Well I can tell you from experience that it's not a micro-optimization, unless you compare it to vi(m) where the movement keybindings are optimized to h, j, k,

Well I can tell you from experience that it's not a micro-optimization, unless you compare it to vi(m) where the movement keybindings are optimized to h, j, k, and l. Being that movement across the text you're editing is such a common action, it's become incredibly annoying when you have to move your hand away from the home row and search around for the arrow keys with your hand. Different keyboards have them in different places and sizes, so you have to make a slight pause to think of what keyboard you're using to know where to search. I've caught myself having to look at the keyboard sometimes just to find those damn arrow keys. In fact, sometimes they're so badly positioned in the keyboard, that I just prefer to use the mouse instead.