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About the split keyboard he mentions: Am I the only person that hits 6 with the right index finger? A coworker has a similarly split keyboard and I can never

by graywh 14y ago

About the split keyboard he mentions: Am I the only person that hits 6 with the right index finger? A coworker has a similarly split keyboard and I can never type 6 on it.

martinced 14y ago
(long rant but since you're asking ; ) No you're not the only one: I do the same since so many decades that I won't change anymore ; ) The '6' issue on split keyboard is a gigantic SNAFU. Contrarily to popular belief there's not "one true way" to touch-type the '6'. There are different "schools of touch-typing" and it has been so since the beginning of typewriters. And the world's fatest typer on staggered QWERTY keyboard is semi-breaking all the touch-typing rules anyway.... So pick your poison: either touch-type '6' with your right or left hand, nobody is 'right' for doing one or the other (no matter the amount of arguing). Staggered QWERTY keyboard make zero sense from an ergonomic point of view so who cares anyway ; ) Split-staggered keyboard like the Goldtouch aren't ergonomic: they're split, but non ergo (there are real split ergo keyboards out). Any keyboard which is not mostly symmetric cannot possibly be ergonomic. Most split-but-non-ergo keyboards (IBM Model M15 --very goot but very expensive, Cherry MX 5000 -- very good but very expensive too) put the 6 on the left side. Some do put the '6' on the right side: like some Belkin split keyboard (sadly these Belkin keyboards are using a shitty keyswitch). I've even seen some split keyboards solving the issue by putting two '6' keys on the keyboard: one on the left side, one on the right side (cannot find the name right now but I'm 100% positive they do exist). Sadly as far as I know there's not any split keyboard using a good keyswitch (say buckling spring switches or Cherry MX switches or Topre switches or ALPS switches) that offers the '6' on both side of the keyboard.

by graywh 14y ago

About the split keyboard he mentions: Am I the only person that hits 6 with the right index finger? A coworker has a similarly split keyboard and I can never type 6 on it.

martinced 14y ago

(long rant but since you're asking ; ) No you're not the only one: I do the same since so many decades that I won't change anymore ; ) The '6' issue on split keyboard is a gigantic SNAFU. Contrarily to popular belief there's not "one true way" to touch-type the '6'. There are different "schools of touch-typing" and it has been so since the beginning of typewriters. And the world's fatest typer on staggered QWERTY keyboard is semi-breaking all the touch-typing rules anyway.... So pick your poison: either touch-type '6' with your right or left hand, nobody is 'right' for doing one or the other (no matter the amount of arguing). Staggered QWERTY keyboard make zero sense from an ergonomic point of view so who cares anyway ; ) Split-staggered keyboard like the Goldtouch aren't ergonomic: they're split, but non ergo (there are real split ergo keyboards out). Any keyboard which is not mostly symmetric cannot possibly be ergonomic. Most split-but-non-ergo keyboards (IBM Model M15 --very goot but very expensive, Cherry MX 5000 -- very good but very expensive too) put the 6 on the left side. Some do put the '6' on the right side: like some Belkin split keyboard (sadly these Belkin keyboards are using a shitty keyswitch). I've even seen some split keyboards solving the issue by putting two '6' keys on the keyboard: one on the left side, one on the right side (cannot find the name right now but I'm 100% positive they do exist). Sadly as far as I know there's not any split keyboard using a good keyswitch (say buckling spring switches or Cherry MX switches or Topre switches or ALPS switches) that offers the '6' on both side of the keyboard.