Here’s my latest setup, and it feels good.
Keyboard
Matias Ergo Pro keyboard, tented.
Sculpted keycaps, full-travel keys, some audible feedback, but not clicky or clacky, navigation keys, split, tenting capable, programmable. Replaces Apple Magic w/ Numeric Keypad, Keyboardio Model 01
Mouse
Logi MX Vertical Ergonomic mouse. The wrist angle is very nice. Uses the Logi unified receiver, rather than Bluetooth, which can be flakey. Button allows changing between precision and speed, so cursor moves farther when navigating the screen. Forward/back buttons, for e.g. browser navigation - don’t use these much. Replaces Apple Magic Mouse 2, Logi MX Master 2.
Keyboard Hacking
Dvorak
I use the Dvorak keyboard layout. It is designed so that the home row keys are the most frequently used, and more frequently used keys are pressed by stronger fingers. On the home row, vowels are under the left hand, consonants under the right so that when you type, you more often alternate hands. (I never could learn QWERTY and four-finger pecked for years before learning Dvorak.)
I’m using Karabiner Elements to redefine some keys.
Hyper key
This seems to have originated with the Space-cadet keyboard, and is another modifier like Shift or Ctrl. Here, if I hold down CapsLock it emulates a Hyper key, which is Ctrl+Command+Option+Shift. If I instead tap CapsLock, it sends F18, which I use to open Alfred.
SpaceFN
I’ve been reading about/trying out Spacemacs which uses the space bar for the leader key for many commands. This in an effort to combat Emacs Pinky, an over-use injury from using the control and other modifier keys. Since keyboards have giant space bars under our powerful thumbs, it makes sense to use them as a modifier key. Thus, SpaceFN was born, and based on earlier work by Edgar Matias (the Matias keyboard person). Here’s how I have SpaceFN set up:
- Tap the spacebar - a space is typed
- Spacebar and press or hold b (for blank), a single space (if b is tapped) or spaces (if b is held) are typed.
- Spacebar+[ijkl] emulate arrow keys (you don’t have to leave home row). i is up, j is left, etc.
- Spacebar+u = Home, spacebar+o = End
- Spacebar+h = PageUp, spacebar+n = PageDn
The CapsLock modification, as well as the SpaceFN modification and others can be found at the Karabiner-Elements complex modifications webpage. You can Import the sets you want, then add individual rules.
Hope this is helpful, and welcome your comments on how you survive / combat RSI.
