OLKB Planck 40% keyboard review - ON HELIUM! (Zealio purple 65 g)

Don't forget to check out the gameplay video: bit.ly/2qbU23a
Skip to 12:14 for a typing demonstration.
My other keyboard reviews: • Thomas' Keyboard Reviews
I'm Thomas and I do keyboard videos and reviews. Today we look at the OLKB Planck, a 40% ortholinear keyboard. As someone who hates small keyboards and layout weirdness, I'm obviously the best person to judge this keyboard. Note: the caps on this keyboard are not stock, but the stock caps are also blanks. The owner replaced the original DSA keycaps with SA ones.
The practice sentence was: "Hello my name is Thomas and I'm typing on a Planck keyboard right now. This is bound to be by far the slowest typing demonstration I've ever done. I'm guessing ten minutes?" - which I took over four minutes to mis-type!

[@kurtissewell9707]

The perfect keyboard to make sure no one else uses your computer

[@CondoreComputing]

My reason for non printed key caps. Nobody i know can touch type proficiently.

[@JackOfHarts96]

I use blanks on Dvorak. It's not as extreme as this but it still gets the job done.

[@djvnsdjkvnsfjsrhbgdh]

@@JackOfHarts96 I can't think of an more extreme version.

[@JackOfHarts96]

@@djvnsdjkvnsfjsrhbgdh Chyros mentioned that the owner of this keyboard used it in Dvorak, so I'd class this as more extreme.

[@broogz]

There's already Dvorak for that

[@sarreqteryx]

my God, your voice is fighting the helium!

[@44883]

I turned off the volume after the first 5 seconds, his voice is so annoying and trash. It hurts my ears listening to him.

[@dylanharding5720]

44883 it's only because he's on helium

[@armanelgtron4533]

+44883 The first 5 seconds of the video? He wasn't even speaking yet.

[@picklejar7236]

im fighting the autism of this comment

[@danielojaaru2344]

Found the triggered %40 user

[@vojtasTS29]

is he the only person with a deep voice on helium? :D

[@davidt4053]

You can search for James Earl Jones on helium. Thomas and James on helium are still deeper than me.

[@niko1u426]

vojtasTS29 welcome to aparture science

[@Pehmokettu]

I remember one KZbinr who actually got deeper voice after inhaling helium but that was so many years ago that I don't remember anymore who he was. It was a total WTF moment.

[@FazBonfire]

Helium doesn't change your range.

[@rich1051414]

@@FazBonfire It pitch shifts your voice since helium is such low density. Lower density means the particles move faster through the vocal cords, hence, the shift up in pitch.

[@digitsdigitsdigits808]

tiny voice for a tiny keyboard?

[@Chyrosran22]

pseudo_ yeah, exactly ;) .

[@muchfunnysuchcomedy]

Is your pfp what I think it is

[@mist3325]

@@muchfunnysuchcomedy what is it?

[@muchfunnysuchcomedy]

@@mist3325 fbi

[@Netsuko]

This is the most hipster keyboard I have ever seen. The only thing making this even more hipster would be if the damn thing was mounted onto a 25kg typewriter from 1905

[@Killerspieler]

you seem to have never seen a Pain27...

[@lycanrocvevo147]

Hey I know that pfp

[@fenixfurona9577]

Lycanroc Enthusiast yours scares me

[@lycanrocvevo147]

@@fenixfurona9577 its sleepy

[@fenixfurona9577]

Lycanroc Enthusiast sweet dreams whatever that thing is 😂

[@CheeseRat12]

Sulfur hexafluoride would've been better.

[@Chyrosran22]

Heh, I've considered it :p .

[@rich1051414]

But then no one would hear him, except for the elephants.

[@Potatorot1875]

Holy crap that would be INSANE.

[@choccymilk1233]

And then he beatboxes.

[@noahegler9131]

Lots of places have laws against sulfur hexafluoride, due to it being the worst thing for the ozone layer since humans. So he's probably unable to get ahold of any.

[@deusexmaximum8930]

5:30 circumcised vs uncircumcised keyboards

[@alexandrecosta2567]

wh- why would you say that

[@alexandrecosta2567]

@F4l4d0r Gu4rd well yes but actually no

[@jurisviksna8688]

Cursed?

[@olli9764]

@@alexandrecosta2567 because its true

[@austerbutt3626]

So true

[@pedroviniciusyamamoto3590]

the little "ah" at 0:49 is perfect and made me laugh so hard idk why

[@PhilipAlexanderHassialis]

"What the fuck in a glass of milk in a paper plate in a snowstorm were they thinking" Oh Chyros, never change mate! Also, you should SERIOUSLY consider *some* form of collaboration with OzzyManReviews.

[@Chyrosran22]

I have no idea who he is xD .

