The world of keyboards is vast. It’s easy to get lost in the sea of options and opinions. That said, it’s worth searching through the noise to find a keyboard that works for you. This is especially true if you’re a programmer or work a desk job. A good keyboard can not only affect your productivity but also your health.
This article will discuss the keyball44, a 40% split keyboard design originally produced by Shirogane Labs.
This article will cover everything from where to purchase the keyboard, customization, and tips on how to adjust to a split keyboard.
Pros and Cons of a Split Keyboard
The Pros
Why a split keyboard? The main reason is ergonomics. You can position the halves of the keyboard such that your shoulders are in their natural position.
This is in contrast to a traditional keyboard where you can often find yourself in a hunched position. This is especially true if your a larger person.
Most split keyboards support tenting.
A tenting kit angles the keyboard halves upwards. This can help reduce wrist strain. The keyball44 includes an option for adding tenting legs.
The keyball44 is also a 40% keyboard. This means it has a smaller layout than traditional keyboards. This can be a pro or a con depending on your needs. On the pro side, the smaller layout means keys are easier to reach. Your hands barely move if at all.
Another pro of many split keyboards is their programmability. You can “flash” the keyboard with custom firmware. Through a flash, you can remap keys and create macros. The keyball44 supports QMK firmware. This means you can program the keyboard to your liking. You’ll see an example of one such mapping later on.
One pro of the keyball44 in particular is the trackball.
The trackball isn’t a one for one replacement for a mouse. That said, the trackball is accurate enough for most tasks and makes scrolling through long documents a breeze. It’s convenient to use a thumb on a trackball versus moving your hand to the mouse.
If you’re already a mechanical keyboard enthusiast, the keyball44 won’t disappoint. Most split keyboards support mechanical switches.
This means you can customize the feel of the keyboard to your liking. If you’re wondering what a switch is and why you should care, checkout this article for an in depth explanation.
Likewise, keycaps are often interchangeable. Keycaps not only change the look of the keyboard but they also can change the feel significantly.
The Cons
The main con of a split keyboard is the learning curve. If you’re used to a traditional keyboard, it can be difficult to adjust to a split keyboard. You’ll have to invest time into learning the new layout. The adjustment period can take anywhere from 2 weeks to a few months. How fast you adjust depends on how much you use the keyboard and how many sessions of deliberate practice you perform. 30 minutes a day of practice on a typing tutor site will get you back up to your original typing speed in no time. Here are some typing tutor sites you can try:
TypingClub is the preferred option since it assumes no prior typing knowledge. TypingClub provides a structured approach that will have you practicing with most symbols and letters. If you’re new to touch typing, TypingClub is a great place to start.
Another con is the price. Split keyboards are often more expensive than traditional keyboards. And not just a little more expensive. The keyball44 starts at about $250. This is a lot of money for a keyboard. But if you’re serious about your health and productivity, it’s worth the investment.
How to Buy
It may seem silly to explain how to buy a keyboard, but the keyball44, much like other niche hardware, isn’t always easy to buy. There are a few options.
If you own a soughtering iron and you’re confident in your soughtering skills, you can build the keyboard yourself. There’s an official build guide that details everything you need to know. The guide includes a bill of materials and step by step instructions. To simplify the process even further, you can purchase build kits from various vendors. For example, HolyKeebs sells build kits that include (almost) everything you need.
Suck at soughtering? No problem. You can purchase a pre-built keyball44. For example, HolyKeebs sells pre-built keyball44s. HolyKeebs in particular provides various customization options including colors, keycaps, switches, and more. Not to mention they also sell additional equipment such as tenting kits and the TRRS cable required to connect the two halves of the keyboard. A keyball44 from HolyKeebs with modest customization and assembly will run you about $350 shipping included. $75 of the price covers assembly. If you purchase the tenting kit, cable, and trackball, you’ll be looking at about $400 all in.
One thing to keep in mind is that if you’re purchasing a pre-built board, you shouldn’t expect same day delivery. The lead time is usually about a month. Keep in mind that these aren’t mass produced. They’re made in small batches or even upon order by a small team of people.
Keymaps
The keyball44 supports QMK firmware. This means you can program the keyboard to your liking.
Since you’re working with the keyball44 which is a 40% keyboard and you’re new to split keyboards, you should start with a keymap optimized for 40% boards. “The Art of Making 40% Keyboards that Aren’t Crap” provides a solid starting keymap. The only modification required is the addition of a fifth layer for the trackball.
You can find a QMK ready keyball44 keymap that implements the fifth layer plus a few other tweaks here. Those tweaks include:
- Easier access to the mouse left and right button.
- A shortcut for
shift+inserton the navigation layer. - The arrow keys on the navigation layer are in a Vim style
hjklpattern.
If you want to further customize, you can find a keycode reference on the QMK site. If using a keyball44, you have access to additional keycodes. Check out the added keyball44 codes at HolyKeebs.
Flashing
Flashing the keyball44 is mostly straightforward. This article assumes you have a Linux PC running Arch Linux and a Windows PC.
Warning, when following the steps below, avoid connecting / disconnecting the TRRS cable when powered. This can short the GPIO pins of the controllers.
Follow these steps to flash the custom keymap introduced in Keymaps:
- Clone the
ieg-keyball44branch of the QMK firmware repository fork:
git clone --branch ieg-keyball44 git@github.com:ivan-guerra/qmk_firmware.github
cd qmk_firmware
- Install
qmk:
sudo pacman -S qmk
- Compile the keymap using
qmk. ReplaceUSER_NAMEwith your name. If your keyball44 doesn’t have a OLED screen, remove the-e OLED=yesoption. If you have a board with RGB, add-e RGB=yes:
qmk compile -e USER_NAME=ieg -e OLED=yes -kb keyball/keyball44 -km ivan-guerra
- Upon a successful build, you should see a
keyball_keyball44_ivan-guerra.uf2file in the top-level directory.
Size before:
text data bss dec hex filename
0 55372 0 55372 d84c keyball_keyball44_ivan-guerra.uf2
Copying keyball_keyball44_ivan-guerra.uf2 to qmk_firmware folder [OK]
Transfer the file to your Windows PC.
Plug in the keyball44 to your Windows PC. Place the keyboard in bootloader mode by pressing the layer 5 modifier followed by the
QK_BOOTkey. See the default keymap for help locating those keys.The keyboard will show up as a USB drive. Copy the
keyball_keyball44_ivan-guerra.uf2file to the USB drive.Repeat the flash process this time plugging in the USB cable into the opposite half of the keyboard.
Conclusion
The keyball44 offers a compelling option for anyone looking to improve their typing comfort and ergonomics. This 40% split keyboard provides significant benefits including reduced shoulder strain, programmable layouts, and the convenience of an integrated trackball. While the learning curve and price present initial hurdles, the long-term health benefits and increased productivity justify the investment.
Start with a keymap that suits your workflow, practice consistently with typing tutors, and within a few weeks, you’ll likely find yourself typing comfortably and efficiently. The ability to fully customize both the hardware and firmware means your keyboard can evolve alongside your needs and preferences.