My thoughts after 2 months with the ZSA Moonlander

[@jessicamann6258]

Thanks for the overview! You should keep it up. You're great at these. I'm waiting anxiously on my moonlander, which just shipped. Subbed!

[@hansmuller1846]

Waiting for mine for weeks now... Can't wait to start and use it :) Configuration is all ready on the web, it JUST NEEDS TO ARRIVE :< I'm sure a couple more people here know that feel ^^

[@edakimling133]

yup; ordered mine today....now trying to figure out what layout to use, etc...although that is kind of hard to do, since I am also switching at the same time to kitty terminal, fish shell and awesome tiling manager in linux. Given that I don't know yet how the keyboard will feel, it's kind of a guess work to make the layout now. Perhaps I will learn about the workman layout everyone is talking about and copy some existing layout and just put down some sane keys and do the rest later. It seems most folks grow into it, and change it few times within the first few months. Excited though!

[@edakimling133]

Nice video; I find it is really hard to talk about all the features of the keyboard in one video...it would be too long. But like others mentioned, the tap dance (tap, hold, tap and hold, double tap) etc will likely be a game changer. I also like that one can activate each layer in so many different ways - tap a layer key, or hold a layer key, or tap and let go, and then tap it again to exit the layer, or finally, tap the layer key, then one other key from the layer and it switches back to the layer you were in before. All these make sense for different applications. Having all these customizations means you will with time customize it *perfectly* the way you want, with little to next to no limitations...and that's what we devs, photoshop folks, video editors and other professionals want. We don't want a tool to tell us how to work; we want a tool that works the way we want!

[@Doctorcraft773]

Very well said! 🙂

[@alexyu4549]

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us :)

[@Doctorcraft773]

You're welcome! 🙂 Thanks for watching!

[@antonioquintero-felizzola5334]

Super nice video Bruno. This keyboard recently got my attention and I've been reading a lot about it. Just made my order and I'm looking forward to getting it.

[@nyxpouleson3788]

Just started using mine today, already in love with the configurability. Definitely going to try out the string macro idea. Just subscribed looking forward to more content like this

[@sebastiansoto3595]

Thank you for sharing your experience with us

[@Doctorcraft773]

Thank you for watching! 😄

[@李白-f5u]

For all the keys on the edge which ones are easiest to access? I want to design a English phonetic layout and find the core keys not enough.

[@zaharris]

Mine's supposed to come in tomorrow, can't wait! Appreciate the Moonlander content, there isn't a ton out there.

[@Doctorcraft773]

Oh, awesome! Congrats!!! 😄 Thanks for watching!

[@Pierogo]

Great video once again, and thanks for sharing your configuration too. My Moonlander got shipped yesterday and should arrive in two days so I'm pretty excited myself :P

[@Doctorcraft773]

Thank you! 😁 No problem, I hope it’s helpful!! Congratulations!!! 🎉

[@willemmeints3123]

Thanks for sharing the layout you're using. Going to steal some of the layers and improve my personal layout.

[@Doctorcraft773]

Of course! :) Awesome!!

[@jonathanking4097]

I really appreciate this review

[@Doctorcraft773]

Thank you so much! 🙂

[@Galakyllz]

I would love to see more coding-specific macros like the string one. Thanks for the video.

[@kimchicurry5515]

Thanks for the video, especially the tip for coders regarding the quotes! Didn't know about it, it's super useful! Ordered the Moonlander today, can't wait to use it :)

[@AZombieHippie]

Thanks for the follow-up! Just got mine not too long ago and am looking for time to practice with it

[@MicCheckOneTwo12]

I appreciate your videos, good work!

[@Doctorcraft773]

Thank you so much! 🙂

[@sama1972]

i just got it, it's very difficult to get used to but i can see the potential in it

[@brads2041]

I just ordered the Moonlander. Fingers crossed

[@javi10ify]

Great thoughts. Been trying to figure out if i should pull the trigger on the moonlander.

[@Doctorcraft773]

DO IT! Haha In my opinion, it's worth every cent!

