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I drank the coolaid...

  • Started by mbenitez
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  • Registered: 27-Feb-2021
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Week 9

I am on my ninth week now. Typing is much more natural now a days, although not a 100% mechanical. No big deal though. I definitely feel like the goal is within reach. I still make mistakes and most of them are key presses on old QWERTY key locations. I can also listen and type now, something I was not able to do for a good while. I am not as fast yet as I once was, but I also think it is just matter of time before I am there.

I am not sure how much longer I will be recording the experience. I definitely feel like I am almost there. Even if things are not perfect, I think it is just a matter of continuing typing on this layout before it is all mechanic. I will continue practicing on monkeytype.com to make sure I get there.

Here are my statistics so far:

Last 10 tests

- Average wpm: 66
- Average accuracy: 98%

Last week (68 tests)

- Average wpm: 61
- Average accuracy: 98%

Last month (383 tests)

- Average wpm: 56
- Average accuracy: 98%

All time (744 tests)

- Average wpm: 49
- Average accuracy: 97%


I am almost at the end of week 9. I continue to make progress. At this point, the layout feels a bit more natural. I think I am within a few months of transitioning to a "mechanical" experience. Not bad after just a couple of months.

On a side note, I continue to make my experience more enjoyable. I bought myself a new keyboard; a mechanical keyboard. This definitely helps keeping the interest up. I would highly recommend it to anybody that is working on the transition. It is not that you need another keyboard, but the novelty of a new device certainly helps to keep the spirits up and the experience interesting. Just keep in mind that not all keyboards are designed for Colemak, so do your research. For example, my new keyboard comes with double shot PBT keycaps, and you can move them and everything. However, each key row has a different profile, so if you move them the key profiles get out wack. Something to keep in mind.

Last edited by mbenitez (03-Apr-2021 21:45:07)
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  • From: UK
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Respectable speeds and decent accuracy - pretty solid, I'd say.

Using Colemak-DH with Seniply.

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Hi there all.

This is my last post for a while. At this point I feel pretty comfortable with the new layout and I am very happy with my speeds. I can now type as I listen to somebody speak, I can type as I am thinking on an idea and I don't really feel all that weird anymore.

I am not sure I will keep practicing as much as I have been since I don't feel I need to for me to get my things done. I will from time to time I guess.
I will try to check in at my one year mark and give you an update.

Was it all worth it? I mean, it meant two months of my time with a decent effort in learning something new. The truth is, I don't know. In a way it is good to prove to oneself that if you want to learn something new you can. But is it better than QWERTY? I honestly don't know. It is different for sure. That is all I can say at this time. Perhaps my perspective will change as time goes by. I leave it to you to decide if it is worth it for you. :)

Take care.

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  • From: Viken, Norway
  • Registered: 13-Dec-2006
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Thanks for your story! I feel pretty confident you'll end up realizing that Colemak is a lot more comfortable than QWERTY. So that alone, over a lifetime of typing, should make the effort you've been through now worth it. Of course, people have different experiences and perceptions.

My suggestion for you would be to keep EPKL or a similar portable script with you on a USB drive. If you meet a computer that you have to type on, chances are you can run EPKL and have your layout setup with you on it. If not, then you haven't really forgotten QWERTY. You're just rusty and may realize that it's a very ugly layout.

*** 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'm quite surprised that you'd be wondering if it was worth it having completed the transition successfully. People wonder that before they start of course, but once they have adapted and can type comfortable, the benefits are usually very obvious and clear. At least, they were for me. It's a couple of months of pain for a lifetime of gain.

Using Colemak-DH with Seniply.

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The main thing for me is that I never had any issues with Qwerty before adopting Colemak. Going into Colemak was more about the challenge, perhaps the novelty of a new layout even, than anything else for me. Please not that I am not complaining about the layout, but I am not sure if there is something else, other than my original intent, that would prompt me to make the transition. In any case, I am sticking with it, so perhaps my view will change in the future.

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Hi there,

I figured it has been a year since I posted and wanted to give you a quick update. I have been using colemak for at least a year now. My speed and accuracy numbers have improved over this past year and I can consistently reach about 72 wpm with 97% acc. This is good enough for me.

I find that in general I have no problems with the layout. However, everytime I have to use my work laptop or some computer that is not mine where I can't run my own software or plug in my own keyboard I have to resort back to finger typing. Not a big deal, but it can be a bit frustrating at times.

I don't think I will be switching back to querty anymore. It would probably be a pain at this point. I will give colemak a chance for while longer still.

Anyhow, just wanted to share real quick.

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You've levelled off at around the same as me, and I agree ~70 wpm is easily good enough - apparently the average person types at around 40 wpm!
Having to use other equipment as a pain. Part of the reason I made the switch was because at that time I knew I would mostly be using equipment under my control.
I did get a hasu USB device just to cover myself, fortunately I haven't needed to resort to using it much.

Last edited by stevep99 (14-Apr-2022 11:31:17)

Using Colemak-DH with Seniply.

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  • From: Viken, Norway
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I too use a Hasu device (I call it the QUICKIE!), and I have EPKL handy on a USB drive for when I'm on a Windows computer where I'm allowed to run software.

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

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Hi @stevep99, yes...I too find it surprising that the average person types at around 40 wpm! In any case, thanks for the tip. I did not know of the Hasu USB. It sounds like a good option to have handy. May buy one at some point.

Well, I will keep at it with Colemak...and just as a side, unrelated, note..I have noticed that Querty is still somewhere in there...At times, I find myself trying to type the letter T where it is located in Querty..funny...but I guess it is hard to erase so many years of querty...

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