What should the keyboard look like?
When I asked this question, you may have the shape of the keyboard in your mind - I take this as a sign that it has a "universal standard". The letter grids on the keyboard are scattered and square, and the large and small keyboards around me cannot escape the design of lines within the squares; so that when I erase all the characters on this square, it becomes A piece of waffle, you can also recognize it is a keyboard.
In 1874, the first commercially successful typewriter, the Sholes and Glidden Typewriter, became known as the Remington No. 1. Remington, a weapons company bent on change, obviously did not expect that the novel patent it purchased would later become an internationally accepted de facto standard. The QWERTY layout invented by C. L. Sholes and his colleagues gradually spread to stenographers, offices, and professional writers and ordinary families as the sales of Remington typewriters climbed higher and higher. Until later, IBM also adopted their layout and used this layout on its popular IBM PC. The random classic keyboard Model M has become the layout template for almost all keyboards.
But the most versatile is not necessarily the best. When keyboards began to enter thousands of households along with computers and became a common production tool, problems that had not been highlighted before due to insufficient frequency of use were brought to the table one by one - mouse finger, keyboard elbow and other occupational diseases in the Internet era replaced "telegraph" "Paralysis" has become a pain that every desk worker has to face.
If we connect the standard QWERTY keys with the corresponding fingers required under "Standard Fingering", we will get an image like this:
We will find that the keys corresponding to the right hand are almost It is parallel to the natural flexion and extension direction of the fingers of the right hand, but the fingers of the left hand need to move more to press the keys. If you want to resist this large left and right movement, you need to keep your palm as perpendicular to the keyboard as possible to reduce the lateral movement of the left hand fingers. The problem is that when the palm is perpendicular to the keyboard, the wrist will create an obvious angle. If things go on like this, damage will occur to the wrist, and this adjustment will also increase the degree of adduction of the shoulders and cause a wider range of fatigue. In other words, if you do not have good rest and relaxation habits, but work continuously for a long time, and adjust where the body feels tired, the final result will be fatigue from top to bottom in the shoulders, elbows, wrists, and knuckles. It may even develop into a Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) and have to be treated.
A large number of users began to notice the problems with the existing keyboard layout, and ergonomic keyboards came into being. Unfortunately, "ergonomics" is not an attribute that can be completely quantified, so most products can only indicate that they have been improved in the direction of "more ergonomics" in design, and their evaluation and use experience are also the same as their use. The user's hand size and keystroke habits are closely related; it is precisely for this reason that the market for ergonomic keyboards is always a mixed bag, with strange tricks emerging in an endless stream.
Let’s go back to the source - the problems with the standard keyboard can basically be attributed to the following points: the fingers move far away when typing, the left hand area does not conform to the left finger direction, and the modifier keys rely too much on the weak little finger. Based on these problems, I personally divide the transformation of ergonomic keyboards into standard keyboards into three general directions:
An ergonomic keyboard may be a mixture of three modifications, or it may only adopt a single idea. , but their most common point is that they all require ordinary QWERTY users to adapt again, but the adaptation time is different.
Some people choose to start with the most well-known flaw of the QWERTY layout - as a layout for English, QWERTY does not place the most commonly used letters directly on the base line. The specific reason is unknown. There are rumors that Sholes designed QWERTY in this way to reduce the probability of collision of the typewriter strike bar, but he himself has never explained his design. At least in the era of its invention, QWERTY was much more efficient than the natural order keys of the alphabet.
Therefore, some inventors have invented various keyboard layouts based on the idea of ??maintaining compatibility with existing keyboards. Among them, the more complete ones that are still used by many people today include the 1936 Dvorak, Colemak 2006, and Workman 2010. Their basic design idea is to make the keyboard layout meet the following two characteristics as much as possible:
Such adjustments can shorten the movement distance of the fingers as much as possible and reduce the flexion and extension range of the finger joints without changing the keyboard. The physical layout only needs to change the visual layout (the characters printed on the keyboard, legend) or adjust the functional layout at the software level (the characters actually entered after pressing the keys). It is claimed that changes like Dvorak's alone would allow the input of 70% of common English words to be completed on the baseline line. But because they still use the basic layout of existing keyboards, the thumb, the most powerful finger, can still only press the space and rest most of the time. Therefore, some manufacturers have made more radical changes:
The Maltron layout places the most commonly used letter "E" in English at the position of the left thumb - the existing keyboard layout obviously cannot meet this requirement To meet the needs, Maltron was not satisfied with simply splitting spaces, and simply made a complete new layout. Splitting the alphabet area to the left and right hands, placing the small keyboard in the center, and the thumb is responsible for space, E and a series of commonly used modifier keys. This is equivalent to modifying the keyboard layout, key positions and keyboard appearance. Of course, products that lock in rare layouts like this are destined to have low sales, so they also offer QWERTY and Dvorak versions, and sell both flat and three-dimensional models. Among the solutions that start from the key position, Maltron is the most unique and radical one.
