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What works is consistency between UIs. The QWERTY keyboard has won, for example. Having used the Mac for so long, I am trained to use my thumb for cut, copy,

What works is consistency between UIs. The QWERTY keyboard has won, for example. Having used the Mac for so long, I am trained to use my thumb for cut, copy, paste -- command X C V. Using my pinky finger in place of my thumb is a painful amount of gymnastics for me using ctrl X C V on Windows/Linux. At the end of the day I need to use Windows and Linux (and Mac.) Maybe I fiddle with keyboard setting files in Linux or install that old key swapper program that came with Win95, but the reality is I am going to have to use ctrl X C V, even if they conflict with the control key on the command line. It's like driving different cars. Most things are the same, but you get used to certain things even if they are somewhat awkward, and new interfaces are usually annoying. Driverless cars can solve this. And the same is true for user interfaces. The best UI is no UI at all.

jsprogrammer 12y ago
Keyboards are completely pluggable though. It's just a character/text interface into the system, so the physical layout can be anything you desire. For instance, I use this layout: https://www.kinesis-ergo.com/shop/images/1463/advantage-black.jpg https://www.kinesis-ergo.com/shop/images/1463/advantage-blac... Cut/Copy/Paste is the same CTRL+X/C/V combination that you are using, but the fingers I use are my thumb and one of the three fingers to its immediate left. With this particular keyboard, every key can be remapped on the hardware itself (no config files), and the physical keys can be removed and placed (almost) anywhere else on the board. For full disclosure though, the primary reason I use this keyboard is that it allows a much more natural separation between my hands (8-10 inches), which allows my shoulders to rest in a more natural position. It's not perfect, but definitely an improvement over the "cram it all into a tiny rectangle" approach that most other boards use.
rikkus 12y ago
You can map caps lock to cmd on OS X and ctrl on Windows/Linux if you want to always have the key in the same place when you're using copy/paste etc. I find it's more comfortable than wherever ctrl is (though cmd is reasonably placed)

jsprogrammer 12y ago

Keyboards are completely pluggable though. It's just a character/text interface into the system, so the physical layout can be anything you desire. For instance, I use this layout: https://www.kinesis-ergo.com/shop/images/1463/advantage-black.jpg https://www.kinesis-ergo.com/shop/images/1463/advantage-blac... Cut/Copy/Paste is the same CTRL+X/C/V combination that you are using, but the fingers I use are my thumb and one of the three fingers to its immediate left. With this particular keyboard, every key can be remapped on the hardware itself (no config files), and the physical keys can be removed and placed (almost) anywhere else on the board. For full disclosure though, the primary reason I use this keyboard is that it allows a much more natural separation between my hands (8-10 inches), which allows my shoulders to rest in a more natural position. It's not perfect, but definitely an improvement over the "cram it all into a tiny rectangle" approach that most other boards use.

rikkus 12y ago

You can map caps lock to cmd on OS X and ctrl on Windows/Linux if you want to always have the key in the same place when you're using copy/paste etc. I find it's more comfortable than wherever ctrl is (though cmd is reasonably placed)