More on typing one handed vs two handed

[Popkeymon]

We all write one handed but type on keyboard with two hands. What makes typing alphabets such a complicated procedure that should involve ten fingers and two hands tightened together at the table to jibble some words and sentences?

We all appreciate the design of numpad and type the numpad with only one hand instead of two. Typing numpad one-handed didn't mean typing really slow. In contrast, typing numbers on numpad one handed allow all of us to speed up typing compared to the top number row at the alphabet side that we usually handle with both hands.

If we have two hands, why should we learn to type by one? What should the idle hand do if it does not type together?

That's true. The answer is that we have two hands and two legs. Why should we "walk" with two legs instead of four(walking like a dog) so as to fully utilize all resources? What should the idle hands do if not use to "walk"?

[Popkeymon]

It is a very abnormal behaviour that every computer user is forced to learn typing in a very unnatural position. You have to sit stressfully placing your two hands and fingers in the "home position" then type in that posture for hours depending on your job nature.

If you work with the keyboard all day long, it is the posture rather than the layout design that hurt your body!

In fact, typing speed is not the utmost important factor that determine how we deal with the computing machine. Most of the time we deal with the machine by clicking and pointing rather than hitting keyboard.

If I surf the net, usually I need to type few search keywords rather than typing long essay on the search bar. It makes no sense to compete typing with 200wpm two handed vs 20wpm one handed for this non speed demanding situation.

With consideration of a few decades that we should deal with computer day by day, I strongly recommand you start freeing your hand and adopt a more relaxed posture to avoid hurting yourself for using the computing machine.

[keyb_gr]

OK, that's two different issues there:

1. Sitting posture. If you sit at the computer like a statue all day long, you WILL have problems - that should be common knowledge these days.

2. Typing technique. Obviously the process of typing on a keyboard or originally typewriter is much different from writing by hand.

The latter requires very precise hand movements and quite a bit of concentration to create the desired lines in a small area. (Speaking of which, consider yourself glad that you don't have to decipher my handwriting here... ) There are some people who can write with two hands at once, different things no less, but they are not a majority.

An array of keys invites using multiple fingers to hit them, and, once the array exceeds a certain size, using both hands. It is insightful to compare typical input patterns on a cellphone keyboard (ever seen people text using two thumbs? quite interesting, that), a numeric keypad and an alphanumeric keyboard.

In this context, it may be interesting to notice that as much as usage patterns influence design, existing designs also influence usage patterns (humans are highly adaptive after all), i.e. we have feedback going on here - part of why ergonomics is a bit of a "soft" science.

That in turn leads us to the question of why we'd stick to our accustomed - usually two-handed - typing technique even if it may be needlessly fast and detrimental with regard to pointing device usage: Humans may be highly adaptive, but they usually can't learn a new typing technique that quickly (and that's what your suggestion would amount to). If you have to give up muscle memory and explicitly concentrate on writing, it entirely defeats the purpose of the exercise.

While I personally can type entirely left-handed if needed, there are some things which are just a lot more comfortable when using both hands, particularly when modifiers are involved.

But let's go back to the original motivation: Freeing up one hand. Why do we want to do that? Clearly it would be for pointing device usage. And why is that? Well, typically a keyboard-mouse change incurs a high penalty for the right hand, assuming the mouse is to the right of the keyboard. From regular home position, the mouse is a looong way off when using a regular fullsize keyboard, usually requiring reorientation upon a change. That's part of why we're after tenkeyless boards here.

[What is X?]

if you don't care about typing speed then obviously feel free to halve your potential typing ability. Most of us do care.