Unlike QWERTY (designed to prevent typewriter jams) or Colemak (optimized for row-stagger), Arun assumes you are using a keyboard where columns are straight. It minimizes vertical finger travel and avoids awkward "lateral" stretches common on row-stagger boards.
Note: The LMG Arun is a niche, keyboard-layout-optimization enthusiast layout. If you are unfamiliar with custom layouts (like Colemak, Workman, or Norman), this review provides the necessary context. The LMG Arun layout is a significant, albeit controversial, entry into the world of alternative keyboard layouts. Designed for modern, ergonomic keyboards (especially column-staggered splits like the Kyria, Corne, or Lily58), it attempts to solve a problem that even popular layouts like Colemak DH leave unresolved: same-finger bigrams (SFBs) . The Core Philosophy: Radical Same-Finger Bigram Reduction Most layouts prioritize keeping common letter pairs (like he , th , an ) on different hands or different fingers. LMG Arun takes this to an extreme. Its primary goal is to reduce SFBs to near-zero, even for pairs like ed , un , and my , which are notoriously difficult to eliminate. lmg arun keyboard layout
If you are a split-keyboard enthusiast experiencing persistent finger pain despite using Colemak, It may solve problems you didn't know you had. Unlike QWERTY (designed to prevent typewriter jams) or
Use a layout analyzer (e.g., keyboard-layout-optimizer or Oxeylyzer ) to compare Arun against your current layout with your own typing corpus. What works for a programmer (lots of punctuation and <> ) differs from a novelist (lots of he , she , and ). If you are unfamiliar with custom layouts (like
Because vowels and consonants are interleaved, your hands will constantly be swapping. This is fast on a split keyboard because each hand can prepare for its next key while the other hand is pressing. Typing feels like a rhythmic, two-handed dance.
If you have RSI or pain in your pinky fingers, Arun is a godsend. The pinky is relegated to rare consonants ( Q , J , Z , X ) and punctuation. Your primary typing fingers (index, middle, ring) do almost all the work. Weaknesses (The Trade-offs) 1. Steep Learning Curve Because it breaks the "vowels on one hand" heuristic, it feels profoundly alien. On QWERTY or Colemak, your brain knows "right hand = mostly consonants." On Arun, the pattern is more complex. Expect 2-4 weeks of dedicated practice (30 mins/day) before reaching 30 WPM, and 2-3 months for fluency.
If you are happy with 80+ WPM on QWERTY or comfortable on Colemak, The marginal ergonomic gain is not worth the weeks of frustration and broken muscle memory for shortcuts.