Hi guys,
for those of you who use both how long do you need to switch between the layouts befor you stop making mistakes or catch up to your normal speed? I seem to take about 1min or so to fully get to my speed of 40 in colemak and 60 in qwerty after switching (in that min I drop about 5wpm). I was wondering how normal this is.
Thanks all
COLEMAK for the win
(btw the one thing that I am liking about the portable version is that it still has caps incase I need it as shift + caps)
I can switch almost instantly, but that's largely thanks to context. I have a Colemak MacBook and a QWERTY gaming PC. They have separate keyboards, different OSes, and completely different purposes. I only game on the PC, and I use the Mac for pretty much everything else. There's so little overlap that there's no mental confusion.
I also have two cars, one stick shift sub-compact and one automatic minivan. Having two layouts is a lot like having two cars with different transmissions.
I've been switching between the two for most of the time that I've been using Colemak, and after a year and a half or so it isn't all that big a deal. I think the "qwerty by day, Colemak by night" approach that I adopted in the early stages of learning helped a lot in this respect.
The only time I find it a bit awkward is when I have to type in passwords. When I'm logging into Windows initially I have to use qwerty obviously, but when I lock the computer I have to type in my password in Colemak. I do occasionally get the two mixed up somewhat. It would help if Windows let you choose your keyboard layout on the login screen or the "unlock computer" screen, but unfortunately, it doesn't. Then again, keyboard switching in Windows is completely insane anyway.
My most important passwords are QWERTY/Colemak invariant. Since so many keys stay in place, it isn't that hard. Well, if you can change your own passwords of course.
If you have your own computer that only you use, you can use Colemak as your logon layout. I annoyed the hell out of my IT guy that way (and with an unlabeled keyboard to boot). :D You'll have to edit the registry's .DEFAULT user to have Keyboard Layout keys mostly like your user's - let me know if you're interested and need help.
I'm pretty sure I saw an AutoHotkey-based solution to your layout switching problem once. Try searching for 'layout changer' or similar terms on the AHK site or Google.
*** Learn Colemak in 2–5 steps with Tarmak! ***
*** Check out my Big Bag of Keyboard Tricks for Win/Linux/TMK... ***
I have no problem with getting the passwords I just type about 5wpm slower for about a min after switching. I can live with it as I do not switch back and forth that often, was just wondering if it happens to others as well. I guess the big difference is that I use them both 4 the same stuff :S. (one thing that takes getting used to is emoticons because I guess I don't think of them as letters :P)
Hi, I have just thought about posting something in the subject. Using Colemak often makes some pain in my wrists after a day typing, so I sometimes think about my experinece with dvorak - there was no pain. For me real difference with the two, colemak and dvorak, is how you feel when you have to use qwerty. With colemak it seems almost not noticeable.
I think that I have just found the cause of pain in my wrists - that's occassional touchtype on qwerty. I was typing only on my laptop for more than a week, than yesterday I was doing something on public computer so I was typing on qwerty again. When I returned to my laptop I just found that I started pressing keys harder and I felt some tension in my hands.
Using dvorak I was unable to touch type on qwerty with 8 fingers without looking - I was only typing somewhat like hunt and peck using 4-6 fingers and looking on the keyboard.
Touch typing on qwerty obviously trigers something in my brain which I have to fightout typing on other layout. Using Korviak's analogy to cars its like parking the car with emergency brake and not releasing it fully when driving again.
About the thension in my hand:
Looking at the picture from wikipedia, I feel tension in the big red muscless spreading from carpal tunel to the thumb and the pinky. I do not know why I have problem with them. Maybe because they are the biggest in hand so when stressed they can hold lots of blood? The muscle that goes to the thumb is swelling more often.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wris … ion-en.svg
Have anyone experinced the same swelling?
Colemak is designed to eliminate pain (amongst other things). I've heard of a few people complaining of discomfort and pain as you have described. This seems odd to me as in a year and a half I've not experienced any discomfort other than during the learning phase.
Anyway, to try and solve your discomfort. You must monitor your typing position to ensure that your wrists are in alignment with your forearms. As I understand it, pain can result from any deviation from a straight position. Angle your elbows outward so that your wrists are aligned with your forearms. Also, don't rest your palms in front of the keyboard but suspend them so as to keep your wrists and forearms aligned vertically. This is the optimum typing position and it's how I type all the time. When reaching for the shift keys avoid twisting your hands, move your hands instead.
I hope this helps you.
"It is an undoubted truth, that the less one has to do, the less time one finds to do it in." - Earl of Chesterfield
An ergonomic keyboard such as the Microsoft Natural 4000 also helps a lot to keep your wrists straight. Combined with Colemak, it's sweet.
brilliant!
I can switch almost instantly, but that's largely thanks to context. I have a Colemak MacBook and a QWERTY gaming PC. They have separate keyboards, different OSes, and completely different purposes. I only game on the PC, and I use the Mac for pretty much everything else. There's so little overlap that there's no mental confusion.
I also have two cars, one stick shift sub-compact and one automatic minivan. Having two layouts is a lot like having two cars with different transmissions.
I use Wide/Angle ergo mods in addition to Colemak[eD]. I find it annoying to find myself missing some of this so I have to type for instance Colemak without the Wide/Angle mod or a more standard Norwegian Colemak. But it's worst when I'm unprepared for the challenge. When I'm prepared for it I'm okay but it doesn't flow effortlessly like when I'm with my familiar setup.
*** Learn Colemak in 2–5 steps with Tarmak! ***
*** Check out my Big Bag of Keyboard Tricks for Win/Linux/TMK... ***
