Best keyboard for fast typing ?

[TopreFan333]

My only worry about the 60 percent factor is the missing up/down/left/right arrow - which i use quite a lot, out of habit. I'm really willing to try 60 percent, but is the fn + wasd (or whatever other solution)a good substitute for it ? is it easy to get used to and is it as efficient/fast once you're used to it ?

Absolutely. On the HHKB it's Fn + [;'/ for the arrow keys. Here's an image of the Fn layer:

Show Image

It seems weird at first, but it's honestly not bad at all. I much prefer the HHKB layout to everything else out there at this point. It took me about a week, maybe less, to get used to the arrow keys, but once you do it's second nature. I'm also a big fan of the CTRL and Backspace locations on the HHKB, as it makes them even easier to press. I've quite large hands, and I find the HHKB to be the perfect size for me.

Same. I'm an OS X user and write a lot -- I tend to use stuff like Option+Arrow to jump a word at a time, or Option+Shift+Arrow to select a word at a time, and even with four keys in play (throwing the FN layer into the mix) my hands now do this totally automatically. I actually find a full keyboard slower now because the arrow keys are a longer reach than on the HHKB.

As far as speed, though? As much as I love typing on my HHKB, I don't really think I type any faster on it than on my Macbook's keyboard, for instance. I sure enjoy it more, though.

[superbia]

If you type a large amount of text (like in court) then a stenograph machine-keyboard (400wpm).

If you are a casual consumer / gamer than basically any keyboard (mechanical or even scissor switches will work), but I'd also suggest to stay away from qwerty because typing fast on it (100+ WPM) caused fatique in my hands atleast in my case.

If you are a programmer and live from coding then a split keyboard (angled / tent-mode) with either something like an ergo-dox, or a double planck (with an ergonomic layout, for example COLEMAK DH angle mod, or basically anything else than the obsolete QWERTY) will work.

IMO speed is not about particular keyboard, Its more about your technique, layout, and how responsive are keys. True you could gain 5-10% speed on better keyboards, but rather focus on ergonomics than speed..

[eurekastreet]

If you type a large amount of text (like in court) then a stenograph machine-keyboard (400wpm).

If you are a casual consumer / gamer than basically any keyboard (mechanical or even scissor switches will work), but I'd also suggest to stay away from qwerty because typing fast on it (100+ WPM) caused fatique in my hands atleast in my case.

If you are a programmer and live from coding then a split keyboard (angled / tent-mode) with either something like an ergo-dox, or a double planck (with an ergonomic layout, for example COLEMAK DH angle mod, or basically anything else than the obsolete QWERTY) will work.

IMO speed is not about particular keyboard, Its more about your technique, layout, and how responsive are keys. True you could gain 5-10% speed on better keyboards, but rather focus on ergonomics than speed..

I'm working on that, switching from MX blacks to browns and doing some good old online 10 fingers typing training already boosted my wpm by 10-15 percent (but I'm still very low). I'll keep on working on it, Unicomp is shipping soon, I'll be able to compare it to the mx brown. I understand maxing wpm isn't such a huge deal (although it's fun trying to have it go up one step at the time), even more when I -still - have this bad habit of going back to my 6-8 fingers typing habit while I'm working and not focusing on the typing experience, but again, on the long run, what's gained is gained. I probably should use on of those wpm trackers during working sessions just to see what's the more efficient solution, and weight this vs comfort and  so on indeed. Ergonomics, Dvorak, and so on are very tempting, and I might give them a try, but this is a "long-term" project as I can't afford to focus spending time learning a new layout right now...but I swear I will later on ;d

[superbia]

If you type a large amount of text (like in court) then a stenograph machine-keyboard (400wpm).

If you are a casual consumer / gamer than basically any keyboard (mechanical or even scissor switches will work), but I'd also suggest to stay away from qwerty because typing fast on it (100+ WPM) caused fatique in my hands atleast in my case.

If you are a programmer and live from coding then a split keyboard (angled / tent-mode) with either something like an ergo-dox, or a double planck (with an ergonomic layout, for example COLEMAK DH angle mod, or basically anything else than the obsolete QWERTY) will work.

IMO speed is not about particular keyboard, Its more about your technique, layout, and how responsive are keys. True you could gain 5-10% speed on better keyboards, but rather focus on ergonomics than speed..