[@nathanhyland]

I have an ez right now and a moonlander on the way... stole a few of your tips. Good positive video.

[@Doctorcraft773]

Oh, awesome!! 😄 Thank you.

[@CYMotorsport]

the tap dancing feature is game changing mate. great stuff

[@Doctorcraft773]

I agree! Haven’t had a chance to really mess around with it, yet... maybe sometime within the next couple of weeks. 🙂

[@dylantompkins3229]

I like your idea with the string macro! Not sure what editor you use, but if it's VSCode you should check out the "snippets" feature. It allows you to type a short keyword and then hit enter and intellisense will format some structure for you. I've seen it get really complicated, to the point that making the same features on a keyboard macro would be cumbersome.

[@Doctorcraft773]

Thank you! 🙂 Yes, I’ve recently started using VS Code snippets for things like React components and JS functions. Thanks for the recommendation!

[@DrMocktopus1]

Just subscribed, keep it up!

[@Doctorcraft773]

Thank you so much! :)

[@Yggdrasil42]

Interesting. Thanks. I kinda wish the screws were thumb screws so you don't need a tool to pack and unpack.

[@Doctorcraft773]

Same! It would definitely make things a lot easier in terms of transporting.

[@AndyConlin]

Hey Bruce, I really like that mountain and sky decoration behind you in this video. Do you remember where you got it? Or did you make it? I imagine it could be a fun DIY project.

[@siimens]

Thanks for the update! I punch keys for a living and I'm currently in the fundraising phase of Moonlander ownership, so I enjoy living vicariously through your experiences with the keyboard. Are you planning to try out other switches?

[@Doctorcraft773]

Oh, awesome! Haha I’m glad you’ve enjoyed my content. 🙂 I’ve definitely given it some thought. I’m considering purchasing a Planck from ZSA. So, I might swap out the switches on that board. Any recommendations? I definitely want to stick with the Cherry MX family... but, I was thinking either reds or browns...

[@siimens]

@@Doctorcraft773 I'm a fan of browns and will definitely order my Moonlander with those. I was thinking about swapping the switches in the function keys to something heavier and clackier, to make a tactile difference 🤔

[@Doctorcraft773]

@@siimens oh nice!! Good to know! Also, that’s a great idea with the function keys!! 😄

[@glacialimpala]

@@Doctorcraft773 Check out Otemu purple if you haven't. 2-3 years ago they switched to high quality materials and Puple is a hybrid between silence and clicky tactile sensation so for me it was an upgrade from MX Brown :) And the caps are obviously the same so everything stays compatible.

[@Doctorcraft773]

@@glacialimpala Cool! 🙂I'll add them to the list!

[@curtisgmchale]

I type over 100wpm and find that it’s fast enough that the tap dance feature becomes far less useful since even when I’m “holding” a key it’s so fast that it thinks it’s being tapped.

[@Doctorcraft773]

Oh really? That's really interesting!! I have yet to actually try out the tapdance feature... but, I've heard a lot of great things about it.

[@hamm8934]

Same for me. I hover around 150 and the tap dance feature is not useable but i don’t mind

[@YagoFernades]

Nice video!

[@Doctorcraft773]

Thanks! 🙂

[@amirprog]

I am 6"4 with extremely long hand and fingers, is this keyboard for me? I assume the hand rest would be useless for me? Is the hand rest detachable?

[@Doctorcraft773]

I having long-ish fingers, as well, and the Moonlander works really well for me... I actually can't reach the top row without shifting my hands higher on the board. Personally, I would recommend keeping the hand rest. You can always move your hands back further. But yes, they are detachable. :)

[@DanBowles]

Subscribed! Also - what brought you to the Moonlander vs. Other boards and in particular, vs the Ergodox EZ.

[@Doctorcraft773]

Thank you so much!! 🙂I think one of the big things that drew me in was how sleek the Moonlander is. The Ergodox isn't terrible... but, it's kinda clunky compared to the Moonlander. Also, it was one of the first mechanical keyboards I saw! Haha Just couldn't get it out of my mind!

