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Comment by cmpalmer52 | Hacker News Reader

I use a 60% keyboard that doesn’t even have dedicated arrow keys. My caps-lock is configured as the Fn key and, when it’s held down, the JKLI letters are the arrow keys. This (and other macros) are actually really convenient when you get used to them. Unfortunately, it’s hard for me to type on “normal” keyboards because when I end up tiYping thinks like that. My keyboard is a Mistel MD600 split.

My favorite unusual accessory is a little 9 key mechanical auxiliary keyboard. I programmed it to be my debug keyboard with all of key combos for my IDEs debugger - run, stop, pause, next, step over/into, set breakpoints, etc. it saves a lot of time (or seems like it does).

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I feel like I could never get used to a keyboard like this. I use arrow keys all the goddamned time, along with home, insert, page up/down

It's either 60% or TKL for me. If I'm going to use arrows, they need to be where they've always been. Those bastardized 65% and 72% layouts are an absolute non-starter for me. That being said, I got used to my Vortex II very quickly. Surprisingly quickly. By default, it uses Fn-WASD, NOT Fn-HJKL (vim) like on the newer Vortex 3. I find this very natural because I hold Fn with my right hand, and, well, I've been a gamer for 40 years, and WASD is ingrained in my left hand. If you use HJKL, you have to remap Fn to Caps Lock, which I've used as CTRL or Command, depending on platform, for about 25 years now. (After seeing the light with Sun keyboards.)

The point is that this way arrow keys are right under your hand when you're typing.

Yeah but you have to hold down some kind of fn key to make them work

I used to think the same, but once you get used to it, you cannot go back to regular arrow keys. Probably a DFJK combo would be better than HIJK (because H forces me to move my finger from the middle row). But still is way better than the most common layout. And, yes, I delete with alt+D and alt+F :)

I have a 60% without arrow keys and I really miss them. I think in part because the built-in Fn arrow functionality on that keyboard is UJHK (Up-Down-Left-Right). If it's not vi's KJHL (Up-Down-Left-Right), I can never remember it. My daily driver is a 60% with arrow keys - The CoolerMaster SK622. I tried some larger Fekir ones wit arrow keys and function keys, but I find it better to have a smaller keyboard and a Stream Deck.

I moved down from a Logitech G19 to the current configuration. The ergonomics are much better with a smaller keyboard if your desk space is limited.

Same, but I use hjkl and I have the Home, End, PgUp, PgDwn, del keys also accessible with my right pinky when caps-lock is held down. I could never go back. Actually, I now have a 65% keyboard with arrow keys (Keychron V4), but I've never used them, so I'm thinking of going back to 60%.

I also have a Autohotkey script to replicate this when I use my laptop on the go. But I haven't managed to make it work when I need to hold other modifier keys at the same time, like shift or ctrl.

I have several 60% ANSI HHKB layout[0] boards that I'm fond of, which similarly lack dedicated arrows. They feel more natural to me than typical QWERTY boards, both in arrows being a layer (which reduces hand movement) and in Backspace being one row lower where it's a lot easier to reach.

[0]: https://hhkb.io/layout/

I have a similar setup with QMK. Where holding down the space bar with my thumb switches to the NAV layer and hjkl become arrow keys and other keys functions change too, like m and n to PGDN and PGUP.

Agree it is difficult at first switching back to a "normal" keyboard.

I have done the JKLI to arrows thing too (well HJKL for me), huge quality of life improvement.

>My caps-lock is configured as the Fn key and, when it’s held down, the JKLI letters are the arrow keys

This is my favourite hack and I do it too, but I'm never giving up on having 105 keys in ISO format.

As who use 75% keyboard with QMK, I use both dedicated and hjkl mapped arrow keys. I don't understand why so many people love smaller keyboards for that reason.

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