Sure, for about 15 years. I agree that it's more comfortable, not faster. Coincidentally, this is about the same length of time I've used Emacs. I don't see

Sure, for about 15 years. I agree that it's more comfortable, not faster. Coincidentally, this is about the same length of time I've used Emacs. I don't see what's nightmarish about it. The keys either have English mnemonics (C-b/C-f = back/forward), or are completely arbitrary (C-v = page-down). Its keyboard commands are not at all tied to the Sholes layout, like some editors I could mention. I think it's less nightmarish than, say, being a native Swedish or Japanese speaker and trying to figure out what C-b and C-f mean. But then, I've found that the way keyboard shortcuts are encoded in one's brain differs greatly between people. Maybe visual learners find hjkl more natural, and auditory learners find bfpn more natural.