4 ms·

I ended up doing something very similar after reading Steve Losh's article. I kept Control where it was, using Caps Lock as Escape/Hyper . The best part by far

• TacticalCoder 13y ago
  caps lock + hjkl requires your left pinky every time you want to move the cursor. This may very well induce RSI because "using the arrow keys" is something that we tend to do all the time. I'm using the key physically at the left of the space bar (I don't like talking about the 'name' of the key because it's very keyboard-dependent) as the modifier which allows me to move the cursor. And I move the cursor using modifier+ijkl (for ijkl reproduces the inverted T arrow cluster, not unlike how gamers like to use WASD or ESDF). I do hit the modifier using my left thumb, which is a finger much stronger than the pinky (and, arguably, such a setup is less RSI inducing). Regarding covering the arrow keys and numpad with a mouse platform: many people opt for for a "TKL" (no numpad) or even 60% keyboard (no numpad, no arrow cluster) and typically those 60% keyboards have the benefit of coming with quality switches (also arguably less RSI inducing). If you want to see what others are doing, two great sites are geekhack.org and deskthority.net. FWIW I use a 60% keyboard which has CTRL at the correct place (i.e. where CAPS-LOCK is on keyboards which have a caps-lock): an HHKB Pro 2 (using the amazing Topre switches)... Which doesn't even have a CAPS-LOCK key. Note that lately there seem to be a regain in interest in alternate setups and alternate mappings: for example the "SpaceFN" layout uses the space bar as an additional modifier (when it is held down) and ijkl to move the cursor around (once again: ijkl and not vim's hjkl and a strong finger, the thumb, to press the modifier). Regarding remapping and "feeling completely lost" on other OSes: if you want to not have to remap your keyboard on Windows / OS X / Linux etc. you may want to buy a keyboard which has a programmable controller: your setup then works the way you want on any computer.
  • drifkin 13y ago
    Thanks for the info. I actually went through a whole mechanical keyboard phase myself and went through several keyboards without numpads. I spent months using these keyboards, but in the end I found I was fastest and most comfortable typing on an Apple wired keyboard (heresy, I know). I much prefer the footprint of the Apple wireless keyboard, but I find that even though it seems like it'd be identical to the wired version, the keys aren't nearly as solid. I am kind of curious about Topre switches, I haven't tried them yet. Only various Cherry switches. I think the pinky RSI issue isn't so bad for me because most of the time I'm in a text editor with vi keybindings, so I wouldn't be using the arrow keys anyway. It's just nice in other apps to have that ability. In the situations where I do use my pinky, it's typically when I'm not typing very much, so I actually just move my left hand so my pinky rests over the Caps Lock key and doesn't need to move laterally. It's some movement, but still less than reaching over to the arrow keys.