I'm working on that, switching from MX blacks to browns and doing some good old online 10 fingers typing training already boosted my wpm by 10-15 percent (but I'm still very low). I'll keep on working on it, Unicomp is shipping soon, I'll be able to compare it to the mx brown. I understand maxing wpm isn't such a huge deal (although it's fun trying to have it go up one step at the time), even more when I -still - have this bad habit of going back to my 6-8 fingers typing habit while I'm working and not focusing on the typing experience, but again, on the long run, what's gained is gained. I probably should use on of those wpm trackers during working sessions just to see what's the more efficient solution, and weight this vs comfort and  so on indeed. Ergonomics, Dvorak, and so on are very tempting, and I might give them a try, but this is a "long-term" project as I can't afford to focus spending time learning a new layout right now...but I swear I will later on ;d

DISCLAMER: In the following text I'm only considering layouts. In reality, we don't know how human brain works, so a korean costum with 800$ worth addons qwerty  might feel and be the most ergonomic thing you know. 

It's very hard to learn 10 fingers. Even harder on qwerty (qwerty, how it is, is like the worst layout to use 10 fingers on) It's even harder to learn a new layout.

Hotter weather is coming, and I'm sure you will have 1-2 weeks to invest in "unlearning your bad habbits".
Languages evolve, mutate, so do the keyboard layouts. The COLEMAK-DH angled mod is what I find pleasurable (even on non english languages)...
Consider the modification of colemak I mentioned, make sure you have a matrix keyboard or ISO keyboard (because they allow you to slide your bottom row one place to the left, making any layout 400% better).

Effectiveley, I'm not forcing anyone to change their habbits, but I'm simply posting few posts about this layout, just so people could find about it when they google. In the end no matter what layout you decide to try/learn, it will be better than obsolete qwerty.

If on the other hand your are worried about keycaps, well thath's why we have blank keycaps or even colemak/dvorak add-ons.
There is no colemak-DH add-on sadly, but yea you can just not give a sh about what your keycaps say, because only thing that matters is the quality of keycaps.

Just one last thing, this is the infamous ANGLE mod for non-matrix keyboards

If your board can do this, then this will raise your ergonomics 400% (on any layout, especially on the COLEMAK-DH mod).

comparison of advanced layouts: https://colemakmods.github.io/mod-dh/compare.html

[eurekastreet]

If you type a large amount of text (like in court) then a stenograph machine-keyboard (400wpm).

If you are a casual consumer / gamer than basically any keyboard (mechanical or even scissor switches will work), but I'd also suggest to stay away from qwerty because typing fast on it (100+ WPM) caused fatique in my hands atleast in my case.

If you are a programmer and live from coding then a split keyboard (angled / tent-mode) with either something like an ergo-dox, or a double planck (with an ergonomic layout, for example COLEMAK DH angle mod, or basically anything else than the obsolete QWERTY) will work.

IMO speed is not about particular keyboard, Its more about your technique, layout, and how responsive are keys. True you could gain 5-10% speed on better keyboards, but rather focus on ergonomics than speed..

I'm working on that, switching from MX blacks to browns and doing some good old online 10 fingers typing training already boosted my wpm by 10-15 percent (but I'm still very low). I'll keep on working on it, Unicomp is shipping soon, I'll be able to compare it to the mx brown. I understand maxing wpm isn't such a huge deal (although it's fun trying to have it go up one step at the time), even more when I -still - have this bad habit of going back to my 6-8 fingers typing habit while I'm working and not focusing on the typing experience, but again, on the long run, what's gained is gained. I probably should use on of those wpm trackers during working sessions just to see what's the more efficient solution, and weight this vs comfort and  so on indeed. Ergonomics, Dvorak, and so on are very tempting, and I might give them a try, but this is a "long-term" project as I can't afford to focus spending time learning a new layout right now...but I swear I will later on ;d

DISCLAMER: In the following text I'm only considering layouts. In reality, we don't know how human brain works, so a korean costum with 800$ worth addons qwerty  might feel and be the most ergonomic thing you know. 

It's very hard to learn 10 fingers. Even harder on qwerty (qwerty, how it is, is like the worst layout to use 10 fingers on) It's even harder to learn a new layout.

Hotter weather is coming, and I'm sure you will have 1-2 weeks to invest in "unlearning your bad habbits".
Languages evolve, mutate, so do the keyboard layouts. The COLEMAK-DH angled mod is what I find pleasurable (even on non english languages)...
Consider the modification of colemak I mentioned, make sure you have a matrix keyboard or ISO keyboard (because they allow you to slide your bottom row one place to the left, making any layout 400% better).

Effectiveley, I'm not forcing anyone to change their habbits, but I'm simply posting few posts about this layout, just so people could find about it when they google. In the end no matter what layout you decide to try/learn, it will be better than obsolete qwerty.

If on the other hand your are worried about keycaps, well thath's why we have blank keycaps or even colemak/dvorak add-ons.
There is no colemak-DH add-on sadly, but yea you can just not give a sh about what your keycaps say, because only thing that matters is the quality of keycaps.

