no, if you're gonna fall for the alt layout meme at least pick one of the good ones (colemak)
dvorak is as bad as qwerty (and qwerty is all you need to begin with)
I've been using colemak-dh on an ergodox for half a year or so now. It's definitely less strenuous on your fingers, but it will take you a couple months of daily practice to get to a good speed. I briefly lost my ability to use qwerty, but I regained it after a little practice. If you type a lot I think it's worth considering, if you don't then I wouldn't bother.
Programmer Dvorak user here.
It's genuinely much better than QWERTY, especially for programming in languages which use a lot of symbols such as C++ or Lisp.
On the other hand, you'll lose some skill with QWERTY over time and it'll be more annoying to use anyone else's computer.
Overall, I think it's a wash.
Pretty much all keyboard layouts are the same speed, it's just a matter of ergonomics. Dvorak is the most common alternative layout so you can be pretty much certain it's available everywhere except in the most primitive embedded bullshit. Colemak is similarly available these days, so it's also a good option. Colemak-dh is a significant improvement and fairly common, while none of the Dvorak mods are common.
I'd suggest either Dvorak or Colemak-dh, no reason to split the difference in ergonomics and availability with standard Colemak. If you have a split ergo keyboard with thumb cluster you might also consider going all the way with one of the optimized BEAKL variants like pic related.
I'll post the same thing I did in the last thread.
I have used Colemak for seven or eight years. It's fantastically ergonomic. My typing is much faster and more comfortable than it was before.
Two drawbacks. First, some games have poor or unusable keybindings. You'll be stuck spending the first 10 minutes rebinding actions to a game you haven't played before. It's tedious sometimes. You'll come to appreciate the games that do it well and notice a positive correlation with developer quality. Second, thumb typing on a phone is rough because all of your most-used keys are so close together, especially on the homerow. Nearly all of your off-by-one typos will be valid words. >the -> she > if -> of > and -> ant
It can be tedious. I only recommend switching off of qwerty if you have made more significant ergonomic changes, such as having a split keyboard or (most likely) being LULZ. Additionally, if you're the nerdy type who also happens to type like shit and you know it, I recommend it for you as well. At least be a god at the keyboard if your life revolves around it.
Changing to an ergo layout on your phone is retarded, they're all designed around touch typing. QWERTY is as good as it gets for thumb typing on a traditional-style keyboard.
>Dvorak is shit
Dvorak is consistently within 5 points of Colemak in that analyzer, while being over 20 points ahead of QWERTY. It gives you the majority of the benefit while also being supported pretty much everywhere. Meanwhile, Windows doesn't even ship with support for Colemak.
With you on that one, buddy. It can have some pains, but when everything is perfect and you're typing in a vacuum, it's bliss. It's disappointing when you're done typing your thought. Perfect homerow chords, easy rolls, pleasant -ed, -ing and other common affixes, never had to fuck with new copy+paste shortcuts, and comfy use of my right pinkie. Colemak is just great.
i used programmer dvorak for around 6 months
i found it more ergonomic than qwerty but noticed no huge improvement in speed
i could type around 80wpm in dvorak and 120wpm in qwerty, though i have been using qwerty for over a decade
the two reasons i switched back to qwerty were default keybinds (vim specifically), and privacy
the placement of keys produces unique typos which fingerprint you as one of the 0.01% of autists who use dvorak
if you have free time, care about ergonomics, and don't care about fingerprinting i would recommend it
[...]
I've been using colemak-dh on an ergodox for half a year or so now. It's definitely less strenuous on your fingers, but it will take you a couple months of daily practice to get to a good speed. I briefly lost my ability to use qwerty, but I regained it after a little practice. If you type a lot I think it's worth considering, if you don't then I wouldn't bother.
i used both programmer dvorak and qwerty simultaneously on different devices and didn't lose the ability to use qwerty
when i started typing i would get confused for a second then subconsciously switch to the correct layout, it has to 'flow' if that makes sense
It's on macos, on all major linux distributions by default. Windows is the only retard that is missing it, and there's a non-install exe for it.
One downside to dvorak is it shifts all the special characters around needlessly.
>One downside to dvorak is it shifts all the special characters around needlessly.