[@PhilipAlexanderHassialis]

He is a reviewer of sorts, and you would probably hit it off immediately, at least in terms of humour and relevant swearing :P

[@BMPK]

oi oi oi

[@AeroPR]

Watching you type that for 4 minutes reminded me how it felt while learning Dvorak

[@bamdadkhan]

you dvorak guys are a sect. i usually watch you with a mixture of bafflement and respect from a distance. xD

[@Sparnee]

Can confirm, worked within days.

[@FunkyDeleriousPriest]

With effort, Dvorak layout can be learned in one day. Muscle memory for faster typing will take longer.

[@theoaldrin330]

Because it's weird

[@jordanzish]

Tian10an Hey now. My girlfriend thinks my obsession with keyboards is weird, but she still loves me. Can't we all just get along, and laugh at the 40% plebs together?

[@Whomsky]

Even on helium this guy has a deeper voice than any of us

[@Klblaz]

I didn't expect you to review a 40%. Personally, I love my Planck, but I agree that if you don't know how to touch type it would be impossible to use it. I also do game on it and after I rebind some keys I can play any game perfectly fine. I won't be trying to change your opinion, but for me this keyboard is fun (but maybe I'm a masochist after all...)

[@tutituti4344]

Klblaz Do you use the arrow keys in a row like the Apple one, or in a inverted T?

[@Milamberinx]

I like my Planck, but I love my Ergodox. I might try a Preonic at some point, might be the ideal midpoint.

[@metroplexprime9901]

I immensely respect your usage of such a small layout and I'm sure there are benefits to using it, but I seriously feel like there is an "understandable concessions for those who want to save desk space, especially horizontal desk space" line, and this keyboard crossed it as soon as it went ortholinear and didn't have any legends on it. I feel like this could be a fun little board if it had a bit more of a conventional staggered layout and legends on the keycaps, but at this point it feels more like someone tried to make this things usage as obfuscated and difficult to learn as possible.

[@nateofnazareth7785]

how little do you type numbers

[@mariofeared]

@@metroplexprime9901 the point of tiny ortholinear keyboard isn't so much to save desk space but to save the distance travelled by your fingers. Thus reducing the chance of RPI (repetitive strain injury). You do need to know how to touch type though, which explains why there are no labels on the keyboard as it helps reinforce the learnings by not letting you rely on the labels for reference. With a 40% keyboard like this, it means that most keys are 1 key away from their original position from the home row. Having the columns align on a grid means your fingers only need to move up or down one key. Think of a regular numpad. How difficult is it too use, really? Once you know how to touch type, the entire keyboard is as easy to use as a numpad. Since these keyboards are also programmable, you can set layers to any other key you want. Press a button and the qwerty row turns into the number row. Press another and they are the function key rows and so on. If you want, you can even set macros on layers. You can customize it however you want and adapt it to your needs. There's obviously a learning curve, but once learned, you'd be flying through words on it.

[@abby_photos]

For those wondering, the benefit of a Planck is that with the 40% layout, you don't have to move your hands to hit any keys, which in theory should reduce your risk of RSI. If you are a hunt and peck typist like Thomas, there is really no benefit as you have to move your hands no matter what key you're pressing The layout being confusing is a legitimate criticism, but a significant portion of the people who buy them become intimately familiar with their own layout by writing their own firmware. Planck's are also as versatile as the layout you program. I've had a Planck for almost 2 years, and I use it for typing, programming - both C# and Python, and even gaming. I use a slightly modified version of the default layout. For gaming, I've made a persistent layer (i.e., you don't have to hold down a key to use it,) with arrow keys in the inverse T shape, numbers on the top row, and basically no punctuation.

[@bbil2270]

Yup, I'm rocking a Vortex Core with a custom layout optimized for programming at work. It is convenient for me, but sucks when I have to type on a regular keyboard for whatever reason.

[@CondoreComputing]

Im in the same boat using a vortex core and i love it. Im at the point where i take it with me to my college classes so i dont have to use another keyboard. i have the foam landing pads to dampen bottom-out and am using cherry mx clears.

[@greyareaRK1]

It's RSI benefit is a premise without any study or proof.

[@dlaroe]

As an everyday Planck user this is spot on. Significantly reduced the pain in my hands and fingers and makes typing a pleasure.

[@GurtTarctor]

connly33 75% is my favourite form factor for general use, I have a Pok3r that I sometimes take to uni, though a Core might be even better for that purpose. I would probably want a nice compact case for it though... I could maybe make something out of cardboard and a bit of foam. Tiny keyboards can be really useful for what I do at uni, as the desk space is pretty limited and I need to have various other MIDI instruments around as well as the mouse. So the horizontally and vertically shortened boards make a ton of sense for that. Far more ergonomic not having to reach really far.

[@codesixteen]

Hey' Chyro. There's this alps clone switch from Taiwan called Tai-hao green with 280g actuation force (yes, 280g...) can you look into it?? :D

[@subscribeforgoodluck2663]

280g!? welp it's time to break our fingers xd

[@user-yc6vr8vn5j]

Kevin Y tai hao makes switches!?!

