Is it shameful to spend alot on keyboards, and have a low wpm

[Luweewu]

ONTOP of which it will NEVER EVER get you Sex-Points with the females..

I wouldn't be surprised if there's been at least one guy sometime, somewhere that got laid because of the clickity-clack.

[Geroximo]

A ferrari is a devote VANITY item that is a badge for the Rich, and it helps men get laid, and women fill that emptiness inside themselves..

It's also a superb piece of engineering, which every car enthusiast would enjoy driving, not for the women, but for driving pleasure !

But yeah, I see why you wouldn't compare a car to a keyboard. OP did bring this comparison, not me really.

A mechanical keyboard is a TOOOL, no matter how expensive it is.  it can NEVER function as a vanity item, because it's NOT something anyone else will see and judge you upon..

NOT something anyone else will see and judge you upon?

I beg to differ ... see:

To my colleagues, they'll never understand why I chose to spend that amount of money on a keyboard, when normal ones cost so much less, but to me, my typing experience has become more enjoyable, and I suppose, that's all that matters

[cephelix]

well, at this stage it brings more to the table than the average person realises. I mean, beyond the few of us that really need it, for the rest of us it's more of a want

[Dihedral]

A ferrari is a devote VANITY item that is a badge for the Rich, and it helps men get laid, and women fill that emptiness inside themselves..


A mechanical keyboard is a TOOOL, no matter how expensive it is.  it can NEVER function as a vanity item, because it's NOT something anyone else will see and judge you upon..  ONTOP of which it will NEVER EVER get you Sex-Points with the females..

Obviously a ferrari is not a tool; it is a little known fact that ferraris do not actually function as cars.

[ConscienceDrop]

I believe Ferrari's are engineered for their ability to magnetically attract female genitalia.

This has, so far, not been the case with my mechanical keyboards.

[Dihedral]

I believe Ferrari's are engineered for their ability to magnetically attract female genitalia.

This has, so far, not been the case with my mechanical keyboards.

Maybe you have the wrong kind of switch

[Fragil1ty]

But but what's the point in paying big bucks on a product a person cannot use efficiently?
saying "Buy what you want, it's your money" sounds like the fattest excuse ever,
Nobody here has yet to give a more logically reason other than "it's your money".

The point I'm trying to make is. A person should at least know or at at least learn how to properly use the tool or product well. Before investing tons of money in it. I mean its practically saying I bought a $5000 dollar grand piano, but guess what. I can't play the piano. BUT ITS OKAY. Because it's MY MONEY. It seems like people on geekhack are willing to defend their heavy purchases on keyboards at all cost. Even if they can't use well enough. Even if it's impractical. Even if they type slow. I know I know. It's a hobby. There's nothing wrong with having a big budget hobby on something only people here on geekhack care about. Frankly I too spend hundreds on keyboards. And I have no shame in spending tons. And i know there's no rule against typing slow and spending tons. BUT still. Shouldn't people at least be proficient with the EXPENSIVE products they buy.

I don't know if it's just me, but you sound a bit idiotic. Are you looking for people to agree with your opinion, are you looking for the right opinion, are you looking for spoon fed opinions as someone above kindly stated, you're starting to become somewhat annoying from my point of view.

saying "Buy what you want, it's your money" sounds like the fattest excuse ever,

I don't entirely know what you mean by this? Feel free to elaborate if you want, but I don't fully understand what you're getting at.

The point I'm trying to make is. A person should at least know or at at least learn how to properly use the tool or product well. Before investing tons of money in it. I mean its practically saying I bought a $5000 dollar grand piano, but guess what. I can't play the piano. BUT ITS OKAY. Because it's MY MONEY. It seems like people on geekhack are willing to defend their heavy purchases on keyboards at all cost. Even if they can't use well enough. Even if it's impractical. Even if they type slow. I know I know. It's a hobby. There's nothing wrong with having a big budget hobby on something only people here on geekhack care about. Frankly I too spend hundreds on keyboards. And I have no shame in spending tons. And i know there's no rule against typing slow and spending tons. BUT still. Shouldn't people at least be proficient with the EXPENSIVE products they buy.

