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I learnt Workman a decade ago to prevent RSI, but it is also one of the most efficient layouts when it comes to hand movement and finger utilization, with Engli

I learnt Workman a decade ago to prevent RSI, but it is also one of the most efficient layouts when it comes to hand movement and finger utilization, with English at least. https://workmanlayout.org/ https://workmanlayout.org/ The fastest typists these days swear by Colemak-DH which just like Workman fixes many of the shortcomings of Colemak. To me Workman feels the best, but anything that's not QWERTY is measurably better, whereas the difference between Colemak, Dvorak and so on is more circumstantial.

Bromeo 5y ago
One caveat that I found: I practiced typing on workman for about a week, and was able to type regular sentences at okay speeds (maybe 30wpm vs 100wpm on qwerty). But then it dawned on me that I would have to relearn all vim, vscode, and window manager shortcuts too. Especially the vim shortcuts really hurt a lot (navigation keys are pretty random), and so I stayed with qwerty.
gnicholas 5y ago
How long does it take to learn a new layout? How important is it to have a keyboard with properly-labeled keys?
- Comevius 5y ago
  Around a month of using it constantly should do it. If it's your first new layout you are probably going to struggle at first. No need for labeled keys, it's all about developing muscle memory. Just practice touch typing, starting with the keys near the standard position. Your typing speed will naturally increase over time as your brain adapts, so don't get hang up on not improving fast enough on any given day, sometimes you just have to sleep on it.
- elviejo 5y ago
  I learned Dvorak 16 years ago. To avoid carpal tunnel surgery... I practiced 1 hour daily for 3 weeks, then flipped my personal and work computers to Dvorak.. It took me another week to become comfortable. So I would say it takes one month... To learn. . It doesn't matter to have the correct label on keys... You are not supposed to look at the keyboard anyway.
  - gnicholas 5y ago
    Cool, good to know. I figured the labeling wouldn't matter once you're comfortable with it — I just didn't know how much of a pain it is to learn if you have no reference for what key is where. I could imagine it would take a long time to really solidly learn where uncommon keys are, and I wouldn't want to be hunting around for them every time I need them. Do you use Dvorak on mobile as well? Is it a pain to use QWERTY devices when you encounter them?
    - Comevius 5y ago
      In the beginning your will be constantly hunting for keys, which will hurt, but it will get much better with practice in a few days. Just practice the way you naturally touch type. In a month you will be able to do it just as comfortably as you did before. This kind of learning is procedural memory, it's like riding a bicycle, you don't forget it, you just get a bit rusty over time. You will be able to use both layouts.
    - elviejo 5y ago
      It's not difficult at all to use qwerty. And I don't use Dvorak on mobile... Although I should probably try it.
    - travisd 5y ago
      I learned Dvorak because I knew I would never work out the bad habits I had with QWERTY. Dvorak is a HORRIBLE layout for mobile, but I used it for about a month while learning Dvorak and it really helped. It’s horrible since you often type in mobile with one hand which means your fingers get tired quickly from moving between the sides of the keyboard. I’ve never really had issues going back to QWERTY keyboards (no more so than usual slight frustrations when moving between slightly different keyboards).

Bromeo 5y ago

One caveat that I found: I practiced typing on workman for about a week, and was able to type regular sentences at okay speeds (maybe 30wpm vs 100wpm on qwerty). But then it dawned on me that I would have to relearn all vim, vscode, and window manager shortcuts too. Especially the vim shortcuts really hurt a lot (navigation keys are pretty random), and so I stayed with qwerty.

gnicholas 5y ago

How long does it take to learn a new layout? How important is it to have a keyboard with properly-labeled keys?

Comevius 5y ago
Around a month of using it constantly should do it. If it's your first new layout you are probably going to struggle at first. No need for labeled keys, it's all about developing muscle memory. Just practice touch typing, starting with the keys near the standard position. Your typing speed will naturally increase over time as your brain adapts, so don't get hang up on not improving fast enough on any given day, sometimes you just have to sleep on it.
elviejo 5y ago
I learned Dvorak 16 years ago. To avoid carpal tunnel surgery... I practiced 1 hour daily for 3 weeks, then flipped my personal and work computers to Dvorak.. It took me another week to become comfortable. So I would say it takes one month... To learn. . It doesn't matter to have the correct label on keys... You are not supposed to look at the keyboard anyway.
- gnicholas 5y ago
  Cool, good to know. I figured the labeling wouldn't matter once you're comfortable with it — I just didn't know how much of a pain it is to learn if you have no reference for what key is where. I could imagine it would take a long time to really solidly learn where uncommon keys are, and I wouldn't want to be hunting around for them every time I need them. Do you use Dvorak on mobile as well? Is it a pain to use QWERTY devices when you encounter them?
  - Comevius 5y ago
    In the beginning your will be constantly hunting for keys, which will hurt, but it will get much better with practice in a few days. Just practice the way you naturally touch type. In a month you will be able to do it just as comfortably as you did before. This kind of learning is procedural memory, it's like riding a bicycle, you don't forget it, you just get a bit rusty over time. You will be able to use both layouts.
  - elviejo 5y ago
    It's not difficult at all to use qwerty. And I don't use Dvorak on mobile... Although I should probably try it.
  - travisd 5y ago
    I learned Dvorak because I knew I would never work out the bad habits I had with QWERTY. Dvorak is a HORRIBLE layout for mobile, but I used it for about a month while learning Dvorak and it really helped. It’s horrible since you often type in mobile with one hand which means your fingers get tired quickly from moving between the sides of the keyboard. I’ve never really had issues going back to QWERTY keyboards (no more so than usual slight frustrations when moving between slightly different keyboards).