[@Unconcerned_Orange]

im sorry what ? 280 g actuation force ? What's this, gongfu training switch ?

[@-Duyuc-CA-N]

Lian Pang Maybe it's for people with strong hands, years of masturbation might help

[@Kori-ko]

I have a 40% with them. They're pretty good.

[@johnannerud6311]

Absolutely laughing my ass off at your typing demonstration. Congratulations. I think this is the first time I ever comment on a video.

[@AM1N4L]

this typing demo is fucking hilarious

[@hampusk]

Fantastic. My first week with my Planck was like that aswell. But I got myself legends on the caps, made a custom layout and pressed on. Two months later I was back at full speed and love grid layout and single unit keys. I never stopped missing the number row though so I now have a 6 by 12 ortholinear. Switching back to staggered is no problem at all but I prefer ortholinear.

[@Mixail747]

6 rows? I thought there is max 5 available. Which PCB is that?

[@nateofnazareth7785]

what does ortholinear do for you as opposed to staggered? I cant seem to understand it

[@hampusk]

@@nateofnazareth7785 Ortho or staggered doesn’t matter much for typing itself but the same number of keys fits into a neater better looking package with ortho. What is most important for me is all keys being single unit. 4 years after the original post I do however struggle a bit more when having to switch back to laptop keyboard. The keys are so inefficiently placed on anything larger than 40%.

[@hampusk]

@@nateofnazareth7785 Ahh. I see I am talking about 6x12 in the post. I stopped using that years ago and are only using 4x12 nowadays.

[@gizmondo69]

That beeping noise Is there any other "normal" keyboard that has that? I WANT THE BEEPS AND BOOPS

[@tvducky]

I'm a programmer. I have two of these Plancks. They are amazing. I can't go back to the staggered layout. The Planck is programmable with qmk firmware. You can customize the layout to how you want. I do agree with the arrow keys. Naturally, it doesn't make sense...the normal arrow cluster makes more sense for most...Up is above, left and right in the middle, and down is below. If you use VIM a lot, hjkl makes a lot of sense for the arrow cluster. In fact, I have a key mapped so that when I hold the key, it would make the hjkl the arrow keys. I rarely, go down to the bottom right of the keyboard.... What should I do with the last 4 keys? o.0 I'm still using a QWERTY layout on the Planck, so it's still easy for me to switch back to a normal staggered layout if I need. Like everything, you have to learn how to use it and adjust. We didn't just naturally and intuitively figured how to use the standard QWERTY keyboard. We had to learn it. It took me less than a week to adjust to the Planck. Ultimately, this was a keyboard created by a developer (Jack Humbert) for developers.

[@magusperde365]

I use emacs and this keyboard looks like a nightmare to me

[@tvducky]

@@magusperde365 I don't use emacs so I can't comment. But the beauty of the customizable firmware with Qmk is that you can create your own layout. One good example is the Backspace on a normal staggered keyboard. I just can't reach it with my pinky.. It's quite a stretch... With Qmk you can remap it. Basically, you customize it so it fits YOU....like how you customize your code editor/IDE.

[@bltzcstrnx]

@@tvduckyI don't really get the motivation or purpose of going below 65%. The space saving is negligible, and the sacrifice is too much. If someone really wanted to safe that much space, why don't go with iPad Pro or Tab S instead? Relying on cloud development environments such as Codespace or Gitpod.

[@tvducky]

​​@@bltzcstrnx​@bltzcstrnx for me it's not about the small form factor. It's about a bit of ergonomics. I prefer to stay on the home row. Here's an experiment: on your current keyboard, with your fingers on the home row, type backspace..... Far reach, right? (unless you have really really long fingers)

[@kaitlyn__L]

i mean... isn't the blank keycaps because you can reprogram every single layer? what's the point in having legends if they're going to change? of course, being the same profile, if you had legends you could arrange them to match the layout after programming. ofc most plancks i've seen have had a 2u spacebar instead of two 1us... that's a bit weird.

[@christophertaylor8166]

If completed Planck keyboards were commercial products one option would be to have the second and third layers printed on the front of the caps. You’d just need to stick to the default layout.

[@Lordbunson]

1u or bust.

[@matthewfernandez82]

@@christophertaylor8166 you could probably have keys like that custom made but it would probably cost a good bit more than the keyboard itself

[@elsasslotharingen7507]

@@matthewfernandez82 Yep.

[@elsasslotharingen7507]

Also, people who heavily customize their layout/layers tend to keep improving them over time to increase comfort/speed.

[@valdolandar534]

«For those who do not know how to type on the keyboard:» I think the trick of learning is to always put your fingers on the base, ASDF, JKL. And that is the reference of the other keys. The brain does the rest with practice. Do not lose the position of the letters F and J, never.

