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    Thinking of Converting, some questions.

    • Started by steve.
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    • Registered: 02-Nov-2013
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    hello community,

    After researching about the many different kinds of layouts, their logic and research, I keep coming back to Colemak. I would like to ask some veterans (typing in Colemak) about the load each hand undergoes when typing.

    It appears to me from http://patorjk.com/keyboard-layout-analyzer/, that Colmak uses more of the right hand or fingers compared to the left (hand load). Is this a problem for veterans and is it noticeable? Also are there any discomfort to typing in Colemak such as specific placement of a specific letter that annoys you? I've skimmed a bit about some opinions on the lateral movement of some typing in Colemak; is this an issue or more of a personal preference issue?

    One of the things that got me started on finding that right layout for me was that I started developing some problems with my right wrist and arm in general. Typing has gone from enjoyable to more of a chore like activity. I've narrowed my problems down to using the qwerty layout. I never knew how much work I was putting my finger's & hand through compared to these other layouts.

    My goals are to achieve the same speed that I have with qwerty; basically with enough time; and hopefully to prevent any further injuries or issues I may have in the future; and a layout that is fun and enjoyable to type in. I am about to graduate and take up programming job positions, so I think finding a new keyboard layout and sticking with it will net me long term benefits and injury prevention. Thank you for reading.

    Thank You.

    Steve.

    Last edited by steve. (02-Nov-2013 04:49:31)
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    • From: Malmö, Sweden
    • Registered: 10-Sep-2012
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    Well actually if you have your capslock set as backspace the hand usuage is virtually the same. Hell, qwerty has a 15% preference for the lfet hand and no one complains :D.

    Generelly speaking pain in the right arm and wrist are caused by extensive use of the mouse, so it might be a good idea to not use it as often.

    You will undoubtedly surpass you qwerty speeds if you practice. My colemak speed is 3x times what my qwerty speed was. Most people experience a siginficant increase when switching to colemak largely because they learn to touch type properly - something made very easy by colemak.

    Good Luck and don't give up ;)

    Last edited by vaskozl (02-Nov-2013 11:13:21)

    Posted without the aid of a rodent.

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    (
    Dvorak user here -  so sorry, I'm not a veteran Colemak user.  I have tried a couple of Colemak typing exercises though, and I personally found it was quite easy on the right hand - compared with Dvorak.  If you look at the Colemak layout, there's quite a bit of punctuation there.  You'd probably avoid the pinky stresses of Dvorak, especially with the backspace moved.  Using the right hand more might be a surprise for Qwerty users that are already used to the left hand bias.  The vowels are mostly on the right except for A under Colemak.  Dvorak on the other hand places the vowels on the left side.  Actually my left hand feels a little underworked but I'm happy as a right hander with that.  The left hand stagger of the keyboard looks worrying to me.

    I've shoulder/neck issues on the right hand side brought about before I shifted to an alternative layout.  I haven't used a mouse on the right hand side for getting on ten years and the stresses and pains in the shoulder haven't abated all that much.  In fact I'm  not even that convinced the mouse had that much to do with it.  Having the mouse on the left evens up the keyboard a little,  I can line up the numeral 6 with my naval.  I think my issues stem more with general posture at the keyboard, and the result of desktop hopping from the old days of technical support.  Personally I find conventional touch typing quite stressful in that it's quite an alien position for your arms to be in, combined with pressing down.  Advocates of vertical keyboards tend to suggest we are better extending our arms in a hand shake position rather than the whack a mole posture.  But I guess a million drummers might disagree.  I expect pianists to suffer also, but perhaps they are more expressive and less restricted, having a little lateral movement.
    )

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

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    To balance the workload you might:
    - Use capslock exclusively as Backspace. Since our error rate is usually 2-3%, it alleviate most of the imbalance you mentioned. Remember that if there is one error, you usually have to press Backspace more than once.
    - Switch the mouse to the left hand.

    Last edited by Tony_VN (03-Nov-2013 01:17:36)
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    • From: Viken, Norway
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    Dvorak was developed in a time before computer mice, so it places more load on the usually stronger right hand. I thought Colemak didn't overload the right hand so much? Anyway, the balance should be acceptable even for Dvorak (and if it isn't one could always switch the mouse hand I guess).

    The Wide ergonomic mods take a lot of load off the right pinky (but gives it to the index finger or fingers), as do the Caps->Back or Extend mappings (but they give it to the left pinky). This gives you some flexibility to find something that suits you, regardless of basic layout choice.

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

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    Thank you for the wonderful responses. I am giving Colemak a try to see if it works for me. Somehow I can't seem to make my delete key be the capslock key on my apple keyboard. I used DoubleCommand, didn't work; uninstalled it and then used KeyRemap4MacBook, and still didn't work. Anyone with Mavericks remapped the delete key successfully?

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    > ...getting capslock to work as backspace on OSX...

    That's worth asking as a separate thread/question under 'technical'.

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

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