The punctuation is the the thing I like most about Dvorak. QWERTY punctuation sucks and all layouts that keep it are compromised. (Dvorak is too, but for other reasons)
>if you can already touch-type on qwerty
not worth it >if you use other computers
not worth it >if you can't go for 20+ minutes of uninterrupted typing/coding without having to stop to do other things
not worth it >tl:dr
not worth it
I know colemak dvorak and colemak-dh, and it isn't worth switching. If you use vim you will be in pain because you have to remap a lot of buttons. If you use anything that is keyboard shortcut based it will become an unergonomic piece of software. There are no tangible benefits of alternative layouts besides maybe slightly better ergonomics, but speed wise you are not getting any better.
Then don't use vim or remap your key, how can you type on any improved layout and return to Qwerty and unironically think it okay? You can feel it don't you, your finger movement are clearly unnatural, strained, and excessive.
When I switched to Colemak, I switched to emacs from neovim, much more customizable and easy on Colemak. Now I have a job so I just use VSCode, I still use emacs sometimes for things like LaTeX since AUCTeX is unparalleled.
I switched to Dvorak in 1997, not for speed, but to reduce strain on my fingers (I was suffering from excruciating finger pain from typing). I simultaneously switched to the Microsoft Natural ergonomic keyboard. Pain became less frequent.
Forgot to attach pic to my previous post.
As I've said earlier, Programmer Dvorak is very comfortable for programming, but switching to it has the disadvantage that using other people's computers becomes a bit annoying. Only a bit though, because it's installed by default in Linux and there's an AutoHotkey script for Windows that you can run from your USB drive.
it's pretty comfy.
if you don't like qwerty it's worth a try.
no, if you're gonna fall for the alt layout meme at least pick one of the good ones (colemak)
dvorak is as bad as qwerty (and qwerty is all you need to begin with)
I will try to learn this colemak
colemak-dh is the white mans layout.
I've been using colemak-dh on an ergodox for half a year or so now. It's definitely less strenuous on your fingers, but it will take you a couple months of daily practice to get to a good speed. I briefly lost my ability to use qwerty, but I regained it after a little practice. If you type a lot I think it's worth considering, if you don't then I wouldn't bother.
Mod-DH on an ergo keyboard is close to perfection
If you have a QWERTY background, which I'm sure you do, unironically Colemak.
https://www.keybr.com/layouts
I like it.
Vowels are on my left hand and the most common letters are on the fingertips of my right, very cozy for touch typing.
for a comparison of layouts:
>dvorak you type left right flipping
>colemak you type in a rolling motion
>qwerty you type all over the fucking place
Programmer Dvorak user here.
It's genuinely much better than QWERTY, especially for programming in languages which use a lot of symbols such as C++ or Lisp.
On the other hand, you'll lose some skill with QWERTY over time and it'll be more annoying to use anyone else's computer.
Overall, I think it's a wash.
only if the health of your hands/wrists depends on it
dvorak is more error prone on mobile than qwerty
Pretty much all keyboard layouts are the same speed, it's just a matter of ergonomics. Dvorak is the most common alternative layout so you can be pretty much certain it's available everywhere except in the most primitive embedded bullshit. Colemak is similarly available these days, so it's also a good option. Colemak-dh is a significant improvement and fairly common, while none of the Dvorak mods are common.
I'd suggest either Dvorak or Colemak-dh, no reason to split the difference in ergonomics and availability with standard Colemak. If you have a split ergo keyboard with thumb cluster you might also consider going all the way with one of the optimized BEAKL variants like pic related.
I'll post the same thing I did in the last thread.
I have used Colemak for seven or eight years. It's fantastically ergonomic. My typing is much faster and more comfortable than it was before.
Two drawbacks. First, some games have poor or unusable keybindings. You'll be stuck spending the first 10 minutes rebinding actions to a game you haven't played before. It's tedious sometimes. You'll come to appreciate the games that do it well and notice a positive correlation with developer quality. Second, thumb typing on a phone is rough because all of your most-used keys are so close together, especially on the homerow. Nearly all of your off-by-one typos will be valid words.
>the -> she
> if -> of
> and -> ant
It can be tedious. I only recommend switching off of qwerty if you have made more significant ergonomic changes, such as having a split keyboard or (most likely) being LULZ. Additionally, if you're the nerdy type who also happens to type like shit and you know it, I recommend it for you as well. At least be a god at the keyboard if your life revolves around it.