Putting it bluntly? No. People can do WHATEVER they want with their own funds, if they want to have an enjoyable typing experience and if they want to spend a lot money to find out what their ideal typing experience is, then so be it, as previously stated, 'it's their money, they can do whatever they want with it.'


It sounds like to me, that you have some personal vendetta against people spending a lot of money on a certain product because they may not be able to use it to it's full potential, when at the end of the day, it's a ****ing keyboard, it's going to get typed on, it's going to get gamed on, it's going to be used regardless, I honestly don't understand why you're putting across some of the points that you are, to be frank with you.


Looks like I can't go ahead and get the new iPhone 6 because I'm not going to use it to it's full potential, after all, I only use it for texting and social media and I type slower on an iPhone than I do anything else, **** you got me.

[cephelix]

Of course ideally the product gets used to it's full potential.but how many ferrari owners do you see driving their cars at too speed? How many people with computer users know the ins and outs of the system software and hardware wise? Not many compared to the rest but the main thing is it still gets used, to varying degrees.so long as their purchases don't mean sacrificing quality of life in other aspects, and if they can comfortably afford it, why not? Once they are interested and enthusiastic about that item, they'll learn more about it.

[ablooga]

But isn't it the same as buying a ferrari and not knowing how to drive?
That's kind of like how i view it.

What would you prefer? Driving a Ferrari or driving a piece of junk?
... Exactly.
Driving a ferrari is just more enjoyable ... no matter how fast you're driving.

That's how i see it.
Typing speed doesn't matter .... the feeling you have while typing is what counts 

pieces of junk cost way less and provide the same functionality as a ferarri.
microsoft keyboards end result is exactly the same as a thousand dollar keyboard.

[whentheclouds]

i'm sorry but reading this thread makes me want to punch OP in the face

[fanpeople]

I like nice keyboards, yet most of my computer time is spent on a rubber dome dooby HP/mehmassive IT contract3$keyboard. Rules are no changing of the contracted hardware.

But I like to come home and spend a few hours listening to the clickety clackety of the model M. Not really the expensive keyboard HHKB etc. that I think you guys are talking about but it cost more than $30-$50. Thus I think it qualifies as expensive in the eyes of 86% of the population. I find it therapeutic and relaxing, using the car comparison I like to relax on my keyboard whereas some people like to relax in their nice car  on the weekend. You don't have to go fast and be an knob on the road to enjoy something.

PS what about all the keyboards branded to attract gamers for the purpose of gaming? Gaming dons't require an advanced typing number codified through the application of a set period designed to compare ones ability to another, yet from what I see a large portion of the keyboard market is aimed at gaming not typing.     

33 WPM..... if anyone was wondering 

[ynrozturk]

The Ferrari arguments is stupid as well. 99% of Ferrari owners will ever even hit 200 mph in it.

[luisbg]

The Ferrari arguments is stupid as well. 99% of Ferrari owners will ever even hit 200 mph in it.

I agree.

Also because driving well isn't the same as driving fast.
I have friends who drive like maniacs and nobody wants to go with them. I will arrive a few minutes after them, but aiming at a very smooth and fun ride.

For that matter, the guy spending tons of money in the Ferrari living in a city is wasting his money because I will get there faster on my motorbike because I can filter through traffic. Wouldn't mind trading though. Never been on a Ferrari, but have been on a few Porsches and they are definitely very nice to be in. Enjoyment isn't only about speed.

[PocoLoco]

No  it isnt shameful you like the typing experience with mechanical keyboards wpm does not mean too much imho, its just bragging rights

[ideus]

Are mechanical keyboards only to type fast? I do not think so, I like them because I spent most of my working time on one, thus, I do not want to live with a cheapo, chicle feeling, tiring rubber membrane keyboard.

[luisbg]

I have a simple system to decide if something is worth the cost: I divide price by usage time.

I bought 200 euro rollerblades, have used them half a dozen times. Not worth it.

I've spent around 500 euros in my ErgoDox and Leopold. As a professional coder and open source enthusiast, I type for around 10 hours most days. Mechs make it a bigger pleasure. Totally worth it.