Just one last thing, this is the infamous ANGLE mod for non-matrix keyboards

Show Image

If your board can do this, then this will raise your ergonomics 400% (on any layout, especially on the COLEMAK-DH mod).

comparison of advanced layouts: https://colemakmods.github.io/mod-dh/compare.html

I'm definitely gonna read about this, before I buy a new - expensive - keyboard. I don't know much about Colemak, I only had time to read a little bit about Dvorak, I'll compare them both down the road and will decide according to what looks best.
One thing I gotta take into consideration is : I'm a french translator (i.e. I translate into french) and on any regular day, I -still - lose a bit of time whenever I got to use special characters such as ê û î ô â.
ç à é è are ok because they're part of the french azerty layout, but their big caps counterpart isn't, as far as I know, and that really bugs me. It's no big deal but since they're quite common in french, it's a repetitive and tedious process having to find them (some of them I use alt+ascii code for, some of them I gotta copy paste from a reference table, just because the ascii codes I found don't give the expected results...probably some weird  windows configuration details I didn't have time to check into details). In any case, the ideal keyboard layout for me, as of right now, is one that will allow me to access all of those in the shortest time possible (example if Á could be accessed by shift + à, it'd be perfect, that would make my à-ing so much easier!). Maybe they're software mapping solutions to this as well, I haven't had time to dig into this either...not enough time for anything lately - but if you got tips for software solutions, I'm all hear as well. Thanks for the help by the way.

[jacobolus]

DISCLAMER: In the following text I'm only considering layouts. In reality, we don't know how human brain works, so a korean costum with 800$ worth addons qwerty  might feel and be the most ergonomic thing you know. 

Please don’t use yellow text. It’s totally unreadable on light background:


If you absolutely must use some color, stick to orange.

[ander]

If it were that simple, the company that made the "fastest" keyboards would be crushing the rest, wouldn't they?

It's like asking, "What's the best golf club?" or "What's the best operating system?" People interact better with particular things because of how their brains and bodies work.

Typing patterns are as unique as fingerprints—you can actually identify people by them.

The only way to determine what KB's best for you is to try as many as you can. And I mean connected to a computer, so you can see how they work for you under real typing conditions. (And please avoid those silly one-finger switch "testers"; that's like picking a car by trying a bunch of steering wheels.)

Alternatively, you can do what some people do here: Buy KBs with all the switch types. Even if you end up actually using only one or two, you can get them all out now and then, line them up (preferably with a micrometer), and sit in front of them rocking back and forth and making odd moaning noises. That's what keeps me going here in the suburbs.

[eurekastreet]

If it were that simple, the company that made the "fastest" keyboards would be crushing the rest, wouldn't they?

It's like asking, "What's the best golf club?" or "What's the best operating system?" People interact better with particular things because of how their brains and bodies work.

Typing patterns are as unique as fingerprints—you can actually identify people by them.

The only way to determine what KB's best for you is to try as many as you can. And I mean connected to a computer, so you can see how they work for you under real typing conditions. (And please avoid those silly one-finger switch "testers"; that's like picking a car by trying a bunch of steering wheels.)

Alternatively, you can do what some people do here: Buy KBs with all the switch types. Even if you end up actually using only one or two, you can get them all out now and then, line them up (preferably with a micrometer), and sit in front of them rocking back and forth and making odd moaning noises. That's what keeps me going here in the suburbs.

You mean "making more odd moaning noises than you usually do" right ? I'll check the article, thanks for the tip.

[algernon]

I may be late to the party, but reading through the posts here, I feel an important part of typing has not been mentioned: the layout of the alphanumeric keys is one thing, but what I found is that staggered/non-staggered and the position of the Enter and shift keys, the size of the space bar matters a lot more.

As an experiment, I have in front of me two non-mechs: a TypeMatrix 2030, and my Lenovo laptop's built-in keyboard. On the TypeMatrix, I can maintain about 90 WPM (QWERTY) for 10+ minutes, on the laptop, this drops to 80. The major difference as far as I feel, is that the TypeMatrix has a much better physical layout.

When I type on a split setup (which is something I am still learning), I average at 80 WPM, and feel slow.

(For the record, I used to be able to maintain 100+ WPM over longer periods of time, but I'm in the process of switching to Dvorak, and my QWERTY muscle memories are fading rapidly. )

All in all, I believe - like others - that layout, including physical layout matters more than switches or the rest of the keyboard. I'd also second the stenograph option: my grandma used to be a typist, and used similar machines, her speed was incredible.

[b0f0]

So in Dvorak you type faster than in QWERTY/Z ? Does this include all languages ? I mean we type diffrent sentences, have different alphabets and type different words.
To make it simple, will I type any faster if I switch to other layout than qwerty/z ? If so is there an expanation for this ?
Is dvorak or colmak okey for non english speakers ? I never thought about switching from qwerty to something else, and I want to type faster too and I will get an Ergodox keyboard soon, its laready in the mail.
With split setup and blank keycaps it will be a chellange to learn. I cant suggest a keyboard yet, but maybe Ergodox typing will be faster than standard keyboard will see and report.

