C-x, C-c, and C-h) are the same on Qwerty and Colemak, so I guess this lessens the learning curve a little bit.Also while learning Colemak and Emacs, I started using a new (secondhand) keyboard: a Perixx Periboard 512W (W for "white") keyboard. It turns out it doesn't feel very different than the keyboard I was previously using, a Dell SK-8115. Both have a decent keypress and are somewhat clacky. The 512W is a little quieter, and the feel of the keypress for the keys feels really nice, especially the Enter and Backspace keys. They are both standard rubber-dome keyboards and feel sturdy. I'm expecting great things from this keyboard, but my typing speed is currently crippled from the layout switch.
The whole story: Until recently, my favorite keyboards are those with a light and shallow keypress like those in many laptops. My hands don't get fatigued as easily and it doesn't bother your ears. Usually I don't like keyboards with a deep keypress because they remind me of the old, loud, early-2000's models that take much force to push and aren't tactile at all. However, typing on the 8115 changed my mind, because it is pretty tactile and it feels like it gives more feedback for effective touch-typing than a laptop keyboard. Even though it takes more force to push than my laptop keyboard and I can get faster typing spurts out on my laptop keyboard, I was able to break my typing record on MonkeyType pretty quickly on the 8115. Despite this, I feel like it is raised up pretty high and my wrist bends backwards uncomfortably if I rest arms on the desk. I looked for wrist rests, but the highly-rated ones were expensive enough that I considered getting a cheap new ergonomic keyboard. The Periboard was rated fairly well for a ~$40 keyboard2, so I went and got it.
