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Comment by jamesgreenleaf | Hacker News Reader

I'm convinced that using the "mac layout" for your main modifier key (Cmd) is a huge improvement when it comes to comfort and reducing strain. If you're on another OS, you should remap Control to your Alt key. I've done this on my Windows & Linux machines, and it takes a few days to get used to, but it's just night and day. Pinky weak, thumb strong.

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While it's not a direct parallel, I'd recommend people be careful with using your thumbs like this. I've been using a tiling window manager with the windows key as a modifier for years, but recently I've been having problems with strain in my thumb from switching workspaces 1-4 and toggling fullscreen/tiling (t and f keys). Had I used alt instead of the windows key it might have alleviated some of the problems as it's shifted to the right, but my hand position still ends up in the same position that gave me problems if I try to alt 4-6, e-t or d-g.

One remap I can fully recommend is remapping caps lock to control, it's an incredibly natural position to hit the very common ctrl-w,r,t,f,c,v hotkeys.

I agree as well. On top of that I won't use a keyboard where the interior side of each command key is not flush with the interior side of the key above it (x or ,). Even that extra little bit of travel for my thumbs to press the alt key bothers me.

I don't really care for typing on my Macbook but I do think Magic Keyboard with numeric keys is probably as good as it gets for me. I don't really miss mechanical keyboards at all.

Using my thumb to press alt sounds crazy to me. It's incredibly uncomfortable compared to using ctrl with my pinky.

With that said I do agree that modern keyboards completely underutilize the thumb. This is why I love my split keyboard with a thumb cluster. I truly believe every keyboard should have a thumb cluster now. It's crazy that the default is to waste 2 fingers like that.

That's funny, it's the CMD key that gave me my RSI injury. It was from moving my left thumb underneath my hand in order to hold the key down. I eventually popped that key off and exclusively used the right CMD, and my pain died down. I suspect remapping it to caps lock would have solved the problem too, since I'd use my pinky for that.

Macbook keyboard gave me RSI, it's like smashing your fingers on marble.

Using mechanical switches and caps lock for control is better for me, but indeed, stretching for frequent modifiers is bad.

If you have RSI you’d actually be better off learning to type lightly on the MacBook keyboard. Mechanical switches are making your poor ergonomic behavior less painful but the fix is to train yourself to type with less downward force.

Alternatively you could also try tactiles and the lightest springs you can tolerate and learn to not bottom out while still actuating the switch.

Ctrl isn't bad at all if you karate chop it with your palm. Doesn't work on a laptop keyboard though.

This is the way. You can even do it on Android via custom keyboard layout.

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