Comment by tomc1985 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by tomc1985 | Hacker News Reader

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I agree, because for all the money and chatter about them most of the companies providing them are making carbon copies of each other with little real innovation -- they're always the same square shape and its always about fancy keyswitches, RGB, and little else.

Computer-building has turned into this, at least if r/pcmasterrace is any indication. It's positively infuriating -- 99% of people's posts are bragging/validation, there are cliques/cargo cults around 144hz, LinusTechTips, RGB, and watercooling, and I cannot remember the last time I saw an in-depth technical discussion about anything there.

I personally think humans' need to form cliques and ingroups is its worse trait; it has transformed a deeply technical hobby that I love into yet another bragging and dick-waving contest :(

> they're always the same square shape and its always about fancy keyswitches, RGB, and little else.

This is where I disagree. I had severe hand and arm tendon pain for years, and finally dove into ergonomic mechanical keyboard options. It solved my issues, and I no longer feel the pain after typing all day.

I easily spend $350+ for a keyboard, and it's a very practical, life-changing decision, which involves a non-rectangular, non-RGB keyboard.

For reference: https://ergodox-ez.com/

Fair enough, but when I look at pictures of peoples' builds it is almost always a square keyboard with fancy backlighting.

I'm personally a fan of the MS ergos with the wrist wrests and have mixed feelings about how that design doesn't seem to be getting replicated anywhere

I would guess there's a patent involved preventing another company from using it. I would definitely have bought an MS 3000/Sculpt with mechanical switches before I built my own ergodox. My problem was that I wore out my sculpt in like 14 months. Half of the space bar stopped working. I'm actually a little surprised Microsoft hasn't released one with mechanical switches.

As someone who also uses mechanical keyboards but just for health reasons this looks interesting, thanks for sharing.

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