4 ms·

Thanks a lot! I've searched a bit based on what you said and sort of found a point of entry into Colemak. It's very enticing. I'm not a touch typist yet (use al

by K0SM0S 7y ago

Thanks a lot! I've searched a bit based on what you said and sort of found a point of entry into Colemak. It's very enticing. I'm not a touch typist yet (use all fingers but quite inconsistently I suppose, yet 'fast enough' for me and without looking). Would it be sensible to make such a 'dramatic' layout change at the same time as the switch to a split ortholinear such as the EZ? It seems more straightforward to do it all at once, but also taking quite the tall order at once — ortho + colemak + strict touch typing.

dkersten 7y ago
I used a blank DAS keyboard when I learned colemak. Nowadays I use qwerty keycaps on a kinesis while using Colemak. If I were doing it again I would go for the split keyboard from the start.
Symbiote 7y ago
I think it would be sensible to make all the changes together. If you already type e.g. T with the wrong hand, then it's annoying to start typing it with the correct hand (because it's on the other side of the split), then learn a new location with a new layout. (Do also consider Dvorak. The difference is not really worth an argument, but at least with a programmable mechanical keyboard one of the main advantages -- that Control Z/X/C/V remain in place -- can be kept with Dvorak with a small adjustment to the layout. I've never tried Colemak, but I do like the hand alternation design of Dvorak, and I think I would miss it.)
- K0SM0S 7y ago
  Thanks for the advice/perspective; it definitely helped me decide how to proceed. I'll definitely make all changes at once, then. I'll experiment with both Dvorak and Colemak for the letter keys. Shorcuts are not much of a problem for me, extensive MMO raid gaming in my teen-20's made sure of that. I miss AutoHotKey (AHK, windows program) very much, haven't found anything to remap keyboard inputs so extensively and granularly on Linux. KDE helps a lot, but nowhere near enough for my taste. I'm very excited for the EZ Oryx firmware tool in that regard, as it may replace AHK (and whatever it can't do yet, I can probably program, which is sweet).

by K0SM0S 7y ago

dkersten 7y ago

I used a blank DAS keyboard when I learned colemak. Nowadays I use qwerty keycaps on a kinesis while using Colemak. If I were doing it again I would go for the split keyboard from the start.

Symbiote 7y ago

I think it would be sensible to make all the changes together. If you already type e.g. T with the wrong hand, then it's annoying to start typing it with the correct hand (because it's on the other side of the split), then learn a new location with a new layout. (Do also consider Dvorak. The difference is not really worth an argument, but at least with a programmable mechanical keyboard one of the main advantages -- that Control Z/X/C/V remain in place -- can be kept with Dvorak with a small adjustment to the layout. I've never tried Colemak, but I do like the hand alternation design of Dvorak, and I think I would miss it.)

K0SM0S 7y ago
Thanks for the advice/perspective; it definitely helped me decide how to proceed. I'll definitely make all changes at once, then. I'll experiment with both Dvorak and Colemak for the letter keys. Shorcuts are not much of a problem for me, extensive MMO raid gaming in my teen-20's made sure of that. I miss AutoHotKey (AHK, windows program) very much, haven't found anything to remap keyboard inputs so extensively and granularly on Linux. KDE helps a lot, but nowhere near enough for my taste. I'm very excited for the EZ Oryx firmware tool in that regard, as it may replace AHK (and whatever it can't do yet, I can probably program, which is sweet).