11 ms·

No numpad is an ergonomic benefit. Your mouse is closer so you don't have to move your hand as far. The best way to have a numpad if you really need one, I hav

No numpad is an ergonomic benefit. Your mouse is closer so you don't have to move your hand as far. The best way to have a numpad if you really need one, I have found, is to have a separate one like how the Microsoft Sculpt keyboard does it.

taneq 7y ago
But my WASD keys and my mouse are exactly shoulder width apart. If I didn't have a numpad I'd just have a gap between my mousepad and my keyboard.
- tapland 7y ago
  Which means you don't have a good position when typing? I bought a 40% split keyboard and had my mouse inbetween the halves and it relieved my joint pains. Now, I work on old mainframes and need up to function key F24, but otherwise the 40% works wonders with thumbs on modifier keys.
  - taneq 7y ago
    If you define "a good position" as "a comfortable position" then my typing position is fine for the work I do. I've tried various options, from the curvy Microsoft Natural keyboards to laptop keyboards to mini keyboards and I always come back to a standard mechanical 101-key keyboard with a G502 mouse. I think a split keyboard with the mouse in between the halves would do my head in.
    - tapland 7y ago
      Yeah. I wanted to get an ergodox for work since I ruined my shoulder and some joints being a croupier/dealer for a few years, but they were so expensive I decided to build a cheaper 40% one. If I hadn't had an issue with a normal keyboard I wouldn't have tried it but for software development I wouldn't go back after the switch. At home I want a split big regular keyboard so that I can use all keys as normal for games, or probably a 60% split with a separate keypad since I can't type without hands starting to hurt.
    - ChymeraXYZ 7y ago
      If you don't need an actual mouse, putting a trackball in the middle is amazing.
  - sli 7y ago
    > Which means you don't have a good position when typing? Well, can't speak for OP, but personally I just slide the keyboard back over when I'm done gaming and going back to typing. I don't just leave my keyboard to my left relative to my sitting position.
- jdietrich 7y ago
  Your mouse sensitivity is too high. Competitive FPS gamers shift their keyboard well to the left and tilt it at an angle to provide enough room for an extra-large mouse pad. https://liquipedia.net/counterstrike/File:Shroud_at_PGL_Major_Krakow_2017.jpg https://liquipedia.net/counterstrike/File:Shroud_at_PGL_Majo...
toast0 7y ago
Left mousing provides a similar benefit, plus it confuses people who use your terminal -- left mouse and unlabeled keys is basically hacker proof.
- ISL 7y ago
  Unless they can touch-type and move the mouse over to the right?
  - Freak_NL 7y ago
    Short USB-cable and swap the two primary and secondary button designation of course.
  - Monory 7y ago
    Unlabeled keys and Dvorak
    - edejong 7y ago
      Heck, Dvorak is used way too much. Coleman it is. (disclaimer: typing this on a Dvorak layout)
      - WorldMaker 7y ago
        I've watched first hand how much QWERTY-labeled keys with Colemak layout confuses people. Dvorak people usually figure out things are weird in one or two keys, but Colemak intentionally has enough coincidences with QWERTY that it can take people a while to figure it out depending on what they are trying to type, and the frustration is possibly more rewarding to watch as they try to get grips with how "broken" your keyboard must be.
    - andrewaylett 7y ago
      QWERTY-labelled keys and Dvorak.
      - 7y ago
binarycrusader 7y ago
Your mouse is closer so you don't have to move your hand as far. Not if you use a mouse left-handed ;) But more seriously, I grew up being trained to touch type in the classical way complete with ten-key exercises. I strongly prefer having a full numpad and I actually prefer the extra distance to the right for mouse usage. I've found over the years that the more I move my hands, the less likely I am to have discomfort.
- me_me_me 7y ago
  God damn you cheating lefties! You cant have cake and eat it too! </joke> I really wish for keyboard options with numpad on the left. I am using numpad rarely but its handy to have when in need.
  - isp 7y ago
    This exists. I have used this keyboard for the past few years, and swear by it: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000V5GQ8O https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000V5GQ8O Full num pad, but on the left. For right-handed people like me, this makes the mouse position more natural, while still letting me use the num pad when needed.
    - WorldMaker 7y ago
      Another option (the one I have at home) is Microsoft's current highest end gaming keyboard the Sidewinder X6 has a detachable numpad that you can move to either the left or right as you see fit (including on-the-fly; the connector is magnetically guided and swapping can be crazy quick). https://smile.amazon.com/Microsoft-Sidewinder-Gaming-Keyboard-Port/dp/B001DWI4FM https://smile.amazon.com/Microsoft-Sidewinder-Gaming-Keyboar...
    - animal531 7y ago