[xtrafrood]

So in Dvorak you type faster than in QWERTY/Z ? Does this include all languages ? I mean we type diffrent sentences, have different alphabets and type different words.
To make it simple, will I type any faster if I switch to other layout than qwerty/z ? If so is there an expanation for this ?
Is dvorak or colmak okey for non english speakers ? I never thought about switching from qwerty to something else, and I want to type faster too and I will get an Ergodox keyboard soon, its laready in the mail.
With split setup and blank keycaps it will be a chellange to learn. I cant suggest a keyboard yet, but maybe Ergodox typing will be faster than standard keyboard will see and report.

I'm slowly switching over to Dvorak because that layout is more symmetrical for typing when compared to qwerty. 

[PunksDead]

HHKB

However

If you need the dedicated arrows,

The 660c is the board for you



Both topre both amazing

[superbia]

QWERTY := 1873 (engineered 143 years ago) (Remington)

DVORAK := 1936 (engineered 80 years ago) (18 years of study and research by prof. Dvorak)

COLEMAK := 2006 (engineered 10 years ago) (a programmer named Shai Coleman released an alternative keyboard layout called Colemak (a portmanteau of Coleman and Dvorak). Despite the name, it isn’t a direct descendant of the Dvorak layout. In fact, Colemak can be thought of as a compromise between the two.

DH := 2015 (engineered 1 year ago) ("Curl-DH" ergo mod is a minor modification to the Colemak keyboard layout, designed to make typing more comfortable by making an adjustment to the placement of a small number of keys, in order to gain a significant improvement in ergonomics and comfort.)

[b0f0]

QWERTY := 1873 (engineered 143 years ago) (Remington)

DVORAK := 1936 (engineered 80 years ago) (18 years of study and research by prof. Dvorak)

COLEMAK := 2006 (engineered 10 years ago) (a programmer named Shai Coleman released an alternative keyboard layout called Colemak (a portmanteau of Coleman and Dvorak). Despite the name, it isn’t a direct descendant of the Dvorak layout. In fact, Colemak can be thought of as a compromise between the two.

DH := 2015 (engineered 1 year ago) ("Curl-DH" ergo mod is a minor modification to the Colemak keyboard layout, designed to make typing more comfortable by making an adjustment to the placement of a small number of keys, in order to gain a significant improvement in ergonomics and comfort.)

Cool ! I have to learn curl-dh !.   

[eurekastreet]

QWERTY := 1873 (engineered 143 years ago) (Remington)

DVORAK := 1936 (engineered 80 years ago) (18 years of study and research by prof. Dvorak)

COLEMAK := 2006 (engineered 10 years ago) (a programmer named Shai Coleman released an alternative keyboard layout called Colemak (a portmanteau of Coleman and Dvorak). Despite the name, it isn’t a direct descendant of the Dvorak layout. In fact, Colemak can be thought of as a compromise between the two.

DH := 2015 (engineered 1 year ago) ("Curl-DH" ergo mod is a minor modification to the Colemak keyboard layout, designed to make typing more comfortable by making an adjustment to the placement of a small number of keys, in order to gain a significant improvement in ergonomics and comfort.)

Cool ! I have to learn curl-dh !.   

One keyboard layout a day keeps the doctor away.

[eurekastreet]

Well I got the unicomp ultra classic from massdrop today, and after having used the Filco with mx browns for the past 10 days or so, it feels  like a world of a difference. I'm gonna test the unicomp thoroughly in the coming days because I reallly would love to get used to it, despite its manufacturing defaults, it's such a beautiful object (I'm born in 1975, I guess it talks to the nostalgic old fart in me), but right now, switching from browns, every keystroke feel sooooo much heavier (I got tiny/weak finger, I gotta deal with it) and wpm online test are 10-20% slower. But ok, I should wait a bit to compare what can be compared, the layout is a bit different, and maybe I just gotta get used using to the "pressure" difference . I understand the tips hereabove regarding keyboard layouts and such, but just switching from one spring tech to another seems to make a huge difference already, and I wonder if getting used to buckling will ever allow me to compensate the wpm difference vs mx browns. Too early to tell, we'll see about it (and no I won't go to the gym or start doing manual work to make the feeling different, no need to insist,, I am what I am) . I'll test type a few days with it and will see how it goes. And again : damn this thing is beautiful, in a vintage way, I wish/hope I get used to it. But if I don't/lose a lot of wpm, I guess I can keep it for the moaning noises Ander was talking about up in this convo.