[@invalidsudo]

Your voice is so deep that even after inhaling helium, it still sounds deep o_O

[@Chyrosran22]

Yeah, I didn't sound like I thought I would xD .

[@pdnaa]

I'm pretty sure this is Danilo_dk's keyboard. When I saw it at first I was already suspicious, but when you mentioned the Dvorak I was sure of it.

[@Chokkan]

Yeah and the crazy heavy springs, was a big hint too. :D

When I've heard 180g springs - "It has to be u/danilo_dk

[@MellifluentMusic]

Definitely, also the 180g switches gave it away.

[@FunkyDeleriousPriest]

Danilo de Klerk Hey what's your Dvorak layout? I use Dvorak on my Atreus & love it. It's got 80g Gateron Greens - do you really use 180g springs & if so, where can I get some?

[@rektyrektingson4668]

LEGEND

[@WhiteVaille]

What's the switch at 11:13 that you say you prefer? Sounds like you're saying "Zealios Stottle" but that's not a thing as far as I can tell?

[@martijnsmith1525]

Its a mod some people do that makes it more tactile and clicky

[@Supertimegamingify]

Zealiostotle

[@offbrandbiscuit]

It's a Zealios with the click jacket from an Aristotle switch.

[@ichigoboy86]

escape is lower than tab to be easier to use with vi or vim. the benefit of a small keyboard is that you have to move your hand less and you are more efficient with vi vim or emacs. if you don't know why and what I'm talking about then you don't need such keyboard in my opinion.

[@Edo_VT]

Wow, never expected you to do a Planck review! Really enjoyed this one. I've wanted to make a Planck myself as I really love the experimentation of this design, but I have no doubt my typing experience would be similar to yours :) I hope we get to see more reviews of modern boards like this in the future!

[@erinwiebe7026]

As someone who's spent the majority of their career in IT typing at a Linux CLI, I can only say why? This layout looks like an ergonomic mess to me.

[@iLiokardo]

You don't have to move your fingers more that 2 keys away.

[@FunkyDeleriousPriest]

One year with the ortholinear layout on the 42-key Atreus & I don't want to use a normal keyboard anymore. The standard staggered ANSI/ISO layout bends the left wrist in an unnatrual angle. True typing comfort is Dvorak & Atreus/ErgoDox.

[@awl649]

I think you don't benefit much from the orthonlinear layout on a planck, your hand is still angled inwards if you put your finger on home row with straight wrist. Imo xd75re standard layout makes more sense as there is more space between your hand.

[@notreallydaedalus]

And then the Let's Split was created. And it was good.

[@somedude2492]

@@FunkyDeleriousPriest if you're bending your left wrist too much then you're putting it in the wrong place...

[@adamclark1624]

Great explanation of Zealios! Would be interesting to see how you find the different spring weights Zealios come in, trying to decide which ones to get for a 60% build

[@cavedon.felipe]

How can you actually sound fine with helium? You're the only person allowed to substitute Morgan Freeman as god.

[@FinlayDaG33k]

When he pulled out the Hertog Jan, only then I realised this guy is Dutch

[@LaserMasterLevi]

I don't hear it to be honest, may be an Englishman living in the Netherlands?

[@FinlayDaG33k]

@@LaserMasterLevi There are some small nuances in his speaking that hint more towards him being Dutch tho

[@ellenorbjornsdottir1166]

@@FinlayDaG33k Those have gone away lately

[@ufoludek]

This will be my new favorite video on your channel.

[@SicSemperBeats]

I love your review. I really enjoy how you kinda rant about other switches that way we all get a really good sense of comparison.

[@InvidiousIgnoramus]

I'm actually typing on a 40% ortholinear right now! Mine has gateron yellows, though

[@InvidiousIgnoramus]

also, you'd have an easier time if you made use of the home row. :P

[@Klblaz]

He said he can't touch type, which means he doesn't use home row anyway. It's weird that the keycaps he got don't have homing keys, which would be annoying ever for me, a long 40% user.

[@notreallydaedalus]

Yeah, I tried using a cap set without homing keys on my Ergodox. It just did NOT work for me!

[@ellenorbjornsdottir1166]

@@Klblaz I touch type but don't home

[@ikt32]

Oh god that typing demonstration was infuriating. Good job on not throwing the keyboard out of the window!

[@Chyrosran22]

I might've if it hadn't been someone else's :p .

[@fr3fou]

Nice megumin avatar

[@daburzze1498]

Started playing this and my cats immediately began scratching at my bedroom door to get in! WTF

[@SimisearOfficial]

I’m eagerly waiting for my Planck to arrive, I really cannot believe how much my taste has shifted

[@Wicky3214]

Haha I definitely understand why people don't like the Planck. It's not for everyone. Not very many people can touch type and memorizing such an unorthodox layout with different layers is no doubt difficult, in which case the Planck probably seems like a keyboard from hell. But I use one as my daily driver (with blanks) and it's one of my favorite boards. I haven't lost any speed and now I'm instead slower on a full size because I have to move my hands so much. I use it for everything from gaming to programming. Definitely miss the numbers on the base layer when playing a few certain games though. The portability is also a huge selling point as I carry it almost everywhere.

