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    New to touch typing, new to Colemak

    • Started by Plionke
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    • Registered: 02-Dec-2006
    • Posts: 8

    I'm not going to speak much (because of typing speed), but I got to mention some things. First of all I don't even touch type (~40 words per minute on tests) so now I achieve ~10 WPM. But this is my second day of practising so I keep this result as normal for a beginner. The second thing is that I mostly type in Lithuanian so I had to do some manual editing of the layout (adding ąčęėįšųūž in place of numbers (windows)). Beginning is difficult. I will write back later.

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    • Registered: 02-Dec-2006
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    Second day: typing speed around 14-17 wpm. A little better than the previous day but still I need a lot of practise. And I also noticed the fact that you learn quicker, when you type not in the typing program which shows you the buttons you have to hit. It's better to watch at the layout sticked onto the screen (: And I hope that I will not need the sticker in a couple of weeks. I really hope...

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    5th day of practising Colemak. Now I achieve ~21 WPM almost without looking at the sticker near the monitor. For now, I'm using TypingMaster for my practices.
    QWERTY speed dropped to ~31 WPM (about 40 before) and to add more, I cannot type without looking at the keyboard anymore (earlier I remembered key positions better).

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    • Registered: 17-Nov-2006
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    Keep at it, Plionke!!! You'll get your speed back two folds. I've been using Colemak for almost three weeks now (tomorrow will make three weeks), and I'm already at 50wpm. I'm hoping to get to my original speed in about a month more.

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    Now typing at ~24 WPM (6th day). Golden_Hammer, I'm keeping at it, don't worry (: Besides, I have no reason of giving it up and turning back to stupid qwerty.
    For others I'm giving an advice - when you reach ~20 WPM, start not to look at the drawn/printed Colemak layout. It makes learning much faster and more efficient. And as Shai mentioned, It's ultra good not to use qwerty during the begining of learning process. It just forces you to practice more Colemak not only in typing program.

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    7th day, and I achieved ~27 WPM. New technique - not to look anywhere, but to text you have to type in a test. Makes your brain think more clearly about places of buttons you have to press and you won't be distracted by letters that appear on screen while you are typing. I don't know what will I do with my non test typing, but it seems that I write faster with my eyes closed.
    P.S. I'm writing faster in this fay only because I make less mistakes and so I have to make less Caps Lock pushes. Maybe more experienced uses will put comment on this topic...

    Last edited by Plionke (09-Dec-2006 09:20:38)
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    • Registered: 02-Dec-2006
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    10th day of using Colemak. What can I say? All discomfort is gone because I again became the fastest typer in my family (God, they are slow...) and now what is left is to practise practise and again practise. My goal is to beat qwerty and make my speed at least 80 WPM.

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    • Registered: 09-May-2007
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    Well, I myself started Colemak three days ago- I don't look at the keyboard at all, but with qwerty, I never actually learned to touch type- I just did a fast hunt-and-peck.  Anyway, keep it up.  We're with you.  I'm only at 23 WPM so far...

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