I think this is a classic example of Unix-induced tunnel vision. Because Vi[m] is just one example of a keyboard-driven UI that has been adopted in other place

I think this is a classic example of Unix-induced tunnel vision. Because Vi[m] is just one example of a keyboard-driven UI that has been adopted in other places, whereas in fact there's a more common one that's used by more people on more computers every day... but it's not widely known that it's a thing and it has a name. It's IBM CUA. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Common_User_Access https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Common_User_Access It is what defines the keyboard interface of MS Windows, and tens of millions of skilled Windows users use parts of CUA every day, from Alt+F4 to close a window to Ctrl+S to save to Ctrl+F to find to F2 to edit. For blind and visually impaired users it is the sole or primary UI for Windows. It is also largely supported in multiple Linux and FOSS desktops, such as Xfce, Unity, LXDE, LXQt, MATE, and others. Sadly, KDE does not implement much of it, and modern GNOME almost none of it. But it's there and most Gtk desktop apps support some of it -- although Gtk4 is driving that out now. CUA provides a whole set of consistent keyboard controls for DOS, Windows 3.x, 9x, NT, 2000-11, OS/2, and almost all the Linux desktops until GNOME 3 came along. It has editing keys but also far more. A skilled person can drive all of a Windows computer, and all apps, as quickly as a skilled Vi[m] user can -- well, can edit text and nothing else.