Neo (keyboard layout)

Layers of the Neo Layout

Layer 1

Layer 2

Layer 3

Layer 4

Layer 5

Layer 6

The Neo layout is an optimized German keyboard layout developed in 2004 by the Neo Users Group,^[1] supporting nearly all Latin-based alphabets, including the International Phonetic Alphabet,^[2] the Vietnamese language, and some Cyrillic alphabets.^[3]

The positions of the letters are optimized not only for German letter frequency, but also for typical groups of two or three letters. English is considered a major target as well. The design tries to enforce the alternating usage of both hands to increase typing speed. It is based on ideas from de-ergo and other ergonomic layouts. The high frequency keys are placed in the home row. The current layout Neo 2.0 has unique features not present in other layouts, making it suited for many target groups such as programmers, mathematicians, scientists and LaTeX authors.^[4] Neo is grouped in different layers, each designed for a special purpose.

Most special characters inherit the meaning of the lower layers—the ⟨¿⟩ character is one layer above the ⟨?⟩, or the Greek ⟨α⟩ is above the ⟨a⟩ character. Neo uses a total of six layers with the following general use:^[5][6]

1. Lowercase letters
2. Uppercase letters, typographical characters
3. Special characters for programming, etc.
4. WASD-like movement keys and number block
5. Greek lowercase letters
6. Mathematical symbols and Greek uppercase letters