[cduzz]

I'm not sure why nobody mentions this, but for windows and linux, you can fiddle with a "split keyboard" by using two keyboards. You can put your right hand over the right part of the right keyboard, the left and over the left part of left keyboard, and ... type away. It just works, and usually it is free, almost everyone I know has a pile of keyboards somewhere.

Irritatingly, this doesn't work by default on the mac where the meta keys only affect the keys on the keyboard owning the depressed key (IE left shift and right keyboard l will not result in L).

It uses a bit more desk space, but is otherwise a pretty good way to test out "do I want a split keyboard?"

[globular-toast]

I actually want to try that just to see the looks on people's faces when I'm typing on two keyboards. It's the opposite of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8qgehH3kEQ

[napo]

I do that with my mac. I have two keyboards and have to use Karabiner-elements for them to share modifier keys (like shift). Works well.

I did that because I was interested in split keyboards but they are all more expensive than what buying another keyboard.

[eru]

I use a split keyboard, and I definitely don't want my two halves to be as far apart as the setup you describe would put them.

It's an interesting hack, though.

[waynesonfire]

I agree, though realize this configuration really shines when you relax the per-hand half-keyboard constraint.

[leni536]

Do ctrl,alt and shift work across keyboards?

[cduzz]

On windows and linux, yes, without any added anything holding the shift (or windows or control or alt) key on one keyboard will modify the behavior of any key with any other keyboard (I have a vague memory of getting 3 keyboards and hitting ctl-alt-del across the three keyboards, on windows, and it behaving "normally").

You need some added tools to make it work with macos, as someone else pointed out

These days I just use a single keyboard (the IBM M4-1 keyboard) and get up frequently.