A few weeks ago, I asked my coworkers for their assistance in recommending me a split keyboard, for an ongoing low-level flare I have in my left arm. Old injuries do that to you. Split keyboards these days are very expensive, especially as someone based in the USA, and usually the first one you try, is not the one you keep. Luckily, [[Tony Grosinger|Tony]] was willing to send me his older custom-built [ErgoDox](https://ergodox-ez.com) for me to try and learn on. What follows is my complete journey from absolute split-keyboard newbie to (hopefully) making an informed decision about my next purchase. # Setup Getting the ErgoDox ready required a few specific steps: - Download and install [teensy loader](https://www.pjrc.com/teensy/loader.html). - Keep a copy of the [Ergodox-EZ default layout](https://configure.zsa.io/ergodox-ez/layouts/default/latest/0). - Make sure to select the Teensy chip when going through the detect layout. - When downloading the hex file, select "Original & Shine" - Follow the instructions on Teensy to flash the keyboard layout. - Start learning # [[2025-09-09]] I decided to jump straight into using the ErgoDox for an hour during work. Here's what I discovered: I jumped right into the fire for an hour this morning during work. My initial observations are: 1. I did not realize how much I _looked_ at the keyboard. I find myself having to mentally bring up a qwerty keyboard to try to remember positions. 2. Websites are bad at keyboard nav normally, worse with split kb. 3. I know I will need to move CMD, probably where backspace is now. But giving myself 3-4 days before I start making adjustments. 4. Need a wrist pad. Buying one; it'll be here on [[2025-09-12]].