[RoflCopter4]

What counts as a "low" WPM anyway?

When I got my Model M a few months ago I noticed for the first time that I had a very odd way of typing. I was getting something like 90 WPM but I was only touch typing in the conventional sense with my left hand. My right hand was only using two fingers. I wasn't looking at the keyboard or anything, I had the key locations memorized, but it wasn't proper touch typing. Ever since I've been trying to unlearn the way I've typed all my life and pick up "proper" touch typing and as a result my WPM has fallen to 70-80. I do seem to have slightly fewer typos though. I honestly do not know why I only learned to touch type with one hand. I can only imagine that I only bothered taking the typing lessons we had to take for my left hand and then just did nothing for the other. Kind of confusing, really.

[Xonar]

Definitely not shameful. It's all about the experience of typing on a proper keyboard. I can understand the frustration of it, though. I'm learning Dvorak right now, and my typing speed on QWERTY seems to be decreasing because of it. lol Down to 60 WPM from my usual 85-90 WPM.

[Grim Fandango]

It is not shameful.

Though if you are spending that much on keyboards, do yourself a favor and learn how to touch type. I really think there is something about these keyboards in terms of feel that non-touch typists will never grasp. I type only about 85 WPM on 10fastfingers.com. My sister types over 100 WPM on her laptop's chiclet keyboard. Who cares, I use it because I like the way typing on my keyboards feel.

[Lunatique]

There are a **** ton of people who buy really expensive professional cameras and lenses, but take photos that look no better than typical vacation snapshots the average person takes with a phone or point-and-shoot camera, and they don't really try to learn to become a better photographer either. Yes, on some level it might seem a little silly, but that is a subjective judgment of values, not ethics or legality.

If we judge all gamers by the gaming keyboards, mice, gamepads, graphics cards, monitors, and computers they own, does that mean you have to be an elite professional gamer to justify buying nice gear? Is it okay to own nice gear if you are just an average gamer who never gets high scores or win competitions?

Let's look at it from another point of view:

Person A can type 180 WPM, but never actually writes anything of merit--just trolling on the web or sending pointless texts.

Person B  can only type 40 WPM, but is writing the next Great American Novel, or Oscar-winning screenplay, or coding an innovative new software that changes the way we live, or a speech that will result in a revolution that frees an oppressed people. Now, which one of them is more deserving of an expensive keyboard?

Value judgments are inherently subjective. You might place importance on WPM, but other people might place importance on enjoyment and comfort, or what is actually being written by the person using the expensive keyboard.

[RoflCopter4]

There are a **** ton of people who buy really expensive professional cameras and lenses, but take photos that look no better than typical vacation snapshots the average person takes with a phone or point-and-shoot camera, and they don't really try to learn to become a better photographer either. Yes, on some level it might seem a little silly, but that is a subjective judgment of values, not ethics or legality.

If we judge all gamers by the gaming keyboards, mice, gamepads, graphics cards, monitors, and computers they own, does that mean you have to be an elite professional gamer to justify buying nice gear? Is it okay to own nice gear if you are just an average gamer who never gets high scores or win competitions?

Let's look at it from another point of view:

Person A can type 180 WPM, but never actually writes anything of merit--just trolling on the web or sending pointless texts.

Person B  can only type 40 WPM, but is writing the next Great American Novel, or Oscar-winning screenplay, or coding an innovative new software that changes the way we live, or a speech that will result in a revolution that frees an oppressed people. Now, which one of them is more deserving of an expensive keyboard?

Value judgments are inherently subjective. You might place importance on WPM, but other people might place importance on enjoyment and comfort, or what is actually being writren by the person using the expensive keyboard.

Now now, this is a very charged statement here. There is several millenia worth of philisophical debate on this topic. Some value judgements are not subjective. In this case though, they largely are. I'm just being a pedantic *******.

[Lunatique]

There are a **** ton of people who buy really expensive professional cameras and lenses, but take photos that look no better than typical vacation snapshots the average person takes with a phone or point-and-shoot camera, and they don't really try to learn to become a better photographer either. Yes, on some level it might seem a little silly, but that is a subjective judgment of values, not ethics or legality.

