Moonlander, one month relearning to type

Exactly one month ago, I received my new keyboard. It is an ergonomic split keyboard with ortholinear layout called a "Moonlander." Time for a minor update.

My own Moonlanding with a new keyboard

This post is going to be short... but at least for me, it will be sweet. I am typing those words from my new keyboard, an ergonomic split keyboard called a Moonlander, and it is as much a source of joy than it is painful for my brain. I have

Timothée BourguignonTim Bourguignon

My first post about the Moonlander

First, it's been a painful month. The learning process is slow. The inability to type fast enough to support your thought process is debilitating. I had to use a "normal" keyboard once or twice because I couldn't stand it anymore.

Then, it took me a while to find the proper layout. I experimented with the DE and FR locale, double taps to make accents, and so on, but none of that felt right. I finally settled on the following. There are still a couple of problems here and there, but it's getting there. It's slowly starting to feel right.

My current layout

As you can see on the statistical analysis of my keystrokes below, the layout is pretty centered. Most of the "exterior keys" are rarely used. The leftmost red key is "shift." It doesn't feel entirely correct, but I haven't found a proper alternative. The rightmost orange key is the Right-Arrow, thus the heavy hit number. On the thumbpads, you find space, backspace, enter and control.

Statistical analysis of my keystrokes

Speed and accuracy-wise, it's still painful but slowly growing. Below are the stats of the Moonlander training software Oryx.

Training statistics in Oryx

And here are the stats of Monkeytype:

Training statistics in Monkeytype

One Eureka-Moment I had came last week when I realized that having used flat silent keyboards forever, I wasn't used to smashing the keys. This led to many problems of keys not triggering and thus slowing down and frustration. Since I started hitting the key with more power, both speed and accuracy improved!

I also noticed that I am still underutilizing my pinkies. I'm working on it.

Ergonomically, I can't say much. I still keep both parts of the keyboard close to one another to add as little complexity as possible. Also, the two parts are still flat on the desk. Starting with a few months flat is an official recommendation.

All in all, there were a few moments of excellent typing. My fingers were going up and down, but the rest of my hands and forearms were barely moving, providing an exciting sense of calmness. Those were so impressive, that they trump the pain and push me forward. I'm looking forward to seeing how my typing progress in the next month.

Cover picture: The Verge