My Split Keyboard Journey

After buying two split keyboards and losing interest both times, I finally decided to commit to learning one. I have now packed away my traditional Nut65 and have been exclusively using my Ergonaut One split keyboard.

From Mechanical to Split

I got interested in keyboards when I bought my first mechanical keyboard, the Keychron K2 Pro. Because the K2 Pro is hot-swappable, I experimented with several switches.

Then one day, I came across ThePrimeagen, who was using a split keyboard. I found the keyboard fascinating, so I decided to get one for myself.

I did a lot of research before settling on the Corne wireless keyboard. I found a builder on Discord and I got the Corne built by him.

My First Attempt: The Corne

When I first started using my Corne, I didn’t know about the learning curve. I went in thinking that it would be easy. But I was very wrong. I was not even familiar with touch typing, which is something very crucial if one wants to use split keyboards in general.

I used it alongside my Keychron K2 Pro for two or three days but gave up on it as it had a very steep learning curve.

I then gave away that keyboard to my friend as I was not using it anymore.

Trying Again with the Ergonaut One

After about a year, I again had the itch to try split keyboards. So once again I found someone on Discord and asked him to build me the Ergonaut One split keyboard.

Now, this keyboard is not a well-known keyboard and there is not much information about it. But it was the only keyboard that checked all my boxes at the time. Basically, I wanted a low-profile keyboard that was not as costly as the Choc versions I had considered.

I used this keyboard alongside my Keychron K2 Pro, and once again I gave up due to the steep learning curve. This time I knew how to touch type, but the learning curve was still steep. I was also travelling during that time, so I mainly just used my laptop’s keyboard.

But recently, I was feeling very bored and just wanted something to keep my brain engaged. Hence, I decided to bring out my Ergonaut One keyboard and commit to properly learning and using it this time.

Why This Time Feels Different

This time I decided to pack away my Nut65 and only use the Ergonaut One.

This change really helped me commit to learning and using it. I also pinned the keymap tab for this keyboard on my browser. So whenever I forgot where one of the keys was, I just looked it up on the keymap page.

So, rather than relying on the traditional keyboard as a fallback, I forced myself to use only the split keyboard for everything. And I have been loving it so far. It’s so nice to type on. It’s minimal, takes up less desk space, and I can have it tented which is good for ergonomics as well. Overall, I regret not giving split keyboards a proper chance earlier.

I have been using this Ergonaut One split keyboard exclusively for four days and it has been so much fun to type on this thing. I have almost completely switched to this keyboard except when I play games, as using it for games is not very practical.

I hope to keep using this keyboard for a long time and also give other split keyboards another chance. I also want to try new layouts, but I’m not sure I have the time for it right now. Probably in the future. Until then, I’m going to enjoy using my Ergonaut One.