[@styxwickorfrost811]

The thing is, there are keycap kits that support ortholinear keyboards in mind and even advertised for boards with as many keys s the planck. The problem is that they were sold with blank keycaps at first.

[@SussyBaka-em9rq]

So if you put keycaps with letters on it would be fine?

[@thewonderfulMRnoob]

And that was the day that Thomas went insane.

[@1049662]

The folks leaping out to defend their boards. Nothing wrong with you doing you, and Chyrosran22 we love what you do.

[@EllipticGeometry]

I might actually try an ortholinear layout at some point. I can work with staggering just fine but it's still staggering. If I extend my fingers, they move inward about 0.25 units per row. That's okay for my right hand, being pretty close to the staggered pattern and even matching the finger-key combinations you're "supposed" to use. My left hand is just a mess, however. In practice I use a different fingers sometimes to reduce all that sideways travel, hitting ZXC starting with my ring finger instead of pinky. Not that that makes it less of a mess. Anyway, I guess a bit of slant is okay, perhaps desirable and more so than the full rotation you see in ergonomic boards (which doesn't compensate for finger length), but it should be made to fit finger movements.

[@shinmai]

I think it's worth noting that the Planc (and the big brother Preonic) are programmable keyboards that come as a kit (so there really aren't any "default" switches or keycaps) and I don't know anyone using one who uses any sort of "default" or pre-set layout or set-up on them. The whole point is to make it your own and make it work for you. Obviously ortholinear keyboards are not for everybody, but a lot of developers I know have noticed they get work done faster and get less strain and fatique using smaller boards like these with layers, allowing for more or less stationary hand positioning for most actions. Fun "review" either way :)

[@Chokkan]

So it's a Gherkin next? I was sure you'd dig the layout, but I was so wrong. Always great to hear your thoughts anyway.

[@Chyrosran22]

Negative, not a Gherkin.

[@hahaiseewhatyouredoing9086]

Anyone who use to watch his videos would knew that he hated space saving and ergo keyboards lol.

[@maciejnadobnik5081]

For the first time I actually couldn't wait for the typing demonstration!

[@ashurgeorge4604]

This is why I'm subbed to you Chyrosran... You know how to please.

[@bradd5961]

Hi Thomas, is there a graphical configurator for this board? How do you remap keys etc as a windows user?

[@segenmann]

0:50 *LORD* *VOLDEMORT* . btw I would use this keyboard thing for asmr

[@artman40]

Imagine typing on 1% form factor keyboard a.k.a. the telegraph machine!

[@koicflakesykh4658]

Typing with Helium :) Wait .. Oh iam a idiot

[@replicant8532]

What is the Milky switch you are holding at 11:17? I can't understand what you are saying there. What would you recommend for the best tactile MX-like switch? I have Cherry MX Clears now which I prefer over Zealios as they feel more tactile and spring has more cushion.

[@Chyrosran22]

replicant #85 just a run of the mill Gateron. There are no tactile MX switches more tactile than Zealios, at least not out of the factory, to my knowledge.

[@ape69420]

I understand 60% since it's small enough and portable and uses a normal layout. 40% just doesn't make any sense. I just see it as a hipster board.

[@nickputerbaugh9115]

The point of 40% is to never remove your fingers from the home row. I prefer 65% however

[@Krystalmyth]

Protection from what? What does the case protect the case from? Pringles?

[@Benrob0329]

Eh, at least the arrow keys are in a Vim-like configuration. Us Vi/m users wouldn't have a problem with them :-)

[@nottobay6768]

But they'd just put them on a function layer under hjkl. I don't see how that's a good argument.

[@Killerspieler]

A low profile case may be a trend at the moment, but what on earth will a case protect the switches from???? It's not that I tend to swing a knife around in that height... But nice review, very entertaining :D

[@jtsiomb]

I can see the attraction of small keyboards even though I prefer full sized ones myself, and I don't mind blank keycaps at all, but I must have skipped class the day they explained ortholinear layouts... I just can't fathom why would someone want an ortholinear layout keyboard.

[@FunkyDeleriousPriest]

John Tsiombikas one year with the ortholinear layout on the 42-key Atreus & I don't want to use a normal keyboard anymore. The standard staggered ANSI/ISO layout bends the left wrist in an unnatrual angle. True typing comfort is Dvorak & Atreus/ErgoDox.

[@MRawash]

The question should be why staggered layouts still exist? Ortholinear layouts are much more natural, once properly introduced to them, people can rarely go back.

