I’ve tried _so_ many different desktop workflows (including writing two custom window managers!), and I’ve finally settled for the exact same workflow - F
-keys bound to my most common apps, all fullscreened. It becomes muscle memory within two weeks, and it’s faster than anything else I’ve tried by a mile. I use Thor for MacOS if anyone wants to replicate it, it’s a no-fuss version of the author’s setup.
If I ever do need to see two things side-by-side, I’ve also got Rectangle for window positioning. A single cmd+caps lock+H/J/K/L for left-half/restore/maximise/right-half is all I’ve found is necessary.
I've fallen all the way down this rabbit hole - from a full-size to a 60% to an ergodox to a CRKBD (36 key split) - and come all the way out again, settling with a chiclet standard qwerty (Apple wireless keyboard).
I think the central hypothesis of using these keyboards is flawed. It seems to all centre around thinking that less movement is better, and that keeping as close to the home row as possible is king, even if that means chording, contorting your hands to reach far keys, and over-relying on your weak pinky fingers.
Human bodies are meant to move. I've found that since I've started dancing over keyboard more with my fingers (a sort of advanced hunt-and-peck using all fingers but the pinky), combined with using a low profile keyboard, my hand pain has disappeared, and I'm at my fastest WPM yet (105). YMMV of course, but it's worth considering if you're peering into the rabbit hole.
If I ever do need to see two things side-by-side, I’ve also got Rectangle for window positioning. A single cmd+caps lock+H/J/K/L for left-half/restore/maximise/right-half is all I’ve found is necessary.