So i just got my kinesis and am thinking about ways to optimize the layout. I'd changed it to something i think is pretty good and would like to hear your thoughts on it. I use dvorak and have switched the backspace and caps lock for efficiency. But the kinesis has a backspace on the thumb cluster. So this is what i came up with:
As you can see the backspace is where caps used to be. I did that because i think it's a much better use of the thumb cluster, rather than to waste it on backspace. There's only one benefit to using the thumb as backspace and that's so you don't have to travel back to the letters before you can type again. But i already had it to the left of the pinkyfinger. So that benefit would only be there when the next keypress is an ''a''. Not really that great. But the thumb has such potential, so it needs to be something i use a lot.
Spacebar is the most commonly used key, about once every word. And you use that with the thumb, so it's used to having a lot to do. I realized that ''e'' is the most common letter in both English and Dutch; my native language. So i made it into ''e''. But now there is an empty space where ''e'' used to be. So i looked at the letter frequency again and put the key that's most used and not on the home row there. Happened to be ''r''. But i simply didn't like the idea of it being ''r'' so i put ''n'' there. Now i just put ''r'' one key lower. And this was the perfect opportunity to move that horrible ''l'' to a more suitable position.
And that's all i'm sure about. I never really use caps lock so it's just there so it's not empty. I read about a lot op people who say to switch ''u'' and ''i'' but i don't know about that.
I'd like to hear your thoughts.
PS This took me over 20 minutes to type. Yay for new keyboards and weird layouts!
