What was your beginner keyboard and which keyboard are you using now? It seems, that a lot of people tend to prefer smaller keyboards with layers. I myself am a bit intimidated by them, and would much prefer a somewhat more traditional number of keys, like the Lili58 or the Sofel has (as for now, I think I will get a Lili58).
Do you “regret” buying your first keyboard and would have preferred to start directly with your current keyboard (e.g. for saving money), or do you think that your beginner keyboard was necessary/important for you, to get into Spit-Ortho keyboards?
So, the answer is it’s complicated. I have two very distinct use cases, one is gaming, and the other is work.
For gaming I pretty much need something like a traditional keyboard. I could do a split ergo, but easy access to number keys as well as shift and control without having to remove fingers from the WASD cluster is a must, so anything that moves numbers into a different layer, or that puts shift and control in a weird place is a no go. Because of this I’m currently using a 65% non-split keyboard, although I’m considering other options as well.
For work on the other hand the situation is very different. I started with a fairly tame choice by going with a Lily58. I didn’t really like the placement of the keys on the Lily58 due to my hand size so I replaced it with a Sofle which is nearly the same but slightly different positioning. While using the Sofle I discovered homerow mods which I really like which led me to stop using the modifier keys on the Sofle. Recently I’ve had to do a lot more traveling for work and that’s been rough on the Sofle, so I picked up a Voyager to replace it as a more durable easier to transport board. So far I’m very happy with it.
I’m not sure I could have jumped straight into my current keyboard as my very first split-ortho board. I think rebuilding the muscle memory was a necessary part of the process. That said I wish I could have skipped the Lily58 and gone straight to the Sofle, but that decision is entirely down to how well it fits my particular hand shape, nothing technically wrong with the Lily58.