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    Keyboard adaptability and repurcussions of changing environments

    • Started by pinkyache
    • 6 Replies:
    • Reputation: 7
    • Registered: 21-Apr-2010
    • Posts: 818

    You get used to your own tools.

    I sometimes have to adapt to a foreign working environment, including the computer, OS and peripherals.

    For light programming, I'm getting by with Sublime text - which has great cross platform support.  I haven't the time to heavily customise my environment, as for all I know the next day, I might be shifted along to another computer.

    The most frustrating thing is the small differences between setups: different shortcuts, slightly different key (or rather the mapping of glyphs to keys) placement.  And having to negotiate an alien keyboard.

    I accidentally ordered a small portable cherry mechanical board without the super keys, and with a PS2 connection,  which is a drag, as it could have made things slightly easier - my other mechanical is just too heavy to throw in my backpack and take on my bike.

    One thing I've noticed over the last week is that I really am not comfortable with the Apple keyboards and I've noticed that in using them, it kind of screws up my typing style.

    I have got into a good habit of floating my hands at home, but I just can't quite do that with the Apple boards, my hands tend to drop lower and I end up resting on my palms.  It never feels as comfortable.  When I come back to my usual keyboard my approach has changed and I'm somewhat debilitated - and it stunts my typing.  With some practice I can get back to normal.

    So this is really an observation on how quickly you can effect your typing by making what appears to be quite a small change - when one is outside their native habitat.

    Perhaps the chiclet boards favour the hunt and peck style over touch typing?

    --
    Physicians deafen our ears with the Honorificabilitudinitatibus of their heavenly Panacaea, their sovereign Guiacum.

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    • Registered: 04-Apr-2013
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    Can't really do much about shortcuts and keys, but if you store your editor configuration on, say, github, getting it back could be as easy as one "git clone".

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    • Registered: 08-Dec-2010
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    One reason to bring a tenkeyless or a mini mechanical keyboard with you. Your fingers are working for you and they deserve the best keyboard possible.

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    • Registered: 09-Apr-2013
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    pinkyache said:

    Perhaps the chiclet boards favour the hunt and peck style over touch typing?

    It is not about chiclet, but about rubber dome in general. Rubber dome absorbs the shock of bottoming out a key. This is essential for hunt and peck style of typing. Hunt and peck user usually presses keys much harder than is strictly necessary to actuate it.

    There are many people who can touch type on chiclet keyboard, I used to be one of them, it did not bother me, but now I know better.
    My coworkers joke about my strange habbit of carrying my keyboard with me, but it is just so much more comfortable for me to type on mechanical keyboard. And firmware remapping of keys comes hand, it lets me avoid installing colemak on every computer I touch :-)

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    • From: Viken, Norway
    • Registered: 13-Dec-2006
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    Rubber domes don't really absorb the shock very well, do they? That's usually considered part of the attraction of mechanical switches which let you feel the contact point before bottoming out.

    Last edited by DreymaR (30-Jul-2013 09:47:59)

    *** Learn Colemak in 2–5 steps with Tarmak! ***
    *** Check out my Big Bag of Keyboard Tricks for Win/Linux/TMK... ***

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    I'd agree with Dreymar on this point.  Rubber domes, and especially those chiclet boards by Apple can feel very heavy.  My stiff black alps if not bottomed out is far easier on my fingers than say my scissor switches / domes on my Thinkpad.  The Apple boards don't offer that much resistance, but it feels like you thud into them (no cushion), it's like hitting wood unless you are very skilled and light to the touch - there isn't much room for maneuvre with those keys - you'd have to be well controlled with your touch.

    Last edited by pinkyache (31-Jul-2013 12:25:18)

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    Physicians deafen our ears with the Honorificabilitudinitatibus of their heavenly Panacaea, their sovereign Guiacum.

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    • From: Viken, Norway
    • Registered: 13-Dec-2006
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    It does depend, as davkol says. Some rubber domes are soft and yet distinct while others feel like they need a lot of force and then suddenly send your poor fingertip hurtling to its doom. I like some chiclet boards that feel exact enough that you don't need much force to know what's going on.

    Last edited by DreymaR (31-Jul-2013 12:33:31)

    *** Learn Colemak in 2–5 steps with Tarmak! ***
    *** Check out my Big Bag of Keyboard Tricks for Win/Linux/TMK... ***

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