The unix69 keyboard layout: nerdy and nice

My Redragon K552 has the ESC key at the upper left in line with the dedicated Fn keys. This males it easier to hit when using vi.

Beside "1" is backquote and tilde. Seems to work well.

I should get around to remapping Ctrl and CapsLock one of these days...

BTW the K552 has been able to take a lot of abuse over the years and is still working well for me, and it is not expensive. Cheaper keyboards often don't last a year with me (I learned on a manual typewriter). I think I paid $40 at MicroCenter like 2 or 3 years ago.

I have arthritis in my hands. Switching to a super soft rubber dome did more for me than any of the tons of ergonomic layouts I tried. I poured a lot of money into the problem, including getting a Kinesis Advantage. I don't think they actually have much medical benefit at all. I think everything they achieve can be achieved by just placing your hands in a more comfortable position.

My current keyboard of choice is actually a Unix layout Sun Type 7. Keys are very easy to push but not mushy.

This seems pretty nice if you spend 100% of your computer time in a shell. For typical usage, swapping out F keys with a modifier seems like a downgrade unless you're short on space, and macros seems sorta like a workaround to address absent keys that unexpectedly become important. Also sorta unclear whether delete will go backwards or forwards, and in any case how do you delete in the other direction? (the backtick/tilde positioning seems odd at a glance but it makes sense when I think about it.)

I've definitely considered going with a more tuned layout such as this but I feel like it would just make things harder in general, with little to show for it apart from an increase in raw APM. Escape being where it is makes sense, but it's not like I find myself needing to immediately depress it to switch modes. "Escape Classic" takes a moment to reach and depress, but those moments coincide with some sort of context switch that your brain probably also needs a moment to adjust to, so it works itself out.

Much how I imagine (probably incorrectly) switching to Dvorak might make other keyboards feel alien, the rearranged keys would be a hindrance unless I carry a keyboard with me everywhere and insist on using it. It's jarring enough switching from one laptop keyboard to another, and the differences there are typically minimal.

I've wondered if I have different keyboarding posture and technique from other people.

My hands naturally sit at a 45-degree angle across the keyboard. For the most part, my wrists are straight and my fingers are lined up with the key diagonals.

I also move my arms at the shoulders while reaching for keys, so my hand comes closer to the target key and my finger doesn't move so much.

A split normal keyboard doesn't sound advantageous for me.

Maybe I could be convinced to try a split ortholinear keyboard, but a 1-piece unit sounds like a very bad match for the way I keyboard. I feel like I'd be introducing all the same problems others are trying to get away from!

EDIT: Just checked with my wife. She holds her hands in the same position, but locks them in place and does all of the reaching with her fingers.

Definitely a feature. All the "lock" keys are bugs.