A 10 keys keyboard layout
I'm currently daily using this layout on the ZSA Moonlander. This allow me to experiment a lot all possibilities. I'm working on a physical keyboard, but it's still a work in progress. Here is the Github link of the project. It might not be accessible yet.
The main idea is to create a 10 keys keyboard usable for a day to day usage. I transposed the Colemak philosophy to a 10 keys keyboard but without steno typing. I found stenography extremely convenient for fast typing. But when it comes to casual computer usage (ctrl+c, ctrl+v, change workspace, navigate a web browser, coding, etc) you can feel it was not made for that.
In a journey to "always fewer keys", I started with a 70 keys, to a Corne (42 keys), to a Corne mini (36 keys), to a Ferris Sweep (34 keys). Even if the Ferris Sweep was super comfy, I wondered "Is there a usable, fewer keys keyboard out there?"
So I tried ARTSEY, an 8 keys, one handed keyboard. It is a great project but, to me, it can put too much stress on one hand. I tried to double the ARTSEY so I can have a full keyboard under each hand, so I can alternate typing on each letter. But I found it really demanding to map two keyboard in my head and to create muscle memory to alternate strokes.
I tried ASETNIOP, a 10 keys, steno oriented keyboard. The fact that each chord is using both hands create a limitation for a normal, non-steno usage.
As a Colemak user for 7 years, I remembered that this layout optimized the usage of the home row, alternation of hands and allow rolling most common combination ("en", "ion", ...) With that in mind, I transposed the home row to an 8 keys one, ordered letters by usage and repected side position on the Colemak layout (letters under the left hand on the Colemak layout will stay under the left hand on the Croissants layout) It is important that each letter stay a chord made by one hand (in opposition to ASETNIOP philosophy to use both hands). It will maximize the alternation of hands and optimize speed.
Once letters positionned, I created a list of chords ordered by accessibility and difficulty. Every chord is mirrored on each hand, to facilitate the learning of chords. The idea is to attribute the most accessible chords to the most used letters.
The result is a layout that I use full time right now, at a speed of 50 WPM after two weeks (I was at 65 WPM on Colemak so I'm not a super fast typer). The layout is so comfy that I also stop using the mouse to use the one on the board and I do all navigation, media, shortcuts, mouse, etc with it.
I'm currently using this layout on the ZSA Moonlander. You can test it by flashing these links:
See here for a dark theme version
