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Comment by farnsworth | Hacker News Reader

I have the Moonlander split keyboard, and absolutely love it. But the problem I constantly have with split keyboards is keeping them aligned the right way. Each half is constantly being pushed and shifted or rotated slightly on my desk so it feels like the alignment is a little off every time I sit down to use it. The infinite adjustability is definitely a perk but I feel like I should be taping them down once I get them set up

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It is not because of the split design - it’s because of the ortholinear layout. Classical staggered layout is much more tolerant to the posture and angle.

Oh this explains it!

I tried a Moonlander and really didn't jive with it, then tried a KinesiS Freestyle and love it.

Upon reflection, it's the ortholinear layout that made the Moonlander so much less comfortable for me.

I realized the pros for staggered layout!

How so? Can you elaborate on this?

That is my observation. I have Ergodox, Planck and X-Bows, all of them are non-staggered. I noticed that I had an urge to adjust either keyboard or my posture constantly. On the other hand I’m comfortable with a traditional staggered keyboard at any angle and position. Non-staggered is very comfortable as soon as you keep you fingers along the columns. But is you move a little bit - you have to adjust the keyboard.

Technically not ortholinear but columnar.

I know what you mean. I solved the issue with a specially designed adjustable linkage on the Lagrange (https://github.com/dpapavas/lagrange-keyboard). It took a while to finetune the relative position anf attitude (which, turned out to be what one'd expect: 0° toe, separation at about shoulder width), but now it's finally consistently aligned every time. (The palm keys also help by doubling as guides to keep your hands in the right place.)

I've got a bunch of ergo tented boards with very little desk contact area - I actually spent all of last week typing on a borrowed Moonlander.

To solve the problem you describe I use a non-slip material by a company called Dycem[0], which I understand is primarily used by amputees and people with limited use of their limbs.

I've always gotten that niggly 'slight misalignment' feeling, ever since my first Ergodox 7-8 years ago. I know exactly what you're talking about and Dycem almost completely eliminates this for me. I lay my wrist rests and my board on it, and can make intentional microadjustments as I type, but those stay in place for weeks as long as I don't accidentally knock them out of place.

It's not cheap and there may be other similar alternatives, but I can say this one works.

[0] https://dycem-ns.com

This is why after I got used to a split layout, I recreated it in one piece.

Also because I type with the keyboard on my lap and I had to use the split on a piece of plywood to keep it flat...

Add a deskmat or 3m sticky foot, it helps a lot.

Can you share a link? Are you referring to rubber feets that stick on or feet made of sticky material?

My keyboard came with some small rubber feet. Like these, although smaller: https://www.rapidonline.com/3m-bumpon-black-transparent-self...

I have it on a "gaming" mouse mat, i.e. an enormous mouse mat.

Right, or blu tac, or anything else sticky (well maybe not anything else sticky).

The Goldtouch V2 has a hefty clamp that keeps the keyboard in position. It also has 30-degree tenting.

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