I Downsized my Keyboard (So You Don’t Have To)

40% keyboards have gotten a lot cheaper and easier to use nowadays. In this video, I try to get used to using a tiny keyboard and review the Epomaker TH40.

Thanks to Epomaker for sponsoring the video!

AFFILIATES & REFERRALS
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OTHER PLATFORMS
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[brelssss]

im sure it has a great personality, thats what women have told me when they see my portable keyboard

[Epomaker]

Thanks for reviewing the TH40! We appreciate the overall authentic and honest comment on the keyboard and our Brand. We take the all the feedbacks in and promise to improve better in the future. Once again, thank you for this commiment!

[TheRealYeller]

Ortholinear is really only useful in split keyboard layouts. The staggered keys are actually more ergonomic *and* efficient (that's not to say its either ergonomic **or** efficient) when in a traditional keyboard (not split) but ortho just forces your hands even closer together and into and even more uncomfortable position. On the flip side, however, when you get into split keyboards, you'll find that ortho is actually more comfortable, ergonomic, *AND* efficient than even the staggered keys in a *split* keyboard.

[PalashBackup]

Another Opinion Time: If your speed is anywhere close to 80 wpm, you are golden. The aim should always be to reduce fatigue, injury and mental overload. A comfortable 60 wpm with high accuracy and good muscle memory is highly effective at working long hours on a keyboard. If you are pushing your max speed at all times, then you get tired more often.

I can't comment on gaming, because I don't game enough to really see a difference. But these 40% layouts are getting really tempting with those 45g linear switches.

[Roanoak]

When I game I use a split keyboard but I will say since I started learning different layouts for a specifically programming (I'm a programmer by trade) I fell in love with the smaller form keyboards being able to completely layer my keys and at first I was so slow and it was weird and awkward. But now I'm way more efficient because you started learning what you need to use the most and when you layer your keys properly, it becomes invaluable.

[nickthaskater]

I daily a 40 (Jacky Haitun40). It's so much more efficient once you get used to it. It definitely helps being able to customize your keymap with VIAL etc. I also have a 65XT and a full size, but the 40 makes life easier than either of those.

Pro tip: there are tons of 40 keymaps out there which serve as a good starting point.

[tubeboi]

using the spacebar you don’t use as a layer switch is the way to go! this was a game changer for me. i use a split keyboard specifically for this.

thanks for throwing in that keychron in there. i’d love to see a round up of ALL the the split spacebar keyboard that are available. ones that are standard-ish layouts like that keychron.

[chibixleon]

the keyboard sounds amazing surprisingly. kudos on giving a real opinion about this despite being sponsored!

[EduardoCostaLisboa]

Very informative, specially about the layers! But I guess I won't be pulling this trigger, at least for now hehe!

[dredgewalker]

I'm not gonna torture myself to use such a small incomplete keyboard just to save some space on the table. It's only useful for gaming but for productivity it's awful.

[MarbsMusic]

Looks like a pretty nice board if someone wants to try a 40%... 65% is really the smallest I'm comfortable with for daily use though. Great review!

[cojaslucham]

The main advantage of a 40% keyboard is that you don't have to move your hands away from the home row.

[autiebleSam]

Hipyo: "I didn't forget about the four of you that use a numpad."
Betty: "I didn't forget about the two of you that use Linux."

[SaveMeAzathoth]

Staggered row always looks so wrong to me on 40 percents that it took me a minute to notice that they did something incredibly cursed with the home row - cutting out a rest position key! The idea was probably that ;: are symbols and could be shunted onto a layer, but 1) removing a non-reach key isn't really gaining anything unless you're committed to the aesthetics of return being a big key, and 2) that's only on qwerty and e.g. on colemak this is a keyboard that decided the letter o wasn't important.

[clairvoyance]

Mom : we have a keyboard at home
gamer : wtf

[johanswork]

On the num layer, can also do num center, then num symbols above and fn row below. Trickiest part are the non-numkey symbols, but if you put what you use strategically where you want them, you know where they are because you put them there.

[Glitch_]

Count me as the 3rd linux user. Awesome informative video about 40%'s. I thought I would never use anything less than 60% until I built a 40% and don't think Ill go back (unless I'm gaming).

[kindgrinds]

I daily use a 35% keyboard at the moment and having used it for over a month, programmed in all the functions I need and its all you actually need for basic word processing and internet browsing.

[Callsign_Jaeger]

I quite enjoy my 40%, it's the 'Lux40' which I bought from Etsy. The case is translucent and 3D printed from PLA, Plate is brass, for switches I use Ice King linears and I must say these are hands down the best feeling switches I've used so far. They're nice and heavy and almost have a tactile feel to them. Key caps are PC milky Jelly Keycaps from Aliexpress. Stabs are Durock V2.

[Ronaldfontana]

"Desk space hasn't been an issue until recently, why until recently?" You've been watching a lot of Hipyo Tech and so have I 🤭