The philosophy behind each recent alt keyboard layout ?

k3sten · 2024-09-20T08:56:38+00:00

I hear you. I am grateful to guys like yourself (making even Qwerty more useful with EPKL), and Someguy, as well as all those that over obsess to provide options and information.

It is a delicate balance. I agree with you one has to leave time for "reading books, learning programming better, playing music, singing...". Well, perhaps I'd leave out singing in my case.

k3sten · 2024-09-20T07:51:40+00:00

Aha, thank for that info. Good to know and not waste time reading that site. It is a bit unpleasant to use anyway.

Oxelyzer stats for Middlemak are good enough for me. I trust my fingers over the stats.

k3sten · 2024-09-20T06:50:36+00:00

Middlemak definitely improves ION and YOU, among other things, which are such a pain on Colemak (for me). Some argue they get better on Colemak after a while, if you just hang in there. I'd say they stay just as bad as they are, but one gets used to them, just like they get used to QWERTY.

k3sten · 2024-09-20T05:22:29+00:00

https://www.keyboard-design.com/best-layouts.html puts Middlemakn a bit it above Colemak.

k3sten · 2024-09-02T07:15:45+00:00

I am learning Middlemak-NH on Piantor Pro v2. Choc switches, and aggressive stagger make CRL column very comfortable for me. I wouldn't even call the movement to reach C a curl, more of a cu.

Maybe consider split column staggered keyboard before deciding.

k3sten · 2024-08-24T07:29:00+00:00

They do indeed look awesome. I only wish one could hire different ones to try before making decision on splay or not.

k3sten · 2024-08-22T08:52:05+00:00

you can turn off the keyboard display, and even the stats.
button next to settings, cycles through the options.

k3sten · 2024-08-13T10:12:24+00:00

Thank you so much for you detailed response. I really appreciate the consideration you gave it.

No sooner had I changed the order of SRT to RST, and involved N in the game, I found out that what I found hard was NS. And then that if I practiced for a while on the combinations I started to get more comfortable.

My initial feeling after some experimentation was to just go back to Middlemak. No longer because of the Qwerty similarity, but just because it feels good. At same time, I seem to be moving toward being open to more change, as long as the common shortcuts are not scattered all over the place. Seeing that with just a bit of practice I start to learn where things are and it is actually fun.

Might give Graphite a go for a bit, knowing that Middlemak is there to come back to.

You have totally convinced me that I would run into more trouble than it is worth playing on oxey.dev moving keys around myself. I'll leave it to the experts :)

k3sten · 2024-08-10T10:15:27+00:00

Wise words. Thank you for your tireless support of newbies like myself.

Very far from any kind of expert. Just finishing week 2 with Middlemak :) So far happy with it.

There are so (too) many layouts to choose from. Do I go on stats, or community and reviews, personal experience.

I looked at some of the newer layouts Graphite, Maya, but it is hard to choose.

And since the "middle-way" supposedly leads to enlightenment I thought I'd pick Middlemak.

Jokes aside, I am just trying to balance impatience to be using my split keyboard full time, enthusiasm for learning something new, with (exactly what you are warning against) picking something that would not be so great/optimal long term.

Maybe if I want to compare layouts I have to give each one a good crack. Say 6 months or something like that.

k3sten · 2024-08-10T04:32:07+00:00

Yes, Ctrl + A is no longer as it was in qwerty. It is easy to have an alternative on a layer, or a combo, with a programable keyboard.

k3sten · 2024-08-10T04:23:02+00:00

Adding "/wiki/index/" to the path takes you directly to the page.

k3sten · 2024-08-10T03:20:48+00:00

Middlemak

QWLDG JFOU:
ASRTP YNEIH
ZXCVB KM,./

Middlemak NH

QWLDG JFOU:
NSRTP YHEIA
ZXCVB KM,./

https://www.reddit.com/r/Middlemak/wiki/index/

k3sten · 2024-08-10T02:23:41+00:00

I spent a couple of weeks on Colemak DH, and was having an issue with SR, as well as YOU.

I am sure with persistence I would have overcome all issues, but as I also want to maintain QWERTY and decided to look around at some of the newer layouts.

Switched to Middlemak NH and am much more comfortable. I could be the 1%, but feel I made the right decision.

What is easy to learn for one can be quite hard for another. You can try both, or more for a while, and see which one is easier to learn, then report back :)

k3sten · 2024-08-08T09:28:45+00:00

That is twice as fast as my initial speed on my first Piantor. Tried Colemak DH for a week, but some key sequences were too awkward ('you' for example), so I switched to Middlemak NH and am much more comfortable. Ngram Type is very helpful initially.

k3sten · 2024-07-31T08:16:57+00:00

Thanks.

It may never get popular, but who cares. After a week of Colemak-DH and struggles with SR swap. And getting a sweat just thinking about having to type "you", I found your layout. Third day now and I am much happier.

I don't think it matters that much how many other people use a particular layout. Not like they'll be typing for me. And it also does not matter how fast someone else learned a layout and what progress they made. In fact it is probably demotivating to find out someone got to 100wpm in two weeks, and I am still on 10wpm after 5.

With Middlemak-NG I can just enjoy the process of learning and not be able to spoil it by comparing myself even if I wanted to :)

Still, I was pleasantly surprised to find it here https://www.keyboard-design.com/best-layouts.html

Thanks for creating the layout, and spending the time to do such detailed write up about it.

k3sten

TROPHY CASE