From 15910562ede526876e71198519c9d70150d28e86 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Tom Willemsen Date: Sun, 1 Jul 2012 14:18:51 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] Add blog post "My new keyboard" --- blog/blog-2012-06-29-1817.org | 103 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 103 insertions(+) create mode 100644 blog/blog-2012-06-29-1817.org diff --git a/blog/blog-2012-06-29-1817.org b/blog/blog-2012-06-29-1817.org new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9dce23a --- /dev/null +++ b/blog/blog-2012-06-29-1817.org @@ -0,0 +1,103 @@ +#+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.