If we judge all gamers by the gaming keyboards, mice, gamepads, graphics cards, monitors, and computers they own, does that mean you have to be an elite professional gamer to justify buying nice gear? Is it okay to own nice gear if you are just an average gamer who never gets high scores or win competitions?

Let's look at it from another point of view:

Person A can type 180 WPM, but never actually writes anything of merit--just trolling on the web or sending pointless texts.

Person B  can only type 40 WPM, but is writing the next Great American Novel, or Oscar-winning screenplay, or coding an innovative new software that changes the way we live, or a speech that will result in a revolution that frees an oppressed people. Now, which one of them is more deserving of an expensive keyboard?

Value judgments are inherently subjective. You might place importance on WPM, but other people might place importance on enjoyment and comfort, or what is actually being writren by the person using the expensive keyboard.

Now now, this is a very charged statement here. There is several millenia worth of philisophical debate on this topic. Some value judgements are not subjective. In this case though, they largely are. I'm just being a pedantic *******.

I agree that value judgments aren't always strictly subjective. When value judgments involve ethics, it starts to become more complex, and when ethical judgments are enforced by law, then it becomes something we must obey. At this level of discussion, we're safe from the police knocking on our door, so we're good. 

I was just trying to show the OP a different way to look at this subject.

[arakula]

But isn't it the same as buying a ferrari and not knowing how to drive?
That's kind of like how i view it.

BS. No, I don't mean Buckling Spring.
An overpowered car can be quite dangerous in the hands of someone who can't drive (but the same goes for a Smart).
A good keyboard, to go with your analogy, is more like a car that offers quite a lot of comfort and safety features you don't get in a cheap car, allowing for better and more exact steering (AND for going faster, but that's not the main point).

I'm not the fastest typist on this planet. Far from it. So what - I'm not paid on a words per minute scheme; got a far more interesting job than THAT. Using a good keyboard, however, reduces my typing errors by approx. 30%. I would type even slower on a cheap rubber dome keyboard, because I'd have to correct quite a lot more.

[bhtooefr]

I'd like to note that my fastest keyboard is a two way tie between an Acer Aspire One D250 and a Matias Tactile Pro 4. Those are the only keyboards that I've broken 120 WPM with (I've hit 119 with my Model F, though).

Guess which one I'd rather type on?

Earlier in this thread, someone compared mechanical keyboards to Miatas. Yes, you can get one to go quite fast in the twisty bits with skill, but it's still quite fun (at least in the dry, anyway) even if it's SLOWER, without skill. You won't get the most out of it without that skill, but you can get something out of it above and beyond a Toyota Corolla.

[mapple]

But isn't it the same as buying a ferrari and not knowing how to drive?
That's kind of like how i view it.
Or like buying sunglasses for the blind, iuno something like that

Speed isn't the main factor in keyboards, if you ask me. You might get a Ferrari if speed is your goal, but I bet you'd enjoy a scenic drive in a luxury car, and I'd bet you'd rather put 4 adults into a large vehicle. Maybe you like classic cars (expensive and way outdated, but an entirely different experience). Or maybe you like highly customized cars for their uniqueness. There is so much more to it than just typing speed.

For me, it's more about the comfort and overall experience. For example, I type fastest on an Apple aluminum keyboard... but I enjoy my Realforce 87U 55g more. I think comfort is a really big factor as well because repetitive stress injuries (RSI) can be a serious health problem that you'd want to avoid.

Take speed out of the equation, unless your desire is to become a faster typist. In that case, practice is what you really need, and it will come with time.

Otherwise, don't worry about it. Consider yourself a sunday typist. 

+1 for that. Additionally check out really deep that guy which claims that he's around 100. Might be that fast on words itself but when you add special signs he might be "bit lost" . Anywho, back to ferrari:D. Me personally with special signs it's around 70 wpm I know there's a lot of people which makes llllllllllllloooooooooooooooooootttttttttttttttttttt more. But ferrari is not best on straight line man, it's about downforce and cornering what makes ferrari sport car not straight line (obviously add sound to it;).

[davkol]

I don't think it's the right question to ask.

