Split Keyboards & Touchtyping

[ambroise]

Some keyboards differ in the way they split the numbers row.
The split is either between 5 & 6 or 6 & 7.

When touch typing, there are 2 suggested ways to place the fingers when it comes to the number rows.

One method is to have the left index finger on the number 4 and the right index finger on the number 7.

Another method is to have the left index finger on the number 5 and the right index finger on the number 8.

To summarize:

-------LEFT HAND--------------------------RIGHT HAND
 
little / ring / middle / index-----------index / middle / ring / little
-1-----2 -----3------4 5------------6 7------8-----9------0

little / ring / middle / index-----------index / middle / ring / little
-1 2----3 -----4------5 6------------7 8-----9-----0------[ -]

REF: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touch_typing
 
Which method is better and why?

[almasy]

You don't touch type on the number row.
you touch type on the number pad.
you use the 5 key as a guide.

[nolo]

Hi, i think the decision what method is better depends on type of keyboard (Method one: Split between 5 & 6, Method two: Split between 6 & 7).

IMHO method one is better for split keyboards because the amount by which the rows of keys are staggered is more uniform.


Click for more info

I place my index fingers on position 5 & 8 because my daily driver is a 'normal'* board (* non-split/88 keys/german).

[Lanx]

6 should be for right index, but most all split ergo's place 6 on the left, f5 is is usually split that way too.

[Findecanor]

The Kinesis Evolution has a 6 key on each side.

By the way, there is a graph in the Wikipedia article that suggests that you use the left ring-finger
for 2 and 3.

[ambroise]

Findecanor,

"By the way, there is a graph in the Wikipedia article that suggests that you use the left ring-finger
for 2 and 3."

Is it in a graph or the article. I can't seem to find the graph or maybe I'm misreading something.
Could you tell me which graph you're referring to? Thanks.

[Zet]

You don't touch type on the number row.
you touch type on the number pad.
you use the 5 key as a guide.

I agree

[Findecanor]

Is it in a graph or the article. I can't seem to find the graph or maybe I'm misreading something.
Could you tell me which graph you're referring to? Thanks.

This one. Notice the shade on the keys on the number row.

[daerid]

You don't touch type on the number row.
you touch type on the number pad.
you use the 5 key as a guide.

I'm going to go ahead and disagree with you on that one. I'm perfectly capable of using the top row of number keys without looking, just by "touch".

[hemflit]

The tradition I'm aware of has it you "should" hit 6 with your right index, due to some ancient bearded dude's idea of assigning keys to fingers in a way that's symmetric or organizationally simple, as opposed to comfortable.

**** tradition. The "normal" key stagger is an unnatural historical artifact anyway. On a normal keyboard, with your hands on the normal home row position, 6 is closer to your left index than your right.

Personally, I hold my elbows way out to my sides, so it's left index on 5 and 6, right index on 7 only. Mileages differ.

[elef]

You don't touch type on the number row.

What a dumb thing to say. I can't reliably touch type numbers from the top row exept 1 and 2, but more power to those who can. Obviously, it can be learned and it can be very useful if you type a lot and short numbers tend to occur in your texts.

[daerid]

...it's left index on 5 and 6, right index on 7 only. Mileages differ.

Agreed 100%. That's the way I learned it in my high school typing class, and that's the way I'll do it until I'm too old to type anymore.

[TacticalCoder]

I'm going to go ahead and disagree with you on that one. I'm perfectly capable of using the top row of number keys without looking, just by "touch".

 
And I disagree too (so I agree with you ; ) :  I'm a programmer since a great many years and I do touch type the numbers on the top row all the time.  When you program you need to use numbers very often and, very often, you don't have to input only numbers (it's not the same as when filling a spreadsheet).  When I'm filling a spreadsheet I do touch-type the numpad (full-sized Model M FTW : ) but when I program I do touch-type numbers on the top row all the time.  I also touch-type -= and ~!@#$%^&*()_+ (top row on QWERTY layouts) correctly using left or right shift depending which hand will hit the top row.

Being able to touch-type ~!@#$%^&*()_+ and -= from the top row is quite convenient because I certainly wouldn't know how to do it using the numpad : )

That said I learned to touch-type alone and wasn't aware that there were two schools as to how the '6' had to be hit: I hit it with my right index and it's been too long to change that.  Most split boards seem to have the '6' on the left side of the board (I've got an old Belkin rubber-dome here where it's not the case: the '6' is on the right, but I don't use that board).  I like those that have two '6' keys so that everyone can be happy (honestly I don't know which one is the one true correct location for that key on a split keyboard: I simply learned that way and got used to it).

Funnily enough my current daily driver is a Swiss-german QWERTZ Model M that I use as a QWERTY and besides '5 %' and backspace there's not a single key of the top row that corresponds between Swiss-german QWERTZ and QWERTY so being able to touch type that top row surely helps

I'm also pretty certain that people using blank keycaps do touchtype the top row without any problem ; )