Thumb keys - more effective use of Alt

[stevep]

Of the modifier keys, the Alt keys occupy the best position. It is possible to reach them with the thumbs without moving hands, making it easy to type any letter key while holding either of the two Alts. The same can't be said for Shift or Control.

Given their excellent location, I think that the Alt keys are severely underused. There are much more useful purposes that could be assigned to these keys. Also, arguably you only need one Alt key. I realize many keyboards have an extra layer on the right-alt (AltGr) key where this is effectively already the case.

Suggestions for better Alt key usage:

1. Left Alt as Backspace. Similar to some split-spacebar designs, fast backspace using the left thumb!

2. Left Alt as an extra Shift key. This allows you to easily type any capital letter without the usual awkward pinky stretch for the Shift keys. (Or if you don't need an extra AltGr layer, use the right Alt for this instead)

3. Left Alt to provide an extra navigation layer, similar to GuiFN and Extend. The Left Alt key is in a great place to allow easy arrow keys and other navigation functions, and is better located even than CapsLock for this purpose.

What I do is option 3:
- Left Alt provides navigation/editing. I have been doing this for several months having previously used CapsLock, and find using Left Alt is a great improvement!
- My right Alt provides a custom symbol layer I created (brackets, common programming characters etc).
- The CapsLock key has become my Alt, so that I still have Alt when I need it.
- I have a split-space keyboard, and have configured the left half to be Shift.

Result: With a fairly traditional keyboard design, I now have four comfortable thumb keys. I am loving this setup so thought I'd tell you about it, but interested to know any other similar bright ideas people have.

Long live thumb-key modifiers!

[SonOfSonOfSpock]

OS X makes more use of that key. On Macs it is called Command and is used more like Ctrl on Windows. Also, Matias and Mac keyboards have better placement of the Alt/Command key. It's easier to hit with your thumb because it is placed a little closer to center. Even the Matias boards that are Windows specific have the better placement.

[jacobolus]

Alt isn’t really in the best place to be repeatedly pressed for use as a backspace, but it’s pretty good for being held down. I also don’t think it’s ideal for shift on the same hand. So I’d go for your suggestion #3. Half of a split spacebar is better for either of those in my opinion.

Your setup sounds pretty good for a standard keyboard, but it sounds like ctrl is still in a slightly unfortunate spot. I wonder if you could move it to the standard shift key position, now that shift is on one half of the split spacebar.

My preference is to make a new physical layout with easier thumb keys built in. e.g. (in two ideas which keep everything else relatively standard):



Or of course there are less standard options, e.g.

[zefyr]

I placed thumb key in my layout and use it as layer change key.
So, I don't need to go far away to type arrows or home,end,page up/down.
just left thumb on layer key and y,u,i,o,p,h,j,k,l,; it's really efficient

[stevep]

Also, Matias and Mac keyboards have better placement of the Alt/Command key.

Indeed, I have a split Matias keyboard and it's great for thumb keys - both Alts are very easy, and, with the split spacebar, I have an additional modifier as well (set to Shift). GuiFN / Extend in particular is great on the left Alt key.

The other custom keyboards with extra thumb keys are great and all, but I was really looking for ways to improve the standard design, especially for example when using a laptop default keyboard. Even in this case the Alts are still pretty good, and redefining my two Alt keys is still effective.  Of course, when I'm not using my split board, I lose my thumb key (left-spacebar) as shift, which is a shame. If only all keyboards had split spacebars, at least then they by applying sufficient hacks they could be made reasonably usable!

[Findecanor]

OS X makes more use of that key. On Macs it is called Command and is used more like Ctrl on Windows.

The Mac "Alt" key is called "Option". It even emits the same key-code as Alt.
The "Command" keys emits the same key-codes as the Windows keys - and as Meta keys on Sun keyboards.

The biggest difference between PC and Mac keyboards are in which order the keys are on the bottom row. Many better keyboards have a DIP switch, or a special key combo for swapping Alt/Option and Windows/Command with each other. (You would of course have to swap the keycaps also)

I used to be a die-hard proponent for having the right Alt key under the . (period) key. I thought that traditional Mac keyboards and "winkeyless" PC keyboards had them too far away from centre. However, in the past four months I have been using a Sun Type 7 at work - which has the key even farther to the right and I have noticed that amazingly, I have been able to adapt to it rather well.

[PieterGen]

@jacobolus:  how about these "almost normal"  layouts ?




- The green/yellow/red one has slightly wider the Q, T, Y and P keys, to fit the natural splay of the fingers - a Jacobolus © idea.
- The blue/white/gray has normal sized Q and P keys, to make it easier to reach the outer keys.
- in the middle are some extra keys for more hand separation
- the layout is a bit of a mix of staggered, symmetrical and matrix.

The goal is a keyboard that is:
- more ergonomic as a normal staggered board
- one piece, for portability
- easy to get used to
- in total 50 keys, which is enough

Maybe.... the "one piece" costraint should go? Suppose these are 2 separate pieces, that would be more ergonomical, right?

[jacobolus]

I like it!

But you need to make those spacebar keys substantially taller than the ones in front of them.

[stevep]

@PieterGen What I like about these layouts as they look "normal" enough to not totally scare away your average non-keyboard-enthusiast. You'd probably still need the number row to have mainstream appeal though. Those thumb keys would certainly be great!