Why do I not want to use a mouse?
The computer's interface is designed using a mouse and a keyboard together. For me, I've preferred using a touchpad ever since I entered the Mac world. I was fascinated by the power of gestures. However, my Carpal tunnel syndrome doesn't help, and I feel pain whenever I work with touchpad.
It is what it is, and that's okay. About three weeks ago, I joined a new team and I met my lead. I recently switched from vscode to vim and was quite happy with my progress. I typed fairly fast and thought I was becoming a "Vim person", but it was nothing in front of him. He literally flew around everywhere on Vim. I was absolutely mind-blowing.
He told me I could use a Mac without a mouse. He recommended several tools, and I have been learning to use them one by one.
In this post, I am going to introduce two of them: Homerow and Aerospace. These tools will give you an easy start to control your mac without a mouse.
1. Homerow - Keyboard Shortcuts for every button in MacOS.
Have you used the Vimium plugin in Chrome?
If you have, Homerow will probably feel familiar. With Homerow, you can click elements on your screen and control scrolling. You just need to activate each mode. In scroll mode, you can use Vim-style motions like j, k, u, d, gg, and G.
2. Aerospace - An i3-like tiling window manager for macOS
Aerospace lets you manage your windows as tiles on your screen, and you cna move them around as needed. You can focs on any window you want with a simple shoutcut.
Here are a few short clips of how I use these tools while web surfing and coding:
To be honest, when I first looked at these tools, I never thought I’d get used to them. I figured using a mouse would always be faster, even though they seemed useful. But they’ve actually boosted my productivity to another level. I can click and move things around so quickly now.
Of course, like anything, there are downsides:
1. When notifications pop up on the right side of the screen, you still need a mouse to dismiss them.
2. Sometimes clickable elements and scroll areas aren’t detected perfectly.
3. Certain motions, like drag-and-drop or dragging text, still require a mouse.
Despite these drawbacks, I guarantee it’s worth trying out. If you’re a fast typist, you’ll love it even more.
One of the things I love about this setup—and it's also what I love about Vim—is that it keeps you focused. You have to think about what you're doing and plan your next action. It feels like a brain exercising. It may sound silly, but that’s one thing I enjoy about it (and Vim).
Thanks so much for reading! I would love to hear about your experience or your setup if you’ve got your own. 🤓 💻
PS.
These tools are customizable, and you’ll need to find a setup that works for you. I’m still figuring it out myself, but my lead’s setup has been super helpful.
You can check out his configuration files for Aerospace, Homerow, and other software (including Vim) in his repository: https://github.com/pablobfonseca/dotfiles.
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