Side note : unicomp blank keycaps  are super cheap, and the fact that you can switch them at will/no profiling is a nice feature.

[Rad]

I've only used a right-handed QWERTY keyboard my entire life so I guess whatever that is for you.

[SenorCit]

It's a very personal thing, I think - whatever works for you.

I'm fastest in short bursts on buckling springs but when typing for a longer time, the heavy touch does start to get on my wrists. MX Blues are the answer for me, even though I do find the action a bit unsatisfying for quick typing. The difference is that on the Model M, you can't easily double tap a key without getting auditory and tactile feedback about it. As the click point is well above the actuation point on the Blues, this happens a lot on them for me. The impact may be language dependent, of course.

In any case, I'm faster on clicky keyboards than just tactile ones. My all time average on Typeracer is ~90 WPM. On the laptop scissor switch keyboard, I struggle to get past 80-85.

[eurekastreet]

So after a couple of weeks of use, I have a dilemma : I type a bit faster on the filco - mx brown, because it feels much smoother than the Unicomp. The flip of the coin is, I make less mistakes on average on the Unicomp, and I love the sound of it, I think it helps typing (I also love its general design, but that's something else). For such a tiny wpm difference, I would definitely keep the Unicomp but there's one issue : fatigue. For long periods of typing, I can feel a bit of muscular stress building up when I'm using it (and I go relax on the filco), so I'm afraid on the long run, it would only get worse (or will I just get used to it ?).
So, is there a DIY way to make things a bit smoother on this keyboard ? Or should I go for a compromise in between mx brown and buckling ? And what would that be ? Blues ? Something else ?
As I see it, on the long run, I'd probably want to use only one keyboard (until I get more room on my desk and also because in the end, it's probably the most efficient thing to do)....

[superbia]

So after a couple of weeks of use, I have a dilemma : I type a bit faster on the filco - mx brown, because it feels much smoother than the Unicomp. The flip of the coin is, I make less mistakes on average on the Unicomp, and I love the sound of it, I think it helps typing (I also love its general design, but that's something else). For such a tiny wpm difference, I would definitely keep the Unicomp but there's one issue : fatigue. For long periods of typing, I can feel a bit of muscular stress building up when I'm using it (and I go relax on the filco), so I'm afraid on the long run, it would only get worse (or will I just get used to it ?).
So, is there a DIY way to make things a bit smoother on this keyboard ? Or should I go for a compromise in between mx brown and buckling ? And what would that be ? Blues ? Something else ?
As I see it, on the long run, I'd probably want to use only one keyboard (until I get more room on my desk and also because in the end, it's probably the most efficient thing to do)....

mistakes and fatique are qwerty's friends...

[jcoffin1981]

I have owned lots of keyboards.  The board that I type fastest (and most accurately) is the Logitech Illuminated Keyboard.  This is a scissor switch type board and I probably type 75 to 80 wpm.  However, after trying mechanical style switches I will not go back.  With that being said my typing speed on say an MX or Gateron Brown is 60 to 65 wpm.
This is probably due to 1. the switches have a short keystroke    2.  There are no spaces between the keys so if I don't hit it in the center it still activates.

Even so my favorite is still Gateron Brown.  I sacrifice a little speed but typing is more pleasurable.  I don't think I will ever be typing 150 wpm as some can.

[Findecanor]

It's a very personal thing, I think - whatever works for you.

This is the standard answer. Then there are fans of different switches who will always tell you their preferences.

In general, I think for most people, tactility helps with accuracy and that is why Cherry MX Brown and buckling springs would give you better accuracy than Cherry MX Black.

Of the Cherry MX, the Blue and the Clear are considered the "typing switches" because those are the most tactile.
Yes, I would say that Blues are in-between MX Brown and Buckling springs. When I type on blues, I prefer to wear headphones or have them modded with O-rings to be more silent because I find it to be distracting to get both click and "clack" when I bottom out -- where as with the buckling springs you only hear the clicks.

On Cherry MX Clears, you have to adapt to type shallowly - to not press them down too much. When you have become accustomed to them then you will fly on the keys and they will not be as fatiguing.
But as said above, every person is different.. and keyboard enthusiasts are divided about them: some hate them, some love them.

The Topre will feel mostly like rubber dome switches... because they mostly are. Much better than the run-of-the-mill rubber domes though because they are not mushy at the bottom and -- like mechanical switches -- they do not require you to press each key to the bottom.
If you do go with Topre, then I would suggest a variable-weighted Topre Realforce board: Variable weighting means that the pinky keys are much lighter than the keys for the index fingers, and the middle- and ring-finger keys are somewhere in-between.

The "Logitech Illuminated keyboard" is one of those that have Logitech "PerfectStroke" switches. They are tactile scissor-switches with slightly more key travel than most. Very nice.
If you find a used one, then the Logitech "DiNovo" (without any suffix or anything else) and the "DiNovo Edge" will also have those switches.

