Alternative layouts
If I'm getting an Orthodox split for the first time would it be worthwhile to learn a different layout at the same time since I've heard the learning curve is already pretty rough? I'm thinking of colemak-DH specifically but if there is a better option I'm open to hearing it.
Honestly if you can already touchtype an ortho isn't going to be that big a learning curve. At least for me (going to an ortho with strong stagger), it finally meant that the keys felt like they were in the right place. I don't think the benefits of other layouts are quite as big if the keyboard actually fits your bone structure.
If you are going to a cut size layout, it's better to add in features incrementally onto something you already know rather than having to learn colemak and layers and thumb clusters.
If you have the time of course to re-learn how to type sure, do it all at once, but any time you spend on another layout (like, say, in the office) is going to make the transition harder. And as I said, layouts designed to make typing on a normal keyboard better make less sense on an ergo.
I tried colemak-dh a while a go. It's nice. However for me personally I found myself at a point of diminishing returns. The biggest impact on comfort had switching to a split keyboard and later on to a columnar split. I got to half of my regular typing speed with colemak (50wpm) relatively quickly. However switching between keyboards really messed up my brain and wasn't worth it in the end.
If I where you I would just start with the new board and see how it goes. Then you can make experiments if you still think another layout will help you.
I'd give yourself a few days to become accustomed to the new key positions before learning a new layout.
Focusing on putting your fingers in the right place is tricky enough without also having to concentrate on a completely new layout. Trying to much at once could cause excessive frustration.
That isn't to say that you can't use a new layout in the context of a training program for a few exercises a day, but unless you're in a particular rush don't change your default layout until your fingers learn the new key positions well enough.
another consideration is how much actual writing do you normally do? do you live with both hands on the keyboard? or do you spend as much time with one hand on the keyboard, one hand on the mouse? do you spend more time in front of a graphics tablet only using the keyboard for shortcuts?
if you’re a writer or author, optimizing your layout makes perfect sense
but if you spend significant time with a mouse (or trackball or trackpad or trackpoint), then realize you’re going to have to spend a significant portion of time figuring out your shortcuts – you’re either going to have to learn the new positions or go through and remap the hotkeys in each of your applications – ex. with InDesign, keeping the modifiers close together and accessible by one hand is going to take priority so you can do stuff like Ctrl-Alt-Shift-C, Ctrl-Alt-Shift-E
[side note: one of the advantages of Colemak/Colemak-DH is they left A, Z, X, C, V untouched because of shortcuts and people’s muscle memory]
I never was able to use proper technique on a standard qwerty board due to it causing hand pain with extended use and learning colemak on ortho let me lock in the correct finger position and such without harming my ability to type on a staggered qwerty board. except when drunk, I keept trying to type colemak on the qwerty.
FYI, you can crosspost to !mechanical_keyboards@programming.dev for wider reach