I am trying to come up with a new keyboard layout, I need to know the order of most to least strongest fingers (excluding the thumb). The ring and pinky fingers are widely considered to be weaker. The index and middle fingers are considered stronger, but in which order exactly? Is the middle stronger than the index or is the index stronger than the middle?
T9-QWERTY - my port of T9 to the PC (a work in progress); T9-MOUSE - COMING SOON
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Sorry to rain on your parade, but unless you know a lot about everything else it seems you're not quite ready to try and improve on the existing optimized layouts... ;)
Finger strength in itself isn't even a very important parameter compared to individuality and flexibility. It's not so much about tiring out the fingers on modern keyboards, as about straining them. And in that context, it matters a lot what you're doing with the finger: A simple press is easier for the ring finger than for the pinky for instance, but maneuvering around to reach the other rows is generally harder.
Also, there are individual differences. Finger lengths – both absolute and relative – vary, and that affects the middle fingers the most I think.
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Thanks for the response. It's an entirely new layout I'm thinking of, not an improvement on an existing layout. Something I should have mentioned is that on my layout all typing will be done from the home row, so there is no need of maneuvering around to reach other rows. The middle fingers will generally always be pressing the same keys.
Bearing this in mind what do you think?
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Something along the lines of Chordmak?
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I think you might want to use a clarinet intstead! Or maybe this:
http://hackaday.com/2013/03/15/asetniop … -keyboard/
Are you going to be using chords?
Oh and:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/16/healt … .html?_r=0
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Physicians deafen our ears with the Honorificabilitudinitatibus of their heavenly Panacaea, their sovereign Guiacum.
I read the article, from now I'll make sure not to land on my pinky when I fall.
No, the layout I'm thinking of won't use chords. It's a very simple system. I'll post a new thread for it in a couple of days, probably.
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I've read spurious accounts that the pinky is the strongest finger. That article emphasises that it plays a major part with gripping. But as Dreymar says strength isn't everything.
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Physicians deafen our ears with the Honorificabilitudinitatibus of their heavenly Panacaea, their sovereign Guiacum.
Hm. So if you were to design a new layout, assuming it only uses the home keys, which fingers would you put the most commonly used letters on and why?
T9-QWERTY - my port of T9 to the PC (a work in progress); T9-MOUSE - COMING SOON
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That's a really tough question.
The author of Workman doesn't like lateral movement:
http://www.workmanlayout.com/blog/
And some people hate using their pinkies, and have other personal preferences/annoyances.
I'd never used my pinkies for typing before using Dvorak, it was quite hard to get used to for me. Feeling quite awkward at first. Now I actually enjoy the movement of little finger and index finger to forefinger but not so much ring finger to forefinger. Which highlights the complexity and nuances of certain permutations of fingering.
Inward rolls (as above) are favoured over outward rolls.
I mentioned the clarinet, because if I were starting a layout afresh, I'd consider an ergonomic alternative to using the conventional standard keyboard.
I'd try and find some information about finger agility/dexterity with reference to playing music: piano / guitar / wind instruments.
Some stabs at early typewriters started with something that resembled a musical keyboard and evolved from there.
Going full circle:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 … 085432.htm
Some typewriter curiousities:
http://io9.com/the-curious-evolution-of … -509985235
Do post your findings.
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Physicians deafen our ears with the Honorificabilitudinitatibus of their heavenly Panacaea, their sovereign Guiacum.
Something else I'd like to ask is, when making a new layout do you think hand load should be balanced with or without taking into account spacebar?
T9-QWERTY - my port of T9 to the PC (a work in progress); T9-MOUSE - COMING SOON
Keyboard Shorthand