Changing to an ergo layout on your phone is retarded, they're all designed around touch typing. QWERTY is as good as it gets for thumb typing on a traditional-style keyboard.
The keyboard on a phone is too cramped. There is no benefit in changing your layout. As for gaymes, use a controller, unless it is fps or rts.
I use Colemak on my laptop and pretty much install it everywhere I am likely to touch a PC. Qwerty on my chink-phone.
Dvorak is shit.
Refer to https://stevep99.github.io/keyboard-layout-analyzer/#/main
To do test in your languages.
>Dvorak is shit
Dvorak is consistently within 5 points of Colemak in that analyzer, while being over 20 points ahead of QWERTY. It gives you the majority of the benefit while also being supported pretty much everywhere. Meanwhile, Windows doesn't even ship with support for Colemak.
if I had to learn Colemak again, I'd do it. It's worth it.
With you on that one, buddy. It can have some pains, but when everything is perfect and you're typing in a vacuum, it's bliss. It's disappointing when you're done typing your thought. Perfect homerow chords, easy rolls, pleasant -ed, -ing and other common affixes, never had to fuck with new copy+paste shortcuts, and comfy use of my right pinkie. Colemak is just great.
Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. Typing on QWERTY feels like my fingers are tied up with each other.
i used programmer dvorak for around 6 months
i found it more ergonomic than qwerty but noticed no huge improvement in speed
i could type around 80wpm in dvorak and 120wpm in qwerty, though i have been using qwerty for over a decade
the two reasons i switched back to qwerty were default keybinds (vim specifically), and privacy
the placement of keys produces unique typos which fingerprint you as one of the 0.01% of autists who use dvorak
if you have free time, care about ergonomics, and don't care about fingerprinting i would recommend it
(Me)
i used both programmer dvorak and qwerty simultaneously on different devices and didn't lose the ability to use qwerty
when i started typing i would get confused for a second then subconsciously switch to the correct layout, it has to 'flow' if that makes sense
Correct, it's only when you stop using one that you forget it, otherwise you'll subconsciously use what's appropriate.
Dvorak is much more available in random operating systems. Colemak is niche.
It's on macos, on all major linux distributions by default. Windows is the only retard that is missing it, and there's a non-install exe for it.
One downside to dvorak is it shifts all the special characters around needlessly.
>One downside to dvorak is it shifts all the special characters around needlessly.
The punctuation is the the thing I like most about Dvorak. QWERTY punctuation sucks and all layouts that keep it are compromised. (Dvorak is too, but for other reasons)
It's harder to do this with Colemak. It's close enough to QWERTY that it replaces QWERTY muscle memory rather than building fresh.
if you never have to use another computer againbesides yours, maybe
>if you can already touch-type on qwerty
not worth it
>if you use other computers
not worth it
>if you can't go for 20+ minutes of uninterrupted typing/coding without having to stop to do other things
not worth it
>tl:dr
not worth it
qwerty flip
Programmer Dvorak is extremely comfy.
I know colemak dvorak and colemak-dh, and it isn't worth switching. If you use vim you will be in pain because you have to remap a lot of buttons. If you use anything that is keyboard shortcut based it will become an unergonomic piece of software. There are no tangible benefits of alternative layouts besides maybe slightly better ergonomics, but speed wise you are not getting any better.
Then don't use vim or remap your key, how can you type on any improved layout and return to Qwerty and unironically think it okay? You can feel it don't you, your finger movement are clearly unnatural, strained, and excessive.
When I switched to Colemak, I switched to emacs from neovim, much more customizable and easy on Colemak. Now I have a job so I just use VSCode, I still use emacs sometimes for things like LaTeX since AUCTeX is unparalleled.
I switched to Dvorak in 1997, not for speed, but to reduce strain on my fingers (I was suffering from excruciating finger pain from typing). I simultaneously switched to the Microsoft Natural ergonomic keyboard. Pain became less frequent.
Forgot to attach pic to my previous post.
As I've said earlier, Programmer Dvorak is very comfortable for programming, but switching to it has the disadvantage that using other people's computers becomes a bit annoying. Only a bit though, because it's installed by default in Linux and there's an AutoHotkey script for Windows that you can run from your USB drive.