      I don't really use the numpad, but having another enter key by the left hand seems to be a useful feature.
  - dsego 7y ago
__MatrixMan__ 7y ago
Or you could map a numpad under home row somewhere and activate it with a "symbols" key. I rather like it: http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/gists/eb0696806831fc0d93c9 http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/gists/eb0696806831fc...
jes5199 7y ago
You still use a mouse?
- symplee 7y ago
  Bravo. Agreed. I've installed an actual set mouse trap where my mouse used to be. My hand has suffered but my clout in the open office is at an all time high.
  - jes5199 7y ago
    I was going to recommend using a wacom tablet, but you do you
leni536 7y ago
The problem is that the numpad is at the wrong side. I have seen a "left-handed" keyboard before with the numpad on the left. I think it's actually more ergonomic for a right-handed person.
Yizahi 7y ago
Either your table is extremely narrow (like 50cm wide in total) or you will have empty space between keyboard and mouse anyway, even with numpad. At least I have and I find claim about "reducing hand travel time from mouse to kb will increase productivity" not very convincing.
- pletnes 7y ago
  It’s not about travel time, but shoulder movement. I moved to left hand mouse partly for this reason.
  - usrusr 7y ago
    But why is less movement automatically considered better? Screen work is sedentary enough even without movement-minimized input placement. The downsides of repetition are best battled by increasing variation.
    - pletnes 7y ago
      Static arm rotated outwards. Dynamic movement would be great but the arm tends to get stuck out there for some time. Might apply more to photoshoppers and less to vim users though.
      - usrusr 7y ago
        [a late answer, but now the threads is old enough to legitimately get lost on tangents] Are you talking about a "full hand rest" mouse? Because there is no static load on the arm when operating a mouse that is hardly ever touched with more than fingertips, while the base of the hands is resting on the table.
gbuk2013 7y ago
Another advantage is that I can fit my 10-keyless mechanical keyboard in my backpack when I travel, which would not be possible with a full-size one.
_0ffh 7y ago
Personally, I use the numpad to navigate source code and other text files. I very rarely use the mouse under those circumstances. So this very much depends on our personal style and use cases.
- Lio 7y ago
  Yeah definitely somewhere where people should be allow a personal preference. What does that numpad offer that is not already on the rest of the keyboard? I think if you are comfortable touch typing numbers then there's not much advantage to having a number pad. (I've worked from laptops (without numpad) connected to an external monitor for about 15 years now so I may be missing something potentially useful here.)
  - acqq 7y ago
    > What does that numpad offer that is not already on the rest of the keyboard Navigation using one hand, allowing even different body positions. Those who don’t use it have to do Ctrl-this Shift-that. I press singe keys with a single hand allowing me to have less of constant strain in both hands than if they were always at effectively same position. Like some other posters here I believe “always everything in same position” during longer work times is worse. During my work hours I spend more time navigating than typing, so that’s what I optimise for.
    - Lio 7y ago
      That's an interesting take on it. Thanks for sharing. I mostly live in a terminal all day and most of that time is in Vim. So I have the whole keyboard to use as shortcuts for movement but I do have to use two hands. Like you I'm more geared up for navigating code. For me small, light movements committed to muscle memory have been the key to me getting round RSI a couple of years ago. I also use the Colemak layout so there's no real point to looking at the keyboard for me.
      - acqq 7y ago
        > I do have to use two hands If I’d have to use such programs I’d try the programmable numpads also mentioned here. Even in the middle of nineteen eighties I was able (to my luck) to use a programmable keyboard (independent of the computer and the OS).
roel_v 7y ago
"The best way to have a numpad if you really need one, I have found, is to have a separate one like how the Microsoft Sculpt keyboard does it. " The way I do this, is by having an 'Ultimate Hacking Keyboard' (ugh I loathe that name, how can anyone take you serious with a name like that? but at least the product itself is the best there is available (at the moment)) and then have a numeric keypad in the middle (between the two halves). I got one off Ali Express with mechanical keys, it's backlit with obnoxious blue leds, but once you let that go - it's quite a good setup.
- CedarMadness 7y ago
  I've had my eye on that one for a while. How do you like not having an escape or function keys? That's the biggest thing holding me back from getting it.
  - Normal_gaussian 7y ago
