How do you guys type?

[Xpirate]

I just figured out that I do not type the letter "P" the way I was taught in my typing class back in the ancient times when typewriters still existed. I am using my ring finger to type "P." If I consciously try to type correctly according to the slanted columns, my pinky finger will type "[" instead most of the time.

I guess I developed this habit typing stuff like "printf" and "ptr" in software code. Pinky finger is just too dang short to comfortably type that letter "P" the correct touch typist way. I have really long fingers too. I can actually type faster now than I used to in high school typing class even though I use the wrong finger for the letter "P."

How do you guys type? I can't the the only one who does this.

Keyboards still have these slanted columns of keys. Old typewriters needed the slant to accommodate the mechanical linkage of the keys. It is kind of sad that PC keyboards have maintained that convention even with the virtual keyboards on touch screens.

I have been considering the purchase of a mechanical keyboard. I typed on a Logitech G710+ at a store, but I was standing up and the keyboard was not actually plugged into anything. That made it kind of hard to evaluate it for typing.

What are your opinions on mechanical keyboards? Are they worth the money?

[d_stilgar]

I tried typing random stuff to see what I use. I don't think I'm very consistent. If I'm trying to capitalize something then I'll use my middle finer for P, but otherwise right now as I type it seems I'm using my ring finger and never my pinky.

[Twigsoffury]

I type almost completely with my left hand, with my right only filling in for everything right of the letter J.

its wickedly quick too, i guess its from years of using computers for video games instead of business type stuff.

oh my layout is strange too (try this)

D is my forward, Space is my back peddle, S and F are left/right A for run and Q for jump.. so i've always natrually been accustomed to the home row and reaching for buttons with mr.left

[TLHarrell]

I do a lot of CAD work, so most of the time I'm typing left handed - like Twigs... everything left of the J. My hand stays on my mouse the majority of the time, so the left dominates. P gets hit by my ring finger. I have a preference toward flatter keys like on a laptop. My work keyboard is a Logitech Illuminated. Very easy to read the key caps and fairly short throw compared to a mechanical. Also a lot quieter.

[Airbozo]

Hunt and peck.

I do have a pattern, but nothing I was taught. Some of my co-workers and even the SO are amazed at how fast and accurate I type using this method.

The SO's typing is amazing and I am surprised any keyboard can keep up with her without bursting into flames.

[Twigsoffury]

Try a Dvorak Layout one day.

even crappy typing, is faster then a qwerty layout, and it works extremely well for us left handers.

[Snowman]

I'm not sure I could even use a dvorak keyboard. I have looked at them several times and just not sure I could get used to it because I am so quick with a qwerty anymore. I have had I think 4 keyboarding classes and the very first one started with covering the keyboard for our tests. I can type with two fingers and still not look. For the most part I don't think I use my pinkies though.

[Luke122]

I type with the fury. :)

Spiceworks ran a typing speed competition thread a few weeks ago, and I was averaging 92wpm. ;)

The leader was over 120wpm if I recall correctly. :)

[Ichbin]

I type like a lot of gamers do. Home-row for the right hand, rested WASD position with the left.

Also, Hi everyone. Been awhile :P

[Xpirate]

I used this site, 10fastfingers.com (http://10fastfingers.com), to do a typing test. The best I could achieve with any accuracy was 54 wpm. If I try to get any faster, I make more mistakes. I probably actually type about 40 wpm when I'm not trying to be fast. I'm just glad that I can do it without looking at the keys or even really thinking about what my fingers are doing.

I did not realize that I could hit the backspace key and fix things without looking down until I did the speed test. I felt all right about my speed scores. I know it's not real fast, but it is a bit faster than the 25 to 35 wpm that I could do in high school. While I still struggled to get up to 20 wpm, this one girl could do 90 wpm after a couple of months in the class. She was the teacher's favorite student, while I was one of the least favorites.

I am probably going to get myself a Das Keyboard for Christmas. The purchase will be made after the holiday, but it's the perfect excuse to get something like that. It should make my new desktop PC feel more like a new machine.

[SgtM]

I use the home row. I'm on a mechanical keyboard now. Coolermaster Quick fire stealth. Decent keyboard. It's tough getting used to not having the 10 key.

[Konrad]

A little webcam-playback-analysis shows that my hands fly all over the damned place in a manner which would utterly horrify my ancient typing teacher. "P" is sometimes pinky, sometimes I sort of pivot my hand and rotate the ring finger all the way out to the square brackets, sometimes my hand shifts a full key left or right as needed.

Don't much care, I still sustain over 70wpm overall, with bursts up to 90wpm ... go with whatever works.

[chaksq]

I recently realized that my typing technique was terrible. I never really put much effort into learning to touch type while in school. I just learned it through a lot of use. Thus my technique was less than optimal. I also made a large number of mistakes which is just poor form and not really acceptable.

The big flaw I figured out is that I was very much imbalanced with a strong left hand. I've identified my right pinky as being physically weaker and I generally did not use it to type at all. Instead I'd shift my entire right hand to type.

I've made an active effort in the past few months (summer of 2013 onwards) to improve my typing. I think the biggest thing I did which has had a fantastic improvement is I built a custom keyboard from a kit known as the ErgoDox and used Cherry MX-Blue switches. I'll post a review on this thing soon. This is very expensive for a keyboard (particularly if you consider the tools I bought to assemble it). However instead of the keys being staggered vertically like the standard keyboard layout they are all in a line. There is a slight horizontal stagger. The other big benefit to this keyboard is that the thumbs are used for much more than just the spacebar. I've also got a project in the works for a full matrix keyboard, which I'll start a log on here detailing the project and what I end up with.

I now touch type and fully use the home row style. I do have a bit of trouble with regular keyboards, though the only one I use regularly is my rather mushy work keyboard. I do still make a large number of mistakes and am working to correct this.

[Twigsoffury]

[QUOTE=Snowman;379288]I'm not sure I could even use a dvorak keyboard.QUOTE]

Buy an old QWERTY keyboard, pop the keys off and rearrange them into a Dvorak layout and try it out, it takes awhile but once you get it, you'll be hilariously fast at typing =)