A couple of days ago, my new keyboard arrived. After a quick research, I decided to invest in Planck EZ Glow. I ordered this keyboard as I started to get annoyed by the fact that the keyboards in my personal Thinkpad and my work Dell differ slightly. Every switch between these two machines resulted in a small initial friction related to keyboard layout.

My goal was to find a device that will be compact enough to carry in my backpack. Also, I wanted something well made and designed to last. At first, I considered Ultimate Hacking Keyboard. However, at the moment the second version is being rolled out and the manufacturer is clearing the preorders. New orders are expected to be shipped around April. This extended wait period made me research further. Finally, I came across the idea of Planck keyboard, designed by Jack Humbert. In short, it is an open-source, ortholinear, 40% keyboard. The device is powered by Quantum Mechanical Keyboard firmware, which allows for full customization of its behavior. Planck is available as a kit to be assembled by the user or as a pre-built device provided by ZSA. Since my free time is short and precious, I decided to go with the ZSA solution: the Planck EZ.

After a couple of days, after the order has been made, I received a nice little package with the keyboard. I’m not a person who weighs the aesthetics of computer equipment. However, this keyboard is simply stunning. It looks like a chocolate bar with letters. It is a board with keys hovering above. It is minimalism incarnate.

Also, the typing experience is very pleasant. I chose Cherry MX Brown switches. However, the ortholinear layout forced me to relearn typing. My typing speed plummeted and I started using the backspace key much often. Also, the 40% layout requires me to get acquainted with the layers and to tweak the key locations to my needs. This will probably take a while until I manage to find the best settings for my environment and get back to my previous typing speed. Basically, I need to learn to type again.

There is one more drawback to this keyboard. When I learn to type on my Planck, I will probably be unable to type on any other keyboard. However, the compactness of the Planck will allow me to plug my keyboard to any computer, I will need to use. As a result, I will have exactly the same typing experience no matter the machine I will work on.

Anyway, after a couple of days of using the new keyboard, I’m pretty sure that I’ll have an interesting journey before me. Also, I don’t regret getting it. Despite the initial friction, it seems to be worth it.