Also, while it's really its own discussion, I think Emacs is more usable with the Dvorak keyboard layout. Emacs's default keybindings pack a lot of important keys into the left hand on Qwerty (C-x, C-c, C-v, C-r, C-s), while with Dvorak they're distributed more evenly.
Remapping left-Alt to Ctrl is another option; that way, you can hold Ctrl with your thumb while you type.
Also, while it's really its own discussion, I think Emacs is more usable with the Dvorak keyboard layout. Emacs's default keybindings pack a lot of important keys into the left hand on Qwerty (C-x, C-c, C-v, C-r, C-s), while with Dvorak they're distributed more evenly.
Remapping left-Alt to Ctrl is another option; that way, you can hold Ctrl with your thumb while you type.