What's the purpose of a keyboard?
A collectible? Then wpm is irrelevant.
A compensation of emotional/spiritual emptiness (like with most spending nowadays)? A way to boost your ego, show off your e-penis or simply get more street cred? Typing speed is another thing you can brag about; I think you're a tool in this case anyway.
A tool to get stuff done? Then evaluate, whether it types better, or not.

There's the fun factor, of course. People in marketing psychology claim that consumers get more enjoyment from more expensive stuff in general (as confirmed in case of wine, etc.). Enjoy your bias, I guess. Is it really worth it though? For example, why not seek pleasure in something with as few negative externalities as possible? (Environmental consequences of transportation are obvious; health effects of typing are something to consider as well.)

[ideus]

I wonder why moderators have not moved this thread into the 'off topic' sub-forum yet.

[appleonama]

No, not shameful at all.

If you like something, keep doing it.

Unless that thing is murder.

drugs it is then

There's mucho murder in droogas.

hey vato tu eres narc?

[jerue]

Nope, nothing wrong with it at all.

Friend #2 should try typing with Friend #1's keyboard and see if WPM is maintained. Give 5-10wpm due to changing boards, but if the speeds are about what you'd expect, friend #2 is a faster typist regardless of peripheral used. 

FWIW I also type faster on rubber dome boards; In order of speed: Rubber dome, MX Blue, MX Clear, Topre, Buckling Spring. My Model M really slows me down - though I don't use it as much everyday as some other switches.

EDIT: Whoa I just realized this was necro-bumped.

[demik]

No, not shameful at all.

If you like something, keep doing it.

Unless that thing is murder.

drugs it is then

There's mucho murder in droogas.

hey vato tu eres narc?

You necro'd this for this corny ****?

[hwood34]

No, not shameful at all.

If you like something, keep doing it.

Unless that thing is murder.

drugs it is then

There's mucho murder in droogas.

hey vato tu eres narc?

You necro'd this for this corny ****?

ay man's gotta do what a man's gotta do to get the post count up

[Bucake]

the answer is no. it's a stupid question.

[Elrick]

Friend 2 always mocks friend 1 for typing significantly slower than him, in spite of the difference in keyboards.

Very easy solution for you here, just dump so-called "friend 2"......... enough said  .

[jamster]

Spending money on keyboards might be a bit eccentric, but not something to be embarrassed about.

I could see that being a super slow typist might be a bit embarrassing though (for anyone who types a lot, e.g. a student or an office professional). My best friend used to be a two fingered typist (we're IT guys) until I gave him so much **** that he finally learned to touch type

[fohat.digs]

Of course not.

But a new set of golf clubs will take several strokes off your game.

[flamf]

Is this troll? I'm bad at internet

[steve.v]

Please tell me what to do with my money. Go ahead

[KeypressGraphics]

You could argue its those of us who aren't speed demons who deserve a little more assistance from our keyboards than those who are.

[davkol]

You could argue its those of us who aren't speed demons who deserve a little more assistance from our keyboards than those who are.

Then learn to use text expansion software. It's free and actually helpful.

[Mad_Maxx]

Of course not.

But a new set of golf clubs will take several strokes off your game.

Ha. That's what you think.

Nothing can help my golf game.

[theryaner]

Nah, buying keyboards is all about enhancing your overall experience when using your computer not wpm.

[Grrizz]

IMO there are lots of reasons to want a nice (and/or expensive) keyboard, if you type a lot and need/want a high WPM output a nice keyboard can aid in that but for others it'll be more about comfort, for some functionality e.g. additional keys/better layout for games, productivity or entertainment, it could be purely for aesthetic reasons and for others (myself included) the engineering aspect alone is enough to peak our interests. If someone tells you you shouldn't spend a good chunk of money a nice keyboard because your WPM is lower then 100 (or any other arbitrary number) its only because of their own narrow mindedness IMO.

Edit: Oh damn that necro...

[fohat.digs]

Yes, and it is shameful to spend a lot of money on a pair of running shoes if you are not a track star.

[mkawa]

i didn't tell you this but dorkvader can't touch type :whistle: