Even better for righties like me is to get a keyboard without the numberpad hanging off the right, and buy a separate keypad/calculator to place on the left -- much better. That way G is center, but mouse and numberpad each have wrist neutral positions, requiring only a simple pivot at the elbow if you have an ergo keyboard. Entering numeric data into  random cells in a spreadsheet is like lighting that way...

The diNovo, Goldtouch, and Happy Hacking keyboards are good for this (or Apple's wireless), IMHO. I always thought it strange that most keyboards are actually for left-handed/mousing people!

BTW, using the http://www.siteuri.ro/dvorak calculator shows me that with my own php or javascript/html code or pasting in the main Cocoa Objective-C source from OmniWeb Base, or Webkit shows that Colemak has better left/right balance than Dvorak (usually the best in everything except left-right alternation -- the design goal of Dvorak). A real eye-opener for me to try Colemak. The one-hand Control-ZXCV is less an incentive because it is Command on macs; it is really awkward to hold Command (thumb?!!) instead of Control no matter what, so no value there for me. Colemak wins in other ways.

Personally, I feel exactly the other way. I prefer using the Command key (with the thumb) rather than the Control key - which I feel is awkward with the thumb, and I'm not used to do it with the pinky, since I've been using Macs for years and Windows only occasionally. (And recently I've switched to a Kinesis Contoured keyboard, which makes even more use of the thumbs)

Anyway, you do know that you can easily swap the Command and Center keys in System Preferences > Keyboard & Mouse > Keyboard (Tab) > Modifier Keys... (Button) ?

Still off topic - sorry.

As you noticed this won't work. I used the DoubleCommand kernel extension to make CAPS work as BS. The link is at https://colemak.com/Mac
It will be a global change though, that is it'll still be active when switching to other layouts like QWERTY. It can be enabled/disabled any time in its preferences pane.

BTW I agree the characters typed with option and option+shift are quite a change from the Mac-norm, but as I use them little enough I didn't bother changing them, yet (might switch the locations of the umlaut characters some time). I also noticed that there are lots of unmapped keys with the option+shift combo, so I guess your experience with 10.4 is normal.

Just, frankly don't agree about L, but then that's why after using Dvorak a couple times over the years, I'm now finally a touch typist on Colemak. 

It's not misunderstandings.  It's a difference of opinion.  Flapping my arms around for L isn't a solution, it's a work around to a problem.

L and S on the right pinky broke the deal for me. Probably the only reason I learned Colemak. Glad I did so.

I can type 'start' pretty comfortably too now. Maybe worth noting.

I believe you. "Start" was just an example of what I think Dvorak was trying to avoid. Maybe that depends on what kind of keyboard you are using (membrane, scissor-switch, ecc.).

Oh, and another gripe with Colemak's FAQ has just springed into my mind:

Even though the design principles are sound, the implementation isn't optimal because it was designed without the aid of computers.

I don't agree. Designing a keyboard layout is not rocket science, once you have put down statistics about your language and you are able to do your math. Computers just allow you to employ "dumb" algorithms and get the same results quickly. Peter Klausler tried to design a layout following Dvorak's principles, but with "the aid of computers", and here is his own conclusion about his "better" layout:

Shai, thanks for replying.

My quote from Klausler was about his second experiment, which - according to his description - was not skewed by data collected from his typing. However, your observation shows that having computers doing number crunching isn't enough; you have to make them chew the right numbers.

Happy typing ^_^

Well said.

Dear Klalkity, I meaned what you meaned.

I did not state that Dvorak is sound while other layouts are not. Even amateurs are able to come up with sound designs. I have already stated my respect for Shai's work. Yes, people may prefer Colemak, that is fine. But please, use solid arguments when criticizing Dvorak, because he maked his homework.

What has striked me is that critiques against Dvorak - here and elsewhere - lack foundations. "You must stretch your pinky to reach for L" is bogus: you should not be stretching your fingers at all. Why do not you just say: "If you are a sloppy typist, then Colemak will work better"? "Dvorak jeopardizes XCV shortcuts" should be: "If you are neither able nor willing to learn alternative shortcuts - which by the way seem better because they keep your mouse nearer - then Colemak will work better". And: "If you don't know how to make an alias for the 'ls' command, then Colemak will work better.". And so on. That would be an honest comparison, I think so.

Moreover, I have seed many designers judging a layout only from their own experience. For example, I have readed that alternating hands is tricky. Indeed it is... but only at the beginning, then your coordination  improves with practice (and with usage of a decent keyboard, which is not stressed enough).

Happy typing ^_^

I didn't mean "sloppy" in a dismissive way. I sometime type while in my bed, too. I just think that criticisms against Dvorak look stated in an objective way, while they are not, as you agree later:

That's what I meaned when I quoted Klalkity about "pseudoscience".

Maybe. But then Colemakkers would have their right to retort.

Of course if someone chooses Dvorak over Colemak, that's because she thinks it will work better. What she will not think will be that Dvorak will work better for her. As I have already stated, I choosed Dvorak over Colemak because it feeled better for my native language. Your mileage may vary.

"Imagine there's no Qwerty,
It's easy if you try
No RSI in front of us
Just ten fingers which fly
Imagine all the people,
typing their own way..."

Happy typing ^_^

Italian.

If you're interested, here are results I've got by running the evaluating applet on a classic Italian novel ("I Promessi Sposi" alias "The Betrothed"). Dvorak's finger load is more even than Colemak's one.

Dvorak: 12% 12% 12% 14% -- 10% 10% 15% 12%
Colemak: 12% 6% 10% 16% -- 15% 16% 9% 11%

Dvorak's travelling distance is 25% more than Colemak's one, but I reduced that to 17% by swapping U and I in Dvorak.

