>Does the fact that the keys aren't staggered make it significantly better or worse to type on?

Depends who you ask! Personally, I think it's a bit more comfortable to type on than a staggered layout.

Some people love the matrix layout. Some people are rather put off by it.

I haven't used a non-staggered matrix layout, only column-staggered and row-staggered. Staggering the columns[1] makes allowances for the fact that your fingers are different lengths, and I like it a lot even though it takes a while to get used to. I suspect I would like a non-staggered layout better than row-staggering though.

[1] - like the Ergodox or my own Atreus design does: https://secure.flickr.com/photos/technomancy/tags/atreus

Sweet keyboard! It feels like it's missing a whole row of keys though.

Thanks. I intentionally kept the size small since it's not meant to be used as my primary board; I use an Ergodox when I'm at my desk and only use the Atreus when I'm out at coffee shops or relaxing on the couch, so the context is different. Using the fn key for so much definitely takes getting used to though.