geekhack
geekhack Community => Ergonomics => Topic started by: jamadagni on Sun, 14 June 2015, 23:36:35
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Re the Kinesis, ErgoDox, KeyboardIO where the Alt key is relocated to be hit by the thumb, I have heard people objecting saying that this makes often used sequences like Alt+Tab or even sequences involving Ctrl+Alt+Shift or such very difficult. For example see under "Design flaws" here (http://xahlee.info/kbd/keyboard_Kinesis.html).
Others however suggest (https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=35514.msg661128#msg661128) that we should re-learn our muscle memories to use two hands for such sequences and it's good in the long run.
I'd like to hear more comments on this.
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I don't have the Alt key mapped to the thumb cluster in my layout. I have the one Alt key on the bottom-most row on the left hand. I've never been a big user of Alt-Tab, but I can easily hit it with my pinky finger and index/pointer finger on my left hand. Also, Ctrl-Alt-Del is pretty easy to hit with my left hand, and I use this combo quite often.
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I have all my mods on thumb keys (all 1x size in a cluster of 4 on each) and can access all possible combinations with small shifts of my thumbs. On my left I have Shift, Fn, Backspace, Tab. On my right I have Ctrl, Alt, Space, Enter. The ones used in combinations (Shift, Fn, Ctrl, Alt) are on the upper keys so I use a squeeze movement to press and hold them. The "struck" keys (Tab, Backspace, Space, Enter) are on the bottom so I can use a downward strike to press them.
Del is top right on my right hand, so I squeeze Ctrl and Alt with my right thumb and press Del with my pinkie. Easy-peasy and somewhat similar to using the right hand Ctrl and Alt on a WinkeyLess. Esc is the other "modifier" which is on the top left of my left hand.
This works perfectly for me and I don't find any combinations difficult, even some of those weird ones in Excel, so my advice is to find a mapping that really works for you and offload the mods from the pinkies as much as possible. Then take the time to train your muscle memory.
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I really like the Ctrl and Alt on my 80key ErgoDox (http://deskthority.net/photos-f62/post-your-keyboard-keycaps-t7834-510.html#p233196) (video (https://youtu.be/bKwicByg1bY)). I can press them both in one stroke too (with a thumb/palm, depending on location). It's even better with alternating hands.
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I do not have a problem to press Alt-Tab with one hand on Kinesis. Nor Ctrl-Alt-Tab (one can hit both Ctrl and Alt with one thumb quite easily). Ctrl-Alt-Shift + SomeKey is easy with two hands if you swap LShift<->Del and RShift<->Enter. All modifiers are in the thumb clusters in the layout I use.
Although, most of the times, I press modifiers with one hand and the key with the other one.
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With a close thumb key (or even the Alt or Command key on a standard keyboard, especially when the spacebar is <5u long), it’s relatively easy to make a chord of the modifier + a letter on the same hand. Using both hands is also fine though.
The problematic one is the standard 101-key layout Control key, which is in a terrible spot.
With a properly designed layout, there should be 3–6 thumb keys in very easy reach, several of which should be possible to use as a modifier for keys on all 9 other fingers.