Dvorak's usage of bottom row is 7%, Colemak's is 14% (swapping C and F would reduce it to ~10%, but that would make RC and CR uncomfortable, I feel).

Same finger is similar (< 3%).

Then we come to personal perceptions. Dvorak's same hand is 20%, Colemak's is 34%, and since Italian's words are usually longer than English' ones, I felt them more awkward to type. I felt placement of L in Colemak uncomfortable on desktop keyboards (LE and EL are frequent digraphs) which I prefer. Most words in Italian end with a vowel, so consistently hitting the space bar with my left hand on Dvorak felt better.

I tried customizing Colemak, but my customizations always felt worse than the original. It's obviously a finely tuned layout ;-)

Cheers.

EDIT: Hacked the sample text to get more statistics.

I've post edited my first post to include a little background (sorry if the tense is all over the place).  I had only been touch typing with Dvorak for a short while at this time.

Background and motivation for learning an alternative layout
--

I experience and have experienced a lot of neck and shoulder pain.  This I mostly attribute to typing and using a computer.  I did technical support work before web programming, and that meant a lot of desk swapping in unfamiliar and uncomfortable work environments.

The pain got so bad that at times I could barely use a computer.  I looked into ways that could possibly alleviate stresses and strains.  Touch typing was a candidate idea.

I'd heard about Dvorak as an alternative to Qwerty.  And figured that if the positive claims about it being more modern and easier to learn were true, then I may as well learn how to touch type using this alternative layout.

At the time I also discovered Colemak.  It was difficult to decide between the two layouts (I later discovered many other layouts).  I chose Dvorak, mainly because most operating systems had Dvorak support baked in.  And as I machine hop often it had better native support (it is more portable).

I'd always wanted to learn how to touch type, but I'd been putting it off for years.  I decided to give it a shot during a hiatus.

Initial impressions of Dvorak
--

The layout was quite easy to pick up, as in which letters related to which keys.  My initial typing rate was very slow.  I thought that keyboard short-cuts could be a pain, but after a while I acclimatised.  (It's almost easier to think of short-cuts in terms of letters.  You read them out in your head and your hand naturally finds them.)  Initially I kept closing windows when I was trying to paste.  W is next to V under Dvorak.  Qwerty short-cuts: Cut, Copy, Paste, Undo appear designed with right hand mouse users in mind.

After using Dvorak for a while, you pick up on some of the subtleties of its design.  The most frequent letters that occur in the English language are placed on the home row.  It's a layout designed for (home row) touch typing.  The left hand under Dvorak has the vowels on the home row and the rest of the left hand gets infrequently used letters.  This results in the left hand not being worked as much as the right.  It also encourages hand alternation.  In contrast my right hand feels like it works harder.  The right pinky does a fair bit of reaching (backspace, enter/return, and some punctuation).  My right pinky feels over worked (partly because of the type of work I do).  This was quite a shock as I had never used it that much to type previously.  It was quite work shy.  Qwerty is left hand heavy so Dvorak is initially quite odd.

The downsides of Dvorak for me
--

* Switching back to Qwerty feels very awkward (perhaps less so with Colemak?)
* I am blind to my layout (this is also a plus point), one handed lazy typing is difficult!
* I have to rest both hands in the home position to initiate typing now.   It can feel less relaxed.

Moving between computers with different keyboards and operating systems can feel awkward:

* It takes a while to get used to other keyboards (this is probably layout agnostic).
* The method for layout switching varies.  And it can be quite opaque.
* There is a subtle difference between layouts: e.g. UK and ISO Dvorak.  These small changes can be overcome, but can be a nuisance.

Computer related injuries alleviated with touch typing?
--

I was hoping my pains might lift after the switch to touch typing.  In theory it should cut down on neck strain (the hunt and peck nod).  Unexpectedly I soon gained aches in my fingers and wrists.  Touch typing was a totally new way for me to hold my hands and fingers and wasn't comfortable for me.  After heavy practice my fingers would lock up (usually the day after).  I had never had a problem with my hands, wrists and fingers in the past from typing.  Perhaps touch typing can lend to RSI?

You read a lot of articles saying that you can reduce RSI with touch typing as it should reduce hand and wrist movement.  My fingers feel more strained as a touch typist.  Perhaps my technique isn't right.

The standard keyboard, is it flawed?
--

The number row feels awkward on the standard keyboard, the layout is not symmetrical.  It is not balanced is this deliberate?  Why model the computer keyboard on the typewriter?  The stagger doesn't feel right.

Is it really an issue moving your fingers?  I'm sure there would be more gains in totally redesigning the keyboard as we know it for ergonomic benefit. Perhaps less keys and more modifiers and chords would be better.  How about a radial layout?  Or splitting the keyboard?

You'd think someone could do an independent study in this field.  If we fail to replace a keyboard with touch devices, it would be great to unify and simplify a comfortable input devices.  With a design that suits everyone.

You can tell how unwieldy a keyboard is by watching a newcomer try and use one.

Implementing layouts and layout switching
--

I beg the UI guys (and developers) to simplify layout switching.  It currently is not and I am computer literate.  OSX (10.4) is easier to use than Windows in this regard.  I would like to be able to switch layouts at any time, and to be able to select a layout at boot time / sign in.

Learning and switching to another layout in the future
--

A concern for me is, that if Colemak is 'better' than Dvorak and I decide to change later on will that be a difficult transition?  Is it possible to hold multiple layouts in your head and switch between them painlessly?