I agree on the keyboard that comes with the "Microsoft Sculpt Desktop". The shape is very comfortable. I much prefer this model to any "Microsoft Natural Keyboard".

[eurekastreet]

Thanks, I'll try and read comparative tests of all of those.

It's a very personal thing, I think - whatever works for you.

This is the standard answer. Then there are fans of different switches who will always tell you their preferences.

In general, I think for most people, tactility helps with accuracy and that is why Cherry MX Brown and buckling springs would give you better accuracy than Cherry MX Black.

Of the Cherry MX, the Blue and the Clear are considered the "typing switches" because those are the most tactile.
Yes, I would say that Blues are in-between MX Brown and Buckling springs. When I type on blues, I prefer to wear headphones or have them modded with O-rings to be more silent because I find it to be distracting to get both click and "clack" when I bottom out -- where as with the buckling springs you only hear the clicks.

On Cherry MX Clears, you have to adapt to type shallowly - to not press them down too much. When you have become accustomed to them then you will fly on the keys and they will not be as fatiguing.
But as said above, every person is different.. and keyboard enthusiasts are divided about them: some hate them, some love them.

The Topre will feel mostly like rubber dome switches... because they mostly are. Much better than the run-of-the-mill rubber domes though because they are not mushy at the bottom and -- like mechanical switches -- they do not require you to press each key to the bottom.
If you do go with Topre, then I would suggest a variable-weighted Topre Realforce board: Variable weighting means that the pinky keys are much lighter than the keys for the index fingers, and the middle- and ring-finger keys are somewhere in-between.

The "Logitech Illuminated keyboard" is one of those that have Logitech "PerfectStroke" switches. They are tactile scissor-switches with slightly more key travel than most. Very nice.
If you find a used one, then the Logitech "DiNovo" (without any suffix or anything else) and the "DiNovo Edge" will also have those switches.

I agree on the keyboard that comes with the "Microsoft Sculpt Desktop". The shape is very comfortable. I much prefer this model to any "Microsoft Natural Keyboard".

[Macsmasher]

My only worry about the 60 percent factor is the missing up/down/left/right arrow - which i use quite a lot, out of habit. I'm really willing to try 60 percent, but is the fn + wasd (or whatever other solution)a good substitute for it ? is it easy to get used to and is it as efficient/fast once you're used to it ?

It 'can' actually be faster because your hands don't leave home row. I have the left Win key set up as a Fn key (it's a dip switch option).

[Jin]

55g MX black will be good

[fuzzybaffy]

I told you the MX Blues were the way to go.

[eurekastreet]

Just got blank pbt keycaps from qtan yesterday, and put them on the filco straight away instead of the oem caps. It's a pleasant surprise, I thought it would mostly be an aesthetic difference, having never owned pbt before, but it makes the typing experience feel a tiny bit stiffier, and less slippery, actually slightly closer to the feel of the unicomp, while being lighter...it still "lacks" the clickyness, but my first impression is that it might just be the feeling/amount of pressure I'm looking for...I didn't know such a tiny detail could make such a big difference...the search for the perfect keyboard (if it ever existed) is a long and expensive journey I guess, one small step towards it has been made though.

[xtrafrood]

So after a couple of weeks of use, I have a dilemma : I type a bit faster on the filco - mx brown, because it feels much smoother than the Unicomp. The flip of the coin is, I make less mistakes on average on the Unicomp, and I love the sound of it, I think it helps typing (I also love its general design, but that's something else). For such a tiny wpm difference, I would definitely keep the Unicomp but there's one issue : fatigue. For long periods of typing, I can feel a bit of muscular stress building up when I'm using it (and I go relax on the filco), so I'm afraid on the long run, it would only get worse (or will I just get used to it ?).
So, is there a DIY way to make things a bit smoother on this keyboard ? Or should I go for a compromise in between mx brown and buckling ? And what would that be ? Blues ? Something else ?
As I see it, on the long run, I'd probably want to use only one keyboard (until I get more room on my desk and also because in the end, it's probably the most efficient thing to do)....

Could one find a lower resistance spring that would fit the buckling spring mechanism? Maybe.

[jacobolus]

A Model F is less stiff (though still slightly stiffer than my preference).

[eurekastreet]

So after a couple of weeks of use, I have a dilemma : I type a bit faster on the filco - mx brown, because it feels much smoother than the Unicomp. The flip of the coin is, I make less mistakes on average on the Unicomp, and I love the sound of it, I think it helps typing (I also love its general design, but that's something else). For such a tiny wpm difference, I would definitely keep the Unicomp but there's one issue : fatigue. For long periods of typing, I can feel a bit of muscular stress building up when I'm using it (and I go relax on the filco), so I'm afraid on the long run, it would only get worse (or will I just get used to it ?).
So, is there a DIY way to make things a bit smoother on this keyboard ? Or should I go for a compromise in between mx brown and buckling ? And what would that be ? Blues ? Something else ?
As I see it, on the long run, I'd probably want to use only one keyboard (until I get more room on my desk and also because in the end, it's probably the most efficient thing to do)....

