Blog

What are ergonomic keyboards? What do they look like? And what exactly makes a keyboard “ergonomic”? In this article, we will explore the key design features that define ergonomic keyboards and set them apart from traditional ones. If you’re new to the topic, I highly recommend checking out my earlier article analyzing the QWERTY layout: QWERTY Keyboard and Its Two Flaws. What Are Ergonomic Keyboards? So, what exactly qualifies as an ergonomic keyboard? While there may be a technical definition out there, I’d like to offer my personal perspective: ...

In today’s post, I’ll discuss the major drawbacks of the keyboard layout we use every day. The QWERTY keyboard is familiar to everyone, and it’s the one we’ll be focusing on. If you’ve read the earlier post about typing comfort in Colemak vs QWERTY, this one will go deeper into two key flaws of the QWERTY layout that still impact us today. QWERTY Keyboard and the Typewriter Despite being separated by over a century, typewriters and modern keyboards look surprisingly similar. Two common characteristics stand out: ...

QWERTY vs Colemak In today’s post: QWERTY vs Colemak. We’re going to compare these two popular keyboard layouts to see which one is more comfortable. QWERTY is used by millions as the default keyboard layout. Colemak, on the other hand, belongs to a group of modern, ergonomic alternative layouts. We’ll be comparing them in terms of typing comfort, measured by the distance your fingers need to travel to write a given text. ...

Today we’ll complement the previous post, which described building a 30%-club keyboard – the Ferris Sweep – with its programming aspect. I’ll go over the non-visual part of the keyboard: the layout I’ve been using on my 34-key Ferris Sweep in my daily work as a programmer. Introduction A keyboard layout is the assignment of specific functions to physical keys. This means programming your keyboard to send specific signals when pressing certain keys. ...

30% Keyboard Club – Ferris Sweep Review The previous post focused on unconscious writing habits. In this one, I want to shift attention to minimalist, compact ergonomic keyboards — specifically the so-called 30% keyboards. Using the Ferris Sweep as an example, we’ll explore whether less can truly mean more, and whether such a tiny keyboard is actually useful. ANSI Layout A full ANSI layout includes: Alphanumeric keys — letters and numbers Arrow keys and special function keys Function row Numpad Visually, a full ANSI layout looks like this: ...

Start of typing journey The first computer appeared in our home about 20 years ago. It feels like it was in a completely different era—when the internet was for the privileged few, and hardly anyone had heard of workplace ergonomics. People certainly didn’t care about it, and the time spent in front of a computer was much shorter. The very first crucial skill back then was learning how to type… If you could do that, you were good. But if you could type fast—you were SOMEONE. It was all about having the skill, not how well you did it. And let’s be honest—no one cared about typing style. What mattered was speed and looking at the screen. 🙂 ...