[600frogs]

I've fallen all the way down this rabbit hole - from a full-size to a 60% to an ergodox to a CRKBD (36 key split) - and come all the way out again, settling with a chiclet standard qwerty (Apple wireless keyboard).

I think the central hypothesis of using these keyboards is flawed. It seems to all centre around thinking that less movement is better, and that keeping as close to the home row as possible is king, even if that means chording, contorting your hands to reach far keys, and over-relying on your weak pinky fingers.

Human bodies are meant to move. I've found that since I've started dancing over keyboard more with my fingers (a sort of advanced hunt-and-peck using all fingers but the pinky), combined with using a low profile keyboard, my hand pain has disappeared, and I'm at my fastest WPM yet (105). YMMV of course, but it's worth considering if you're peering into the rabbit hole.

[bayindirh]

> Human bodies are meant to move.

Most people don't understand it, or understand it too late, after they have joint pain.

I concur with you on these extremely pared down keyboards. It's a nice and niche optimization for the use cases you have (programming in a certain language, etc.), however the general applicability of the tool dies with every iteration, plus the movement aspect of the body.

I've moved to 75% keyboards because of a combination of minimalism and underutilized numpad (that part literally collects dust), however I'll not move beyond that size, because the F-Row and the standard keyboard layout is both needed and practical.

I have two keyboards (one for work, one for home). A Logitech K380, and a NuPhy Air75, both are nice and compact wireless keyboards with a 75% layout, and they are both comfortable and fast to use.

However, I don't rather comment on people's choices. It's their hobbies and path to exploration. They shall do as they please. Feel bad for the people who suffer RSI though.

[comfypotato]

I could argue this subject all day! Like you said, I do ultimately think it comes down to personal preference. If you like your setup, you’re going to get more done with less stress.

I really do feel that CRKBD has optimized a particular utility of keyboards (I use one). By having every key no more than one unit away from home, you can always be confident that you’re hitting exactly the right key. This eliminates errors in a way that I personally enjoy more than any alternative. With QMK, layers make full utilization of keycodes trivial. I use 20+ layers, and it’s second nature now that it’s all muscle memory.

[mcluck]

I actually moved to an ergodox _because_ of pain. Since moving to a split ergo board my back doesn't hurt and I've stopped getting tingling in my ulnar nerve. Different situations for different people, I suppose