Re: [Thinkpad] Re: Which hand strikes the 6 key?

On Sat, 30 Jul 2005 00:48:01 -0700, Angus Graham wrote:

>As for the slanted column business (and though I'm too lazy
>to read through your references) I don't know why your left
>and right hands would both claim columns on the keyboard
>that slant from upper left to lower right. I certainly don't
>twist my left wrist so that my left hand is facing the upper
>left hand corner of the keyboard. More natural for me is to
>have have the left index finger claim the 6TFC column and
>the right finger claim the 7UJM column.

Looking at my TP keyboard, the most even division line is produced
by putting 6-Y-H-N on the right side. Of course the keys are
staggered that way because touch-typists were taught to use the
right hand for those keys, so it's a bit circular but there you go.

There's nothing wrong with any method that works for someone, but I
would bet the single largest group has the right hand end with
6-Y-H-N, just because we were taught that way. Each index finger
has to stretch in one direction (left hand SE, right hand NW) and
no question but that the stretch to 6 is much greater than the
stretch to B.

Yesterday I saw a new MS keyboard that changes the layout a bit
again. It's similar to the Natural but there's no dead zone
between the hands. They sell it at Future Shop as part of a
multimedia wireless keyboard combo. I have a non-wavy Kensington
wireless combo (U$25 after rebate back in winter) that works fine
with my TP through the USB port. (The Microsoft product is called
the "Wireless Optical Desktop, Comfort Edition", I don't see the
keyboard alone and unfortunately the mouse looks to be strictly
right-handed -- I use my mouse left-handed since I'm right-handed
myself and often have a pen in that hand).

I'm anticipating this split keyboard may pack it in sooner rather
than later and want to be prepared (the non-keys plastic is
literally yellow, I think from sunshine beating in, though the keys
are still grey but filthy -- does running it through the diswasher
truly work [and letting it dry for a week before using]?)

=andrew

andrew [awebber@wwwebbers.com]
ph 613-797-8123
fx 831-300-4097
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Received on Sat Jul 30 14:17:48 2005