quartz/content/Misc/keys.md

---
title: Key Layouts
tags:
  - misc
  - keyboard
date: 9-08-23
---

Take a look at this typewriter:

<img src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/13E3C/production/_106186418_gettyimages-471395639.jpg" alt="Getty Images typewriter layout">

The keys are connected by levers to the internal workings. Those levers have to be spaced apart so that they don't collide, and to ensure smooth typing. More in-depth explanation (off-site) [here](https://deskthority.net/wiki/Staggering#Classic%20typewriter%20keyboard).

The modern keyboard stagger, with some exceptions, overwhelmingly looks like this:

<img src=" https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/5199/5199000_sd.jpg" alt="Best Buy HP Classic Desktop Combo">

But there are no levers in an electronic keyboard. Why the design holdover? We only staggered the keys in a typewriter because they physically couldn't be aligned any other way. And nobody nowadays has typed on a typewriter necessitating familiarity.

The answer? Comfort. Typing on a keyboard like that below, unless you're actively tucking your elbows in at your sides, is completely unbearable:

<img src=" https://www.mechkeybs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/OLKB-Planck-Mechanical-Keyboard-1-1024x576.jpg" alt="ortholinear keyboard from Mech Keybs">

So the staggered layout remains. 

##### P.S.
Yes, [split ortholinear](https://keeb.io/collections/split-keyboards/products/viterbi-keyboard-pcbs-5x7-70-split-ortholinear) and other enthusiast layouts like [Dactyl Manuform](https://github.com/tshort/dactyl-keyboard) exist that alter or eliminate the above concerns. This is just meant to be a minimal example of when necessity stumbles upon a highly performant solution by chance.

See also [[Projects/keyboards|my keyboard]] and other [keyboard-related](/tags/keyboard) posts.