[@itsme__a]

It's hard to tell from the few shots/angles, but it looks like you're rotating your wrists outwards(ulnar deviation). so your hands/keyboard with the current set up look like " \ / " in the long run this is going to ruin your wrists and give you medical issues. you should rotate the keyboards so your hands are straight in line with your arms, with no deviation, in most set ups the keyboards would end up looking like " / \ " for a proper alignment. idk if this explanation made sense or not so sorry if it didn't. and just ignore this if I'm wrong about how your keyboards are currently setup.

[@Doctorcraft773]

Thanks so much for the information! You're definitely correct about my current hand positions. My hands are either straight out from my arms, or angled to the outside. I'll look around and see if I can find data indicating the most effective positions for my hands. But, in the meantime, I'll try to keep them from angling outwards too much, just in case! Thanks again for the tip! 🙂

[@amirprog]

How come they don't have a bluetooth wireless mode for this in 2021 and for this high price? :/

[@Doctorcraft773]

Personally, I don't want the added pressure of remembering to keep my battery charged... I'm also wondering if they would need to expand the body to accommodate a battery that would last a few days on a single charge.

[@amirprog]

@@Doctorcraft773 I see. I think i will wait for a wireless feature. I bet its successor will have it.

[@Ground-Spam]

I was interested in this kb, but with their poor return policies, i was wondering if you are planning a typing demo and provide your measured hand size. I can't imagine how comfortable it is to hit that red "play" button looking thing without having to reposition you hands. Seems like a large investment only to have it not be actually a ergonomic benefit to me. Thank you!!

[@Doctorcraft773]

Thanks for the comment! Sure, I’ll look into putting together a typo demo video. 🙂 The red buttons are directly under my thumbs so, they aren’t hard to get to, at all. I originally thought it would be difficult for me to reach the other thumb cluster buttons... but, after ~2-3 weeks, I didn’t even think about it. It just feels natural to me. 🙂

[@Ground-Spam]

@@Doctorcraft773 if you can easily hit the triangle buttons with ur thumbs tips, the piano buttons bellow it should be easy as well. can you measure the farthest distance from you index tip to ur thumb tip? Thanks, i know its a weird request

[@Doctorcraft773]

@@Ground-Spam haha no worries! 🙂 For me, the distance between my thumb tip and index finger tip, when my thumb is fully extended, is 5 inches.

[@Ground-Spam]

@@Doctorcraft773 Thanks for the information!! Still a super steep price for a kb, i'll just lurk till i can find one used =(

[@jammies701]

Nice video

[@theapexpredator157]

I plan on getting this keyboard too, but I will personally use the Colemak layout on it as compared to the Qwerty one (I made the switch long ago). I would recommend that you make the switch over to Colemak too since it helps you to minimize finger travel and arguably leads to better ergonomics/hand-health as well as typing speed.

[@R4VUS]

How easy do you find it to hit the orange and bottom piano keys? Do you hit the orange with index or thumb? I got mine yesterday and have been trying to get make those work for me.

[@its_just_me1378]

I have the same question - tilting the thumb cluster up doesn't seem to feel particularly natrual either. The orange and bottom piano keys are seemingly unusable to me.

[@Doctorcraft773]

Congratulations! 🎉 😄 I am actually able to comfortably hit all the thumb cluster keys with my two thumbs, while it’s tented.

[@R4VUS]

@@Doctorcraft773 Did that take time, or were you able to do that immediately? Any technique for hitting the orange key? They actually say that it's for the index finger in tutorial.

[@Doctorcraft773]

@@R4VUS I was able to hit it easily as soon as mine came in... I usually hit the red key with my thumb since it’s right under my thumb when I rest my hand on the keyboard.

[@R4VUS]

@@Doctorcraft773 Interesting. That's kind of disappointing for me. I think I'll return mine since I can't reach those keys very easily and it kind of defeats the reason I bought it.

[@alphatsar6141]

Love the desk! Any details?

[@Doctorcraft773]

For some reason, I wasn't able to find the link to the desk I purchased. However, I believe this one is at least very similar: www.amazon.com/IRONCK-Industrial-Bookshelf-Workstation-Furniture/dp/B07TLMXVYS

[@rafaelpereiradias2567]

great keyboard! im just getting slaped in face by it lol

[@Cal97g]

I type 75wpm ~ with like two fingers most of the time, occassionally I'll use another finger but I've only used my right pinky so far writing this out.

[@wulcrit6889]

Any reasons that you prefer it to a Dactyl Manuform? Btw what pl do you type in with VIM seems like anything low level and verbose wouldn't make sense to be used with Vim?

[@nicesoul]

You have spent 80 starting seconds not talking about the subject, but about your channel. You're just lucky with your 1% of new subscribers 😅

[@azulejowarrior]

Hola Bruce.... excelente tu video. Me podrías indicar si puedo configurar en este teclado la letra Ñ, como en un teclado en español? Apreciaría mucho el aclarar esta inquietud.

[@sanketss84]

do you think the thumb rest allen key join is strong enough and might snap some day ???

[@Doctorcraft773]

It seems pretty strong to me... I'm confident that it will last at least 2-3 years...

[@sanketss84]

@@Doctorcraft773 it did break for someone it seems do check kzbin.info/www/bejne/n6HKeZ-mdsmgoLM 5 mins 48 secs

[@Doctorcraft773]

@@sanketss84 well, that’s unfortunate for them. Under normal use, I’ve had no issues and haven’t heard of anyone else who has... It is plastic, so obviously any rough use of the board other than it’s intended purpose will most likely result in some sort of damage...

[@skyhappy]

Is the thumb cluster keys in easy to reach range for the thumb? Or is it slightly far?

[@Doctorcraft773]

Personally, I believe it’s very easy to reach. There have been a few comments regarding this question. 🙂 I would say the answers are mixed...

[@eck1997rock]

(: the Str macro should kinda' be staple behavior of simply pressing the " key in any editor you'd ever want to use

[@TIM123451ERR]

When you map it in one laptop, does it apply it to your keyboard in other laptop?

[@InCtrl]

Yes the firmware is stored on the keyboard.

[@TIM123451ERR]

@@SimonWoodburyForget Hi Simon, thank you for your reply. I have two laptops and one is window and the other is mac. I can't download firmware on my window laptop as it's company laptop. So my question is when I configure the layout in mac will it apply to my window laptop.

[@uoweme5grand]

If you place your macbook like that wouldn't the stand block the air vent

[@Doctorcraft773]

Haha Yes, I believe it was blocking it. I have a different configuration now, which I'll hopefully be producing a video on. It's a much different setup with far better ventilation for my MacBook.

[@SirNoviTheChauvi]

Content starts at 2:55

[@pegasusearl]

comment like this should be on the top. Up you go sir!

[@Galakyllz]

Thank you.

[@MicCheckOneTwo12]

You need some windows man. That's not healthy. Also, it seems like you're able to work remote, why do you have an office away from home?

[@edcunningham5562]

which switches did you choose?

[@Doctorcraft773]

I went with Cherry MX Blues since I heard they were the clackiest! 😂

[@Googleguy-1]

you need a proper mic system my man, echo chamber game strong, good everything else tho, thank you for the content

[@Doctorcraft773]

Thanks for the tip! Eventually, I'll be looking into getting a better recording setup. :)

[@mordiken]

@@Doctorcraft773 Sounds fine to me

[@Doctorcraft773]

@@mordiken oh, thank you! 🙂 I thought it sounded pretty decent, as well… haha

[@mikethebeginner]

It’s “regimen,” not “regiment.” A regiment is a unit of soldiers in an army. A regimen is a prescribed course of action, in your case of study. Don’t mind me, I’m about 4X your age.

[@rsjrx]

Adults with braces look weird as heck

[@a55tech]

get a gooder camera bro, shoot at 60p

[@AtticusHimself]

Omg 1 entire minute of useless crap ... video starts at 1:30