Software Alternatives & Startups

Colemak Mod-DH VS ShellNewHandler

Compare Colemak Mod-DH VS ShellNewHandler and see what are their differences

Colemak Mod-DH

Colemak Mod-DH is a minor modification to the Colemak alternative keyboard layout, moving the heavily-used 'D' & 'H' keys to the bottom row assignments for both index fingers.

Rating
0 reviews
ShellNewHandler

SourceForge.net: ShellNewHandler details page

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0 reviews
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Colemak Mod-DH seems to be a lot more popular than ShellNewHandler. While we know about 43 links to Colemak Mod-DH, we've tracked only 2 mentions of ShellNewHandler.

social mentions
43 vs 2
Video Presentation popularity
100% vs 0%

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

CMD
Colemak Mod-DH
ShellNewHandler
Website colemakmods.github.io sourceforge.net
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

CMD
Colemak Mod-DH 4 features
ShellNewHandler 0 features
  • Ergonomics
    Colemak Mod-DH is designed to reduce finger movement compared to QWERTY and other layouts. By strategically placing the most commonly used keys under the strongest fingers, it aims to minimize finger strain and promote a more natural hand positioning.
  • Familiarity
    Mod-DH retains most of the standard Colemak layout, providing a relatively easy transition for those already using Colemak. This means that users can benefit from the ergonomic improvements without having to relearn an entire new layout from scratch.
  • Optimized for Comfort
    The keys are arranged to maximize comfort, with a focus on reducing lateral finger movement. This can help prevent repetitive strain injuries and increase typing speed over time by reducing awkward finger movements.
  • Balanced Workload
    The layout balances the workload between both hands, preventing overuse of any single finger or hand. This balance can improve typing efficiency and comfort, particularly for touch typists.

Possible disadvantages

  • Learning Curve
    Even though it's designed to be an improvement over Colemak, there is still a learning curve involved, especially for those transitioning from a more common layout like QWERTY. It requires commitment and practice to become proficient.
  • Limited Support
    Because Colemak Mod-DH is a niche layout, it might not be supported out-of-the-box on all systems or devices. Users may need to manually install and configure the layout on their operating systems.
  • Compatibility Issues
    While most modern systems can support custom layouts, there might be instances where third-party software only recognizes standard layouts, leading to potential compatibility issues with certain applications.
  • Adjustment Period for Non-Colemak Users
    For those not already familiar with Colemak, Mod-DH presents an additional layer of complexity, requiring an adjustment period to become comfortable and efficient with the layout.

No features have been listed yet.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

CMD
Colemak Mod-DH
ShellNewHandler

No analysis of Colemak Mod-DH yet.

Overall verdict

  • ShellNewHandler is a niche, lightweight utility hosted on SourceForge designed to give users more control over the Windows 'New' context menu (the ShellNew menu). It can be considered good for its specific narrow use case, but it is an older, minimally maintained tool that may not suit all users, especially those on modern Windows versions.

Why this product is good

  • Provides direct control over customizing the Windows right-click 'New' menu, allowing users to add or remove file type entries
  • Lightweight and free, without bundled bloatware typical of some other free utilities
  • Simple and focused in scope, making it easy to understand for its specific purpose
  • Open distribution via SourceForge allows transparency and no-cost access

Recommended for

  • Power users who want to declutter or customize the Windows New context menu
  • IT administrators managing standardized desktop environments across multiple machines
  • Users comfortable with older utility-style tools and Windows registry-related tweaks
  • Not recommended for casual users seeking modern, actively supported software with regular updates

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
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Colemak Mod-DH
ShellNewHandler
100% 100%
0% 0%
84% 84%
16% 16%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using Colemak Mod-DH and ShellNewHandler. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

CMD
Colemak Mod-DH 43 mentions
ShellNewHandler 2 mentions
  • Workman Layout for Vim
    Last year during a couple month break I had between jobs I decided I would learn a new keyboard layout as it was something I always wanted to do, but never wanted to commit to the learning process while I still needed to be proficient at... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Suggest a layout for 5 column and 3 row split keyboard
    I’ve learned a lot from Seniply and Miryoku, both designed to take advantage of small keyboards. They both default to Colemak-DH, which is good. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Placement of letters on the index finger: lateral stretch vs. DSFBs
    u/stevep99’s Colemak-DH mod is built with just this observation, and though many are fine with the vanilla Colemak, I think DH/m is a smart mod. It is a common concern, shared by the BEAKL layouts (Xay Voong and u/iandoug) and others.... Source: over 3 years ago

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  • I recently got libreoffice, but now the new option in right click looks like a mess. Can someone help me get rid of them please?
    Use Shell New Handler. Run the portable app and simply untick the items you don't want to appear in your new context menu. Source: about 4 years ago
  • This menu should be easy to add/remove programs to... Who is really creating Access Databases from this menu often enough to keep it here? (Not me!) Is there an easy way to edit this?
    I've always used ShellNewHandler for this. It's a really simple portable utility that allows you to remove most of the items from that menu. Tested it out on Windows 11 and it's still compatible. Source: over 5 years ago

Alternatives to Colemak Mod-DH and ShellNewHandler

When comparing Colemak Mod-DH and ShellNewHandler, you can also consider the following products.