The Keyset
dougengelbart.org17 points by tosh a day ago
17 points by tosh a day ago
I take it that keyboard shortcuts weren't an option for some reason? They clearly are the most common kind of chording we're used to now (though I have always had lots of respect for anyone who can type everything on a small chording keyboard).
Shortcuts often don't remove the need to take your hand off the mouse, so the cycle time can be slower. As the OP says, when you don't need to do bulk text entry the keyset can work better, especially if your editor is tuned fot it (as NLS was). I use a left hand controller (an old razer n52 nostromo) for video games and it really helps, though sometimes you have to spend some time configuring it. works for normal text editors too.