(update: there is a part 2)

I have been hoping for an alternative to Emacs:

• The complexity of configuration (my init.el has over 200 lines)
• The sluggish behavior, especially over SSH
• The uncomfortable hurt on my left tiny finger

I may have found one in Helix, though it does lack certain rather important features:

• It cannot work through SSH :(
• It cannot manage files (though there is a proposal to fix this)
• It cannot open files relative to that in an open buffer (though there is a proposal to fix this as well)
• It cannot remove trailing whitespace on save (though there is a proposal to fix this too)

Beyond that, I love that it integrates IDE functionality without any need for configuration. In addition, I enjoy how responsive it is (it feels far more snappy/lightweight than Emacs). It also has a nifty approach, where text that would be operated on is highlighted, and that makes it far more approachable than vi (and relatives), to a point where I feel it takes modal editors to more mainstream audiences.