The heatmap analysis is based off the most commonly used English letters. Reaching with fingers is not ergonomic. An ergonomic keyboard is a going to make a bigger difference, but each piece in the puzzle makes a difference when dealing with injuries or preventing them.
I gave you enough information to understand why the heatmap is flawed. The biggest flaw is that this heatmap is utterly worthless since it does not actually represent anyone's use case, but is trying to model the "average use case" by (I assume) assigning various frequencies to letters based on various studies on word frequency. Colemak and Dvorak might not think that backroom is a very common word, but is that actually true for speed-typists? It's clear at the least that someone who never types, or types on their phone, or does finger pecking is going to have a different repertoire of words that they type often than a speed-typist, even if some words will be constants. The second problem is that it's a very one-dimensional analysis, how frequent is each letter? It's at least as important to know the frequency of letter combinations if you're trying to minimize finger movement, since you can move your fingers into position at a more leisurely pace if you're constantly switching fingers while typing. The third problem is that it starts with an incorrect assumption that it's automatically better for a key to be on the home row than anywhere else, the letter i for example is in a better place on qwerty than on Dvorak, because it's actually easier to reach up with the middle finger then stretch across with the pointer. In fact, at least on my keyboard, with my hands, the most comfortable way for me to rest my hands on my keyboard is not on the home row, but on awef jio; and I have to contract my fingers to hit the home row so that, although I have to move my fingers to hit i, it's actually more comfortable than hitting k. The last problem is that it assumes each finger is approximately equal, but I would much prefer typing with any of my fingers other than my pinky fingers, because they are my weakest fingers (and in fact back when I was a programmer I was hurting my left pinky from typing too much).
So reaching with your fingers isn't ergonomic?
Keyboards are not ergonomic, and the most you can hope for by changing the legend to "make it better" is that you will get an injury slightly slower. Also, the biggest problem with modifier keys is that your pinky fingers simply are not designed to press down while you're trying to be dexterous with your other fingers.
People tend to do better with things they've learned from a young age. That is no big surprise. You can take a QWERTY keyboard away from someone, teach them a new layout, wait a few years, hand them a QWERTY keyboard, and they'll be back to full speed after a hour. It's just ingrained into the brain, similar to riding a bike. They could have made it worse than it is, there is no doubt, but it's far from being optimal.
There is no such thing as a best keyboard. You should use qwerty (or the standard layout in your region) because it is the standard. If you use Dvorak or Colemak you are exactly the same as some dumb girl that gets a septum piercing because she wants to be different.
qwerty is the de-facto standard in the English speaking world, so just about everyone uses it. Saying the fastest speed typists use qwerty is like saying the fastest sprinters breathe air. It's true, but an utterly pointless observation.
You are stupid. The point is that there is no benefit to switching to your retarded "better" layout just because you have a very high view of your own intelligence.
