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Typing stealth: a review of the CODE Keyboard

arstechnica.com

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Re: Typing stealth: a review of the CODE Keyboard

#51

Post by yapcguy »

grannyg00se wrote: post #48
yapcguy wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't you miss the convenience of multi finger gestures on the touchpad? I haven't got used to the trackpoint but that's because I tend to use the touchpad more. I guess I should disable the touchpad completely and force myself to learn/adapt to the trackpoint. I think a split keyboard with mechanical keys, without a number pad, and with a trackpoint (on both sides so lefties are happy) would make for a great keyboar…

Miss? I've never used multi-finger gestures on a touchpad. Mostly because I don't use touchpads. I think that kind of interaction feature came about after I had already written them off as annoying. But it seems like I'd have to significantly remove my focus from the home row to do that - instant disdain. I just looked it up and it appears as though these gestures you speak of are used for scrolling, swiping, zooming…

> I use the middle button for scrolling.

Great tip, didn't know about this. It works for both vertical and horizontal scrolling.

Re: Typing stealth: a review of the CODE Keyboard

#52

Post by fsck--off »

w1ntermute wrote: post #44
jseliger wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nope. My guess is "reasonably," but I don't see a use case where I'd use them often enough to bother.

You mentioned the difficulty of typing {}[] using the Kinesis Advantage. Perhaps Ctrl, Alt, Shift could be moved to the foot pedals, and then the keys for Ctrl, Alt, Shift could be remapped to {}[].

If you're going to use an unusual keyboard remap it's easier just to adopt a completely different layout, e.g. Programmer Dvorak or something like that. You can use software to remap the symbol keys to be unshifted and on the number row. My remap puts the parentheses keys on the number row in the columns above my left and right index fingers.

The number row can be rearranged so that the odd numbers are under one hand, and the even numbers are under the other (which makes it much easier to learn to touch type numbers because the layout can be "derived" if you forget it.)

You can even set up a dead key to act like Alt-Gr so that you can use both Alts as "Meta" keys in Emacs.

A unique remapping might sound like overkill, but if you learn the new layout while adjusting to a Kinesis it doesn't seem strange at all. It also does not really require any technical knowledge.

Re: Typing stealth: a review of the CODE Keyboard

#53

Post by ocharles »

codex wrote: post #5
ocharles wrote: post #3

This layout still feels inferior next to my http://trulyergonomic.com/ keyboard. I was really skeptical at first, especially with the price tag - but I'd never go back now.

The layout looks great, with an easier layout to learn than my DataHand--but do you ever miss the option/Windows key being in a convenient location? Or is the diamond convenient enough? My Topres require as little as 35g of pressure--what is the activation force required here? And do you miss being able to type "cd" quickly with a two finger combo due to the straight columns?

I don't miss where the windows key is because I rarely have a need to press it. Linux is my primary OS. I also have the extended Truly Ergonomic, and I think I could remap the extra key to windows if I so desired.

I'm not sure exactly what the activation pressure is, but I don't think it's much off 35g. I think the exact number is in the specs on the website.

The 'cd' thing I can type with one hand, but that's because I type using dvorak.

Re: Typing stealth: a review of the CODE Keyboard

#54

Post by ocharles »

astrodust wrote: post #31
ocharles wrote: post #3

This layout still feels inferior next to my http://trulyergonomic.com/ keyboard. I was really skeptical at first, especially with the price tag - but I'd never go back now.

With a layout like that, I bet you can't go back. The shift keys are in such a very odd position, with Alt, a rarely used key, sitting in the prime spot. "Ergonomic" keyboards tend to be trouble for anyone who's not a strict home-row typer. I cross over the middle a lot, like for "keyboard" the Y is for left hand. Maybe it's more like a piano thing, where you're sort of hitting chords, pairs of letters in sequence ("…

Actually, I find the shift keys are in a superb place. While I was used to having control there, now that I work primarily in Vim, I have more of a need to modify with shift rather than control. The new location of shift is actually one of my favourite changes!

I agree that good typing discipline is important. Luckily, I am very home row focused, as I made a lot of effort to type like that when I made the switch from qwerty to dvorak.

