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Comment by Ndymium | Hacker News Reader

For those that have a UHK or are thinking of getting one, we have an unofficial Discord server at https://discord.gg/b4z4rfv which is also tunneled with ##uhk on Freenode. Welcome if you want to discuss any UHK matters. :)

Personally I am very happy with my two UHKs (one for the office and one for home, though for obvious reasons they are both home now). I have stopped using a mouse and use the mouse layer exclusively now for working, though on my work one I have a prerelease version of the trackpoint module that I use. Being a split design has made it easier for my hands and finally forced me to learn proper finger technique.

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That looks great! I built a similar one and really enjoy it, the quefrency v2 (https://keeb.io/products/quefrency-rev-2-60-65-split-stagger...). All in, might have been slightly cheaper though also took plenty of time for soldering and assembly.

Before building this, I had tried a split ortholinear and was eying a moolander. Unfortunately, since I have to use a standard laptop for work (and I’m moving around a lot during the day), I just couldn’t reprogram my fingers on an ortholinear ... I found switching back & forth very challenging and in the end, not worth it.

I have been using an ortho-linear for years now. I programmed it in a way so that the layout is not too different from a regular keyboard. I like it very much, but because I use a laptop I often switch to a "regular" keyboard (MacBook Pro 2016). I find this ok, and I still appreciate the comfort of the ortholinear.

I'm currently waiting for a trackball module and I am curious how they fit into your usual keyboard usage. Is it difficult to get used to it? Do you use it as a scroll wheel or as a normal mouse?

I used the trackball module as a mouse but I prefer the trackpoint. If I didn't have the trackpoint, I would probably use the trackball more than the mouse layer. Both were pretty easy to get used to, a few days.

I scroll using the mouse layer mostly. There is a mini trackball in the key cluster module that is handy for more accurate scrolling but it easily also scrolls horizontally. I would assume they'll make it configurable.

UHK looks fabulous - thanks for sharing!

Could you explain how dragging works with the trackball module? The website says that the trackball is not pressable and I can't imagine how I would control it and press one of its keys with the same hand.

And one question about the trackpoint, if you have time. I tried trackpoints on my Thinkpad laptops, but couldn't get used to them because they were too stiff. Have you ever come across any alternative tips/nibbles? I would love to have one that feels like a PS controller stick :-)

For the first question, you would use some other button on the keyboard to click while dragging. I use the trackpoint which is also not pressable, but I use the mouse layer key to click. My mouse layer is activated with the mouse key in place of caps lock and a left click is with F. Since the UHK is completely mappable, you can find the best key combo for yourself. Only your thumb is occupied on the trackball so you have 4 fingers left for clicking on that hand alone. :)

If you get the left side key cluster module, it has clickers on the edge, so you can use those for clicking with your left hand while dragging with your right. Personally for me it wasn't the most comfortable choice so I stick to my mouse keys.

This is actually my first trackpoint that I really use, so I haven't searched for any alternative tips. I do admit a PS controller stick could be nice. :D Maybe a bit too light to touch?

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