    I just got an ergodox ez keyboard, it has all the features of the UHK diverging on modules (as the UHK only has one atm, they are on par / ergodox has more keys), a more versatile tenting kit, and an ortholinear layout. I've changed from the default map and restored the esc key and it doubles as a vim like 'leave layer'. It feels very natural. As for tilde, I dropped the caps lock key and moved tab downwards to place tilde under esc. Another option is to layer the key (ie, you have a special modifier key that changes the keys) so mod+tilde = esc. I do this to map my square brackets onto one key. Overall I'm very happy with it. I've had a steeper than expected learning curve because I used to type with an over dominant wasd centric left hand (FPS gaming), which will apply to some but not most people.
  - jowsie 7y ago
    I've got a 60%, and adjusting to FN+Num for F-Keys took maybe a week at most.
  - roel_v 7y ago
    I've remapped the top left button to be escape in the normal mode ('layer' I think it's called in the UHK), I use shift to get the tilde, and I hardly ever use the backtick - I think I have it mapped somehow but not sure. I've been a hardcore vim user for 20+ years and this is the least of all potential problems, so if this is what you're worried about, don't be. Function keys - it took me a while to get the keycombos into my muscle memory, basically it takes the extra modifier that the UHK has to access them. What I used to use them most often for was in Visual Studio (start debugger, run, build, that sort of thing), but what I ended up doing was basically hard-coding all those commands into a custom 'layer' of the UHK, so that (even with standard key bindings in the software) I have more logical (less chording) keys to do all those things. The main advantage is that I no longer have to contort my hands to do things like shift ctrl f5. I haven't had to re-learn bindings or manually remap keys in software for years. For things like 'rename' in explorer.exe (F2), so things that I do really a lot, it only took a couple of days of practice to get used to the extra modifier. I did spend the time to set up AutoHotKey to do some other types of global hotkeys (open keypass or other often used software, some accented characters, that sort of thing) but that wasn't too bad. Still, if they'd make a version with an additional function key row, I'd buy it in a heartbeat; not having them I consider a trade off for all the other good stuff (split, solid build quality, printed caps, tiltable, mechanical keys) In terms of build quality, I like it as much as the ErgodoxEZ; I hope they'll finally come through with the extensions (only 4 years delayed...) because the thing I miss most from the Ergodox are the thumb clusters. The wooden hand rests are getting stained after 2+ years of use, but for the rest they're nice. I had firmware problems at the very beginning but that seems to be OK now. I wasn't very impressed with the support I got with those issues, it was basically first 'try unplugging and plugging back in' and then 'it works for me'. But it got there in the end after a few new versions of the firmware. The 'use the keyboard as a mouse' is a gimmick, I don't understand why they make that a core selling point in the UHK marketing. All in all, it's the best keyboard I can find that still uses somewhat standard keycaps (my reason for never trying a keyboardio; I've tried many others apart from that one).
ekianjo 7y ago
> No numpad is an ergonomic benefit. Your mouse is closer so you don't have to move your hand as far. Or you know, you don't need to use a mouse at all when you are used to living with keyboard shortcuts and the right desktop environment that goes with it.
- Terr_ 7y ago
  That could of work for completely uninterrupted coding, but that's only a part of any project's lifecycle. If nothing else, you'll end up using the mouse to navigate resources in web-browser or manipulate the product's UI...
grawprog 7y ago
>No numpad is an ergonomic benefit. Except I can type numbers a lot faster and more accurately with a numpad. Something I do regularly throughout my day. The enter key is also a quick thumb press with the mouse hand away when I'm using my left hand for commands. I almost never have to use the mouse while typing numbers. It makes sense to me to have a quick one handed way next to the mouse to type numbers. It feels a lot more ergonomic that way then using both my hands to type numbers spread out across a line at the top of the keyboard.
- apotatopot 7y ago
  Just because that's how you type numbers doesn't mean it's good for you ergonomically. I switched to using the number line and I'm fine doing it now. It's actually sometimes faster because I have 8 fingers instead of 3/4, and the enter key falls under my pinky when my middle finger is on 9.
  - grawprog 7y ago
    I meant more ergonomic for my workflow. Using the number line would mean I'm repeatedly moving my hand back and forth across the keyboard. That tires me out and strains my arm more than the way I do it now. Which as far as I know, I could be wrong, is what ergonomics are about, the most comfortable, efficient way for something to be.

