If you use 3D applications or game engines like Blender and Unity etc., you may have gotten used to the fact that those applications usually let you pan your view around with the middle mouse button.
Illustrator does not let you do this by default, in fact, Illustrator doesn’t use the middle mouse button at all! You can use your spacebar+left mouse button to pan around but then you still have to use two hands to press two buttons instead of just holding one button…

A couple weeks ago I started using a split keyboard that has the space key on the right half of the keyboard and since I’m using my right hand to use my mouse this pressing space to pan became even more of a nuisance! (The keyboard is great btw! It’s called the Keyboardio model01):

If you are in the possession of a mouse that lets you program macro’s (mine is the G502 Proteus Spectrum) then my suggestion is to record a macro that does both space and the left mouse button at the same time, this way you can use your middle mouse button the way you’re used to!

If you have a Logitech Gaming mouse that uses the Logitech Gaming Software then this is how you program it..

Click on the little arrow on the middle mouse wheel and select Assign New Command:

First press on Start Recording. Then press down your space key and while keeping it pressed click on Stop Recording, so the only thing recorded is the space key down:

Right click inside the keystrokes area and select Insert mouse event > Left button > down:

Lastly set the Repeat options to none and that’s it, you’re done for life! ;p