[@jb_lofi]

I have a planck EZ with programmable RGB and lettered caps. It really helps; not only does it take you a very short time to adjust your musclememory to the ortholinear keys, which you can LOOK AT to see where you are, but you can use the RGB to guide yourself during the layer changes. I was skeptical at first, but I'm currently writing this comment on it, without relying on the RGB at all, at around 80 wpm. I've decided to use it as a daily driver for a week or so instead of my Unicomp Model M122 or Ergodox, and wow do I have much more desk-space now. It's a great little portable keyboard, but if you get a blank one like this then expect weeks of pain and mistakes.

[@rankoss3437]

when they making the 5 percent with just A W S D

[@sageetcher]

Hopefully yall know ive ended up getting one of these, this was my first introduction to this kind of keyboard and i love it

[@Jesse__H]

One benefit of an ortholinear layout, that I can think of, is that for gamers the "WASD" keys are in-line. That is, the W is directly above the S instead of above and slightly to the left. It has always mildly triggered my OCD when I think about how pretty much every gamer uses a crooked WASD cluster and no one seems to care. Obviously, if it really mattered, people WOULD care, but as a dirty console peasant I feel like I would want my WASD keys straightened out if and when I decide to ascend to the master race...

[@CPUmk2]

they keys are staggered because it's comfortable. It's fine whether you are gaming or typing. One of the benefits of PC gaming, though, is that you can use any layout you want. WASD is the common, inoffensive default choice but if you must have orthnogonal you still have the numpad, arrows, and nav cluster on standard keyboards.

[@kylerg2296]

The keys are staggered because the keylevers on early typewrites could not occupy the same space. It was never intended to be ergonomic.

[@captapraelium1591]

No, the keys are staggered because they needed to mechanically clear each other in typewriters designed in the 1800's. Seriously. !800's typewriters. And we still do it. It *does* really matter, it's just not "cool" yet to realise that twisting your fingers in a manner that they've been designed by billions of years of evolution to not be able to do, is fucking retarded. Gamers will spend $500 on a chair and a few hundred on an adjustable desk and sweat over a few grams on their mouse, but permanently damaging your body by twisting to staggered layouts? That's still normal. For now.......

[@GurtTarctor]

I always have my board rotated to right by 20-30 degrees anyway, which is more comfortable for my ring finger which is longer than the index. In this instance I think the lack of stagger in an ortholinear would be disadvantageous as at that angle my middle and index fingers would be interfering with each other. So by accident of design the standard Qwerty stagger happens to be ideal for gaming, for me at least. But I haven't tried an ortholinear yet so I couldn't say for sure that it would be worse.

[@captapraelium1591]

What you are doing is applying the layout as a columnar stagger which is good...the problem with the normal layout is that by rotating your board like so, you are moving the space bar further down and away (to the right) from your thumb. Ortholinear keyboards are good for typing but they aren't perfect for gaming either. For example, having the number keys (1,2,3...) in an alternate stagger to the movement keys is actually functional because it allows you access to your weapons using a choice of fingers thus not impeding upon movement.

[@jacobusburger]

Why hunt-and-peck on a blank keyboard? Wouldn't it have been easier to touch-type instead?

[@kylecarter1943]

I can see why you struggled to play games now, it's like the controls to an alien spaceship.

[@Chyrosran22]

Haha yes, exactly xD . Just wait until you see what horrible contortions I had to do with my hands to get to the buttons, too :p .

[@micahsnyder7299]

Gonna be honest here, I freaking love the aesthetic of this keyboard.

[@ze_or]

i use this keyboard as my main keyboard lol.

[@Moonhack95]

Wtf

[@katsuchansu1951]

Wtf

[@godanipicprofile]

Hideous

[@thefriendlierfriendliestfr786]

Hideous

[@KrazyCouch2]

Masochist ;)

[@Ultravox5600]

This may sound a little strange but do you think you'll ever touch on rubber o-ring modded "jail-house" MX style switches?

[@Chyrosran22]

I've known of the mod for a long time, but haven't tried them out yet. Maybe sometime in the future I'll try them out.

[@ev2477]

Chyrosran22 I’ve got a set of Wire Modded jailhouse blues if you wanna try them!

[@yogalD]

Judging from the force curve it seems they have quite sharp tactility, so I'd be curious to know too!

[@nootch6328]

Now for the vortex core! it has such a better feel. the planck is the worst 40% imo

[@yogalD]

What would you recommend for someone who wants a sharp tactile switch? I haven't tried Zealios but I agree that the bump on Cherry MX (I've tried brown and clear) is too 'round'. But I've also tried Matias Quiet Click and I still think it feels too much like Tactile Cherry. Sure the tactility is sharper but still not as sharp as any clicky switch I've tried (including Cherry Blue). I want to try Alps Orange or Salmon but when I look at the force curves it actually seems that Matias tactile is sharper than Orange and Salmon.

