Switching to an alternative keyboard layout is a significant decision, particularly for those who are accustomed to typing and have established ergonomic habits.
About a year ago, Miquel decided to transition to the Engram layout, giving up the familiarity of QWERTY. This journey has been both fascinating and frustrating, offering valuable insights along the way. Let's explore Miquel's reasons for choosing Engram, his learning challenges, and his mixed feelings about the switch.
Why Engram?
After exploring ergonomic keyboards, beginning with split-staggered designs like the Dygma Raise and moving on to columnar split layouts like the Dygma Defy, Miquel felt prepared to broaden his experience. Inspired by a video we created about alternative keyboard layouts, he decided to test one for himself.
Unlike Dvorak or Colemak, the Engram layout fits Miquel's specific needs. He was testing a unique keyboard, the Lynxware Cat, which features a scroll wheel instead of an inner column. The Engram layout is designed explicitly without alpha keys on the inner columns, making it a perfect match for this setup.
Engram emphasizes minimizing finger movement and optimizing the use of common bigrams and trigrams in English.
For instance, typing "you" involves a smooth rolling motion of your fingers (Y-O-U). Frequently used letter pairs, such as "T-H," are positioned under the index and middle fingers to facilitate easier access.
Although the layout performs exceptionally well in English, it is less adaptable for other languages.
Learning Engram: The Struggles and Wins
Transitioning to a new typing layout is both challenging and humbling. Miquel began this journey in April 2024, and by January 2025, he still had not returned to his original QWERTY typing speed.
In the first few weeks, he struggled significantly. Starting with just 10 words per minute (WPM), Miquel practiced using tools like Monkeytype daily, eventually reaching 25 WPM. After that, he fully committed to typing exclusively on Engram.
By May, he had achieved 50 WPM, a significant milestone, but his progress plateaued soon afterward.
The middle of his journey was the most frustrating. His brain instinctively reverted to QWERTY mid-sentence, leading to countless errors. However, Miquel's muscle memory for Engram gradually solidified.
By the end of the summer, he was typing at around 60–70 WPM.
The Pros and Cons of Engram
Benefits
- Reduced Finger Movement: Typing on Engram feels smooth and effortless, especially during tasks in English.
- Ergonomics: Less finger movement means less strain—a valuable benefit for those with typing-related discomfort.
Drawbacks
- Language Limitations: Engram's optimization for English makes it less practical for languages like Spanish, where common letters such as Q, Z, andÑ require using the pinky finger.
- Speed Trade-Off: While Miquel has regained much of his speed, he's still slower than he was with QWERTY.
- Loss of QWERTY Proficiency: His ability to touch-type on QWERTY has diminished significantly, especially on mechanical keyboards.
- Adaptation Time: Learning Engram requires months of dedicated practice, which is a steep investment for anyone.
Would Miquel Recommend Switching to an alternative layout?
The best choice depends on your specific goals. If you use an ergonomic keyboard but still feel discomfort, try a layout like Engram or any other layout that you like.
However, starting with a split keyboard and adding custom thumb clusters will provide the most significant ergonomic benefits for most users.
For ideal progression, he'd recommend this ergonomic journey:
- Start with a split keyboard like the Dygma Raise.
- Move to a columnar split design like the Dygma Defy.
- Try tenting on your keyboard.
- And only then consider alternative layouts like Engram, if needed.
Does Miquel regret switching to Engram?
Switching to a new keyboard layout has been a mixed experience. On one hand, it offers clear ergonomic benefits.
On the other hand, the transition has sometimes been time-consuming and frustrating.
If you're interested in exploring alternative layouts, take the time to assess your needs thoroughly. And if you choose to try a new design, be prepared for a learning curve.
And that's it!
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