels now!
That's where the good news start, between all the layers and the six thumb keys, I was able to put all the modifier keys in the center and even sneak in fully featured mouse controls on a toggle. All the customization is stored on the keyboard, meaning no layouts needed to be defined in software on any of the computers I have to use now.
But all these things aside, I have been able to work myself up to a meager ~30 words per minute in my free time over the last week, and am starting to remember where everything is. I tried to make an alternate layout work before (workman) on my previous board, but am sticking with it this time because it is genuinely easier to learn when the whole shape of the board is different, and also a permanent solution to the problem at work.
I guess I haven't mentioned the usual reason people get these keyboards yet, maybe because it's so obvious, but colemak and the 'columnar' layouts make a lot more sense for paws (and hands), and it's just a shame we still learn nonsensical layouts and shapes first and attach them to laptops encouraging all these bad habits.
Anyways, I'm declaring myself at the point I can bring this keyboard to work and be able to practice 9 hours a day, and in a few months, maybe will be looking at picking up a more expensive board to permanently reside on my desk at home so I can leave this one at work. I'm definitely drawn to the zsa voyager and navigator keyboard and mouse combo everyone seems to like, it looks extra spaceship-y, in part due to the orb! Unfortunately for me I am unsure if the orb would ever be on my desk when I need it, or lost on the floor somewhere from the last time I fidgeted with it...
[^1]: Another note about firmware, I naively assumed that all 'vial' firmware was the same, but there are so many custom designed PCBs that the firmware must be configured differently for each board; I had to beg the seller to give me their firmware customization for the board I bought, which they were nice enough to do. It wasn't needed for functionality, but it did allow me to verify the firmware I had installed was legitimate, and also make a few extraneous for-fun customizations, like the name of the keyboard when plugged in.