Could one find a lower resistance spring that would fit the buckling spring mechanism? Maybe.

And now I'm intrigued ;d

[superbia]

I am very proud of my last post, but things changed and I feel I should update this info, so here it goes   


QWERTY := 1873 (engineered 145 years ago) (Remington)

DVORAK := 1936 (engineered 82 years ago) (18 years of study and research by prof. Dvorak)

COLEMAK := 2006 (engineered 12 years ago) (a programmer named Shai Coleman released an alternative keyboard layout called Colemak (a portmanteau of Coleman and Dvorak). Despite the name, it isn’t a direct descendant of the Dvorak layout. In fact, Colemak can be thought of as a compromise between the two.

DH (rev 1) := 2015 (engineered 3 year ago) ("Curl-DH" ergo mod is a minor modification to the Colemak keyboard layout, designed to make typing more comfortable by making an adjustment to the placement of a small number of keys, in order to gain a significant improvement in ergonomics and comfort.)

DH (rev 2) := 2017 (updated 1 year ago) (two keys swapped)

[Giorgio]

I am very proud of my last post, but things changed and I feel I should update this info, so here it goes   


QWERTY := 1873 (engineered 145 years ago) (Remington)

DVORAK := 1936 (engineered 82 years ago) (18 years of study and research by prof. Dvorak)

COLEMAK := 2006 (engineered 12 years ago) (a programmer named Shai Coleman released an alternative keyboard layout called Colemak (a portmanteau of Coleman and Dvorak). Despite the name, it isn’t a direct descendant of the Dvorak layout. In fact, Colemak can be thought of as a compromise between the two.

DH (rev 1) := 2015 (engineered 3 year ago) ("Curl-DH" ergo mod is a minor modification to the Colemak keyboard layout, designed to make typing more comfortable by making an adjustment to the placement of a small number of keys, in order to gain a significant improvement in ergonomics and comfort.)

DH (rev 2) := 2017 (updated 1 year ago) (two keys swapped)

You live in Croatia? So why are you talking about the advantages of a layout that has been optimized for the English language?

[Sifo]

hhkb is one of the slowest keyboards i've ever typed on and the rubber domes does not help with the feeling of responsiveness, literally would rather type on dell rubber dome since there's no point of the slider if you're going for speed

theoretically if u want fastest get something with blacks, maybe a slight bit lighter but definitely not reds because it takes too long to reset. maybe those cherry speed linear?

but in the end it's down to your preference, clearly people here are able to type on an hhkb

[davkol]

You live in Croatia? So why are you talking about the advantages of a layout that has been optimized for the English language?

Because most languages are close enough.

[Giorgio]

You live in Croatia? So why are you talking about the advantages of a layout that has been optimized for the English language?

Because most languages are close enough.

LOL, that's so funny. pure masochism

[davkol]

You live in Croatia? So why are you talking about the advantages of a layout that has been optimized for the English language?

Because most languages are close enough.

LOL, that's so funny. pure masochism

Do you have any actual arguments to support your position (whatever that is)?

Based on corpus analysis, it's clear that in some cases (when symbols are more evenly distributed in the corpus/language) optimized layouts lose their strong benefit of home-row focus a bit (example), but at the same time the "typing flow" (characteristics like hand alternation or "rolling") is maintained to a large degree.

Besides, it doesn't really matter that someone lives in Croatia or anywhere else, when English is the lingua franca in many fields.

[Zobeid Zuma]

You know what has actually made the biggest observable difference for me?  Split spacebar.  I do, in fact, make mistakes sometimes, and I have to correct them, and having Backspace under my left thumb allows me to correct quicker than reaching way over to the corner of the keyboard with my little pinkie, and it's less disruptive to my typing tempo.

[Giorgio]

You live in Croatia? So why are you talking about the advantages of a layout that has been optimized for the English language?

Because most languages are close enough.

LOL, that's so funny. pure masochism

Do you have any actual arguments to support your position (whatever that is)?

Based on corpus analysis, it's clear that in some cases (when symbols are more evenly distributed in the corpus/language) optimized layouts lose their strong benefit of home-row focus a bit (example), but at the same time the "typing flow" (characteristics like hand alternation or "rolling") is maintained to a large degree.

Besides, it doesn't really matter that someone lives in Croatia or anywhere else, when English is the lingua franca in many fields.

