I almost always use a split keyboard when I'm able to set up a stationary environment. But I love to go mobile: coffee shops, beaches, couch, bar counters. I never forget how to use a normal keyboard, nor do I lose any speed. That might be the trick, maybe you need to switch between the two occasionally.
I have this crazy plan to create a harness where the two keyboard halves hang on the sides of your body (think sitting or standing with your arms naturally hanging down - the keyboards will be positioned under your palms).
But I'm still not sure if it would be too cyborg-y enough to use in public...
HAHA! Could be just sewn into your pants. Then you could just walk around the hood wearing some AR goggles while you work. Doesn't solve the tendency for your arms to swing in the opposite direction of you legs though.
I've had the exact same idea. I would love to not be constrained to having to sit down infront of a screen. My dream setup would be a projector-screen on the wall and being able to walk freely around while coding.
I'm using UHK for almost a year and can share with my experience.
It really depends on a keyboard - if it is similar to regular one or not. The UHK is pretty similar to regular keyboard - keys are staggered (not ortholinear), there are no additional thumb keys which are also not available on a regular laptop keyboard. After a year with UHK I'm still able to jump between laptop and UHK when needed. Somehow muscle memory "detects" when my hands are on UHK and I start using additional shortcuts which are not available on laptop.
I use a Kinesis Advantage, which is a split ortholinear design with the keys in bowls and thumb clusters, just like the Dactyl. I have no issues switching between that and normal keyboards.
I've been on an ortho (Let's Split) and a vertical staggered board (Iris) for a few years now. The Iris is stuck in my locked office that we can't go back into for the foreseeable future so I'm on the Let's Split (with pedals!) at home. Honestly I think I still type faster on a Macbook Pro keyboard, and that's the one that everyone hates. I'm plenty fast on the ones I built myself, but still just fine on that one. The big thing is that I will sometimes reach for a layer combo that isn't there on the MBP. It's very rare, since I think the staggered layout mostly hits my muscle memory preventing that, but it can happen that I'll almost hit a nonexistent chord on it. Never actually typed them out that I can remember though.
My desktop has a split keyboard and I switch between that and the laptop's normal one pretty effortlessly. Even all the shortcuts just come.
However, after not using my Das keyboard for a few weeks, I found that I couldn't type with it at all any more. I realized later that that's because the distance between the keys is smaller, so after I realized that and compensated, it became easier to type there. I never use it, though, so I haven't put in any effort.
I've been doing most of my typing on an Ergodox for years and while switching to a "normal" keyboard feels clunky and a bit awkward I can still type reasonably well on those. I guess it just becomes a lot more obvious how un-ergonomic those are (especially for the left hand in my experience). Having to bend your hand in weird ways to hit the modifiers feels odd when you're used to have them fall naturally below your fingers.
I've been using an Ergodox EZ for a lot of professional work for a few years now, but since I'm bouncing between that and laptop keyboards regularly, I haven't found any issues switching between layouts. I do occasionally try to use some custom-mapped ergodox keys the wrong way on a laptop keyboard, but it's a momentary embarrassment and not a thing that impedes my work.
I don‘t mind it. 99% of my time spent typing happens at my own desk(s) and the few times I use someone else’s keyboard don‘t justify compromising on comfort with my own setup.
A big part of what makes it hard for me to use a normal keyboard now, isn‘t so much the physical shape, but the programmability and additional modifier keys offered by the UHK, both of which I use a lot.
I use an Ergodox EZ for most of my typing, and don't really notice any major problems adjusting back to a standard keyboard on the odd occasion I find myself using a laptop keyboard instead. The only exception to that is for the first half hour or so I'll try holding caps-lock to get control, and just get escape being held instead.
I’ve been using an Atreus split ortholinear keyboard with the Colemak layout for more than a year now, and I have no difficulty switching back to a standard Qwerty staggered keyboard when I use my laptop or someone else’s computer.
Yeah funnily enough I found something similar when my normal Mac keyboard died and I had to use a old dell one. Despite 10 years of Mac usage my subconscious felt the Dell keyboard, remembered my windows usage and started using ctrl instead of cmd automatically!
How did you find switching to Atreus& colemak? I was thinking of doing something similar and going to Corne/Colemak...
I think it took about two months before I was no longer tempted to switch back to Qwerty to get my speed back (my original keyboard layout had a toggle). I don’t recall any issues with switching keyboards, just layouts.
I don't find it hard to go back (which I do if I use just my laptop). I do find it reminds me of the weird angle laptop keyboards force my shoulders and wrists into.