taneq 7y ago

But my WASD keys and my mouse are exactly shoulder width apart. If I didn't have a numpad I'd just have a gap between my mousepad and my keyboard.

tapland 7y ago
Which means you don't have a good position when typing? I bought a 40% split keyboard and had my mouse inbetween the halves and it relieved my joint pains. Now, I work on old mainframes and need up to function key F24, but otherwise the 40% works wonders with thumbs on modifier keys.
- taneq 7y ago
  If you define "a good position" as "a comfortable position" then my typing position is fine for the work I do. I've tried various options, from the curvy Microsoft Natural keyboards to laptop keyboards to mini keyboards and I always come back to a standard mechanical 101-key keyboard with a G502 mouse. I think a split keyboard with the mouse in between the halves would do my head in.
  - tapland 7y ago
    Yeah. I wanted to get an ergodox for work since I ruined my shoulder and some joints being a croupier/dealer for a few years, but they were so expensive I decided to build a cheaper 40% one. If I hadn't had an issue with a normal keyboard I wouldn't have tried it but for software development I wouldn't go back after the switch. At home I want a split big regular keyboard so that I can use all keys as normal for games, or probably a 60% split with a separate keypad since I can't type without hands starting to hurt.
  - ChymeraXYZ 7y ago
    If you don't need an actual mouse, putting a trackball in the middle is amazing.
- sli 7y ago
  > Which means you don't have a good position when typing? Well, can't speak for OP, but personally I just slide the keyboard back over when I'm done gaming and going back to typing. I don't just leave my keyboard to my left relative to my sitting position.
jdietrich 7y ago
Your mouse sensitivity is too high. Competitive FPS gamers shift their keyboard well to the left and tilt it at an angle to provide enough room for an extra-large mouse pad. https://liquipedia.net/counterstrike/File:Shroud_at_PGL_Major_Krakow_2017.jpg https://liquipedia.net/counterstrike/File:Shroud_at_PGL_Majo...

toast0 7y ago

Left mousing provides a similar benefit, plus it confuses people who use your terminal -- left mouse and unlabeled keys is basically hacker proof.

ISL 7y ago
Unless they can touch-type and move the mouse over to the right?
- Freak_NL 7y ago
  Short USB-cable and swap the two primary and secondary button designation of course.
- Monory 7y ago
  Unlabeled keys and Dvorak
  - edejong 7y ago
    Heck, Dvorak is used way too much. Coleman it is. (disclaimer: typing this on a Dvorak layout)
    - WorldMaker 7y ago
      I've watched first hand how much QWERTY-labeled keys with Colemak layout confuses people. Dvorak people usually figure out things are weird in one or two keys, but Colemak intentionally has enough coincidences with QWERTY that it can take people a while to figure it out depending on what they are trying to type, and the frustration is possibly more rewarding to watch as they try to get grips with how "broken" your keyboard must be.
  - andrewaylett 7y ago
    QWERTY-labelled keys and Dvorak.
    - 7y ago

binarycrusader 7y ago

Your mouse is closer so you don't have to move your hand as far. Not if you use a mouse left-handed ;) But more seriously, I grew up being trained to touch type in the classical way complete with ten-key exercises. I strongly prefer having a full numpad and I actually prefer the extra distance to the right for mouse usage. I've found over the years that the more I move my hands, the less likely I am to have discomfort.

me_me_me 7y ago
God damn you cheating lefties! You cant have cake and eat it too! </joke> I really wish for keyboard options with numpad on the left. I am using numpad rarely but its handy to have when in need.
- isp 7y ago
  This exists. I have used this keyboard for the past few years, and swear by it: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000V5GQ8O https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000V5GQ8O Full num pad, but on the left. For right-handed people like me, this makes the mouse position more natural, while still letting me use the num pad when needed.
  - WorldMaker 7y ago
    Another option (the one I have at home) is Microsoft's current highest end gaming keyboard the Sidewinder X6 has a detachable numpad that you can move to either the left or right as you see fit (including on-the-fly; the connector is magnetically guided and swapping can be crazy quick). https://smile.amazon.com/Microsoft-Sidewinder-Gaming-Keyboard-Port/dp/B001DWI4FM https://smile.amazon.com/Microsoft-Sidewinder-Gaming-Keyboar...
  - animal531 7y ago
    I don't really use the numpad, but having another enter key by the left hand seems to be a useful feature.
- dsego 7y ago

