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diff --git a/blog/blog-2012-06-29-1817.org b/blog/blog-2012-06-29-1817.org deleted file mode 100644 index 9dce23a..0000000 --- a/blog/blog-2012-06-29-1817.org +++ /dev/null @@ -1,103 +0,0 @@ -#+TITLE: My new keyboard - -I have been using [[http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs][GNU Emacs]] for a few years now, at first only in my -spare time, and for about 1.5 years also for work. Since I've started -using it for work my [[http://org.ryuslash.org/dotfiles/emacs/init.html][init file]] has exploded in size and my knowledge -of both emacs and emacs-lisp have as well. - -As a result of using it full time, I have started paying more -attention to what I'm doing and how I can do it faster or more -efficiently. Sometimes this means writing a function, and possibly -hooking it up to some key combination, but sometimes it also means -changing the way you use your PC. - -The first change was trying more and more to leave the mouse behind -and use the keyboard for everything. In emacs this is easy, there are -many window managers that offer this, mostly tiling, and for browsers -this is somewhat more difficult. - -After switching to an almost completely keyboard-based system, I was -starting to feel pain in my left pinkie. It was getting tired of -always having to travel to the lower left bottom of my keyboard in -order to press that darn ~CTRL~ key that I use oh so very much. So I -switched my ~CTRL~ and ~Caps Lock~ keys, as is suggested by many an emacs -user. - -Following that, much later, was the desire to type more efficiently. -I've read a long time ago already that QWERTY was designed to be slow -and that it is unbelievable that we all still use it. Now, as I don't -like mangling my keyboard by using a layout that it was never designed -for and which was never designed for it, like dvorak, I chose [[http://colemak.com][colemak]]. -I've now gotten the hang of it, for the most part, and I'm happy with -it, it types pretty nicely and still fits well on a QWERTY keyboard. - -At this point, I'm at the stage where a friend of mine commented to -me, once, that he would just love to see a burglar/thief make heads or -tails of the setup I'm using, since my keyboard doesn't show the keys -in the right place, when you log in you're greeted by an empty screen -with no hints on how to proceed, the ~CTRL~ key is not the ~CTRL~ key and -the mouse does absolutely *nothing*. - -*But*, after a while of using colemak and paying attention to my typing -and paying attention to tips about how to type, like use the modifier -on the opposite side of the keyboard in relation to the character you -have to use with it, I got frustrated by my keyboard. Using the -modifier opposite of the key you're using with it doesn't work well if -they're hidden away from your hands, all the way down in the lower -right and left corners. So I started keeping an eye out for keyboards -that would better fit my needs. - -After weeks, months, of seeing absolutely nothing that interested me I -finally came across [[http://xahlee.org/index.html][Xah Lee]]'s [[http://ergoemacs.org/emacs/ergonomic_keyboards.html][Ergonomic Keyboards Gallery]], I see my -vision has come to life. [[http://www.trulyergonomic.com/][The Truly Ergonomic Keyboard]] seems like -exactly what I'm looking for, *finally* a keyboard that has /big/ modifier -keys on /both/ sides. - -From the moment I saw it I knew I wanted it, but impulse buys are -never a good idea, so I slept on it, talked to some people I respect -and I thought about it, it is €230 after-all. Then after a few days -there I am, ordering it, having just weeks before proclaimed that I -couldn't fathom ever paying more than some €20 for one. - -Unfortunately it was still in production, or at least this batch was, -and I had to wait. I went to pick it up a few days ago, an extra -charge of €64.12 was added by customs. The people that brought me -there were intrigued and surprised by my purchase and didn't really -understand it, but they thought it looked cool nonetheless. - -Now I have it and have been using it for a few days. *Man* is it -different. It's like learning colemak all over again, although -luckily this seems to be going faster. - -The few moments I have where I don't screw up every single word and -have to type everything at least thrice I feel comfortable using it. -Having both the Control and Shift keys near the sides of my hands, big -and high up is convenient. Being able to press ~RET~ with either my -thumbs or my index fingers is much more comfortable than my right -pinkie. It also makes a nice sound when I'm typing and the keys are -not all that resistant, so I don't have to press hard, on either the -modifiers or the keys, which would be a pretty big downer. - -Of course it's not all perfect. I still have to press ~M-x~ with just -my left hand, since the right ~ALT~ key is an ~AltGR~ key, which is -completely different and doesn't seem to be recognized as a modifier -by any program, instead being a direct switch on the keyboard itself. -But in this case I could look into reprogramming the keyboard's -firmware, which it supports and allows, to switch the two alt keys, or -I could use xmodmap. Having my ~Super~ key in the top-center portion of -my keyboard is an adjustment, I usually use it as /the/ modifier key for -everything window-manager related. And, of course, having often-used -keys such as (back)slashes and brackets/accolades in far-away places -is different. But I'm sure I will overcome these difficulties once I -get a little more used to it. - -Well, writing this post should help, I feel my proficiency has grown -about 10%. - -Anyway, if you're writing a lot on the computer, or you use a lot of -modifier keys with programs like emacs, I won't yet recommend buying -it, but I will recommend taking a serious look at it, it might be /just/ -what you are looking for, even if you don't yet know you're looking -for it. In the end it cost me €293,12 and I haven't regretted it yet. -In fact, I already felt completely lost when using my netbook, to -which I did not connect my new keyboard. |