I've been using vim for about 7 years and for me it's not so much about the efficiency as it is the pleasure of commanding (programming!) a powerful, wellmade tool.
This is the same for me, I very recently got over the hump, and finally am a proficient Vim-er! I never cared as much about the efficiency.
Not talked about enough, is the fact that Vim is simply fun. I simply enjoy typing with it. You’re right, it really is a pleasure, and it makes you think about programming differently.
It stimulates a part of my brain regular editors never did. It’s exciting to think about the best way to perform a series of actions, or learn a new command. Or brew up a quick macro to do something wild, no other editor could dream of!
And once the commands become second nature, you almost feel “at one” with the file you’re editing. I feel the fluidity that vim offers me lets me dedicate more cycles to the problem at hand.