In fact, Maltron also designs and sells a variety of keyboards that are convenient for people with disabilities, including keyboards suitable for complete one-handed operation, keyboards suitable for people with movement disabilities such as cerebral palsy, and keyboards suitable for people with upper limb disabilities. Head/mouth pointing keyboard. So in my opinion, the greater significance of Maltron's radical design lies in these more specific keyboards, whose Maltron two-handed layout is more of a by-product of the development process. But whether this layout can be promoted or not, I will have absolute respect for this company.
But for most users, the cost is too high for them to abandon the QWERTY layout they have been accustomed to for many years. Because once the fatigue of the wrist and fingers has been noticed, it probably means that the user can no longer do without the computer in daily life and work, and simply cannot afford the long adaptation period required to switch layouts. Secondly, without the engraving on the keycaps as a reminder, the process of learning a new layout may be slower, but due to the lack of accessories on the market, it may be difficult for users to find suitable accessories.
In addition, for non-English users, or even non-Western system users, due to differences in input methods and basic characters, replacing this type of soft layout can be said to have little effect. In contrast, it may be more appropriate to harden the keyboard itself.
Kinesis Advantage is an ergonomic mechanical keyboard model that is well-known in China.
Although using a similar design to Maltron's hands, they focused on changing the physical layout. While retaining the QWERTY layout, they assigned the commonly used Enter, Backspace and other keys to the more powerful and free thumbs. , dispersing the pressure on the little finger. At the same time, Kinesis has removed the numeric keypad between the hands, making the whole thing more compact, and it can also earn another share of the money from selling the keypad. The bowl-shaped concave design of the hands can ensure that the fingers do not bend and extend excessively when typing keys, and the wide palm rest also gives the user enough rest space.
In this category, there are also some projects that have good reviews among keyboard enthusiasts, such as ErgoDox and X-Bows. Their overall keyboard design still maintains a flat surface. While balancing the workload of the thumbs, the arrangement of the keys on the keyboard is adjusted to ensure that each finger only flexes and extends when pressing the keys. ErgoDox is an open source project with a very simple concept, which is to stretch the keys that each finger should press into a column; while the designer of X-Bows is an imaging doctor himself, he designed the layout to be more suitable for the hand shape, and each finger Each has its own most suitable angle, but the consequence of this is that the keycaps need to be molded independently, and it is basically impossible to replace them by yourself.
The AM Hatsu previously released by Numiao Technology also uses an open source solution similar to ErgoDox. The biggest difference between this Dactyl Manuform solution and ErgoDox is that it makes the flat Ergo three-dimensional, integrating Maltron-like and ErgoDox-like The advantages and disadvantages of the two solutions are also obvious, that is, the cheap acrylic proofing shell PCB factory production board solution is basically impossible to complete, and the only way is to 3D print manual flying lines, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. In addition, because this kind of open source project is adjusted based on human hands, in theory, every user should adjust the layout to suit their own hand shape and size before making their own. Foreign forums have used shafts that are too heavy and the finger angles are too large. The finished product ErgoDox actually caused thumb tenosynovitis precedent.
Dactyl Manuform, image source GitHub, see related reading
Some people have chosen another path: Planck, a straight-in-line keyboard produced by OLKB, arranges the entire keyboard vertically, while Cut off the number area, so that every key on the keyboard is only two farthest keys away from the reference row, and rely on your thumbs to complete most of the rest of the operations. Similar layouts include 40 keyboards that cut off the number area but retain the ordinary staggered design. They all rely on the thumb to cut layers to complete the cut-off key operations. This design is equivalent to ensuring that the movement of the fingers is reduced, and the adjustment of the wrist position and arm position is left to the user. After all, you have to get used to inputting on this keyboard again. Why not also learn the posture again - the only thing The problem is that, in my personal opinion, neither type of keyboard can be considered an ergonomic keyboard, especially an ortholinear keyboard like the Planck - it will bring your hands closer and force two The wrist is in an adducted state (bent toward the little finger), which may even accelerate the formation of strain. Their greater significance may be portability, rather than the so-called reduction of finger pressure in the slogan. As for the 40 keyboard, for users of the Chinese Pinyin input method, such reduction may cause more obvious finger fatigue, and the use scenarios need to be carefully considered.
