What is SpaceFN and why you should give it a try
The SpaceFN concept - setting up your space key as a layer switch when held - is probably one of the most useful tweaks in the keyboard hobby. Let me explain how it works. My SpaceFN article on kbd.news made some rounds recently - quite surprisingly given the age of this concept. This piece you're reading is a condensed version of the full post. If you're left with unanswered questions, you'll most likely find the info you're looking for in the original write-up. On my imaginary top list of the most useful keyboard features, tweaks and hacks, SpaceFN would deserve a podium finish for sure. But what makes it so special? In short: SpaceFN is easy to implement, easy to learn, costs nothing, can be used with any keyboard, and can improve your productivity instantly. I will list its benefits below, but can state right at this point that the SpaceFN concept, setting up your space key as a layer switch when held, is clearly one of the most useful tweaks in the keyboard hobby....
Apr 30, 2024
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I have included the link to two reviews about the keyboard
https:// ihaveabackup.net/article/ergodox-infinity-review http://www.anandtech.com/show/7245/ergodox-review-an-ergonomic-mechanical-keyboard-via-massdrop
The flatness would be no less ergonomical than any flat keyboard - wrist pronation would be similar. Tenting does help, but that isn't to say it is "less ergonomical" than a standard keyboard without tenting.
The keys on the thumb cluster can be uncomfortable - so I just set them for rarely use keys and barely touch them... even without them there are more keys than on my 60%.
It's true, the thumb clusters are a kind of far out there, but as the author points out, hitting the 2x keys isn't that bad. I can also hit the 1x key on the bottom, but I have big hands. Calling this worse than a standard layout is just stupid. Having 4-6 keys easily accessable to the thumbs is lightyears ahead of a standard layout where you have exactly one (space).
It's also clear that the author of the article made no effort to switch to an ergonomic optimized layout. If you want a standard board, get a standard board. Don't get something that obviously isn't standard then go around bitching because it is different.
As for tenting. No, it doesn't have tenting standard, but that is something that you can (and should) add yourself. See the post several spots above yours with pictures of the Kinesis V3 legs attached to the fullhand case. Personally, I just have a couple of notebooks stacked inbetween the two halves for the keyboard to lean on, and that works fine for me.
This board has three of what I consider to be the four most important ergonomic features: 1. Split keyboard design - allows the halves to be spread out and relieves strain on sholders. 2. Thumb buttons - Yes, you can't use absolutely every one of the thumb cluster keys, but once you get over that it still has more than most boards. 3. Ful programability - If you want to be ergonomic, you need to customize your layout to suit your needs. I have all the features (and more) of a full size keyboard available to me from the home row. This can only be achieved by using the programmible layers available on a board like this.
4. (The one it doesn't have) Tenting - as explained above, this is easy to add.
For my hands and my fingers:
I can easily reach 4-5 keys with the thumbs without moving whole hand, without bending/rotating wrist. But, only 3 are on the thumb cluster, the fourth and fifth keys are on bottom row of main cluster.
Going upwards with pinky (his key P problem) needs rotating at wrist or upwards movement of full hand - but how you do this on a standard keyboard without moving full hand, rotating/bending wrist or twisting something ?
As for tenting/tilting, most people tilt in wrong direction, tilting downwards would be the correct ergonomic way, but 99% tilt upwards. Tenting (in the middle) should be good but for standard users it is more confusing. Both facts are impossible or mostly done wrong with standard keyboards and even other ergonomic ones.
If you want to go more ergonomic you may considering a compact layout like this: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=84165.0;topicseen He uses 42 of the 76 keys. Heavy use of layers, combos, ...
What did you use to create the tent?
Thanks.
I agree that the outer buttons on the thumb cluster are hard to reach, and I put keys there that I don't want to use. The two inner buttons are easy to reach, though, and in particular having Enter and Backspace on those keys has been great for my right pinky. The existence of difficult-to-reach buttons that I have mapped to keys I don't often use does not bother me. A regular 104-key keykboard has dozens of those.
I agree that the inner buttons on the bottom row (which I think is what the author means by the 3-3 keys?) are hard to reach. My left-hand bottom row is LCTRL, Fn, LGUI, LGUI, LALT for this reason. The center LGUI key is very difficult to hit. I use the one to the right of it. No big deal. I find the LALT key easier than LALT on a standard 104-key, and LCTRL and LGUI isomorphic.
I don't understand the P complaint at all. Not that I think the author is necessarily wrong, I just have no idea what the complaint is. The P key is where the P key belongs. It's no easier or harder to hit than any other QWERTY keyboard I've used.
As to tenting ... yeah, it doesn't come with a tenting solution. I plan to use one exactly like @dylanmc used, above. I've planned that since before I received this drop. The desk I am currently on doesn't have room. The desk I am building this winter will. No big deal.
So ... yeah, there are other layouts that avoid the author's complaints, and they're not an ErgoDox. No big deal, the author didn't want an ErgoDox and should have chosen a different layout. Sounds like they like a more traditional ortholinear, so maybe a planck or preonic? Who knows. If you like the ErgoDox concept (which I decidedly do), the author's complaints become simple facts about keys you aren't going to use often -- of which every keyboard has several -- and solvable workstation problems.