__MatrixMan__ 7y ago

Or you could map a numpad under home row somewhere and activate it with a "symbols" key. I rather like it: http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/gists/eb0696806831fc0d93c9 http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/gists/eb0696806831fc...

jes5199 7y ago

You still use a mouse?

symplee 7y ago
Bravo. Agreed. I've installed an actual set mouse trap where my mouse used to be. My hand has suffered but my clout in the open office is at an all time high.
- jes5199 7y ago
  I was going to recommend using a wacom tablet, but you do you

leni536 7y ago

The problem is that the numpad is at the wrong side. I have seen a "left-handed" keyboard before with the numpad on the left. I think it's actually more ergonomic for a right-handed person.

Yizahi 7y ago

Either your table is extremely narrow (like 50cm wide in total) or you will have empty space between keyboard and mouse anyway, even with numpad. At least I have and I find claim about "reducing hand travel time from mouse to kb will increase productivity" not very convincing.

pletnes 7y ago
It’s not about travel time, but shoulder movement. I moved to left hand mouse partly for this reason.
- usrusr 7y ago
  But why is less movement automatically considered better? Screen work is sedentary enough even without movement-minimized input placement. The downsides of repetition are best battled by increasing variation.
  - pletnes 7y ago
    Static arm rotated outwards. Dynamic movement would be great but the arm tends to get stuck out there for some time. Might apply more to photoshoppers and less to vim users though.
    - usrusr 7y ago
      [a late answer, but now the threads is old enough to legitimately get lost on tangents] Are you talking about a "full hand rest" mouse? Because there is no static load on the arm when operating a mouse that is hardly ever touched with more than fingertips, while the base of the hands is resting on the table.

gbuk2013 7y ago

Another advantage is that I can fit my 10-keyless mechanical keyboard in my backpack when I travel, which would not be possible with a full-size one.

_0ffh 7y ago

Personally, I use the numpad to navigate source code and other text files. I very rarely use the mouse under those circumstances. So this very much depends on our personal style and use cases.

Lio 7y ago
Yeah definitely somewhere where people should be allow a personal preference. What does that numpad offer that is not already on the rest of the keyboard? I think if you are comfortable touch typing numbers then there's not much advantage to having a number pad. (I've worked from laptops (without numpad) connected to an external monitor for about 15 years now so I may be missing something potentially useful here.)
- acqq 7y ago
  > What does that numpad offer that is not already on the rest of the keyboard Navigation using one hand, allowing even different body positions. Those who don’t use it have to do Ctrl-this Shift-that. I press singe keys with a single hand allowing me to have less of constant strain in both hands than if they were always at effectively same position. Like some other posters here I believe “always everything in same position” during longer work times is worse. During my work hours I spend more time navigating than typing, so that’s what I optimise for.
  - Lio 7y ago
    That's an interesting take on it. Thanks for sharing. I mostly live in a terminal all day and most of that time is in Vim. So I have the whole keyboard to use as shortcuts for movement but I do have to use two hands. Like you I'm more geared up for navigating code. For me small, light movements committed to muscle memory have been the key to me getting round RSI a couple of years ago. I also use the Colemak layout so there's no real point to looking at the keyboard for me.
    - acqq 7y ago
      > I do have to use two hands If I’d have to use such programs I’d try the programmable numpads also mentioned here. Even in the middle of nineteen eighties I was able (to my luck) to use a programmable keyboard (independent of the computer and the OS).

roel_v 7y ago

"The best way to have a numpad if you really need one, I have found, is to have a separate one like how the Microsoft Sculpt keyboard does it. " The way I do this, is by having an 'Ultimate Hacking Keyboard' (ugh I loathe that name, how can anyone take you serious with a name like that? but at least the product itself is the best there is available (at the moment)) and then have a numeric keypad in the middle (between the two halves). I got one off Ali Express with mechanical keys, it's backlit with obnoxious blue leds, but once you let that go - it's quite a good setup.