For the average keyboard user, the above designs may have exceeded the acceptable learning cost range. After all, we have been using standard keyboards for so many years. If it were not a high-intensity keyboard labor, it would be difficult to make the decision to devote so much energy to typing. In fact, there is also a kind of gentler ergonomic design to try and get started.
This type of design almost only bends the shape of the keyboard, maintaining the arrangement of the main key area, and is intended to provide a more natural arc for the wrist, or to keep the arm and palm in line. This type of design is actually a compromise in terms of ergonomics. It assumes that users have already figured out some healthy typing methods on non-ergonomic keyboards, but it is this kind of compromise that allows more people to experience ergonomics. Design fun.
Among mass-produced keyboards, Mistel and Microsoft are typical examples. One makes hands-separated keyboards and the other makes keyboard bends. The put together Mistel MD600 / Barocco is just an ordinary 60 / 75 arrangement mechanical keyboard. You can separate it when needed, or even use only half of it as a simple left-handed keyboard - there are indeed professionals who use this Half of the keyboard was brought to the competition. For people who don’t have the confidence to adapt to an ergonomic keyboard, but are eager to try it out, Mistel’s design that can be adjusted when you want to use it and return to ordinary when you don’t want to use it may be the most suitable.
As for Microsoft's ergonomics, it directly twists the shape of the keyboard into an angle that is more suitable for the natural arm and wrist, and directly installs a wrist rest. The method seems simple and crude, but it is indeed applicable. It can reduce the learning cost and adjust the keyboard to the most suitable form at one time as much as possible. Some Microsoft models also come with a magnetic lifting brace, which can further raise the wrist and avoid unnatural hyperextension (flexion of the wrist toward the back of the hand).
Among open source projects, the Alice layout shown in the title picture is the easiest layout to get used to. Its basic idea is to bend the QWERTY layout into a shape that conforms to your fingers, and separate the left and right halves. Compared with the general design, it has an extra right-hand B key - this is also the key position that most people "press wrongly" compared to the "standard fingering method", because the distance between the B key and the left and right hands is actually the same on the standard keyboard. Yes, this little change is enough to expand the applicable population of Alice.
Having said so much, I still have to go back to the issue of purchasing decisions.
We stand up with our arms completely relaxed and hanging at our sides, and then keep this position and rotate our elbows - at this time, your forearms and palms should be in a straight line, and the distance between your hands is slightly narrower than your shoulders. The back of the hand is tilted forward, and the fingers are slightly flexed. This is the ideal ergonomic position. Therefore, the most ideal ergonomic keyboard should be "arched in the middle, separated from the hands, equipped with a wrist rest/palm rest, and adapted to the length of your fingers." But unfortunately, no keyboard can do these. You can only make a choice based on the health of your hands. At the same time, you must also consider the difficulty of getting started with the ergonomic keyboard to decide which part of the needs should be prioritized.
Personally, I would give priority to ensuring that the left and right hands are separated. This is the most profound point I have experienced while using an engineering keyboard. The difference between two-dimensional and three-dimensional engineering is not necessarily huge, but after the left and right hands are separated, the comfort of the wrists, shoulders, and elbows is immediately improved. In addition, if you choose a membrane engineering keyboard, be sure to choose a model with a split space bar: whether it is a crater or a scissor kick, these commonly used membrane structures cannot guarantee that the curved oversized space bar can operate smoothly. , if it is not split into two short spaces, there will be a high chance of jamming when typing.
For ordinary keyboard users, X-Bows and some Microsoft models are more suitable entry-level choices. The former gives your fingers more relaxation on a flat surface, while the latter allows you to A relatively universal design has been made at this level, but it should be noted that some Microsoft models do not have split spaces, which may cause trouble in use. If you are willing to put in the effort, you can try the Alice layout keyboard, which is relatively easy to get started with.
If you have higher usage requirements, you can also directly try more radical designs such as Kinesis, but be prepared that you will not be able to adapt to ordinary keyboards in the future.
If you have tried an ergonomic keyboard, please share your experience in the comment area. If you have any further questions, please feel free to communicate in the comment area.