A week with the ZSA Navigator
I’m a huge fan of ZSA. Their Voyager keyboard changed the way how I work and massively increased my typing speed, accuracy and comfort. I published my thoughts about it in the “A month with the ZSA Voyager split keyboard” some time ago. ZSA is a bunch of hard-working folks who genuinely care, which is a rare thing nowadays.
The moment they dropped the news about the Navigator, I ordered one. After the currency conversion, it was £125 and it arrived after a week in the UK. To my surprise, I didn’t have to pay any additional duty fees as I had when I got a keyboard a few months back.
Worth noting that I’m OK with my Logitech MX Master 3S. I don’t love it as much as some other folks do, and other than some crazy software fuck-ups they had some time ago, this is a good tool and has been serving me well for the past few years. I don’t struggle with RSI or any other discomfort. I ordered the Navigator out of sympathy for ZSA mainly, but also curiosity. Trying new things is good!
The moment it arrived I switched my Logitech mouse off and forced myself to use the Navigator as the only pointing device. At this point I have been using it for a week, and here is all you care about if you visited this post. Let’s go!
Good
- Quality! Starting with a lovely packaging, a carrying case and braided cables (much nicer than the ones you got with your Voyager). The build feels solid and the design is nice.
- Installation takes seconds, and the rare magnets keep it in place really well. After attaching, it feels like a single unit device. No rattling whatsoever.
- Adding the device in Oryx creates a new mouse layer for you if you don’t have one already. They made this process really smooth.
- There is no learning curve. You just need to understand how it works and your flow is almost uninterruppted event if this is your first experience with a device like this, as it was for me.
Not so good
- The slight tilt of one half of the keyboard added by attaching a new device is not an issue for me, but the fact that they are different bothers me a little. A little shim to attach to the opposite half would be a nice addition to the package.
- Despite the configurable delay that disables the moouse layer after the specified inactivity, this delay is inconsistent and it distrupts my flow.
- The experience of using the cursor pointer with both hands is simply not for me. I didn’t realise how often I click or drag with modifiers. I know it is possible to do it with Navigator, it is just too hard and requires me to think too hard about key combination instead of doing what I suppose to do.
Great product, but not for me
It is a fantastic product, nicely designed, well priced and for most people will totally replace a mouse. Unfortunatelly the more complicated workflows that require holding modifiers put me out of the flow too much, to the point that I decided to sell it and welcome my good old Logitech mouse back to my desk.
If you’re in the UK and keen to get one, please let me know, I will give you a good price 💰
It’s not longer available, sorry. A kind Reddit user bought it 10 minutes after I published this article.
Let me know your thougts about the Navigator if you have one. If not, maybe this post halped you out to made a purchase decision. Have a good day folks and remember to keep it fun 💃🕺
I'm UK based also didn't pay any additional import fees. Odd, but not complaining!
I'm 50/50 on whether I'm going to keep the Navigation. Like you, I'm really struggling with auto layer switch back. It's fine about 90% of the time, but it's wrong (e.g. I should be typing now, but I'm pressing mouse keys) it really breaks up my flow.
Yeah, I experienced that multiple times. I'm OK to adjust to a new workflow, as long as it is consistent, but that was not the case for this one.
Love the keyboard setup with a trackball!
Got mine set up this morning and after 17 years of using Apple's Magic Trackpad, the only thing I miss is the "pinch to zoom" but I suppose there's a way to configure that. Had to also adjust my Vimium bindings ("f" key is also the left-click on the Navigator's layer). Other than that, can't complain after the initial test drive :)
I tried the Voyager keyboard but I have been too spoiled by almost 30 years of using the (large) Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard. Those MS ergonomic keyboards have a cushy rest for my hands and also lift my hands up. - Sadly MS discontinued those large Ergonomic Keyboard. But I have been buying a few used ones over the past years.
I know that there is a tons of people who swear by Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard. I still like Voyager so much, but recently I ordered Kinesis Advantage 360 Pro, which is still on its way. Just to try different things, but I have a little feeling that my relationship with Voyager can be over very soon.