[@Chyrosran22]

That is an excellent question, as the most tactile switches are actually clicky. Non-clicky, highly tactile ones are not easy to find, especially if you think Matiases are not tactile enough. You can try SKCM salmon and SMK 2nd gen tactile switches which are a little sharper, but not more tactile in terms of magnitude. Basically if you want considerably more tactile you'll HAVE to go with clicky. FYI, the most tactile switch I know of is an extremely obscure and now completely disappeared Alps clone switch.

[@dumdum7786]

I would go for the NMB dell quietkey which has a very sharp tactile bump and feels pretty good but make sure it's by NMB because a few different manufacturers made the dell quietkey, the FCC id should start with AQ6

[@aluxannar]

Model F redux? :D

[@jkon156]

personally, I run aqua zilent 62g's in my board. I really like the weight, feel and sound of these.

[@IvanBoskovic808]

I have problem with laptop keyboards were i have to use that bs fn+ combination to activate something but this thing is straight from hell ! I would rather type on those flexible rubber so-called waterproof keyboards

[@greyareaRK1]

It's like a specialty function keyboard, for editing suites or very complicated software, but without useful keycaps (Don't get me started on blank keycaps). Is it the type of plastic or method of production that makes Zealios switches so smooth? What type of plastic is it?

[@Chyrosran22]

John Matthias Zeal understandably didn't want to give me all the details, but I think a big part is the smooth and fresh moulds they use.

[@ToxNano]

Someone please send him a gherkin :D

[@kadergumus2598]

Typing demonstration, 10:58 Video, 5:02 It would be like this.

[@Lachlant1984]

I can touch type in the usual way with all 10 fingers on the correct keys, but I suspect I would hate using this keyboard. Where's the bloody space bar? I don't think I'd like this keyboard very much.

[@symplesy2056]

my sides

[@SweetTodd]

Can you review the Mactini keyboard? It's integrated to a computer, but I think it's make a great addition.

[@erroral6672]

Even smaller??? 30%????

[@InvidiousIgnoramus]

you want a 30%? get a Gherkin, only 36 keys.

[@VladBielozorov]

gherkin is 30 keys

[@Klblaz]

There are keyboards that have less keys than Planck, but aren't a 30% - such as JD40 or Atreus.

[@22Sangre]

A keyboard with one key that you type a Morse code with.

[@Chyrosran22]

It's not a Gherkin OR a 30% ;) .

[@slayertwix5491]

Why can't you touch type?

[@NoEntertainment]

These keyboards will be a no-go for me. Don't care who likes them, they're fucking near-impossible to get used to it seems.

[@notreallydaedalus]

That's okay... those who like them don't care who doesn't!

[@NoEntertainment]

so we're even lmao

[@mrsem6670]

I'd like to know is there someone using them as a daily driver

[@deaday]

I use it exclusively now, both at home and at work (for programming). It took me at least 2 weeks to get used to. I almost immediately ditched the default layout (which I was having a hard time with) and came up with my own. I recommend everyone at least take a look at the existing layouts, if not create your own.

[@NoEntertainment]

now I'm a year late on this, but would a keyboard like this be exclusively for programming/programmers?

[@Redhotsmasher]

As someone who loves his vintage Model M, can't touch type, and wants one of those 122 key Model F terminal monsters one day: What. The FUCK. Is that? Some kind of bizarre joke? Also, 180 gram switches?! That's more than double the Model M, what the honest fuck even?!

[@fairguinevere666]

Redhotsmasher You have two keys dedicated to layers, out of 48 keys. So you get 138 keys that you can assign to be accessible with holding only 1 or 0 buttons. Think of it as taking all the keys of a keyboard and moving them to be near to you. And 185g springs is just for some who like super heavy switches. I use 100g springs with silencing clips on my Planck. I will have legends on it when Carbon SA arrives, but till then I'm rocking the blank life.

[@juwuu]

Yeah, this keyboard is definitely not for everyone. The non staggered, non labeled, confusing layout, one key space will kill 90% of people who look at it.

[@GalileoAV]

"What the fuck in a glass of milk, on a paper plate, in a snowstorm, were they THINKING?" 11/10.

[@vlonejacket5476]

You sound like salad fingers

[@bluerays5153]

Hoeveel gram is nodig om een membrame toets in te drukken? Ik heb nu de Corsair K40 en als ik mijn wijsvinger op een lettertoets leg, drukt ie niet door. Met welke cherry mx switch is dit dan te vergelijken? qua aantal gram

[@Chyrosran22]

Dat varieert per model en is niet gestandaardiseerd.

[@okk2094]

whew i'm faster on my gherkin than you on the planck lol.

[@Chyrosran22]

Everybody's faster on everything than I am on this thing xD .

