| Left hand | Right hand | |-----------|------------| | A (pinky) | (') (pinky) | | I (ring) | G (ring) | | S (middle)| F (middle) | | M (index) | B (index) | | (thumb) | U (index?) — Wait, careful. |
So from left to right:
Let's rewrite the home row clearly:
Left: A (pinky), I (ring), S (middle), M (index) Right: E (index), O (middle), H (ring? No, H is ring? Let's map fingers properly:
Correction : In ISM, the home row is actually: ism keyboard layout
You see the complexity. ISM requires . Conclusion The ISM keyboard layout is a fascinating, niche tool for typists who prioritize rolling speed for specific English sequences over broad compatibility and ergonomic purity. It is not a mainstream success, nor was it meant to be. But for the curious few who master it, ISM offers a unique typing rhythm—one where the letters I, S, and M become the anchors of a swift, efficient prose-writing machine.
QWERTY: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog ISM (fingers): T (top right middle) – h (home right ring) – e (home right index) q (top left pinky) – u (home right pinky) – i (home left ring) – c (top left middle) – k (top left ring) b (home right index) – r (top right ring) – o (home right middle) – w (bottom left middle? no, W is bottom row: X J . , W - ... so W is bottom row right index stretch) – n (top right index) | Left hand | Right hand | |-----------|------------|
If you're willing to remap your keyboard, retrain your fingers, and accept some awkward reaches, ISM is a worthy experiment in the quest for typing speed. For everyone else, Colemak remains the saner upgrade.