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I'll give you an overview of modal editing and both Vim and Emacs. Let me explain their key differences and help you get started.

Modal editing, which Vim popularized, is based on the idea that you spend more time editing text than writing it. In modal editing, different keyboard modes serve different purposes - like one mode for inserting text, another for moving around and making changes.

Let's start with Vim:
Vim has three main modes:

• Normal mode: For moving around and manipulating text. You start here and return by pressing Esc
• Insert mode: For typing text (enter with 'i')
• Visual mode: For selecting text (enter with 'v')

Essential Vim commands to start with:

h,j,k,l - move left, down, up, right
i - enter insert mode
Esc - return to normal mode
:w - save file
:q - quit
:wq - save and quit
dd - delete line
yy - copy line
p - paste

Emacs works differently:
Instead of modes, it uses keyboard combinations (often written as C-x for Ctrl+x or M-x for Alt+x). It's often called a "self-documenting" editor because it includes extensive help and customization options.

Basic Emacs commands:

C-x C-f - find/open file
C-x C-s - save file
C-x C-c - quit
C-space - start selection
C-w - cut
M-w - copy
C-y - paste

For getting started, I recommend:

1. For Vim: Run vimtutor in your terminal - it's an excellent interactive tutorial
2. For Emacs: Use the built-in tutorial by opening Emacs and typing C-h t

Which one should you choose? Vim is typically faster to learn initially but has a steeper mastery curve. Emacs offers more built-in features and extensibility but requires more upfront configuration.

Would you like me to elaborate on any particular aspect of either editor?

Great questions! Let me clarify these concepts.

"Org mode" is not a mode in the same sense as Vim's modal editing (insert/normal/visual). Instead, it's a major mode in Emacs terminology - think of it more like a "document type" or "editing environment" for a specific kind of file. While Vim's modes change how your keystrokes are interpreted, Emacs' major modes change what features and commands are available for different types of content. You can have org mode active while using Evil mode (which brings Vim-style modal editing to Emacs).

Doom Emacs and Spacemacs are not extensions - they're complete Emacs distributions or configurations. Think of them like this:

• Vanilla Emacs is like a bare operating system
• Doom/Spacemacs are like fully configured Linux distributions with curated packages, preset configurations, and opinionated defaults

Key differences:

• Spacemacs focuses on being very customizable and user-friendly, with extensive documentation
• Doom Emacs prioritizes performance and minimalism while still providing modern features
• Both come with Evil mode (Vim keybindings) by default

Regarding swapping between them: While you can technically have multiple configurations installed, you typically don't switch between them on the fly. Instead, you would:

1. Back up your .emacs.d directory
2. Install the new distribution
3. Start fresh with the new configuration

However, it's not recommended to frequently switch between them because:

• They have different package management approaches
• Their configurations can conflict
• They might modify your init files differently

I'd recommend trying each one in isolation first to see which philosophy and defaults align better with your needs. Would you like me to explain more about any of these distributions' specific features?