[@dumdum7786]

I'm faster on my model m than both of you combined

[@CPUmk2]

I like line navs. Great for STGs. Four movement keys, four movement fingers, is the patrician layout for Touhou. Nobody got time to move their fingers between the up and down keys like you have to on a t-nav.

[@there_is_nothing_here]

I see Zero benefit to these keyboards other than some kind of weird bragging right. For me this is the worst keyboard design ever.

[@FunkyDeleriousPriest]

Paul Castro One year with the ortholinear layout on the 42-key Atreus & I don't want to use a normal keyboard anymore. The standard staggered ANSI/ISO layout bends the left wrist in an unnatrual angle. True typing comfort is Dvorak & Atreus/ErgoDox.

[@MRawash]

It's never about bragging rights for me, I never been part of any keyboard community prior to my introduction to ortholinear/ergonomic keyboards, I was just looking for something to reduce my fatigue/RSI during long sessions of programming, and after trying every layout and mechanical switch under the sun, this is what i found most comfortable (not particularly the Planck, but ortholinear, ~60%, programmable keyboards in general).

[@notreallydaedalus]

I see zero benefit to using a standard keyboard designed to compensate for long-since eliminated hardware restrictions, other than some kind of weird hive-mind conformity. So you know... there's that.

[@there_is_nothing_here]

notreallydaedalus feelings hurt? Why so emotional?

[@there_is_nothing_here]

curiousinternals LOL that's even lazier than my comment

[@rieloop5770]

this typing test was delicious no potholes at all

[@stripedhyenuh]

I'd pay like, $5-10 for this keyboard, to send it to someone as a practical joke. That's the only use I think it could possibly have.

[@gravastar333]

Waffles In Alaska It seems rediculous but a lot of the pieces missing come along together. I couldn't imagine touch typing or blank key caps or an ortholinear layout. But I started with getting touch typing down pretty well for home row and adjacent keys, then got blank key caps. That forced me to learn the other key locations off of home row like numbers and special characters. Once I had that down learning the ortholinear layout was easy. All I had to do was if I typed the wrong key up a row I correct to the right. I never had a problem with the lower row except mistaking 'x' when I wanted 'z'. It didn't take long to get used to. Now it is all I want to type on.

[@FunkyDeleriousPriest]

Send it to me

[@yyhsupergroovegear]

I had to speed up the typing demonstration and even that looked slow. Thanks for taking a bullet for us testing that keyboard.

[@Chyrosran22]

葉如豪 if I have to go through Hell and back to test a keyboard, I will xD

[@y11971alex]

Interesting. How did the tactility compare to the 5251?

[@Chyrosran22]

Beamsprings have infinitely sharper tactility.

[@JizzburnGigaqueer]

That piano mode is fucking cool, I'll give it that.

[@sageetcher]

Is beer and popcorn a thing? Im from jackass backwards yeehaw ville?

[@Ensue85A]

I learned to type on a non electric typewriter. My instructor pointed me out to the class as a pianist, because I typed soooo hard and loud. Take it easy on the keys. Is there a computer keyboard that can stand up to regular use as such?

[@FluffyDragonKitten]

Ensue85A old ibm ones (probably a model M). you can find one for around 40-50€ and is a good keyboard :)

[@CondoreComputing]

A more modern option, albeit not as nice as a model M would probably be any keyboard with a switch with a really heavy bottom out force, like cherry MX clears. But that is my preference. Cherry MX green are really heavy too but more tactile. If you really do hammer the keys you'll want to be careful with an older model M unless its bolt modded. A newer Model M alternative that shouldn't have that issue are the Unicomp keyboards.

[@Chyrosran22]

Get a Model M or a Model F. You can bash them all you want, but you will break before it does.

[@drklener]

What do you think of the Zealios v2 switches?

[@cutty02]

why compare a blue and brown switch they aren't supposed to feel the same

[@ДевопсИзМосквы]

I'm a big fan of Planck keyboards and love watching this guy trying to comprehend this keyboard.

[@Auggie246]

what is the other switch at 11:17

[@Chyrosran22]

Zealiostotle

[@mr.y.mysterious.video1]

I don't get it, is it some kind of self loathing thing? Some way of showing off to colleagues who can't use your terminal? If someone came up with an easier to use keyboard with 20 extra keys I wouldn't reject it.

[@fairguinevere666]

mr y mysterious video I really love mine, FWIW. It's harder to go back to staggered than to go to ortho these days for me. It's just kinda intuitive for me.

[@jacobkreifels7690]

Looks like a pretty sick macro board. Is it hot swappable?

[@Yamzee]

I was waiting for your review of a 40%, and now you're going to do something smaller? You tease. Can't wait, though. :)

[@Chyrosran22]

I'm going to tease more keyboards that I'm doing later this year xD .

[@lucaschreurs7494]

Hertog jan? Are you dutch, belgium or german maybe??

[@mtsi21]

This was wonderful.