Re: Typing stealth: a review of the CODE Keyboard

#55

Post by ocharles »

allengeorge wrote: post #50
ocharles wrote: post #3

This layout still feels inferior next to my http://trulyergonomic.com/ keyboard. I was really skeptical at first, especially with the price tag - but I'd never go back now.

I'm going to second this. It definitely took a while to get used to, but once you do... That said, a big downside of using a non-standard keyboard layout is the number of mistakes you make when you switch back to a normal keyboard (laptops, colleagues' computers, etc.)

I found this true for a while, but I tend to alternate quite a lot. I work directly on my laptop from home, with a normal layout - I occasionally shift in the wrong place, but that's about it. I have bigger problems sharing keyboards as I don't type qwerty, but I type dvorak. That switch takes a lot more mental processing.

Re: Typing stealth: a review of the CODE Keyboard

#57

Post by zerr »

ars wrote: post #11
zerr wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm a programmer, so as opposed to prose-like text typers, I heavily use Enter for newlines. And I exclusively use my right hand's pinky finger to press it without precise aiming/thinking/looking. It is really hard for me to do this for non-L Enters.

Funny. I'm also a programmer and I hate L-Enters because the backslash and vertical bar is in the wrong place. It also means that either the backspace or the left shift is smaller, and I hate that too.

The only "sacrifice" for me is the small Backspace, and the backslash/vertical is just left to it. Both Shifts are big.

I have yet to find a mechanical keyboard with such a layout. And I think I can deal with smaller Right Shift.

Re: Typing stealth: a review of the CODE Keyboard

#58

Post by astrodust »

scrabble wrote: post #45
astrodust wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With a layout like that, I bet you can't go back. The shift keys are in such a very odd position, with Alt, a rarely used key, sitting in the prime spot. "Ergonomic" keyboards tend to be trouble for anyone who's not a strict home-row typer. I cross over the middle a lot, like for "keyboard" the Y is for left hand. Maybe it's more like a piano thing, where you're sort of hitting chords, pairs of letters in sequence ("…

Have you tried an ergonomic keyboard? I tend to be a bit of a floaty typist as well, but a couple years ago I used a Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard for a year. To my surprise, I found that I got used to it pretty quickly.

I have. My highly subjective opinion is that they're all wrong.

I've been typing on regular keyboards for long enough they don't bother me.

Re: Typing stealth: a review of the CODE Keyboard

#59

Post by ciupicri »

ufmace wrote: post #34

I've read a lot of posts on programming-related blogs about the importance of typing skill and keyboards. Maybe it's just me, but at least as far as typing skill/speed goes, I'm not really seeing it. Sure, a lot of our job is typing, and you need some baseline level of skill at it, but I don't think I've ever been hindered in my ability to produce code and features faster by my not-particularly-great typing abilities…

Perhaps you're one of those people who declares: "I'm not rate-limited! I spend all my time in design and almost none of it entering code!" I hear that all the time.

You're wrong, though. Programmers type all day long, even when they're designing. Especially when they're designing, in fact, because they need to have conversations with remote participants.

Here's the industry's dirty secret:

Programmers who don't touch-type fit a profile.

-- http://steve-yegge.blogspot.ro/2008/09/programmings-dirtiest...

Re: Typing stealth: a review of the CODE Keyboard

#60

Post by ufmace »

mistercow wrote: post #38
ufmace wrote: post #34

I've read a lot of posts on programming-related blogs about the importance of typing skill and keyboards. Maybe it's just me, but at least as far as typing skill/speed goes, I'm not really seeing it. Sure, a lot of our job is typing, and you need some baseline level of skill at it, but I don't think I've ever been hindered in my ability to produce code and features faster by my not-particularly-great typing abilities…

I have thought about this as well, and with that in mind, I've tried to take notice of how typing affects me (I'm a pretty fast typist, but I think this experience is not dependent on any particular typing speed). What seems to be the main problem is that typing dominates my internal monologue. I can't continue to keep my ideas fresh in my mental "cache" while I'm typing, because the part of my mind that would be use…

That might be part of the issue. My typing isn't particularly fast, but it is mindless. I spend virtually no mental effort on typing while I'm actually doing it, so I'm free to think about exactly what I'm trying to do and what the best way to do it is.
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