CedarMadness 7y ago
I've had my eye on that one for a while. How do you like not having an escape or function keys? That's the biggest thing holding me back from getting it.
- Normal_gaussian 7y ago
  I just got an ergodox ez keyboard, it has all the features of the UHK diverging on modules (as the UHK only has one atm, they are on par / ergodox has more keys), a more versatile tenting kit, and an ortholinear layout. I've changed from the default map and restored the esc key and it doubles as a vim like 'leave layer'. It feels very natural. As for tilde, I dropped the caps lock key and moved tab downwards to place tilde under esc. Another option is to layer the key (ie, you have a special modifier key that changes the keys) so mod+tilde = esc. I do this to map my square brackets onto one key. Overall I'm very happy with it. I've had a steeper than expected learning curve because I used to type with an over dominant wasd centric left hand (FPS gaming), which will apply to some but not most people.
- jowsie 7y ago
  I've got a 60%, and adjusting to FN+Num for F-Keys took maybe a week at most.
- roel_v 7y ago
  I've remapped the top left button to be escape in the normal mode ('layer' I think it's called in the UHK), I use shift to get the tilde, and I hardly ever use the backtick - I think I have it mapped somehow but not sure. I've been a hardcore vim user for 20+ years and this is the least of all potential problems, so if this is what you're worried about, don't be. Function keys - it took me a while to get the keycombos into my muscle memory, basically it takes the extra modifier that the UHK has to access them. What I used to use them most often for was in Visual Studio (start debugger, run, build, that sort of thing), but what I ended up doing was basically hard-coding all those commands into a custom 'layer' of the UHK, so that (even with standard key bindings in the software) I have more logical (less chording) keys to do all those things. The main advantage is that I no longer have to contort my hands to do things like shift ctrl f5. I haven't had to re-learn bindings or manually remap keys in software for years. For things like 'rename' in explorer.exe (F2), so things that I do really a lot, it only took a couple of days of practice to get used to the extra modifier. I did spend the time to set up AutoHotKey to do some other types of global hotkeys (open keypass or other often used software, some accented characters, that sort of thing) but that wasn't too bad. Still, if they'd make a version with an additional function key row, I'd buy it in a heartbeat; not having them I consider a trade off for all the other good stuff (split, solid build quality, printed caps, tiltable, mechanical keys) In terms of build quality, I like it as much as the ErgodoxEZ; I hope they'll finally come through with the extensions (only 4 years delayed...) because the thing I miss most from the Ergodox are the thumb clusters. The wooden hand rests are getting stained after 2+ years of use, but for the rest they're nice. I had firmware problems at the very beginning but that seems to be OK now. I wasn't very impressed with the support I got with those issues, it was basically first 'try unplugging and plugging back in' and then 'it works for me'. But it got there in the end after a few new versions of the firmware. The 'use the keyboard as a mouse' is a gimmick, I don't understand why they make that a core selling point in the UHK marketing. All in all, it's the best keyboard I can find that still uses somewhat standard keycaps (my reason for never trying a keyboardio; I've tried many others apart from that one).

ekianjo 7y ago

> No numpad is an ergonomic benefit. Your mouse is closer so you don't have to move your hand as far. Or you know, you don't need to use a mouse at all when you are used to living with keyboard shortcuts and the right desktop environment that goes with it.

Terr_ 7y ago
That could of work for completely uninterrupted coding, but that's only a part of any project's lifecycle. If nothing else, you'll end up using the mouse to navigate resources in web-browser or manipulate the product's UI...

grawprog 7y ago

>No numpad is an ergonomic benefit. Except I can type numbers a lot faster and more accurately with a numpad. Something I do regularly throughout my day. The enter key is also a quick thumb press with the mouse hand away when I'm using my left hand for commands. I almost never have to use the mouse while typing numbers. It makes sense to me to have a quick one handed way next to the mouse to type numbers. It feels a lot more ergonomic that way then using both my hands to type numbers spread out across a line at the top of the keyboard.

apotatopot 7y ago
Just because that's how you type numbers doesn't mean it's good for you ergonomically. I switched to using the number line and I'm fine doing it now. It's actually sometimes faster because I have 8 fingers instead of 3/4, and the enter key falls under my pinky when my middle finger is on 9.
- grawprog 7y ago
  I meant more ergonomic for my workflow. Using the number line would mean I'm repeatedly moving my hand back and forth across the keyboard. That tires me out and strains my arm more than the way I do it now. Which as far as I know, I could be wrong, is what ergonomics are about, the most comfortable, efficient way for something to be.