These are ortholinear keyboards, an interesting fad among the enthusiast crowd.
What’s the deal?
UPDATE: 09/09/22
Checked content for accuracy, product availability, and dead links.
What’s in a Name?
“Ortho” is a Greek word meaning straight or rigid.
What’s the point of a keyboard that looks so strange?
To answer that, you have to wonder why you think a normal keyboard is, well, normal.
for fit multiple rows of keys, the keys were staggered in between each other.
This, in turn, was passed on to most designs for computer keyboards.
This is now so common that we even use it on touchscreens.
Designs made more than a century ago are still influencing how we interact with objects every day.
Keep it in mind when you’re making small, apparently inconsequential choices.
This preassembled keyboard is a pricey way to get an ortholinear board with no assembly required.
What’s Better About Ortholinear?
Ortholinear keyboards don’t use a different key layout than standard keyboards, likethe difference between QWERTY and DVORAK.
So, what makes them better?
Honestly, that depends on the user.
This learning period isn’t particularly long—nowhere near as long as learning a new layout.
But of course, that period is going to be different for each user.
It very much seems to be a point of preference from user to user.
Ortholinear keyboards aren’t a new invention: There are examples going back to the early days of computing.
Where Can You Get One?
This preassembled keyboard is a pricey way to get an ortholinear board with no assembly required.
If you’re eager to try out an ortholinear board, you’re not alone.
In fact, it’s pretty hard to find a premade ortholinear keyboard at all.
If you’re already a fan of building keyboards, great!
If you don’t want to do any of that, your options start to shrink very quickly.
The Planck design is generally where you want to start.
You have to use virtual layers to get to numbers.
You can double up on these Koolertron keyboards, with some custom programming, to roll your own split ortholinear keyboard.
The Planck EZ isa version of this keyboard that comes preassembled, with switches and keycaps.
This preassembled keyboard is a pricey way to get an ortholinear board with no assembly required.
You’ll need to find your own compatible mechanical switches (which isn’t difficult).
There’s one more fairly easy-to-find option: Koolertron.
This companysells one-handed keyboards, also known as macro pads, in ortholinear layouts.
You could buy one and selling it if you’re unsatisfied, or borrow one from a keyboard-loving friend.
You’ll want a design that offers a case, too.
There are tons of different options here, mostly sold in small batches.
Wait for your components to arrive, thenheat up the old soldering iron.
