> I know you can have layers and your hands move less, but having to press three keys for say, tilda (shift + fn + esc) is just silly. I'd rather just roam my hand around, my muscle memory is pretty good.
Yup. That's why the best format for me is the "84 key" or "75%", which is roughly "laptop layout". You get all the Fx keys, arrows, home/end/etc, but no numpad, and it's smaller than the "tenkeyless" format.
I find it much more comfortable for having the mouse closer. For some reason, this format doesn't seem as widespread as the one without the Fx row.
Yes! I don't lock my hands on the home keys, so roaming around the keyboard isn't a carpal tunnel nightmare as some make out. I just move my whole arm a bit.
I rest my hands on the laptop's left and right edges, not on the home keys... and no I don't "hunt and peck", I touch-type at 90wpm. But I love function keys, give me more function keys! I dream of the Hyper7 [1]
Yes! I don't lock my hands on the home keys, so roaming around the keyboard isn't a carpal tunnel nightmare as some make out. I just move my whole arm a bit.
I wonder if some of these preferences have to do with how long your fingers are.
It wouldn't even occur to me to try and access the F row from homehow without moving my arm. But if my fingers were a bit longer I could see how I might do it, even if it wasn't good for my joints.
I'd expect finger length and even ratio between them to play an important role.
I was talking with a friend about how he had issues reaching some keys which seem easy to reach for me. And I don't think I have particularly big hands, I can't reach any F key if my fingers are on the home row. I can barely reach 4 and 8, but it's uncomfortable.
Exactly what I have been using for years - its nice they are finally getting more popular. I bought one almost 10 years ago now and it was one of the only models available. Still typing on it right now and it looks almost new. Cherry MX Blacks ftw
Yup. That's why the best format for me is the "84 key" or "75%", which is roughly "laptop layout". You get all the Fx keys, arrows, home/end/etc, but no numpad, and it's smaller than the "tenkeyless" format.
I find it much more comfortable for having the mouse closer. For some reason, this format doesn't seem as widespread as the one without the Fx row.