Just say that you've no idea.

[willc]

I average about 150-160wpm+ with Cherry reds

[tp4tissue]

As long as the keys are tactile, that would reduce the number of mistakes.


Nothing else really influences speed from the keyboard end.

Your reading speed and -translation ability- is going to be the main bottleneck to the entire process.

Totally agree, but still, I'll spend a big part of my time typing, so what's gained is gained, the "little" time I'd gain from faster typing through better gear (I'm working on my wpm simultaneously through online training, for what it's worth) is still worth optimizing imo if you sum up the hundreds/thousands of hours I'll spend typing in the coming months (years)

Time saving from faster key input is not a significant saving.


The most prolific writer in history has an average output rate lower than 30wpm.

Yet he spent his entire working life writing.

Which means the bulk of Time spent is in the creative process.


It's virtually impossible to Cognitively Generate more Meaningful content than your fingers can export, be it code or fiction-novels.


I'm not against typing faster,  but saying that it has any tangible time-saving benefit is merely the justification Gekhakrs use to further indulge in their Shopping-Addiction..



By all means, type faster, and buy more keyboards.. 

But be true- and realistic as to WHY you're doing what you're doing..

Life sucks,  shopping makes you happy, and collecting keyboards gives you a sense of progress even though they just sit on a shelf..

This is what it is, do it , accept it, be merry,  but DO NOT Delude oneself..

[Kevadu]

Time saving from faster key input is not a significant saving.


The most prolific writer in history has an average output rate lower than 30wpm.

Yet he spent his entire working life writing.

Which means the bulk of Time spent is in the creative process.


It's virtually impossible to Cognitively Generate more Meaningful content than your fingers can export, be it code or fiction-novels.


I'm not against typing faster,  but saying that it has any tangible time-saving benefit is merely the justification Gekhakrs use to further indulge in their Shopping-Addiction..



By all means, type faster, and buy more keyboards.. 

But be true- and realistic as to WHY you're doing what you're doing..

Life sucks,  shopping makes you happy, and collecting keyboards gives you a sense of progress even though they just sit on a shelf..

This is what it is, do it , accept it, be merry,  but DO NOT Delude oneself..

Oversized ugly colored text aside, I do actually agree with this point.  I'm a software engineer/data scientist and I probably spend less than 2% of my time physically writing code.  The bulk is spent in design, planning, reading documentation, reading papers to keep up with the latest developments in the field, etc.  I type pretty fast seeing how I've been touch-typing since grade school but honestly even if I were hunting and pecking keys I don't feel like it would impact my job all that much. 

[Giorgio]

I average about 150-160wpm+ with Cherry reds

I love reds. And laugh when people say that they don't return up fast enough. What?!??! I'll measure it and show that they're as fast as any other switch.

And if you average 160, it means that sometimes you go faster than that which is quite unbelievable.

[Zobeid Zuma]

Oversized ugly colored text aside, I do actually agree with this point.  I'm a software engineer/data scientist and I probably spend less than 2% of my time physically writing code.  The bulk is spent in design, planning, reading documentation, reading papers to keep up with the latest developments in the field, etc.  I type pretty fast seeing how I've been touch-typing since grade school but honestly even if I were hunting and pecking keys I don't feel like it would impact my job all that much.

I developed my mad typing speed (over 90 WPM in TypeRacer, woohoo!) from time spent in text-chat environments, MUCKs, Second Life, etc.  When you're communicating in realtime with other people using your keyboard, then it's helpful.

[klennkellon]

I swear that I type faster on tactile Alps. Whether it be Matias Quiet Clicks or Salmon. It just feels like my fingers are dancing on the keyboard jumping key to key and I don't make many mistakes.

[Zobeid Zuma]

I swear that I type faster on tactile Alps. Whether it be Matias Quiet Clicks or Salmon. It just feels like my fingers are dancing on the keyboard jumping key to key and I don't make many mistakes.

My best combo thus far has been BOX Burnt Orange and PMK G20 keycaps.  Yeah, I know…  Let's all hate on G20.  The more I use them, though, the more I like them.

[Blaise170]

The question as stated would be equivalent to asking "Which car for fast driving?". Which car keyboard depends on a lot of factors, not least of which is the person using it.

[Sifo]

scissor switch objectively fastest

[notflipperdan420]

For me, light linears or blues. I only type 85wpm average though, so that's not saying much.

[Wobbled]

For me I type fastest on a silenced HHKB. I've gotten very used to the layout and can make corrections very quickly due to the positioning of the back space key. But also typing on loud keyboards although usually feel great (Model F, M, Beamspring blue alps, etc) annoy the hell out of me and distract me.

[Blaise170]

Depends on the environment - clicky switches aren't so bad if your environment is already loud or if you are going to be wearing headphones.