Prescription for a transcriptionist?

[Keylamity]

Anybody else ever get the feeling you're sharing your toothbrush when you see somebody else typing on your Realforce?

Anyway, my sister is a medical transcriptionist and spends her working day typing at a gzillion words a sec on one of those flat, rubber membrane boards, from HP I think, and I thought I would do this great brotherly favour by letting her try my Realforce 86U.

She didn't like it.  I was shocked, nay stunned.  Said the curvature on the key-tops and the high profile of the keys was a bit bothersome vs the flat-top  keys in low profile...at her speed, she can just skim from key to key faster I guess. Oh, and the noise was a pain.  Sometimes a low-talker doctor would be speaking and even a Topre key noise was a bit much for that.  None of those things ever occurred to me that they might be a problem for anyone.

Any other transcriptionist-types out there experience this?  

Is there a good quality mechanical out there that would still rank as elite but give her the quiet serenity and flat-key, low profile she's used to?  I'm thinking maybe Cherry blacks but don't know of anything lo-pro or flat-topped.  I ask because I'd like to get her a quality board as a gift one day....why spend your life pressing overcooked porridge, I say.

Thanks!

[Lpb45]

what kind of cold hearted person doesnt like a topre

[.XL]

I found my filco when sitting flat is fairly flat...the keycaps are still tall though.

You could get her a red board and a wrist wrest, and have her keep it flat. That would most closely resemble the flatness of what she's used to. Tell her to use it for a week before she makes her mind up. She'll come around!

[theferenc]

Actually, I've met a lot of people who feel this way. "It feels nice, but the keys are too tall." "I can see why you like it, but I have to push so much farther."

I explain to them that they only have to depress the key about halfway, rather than all the way to the backplate, so it's actually about the same, and while a few have tried this, and had it work for them, most have felt it was much too difficult, especially with a topre.

You could also try a dampened ALPS board like the AEKII, or a Dell AT101W that had the sliders transplanted from the aforementioned AEKII.

Another think you could try is the low profile topre keyboards, or one of the silent models. However, I believe only the JIS layout is available on either of those.

But yeah, while the majority of the keys on a realforce or hhkb are pretty damn quiet, the space bar is quite loud for most people, and they just can't compare to the quietness of most laptop and low profile membrane keyboards in terms of sheer silence.

[Chobopants]

Ya, my Realforce is the quietest of my fancy keyboards even it's still borderline too loud in a quiet environment. Luckily I don't have the problem if that being a bother.

About the height of the keys, I had a similar problem when I first got my Filco brown. I thought the switch felt great but the height of the keys was off-putting. I had just spent 3-4 years typing on ONLY Mac chiclet boards.

The adjustment took at least two months before I was just as comfortable on a full travel key. Now it's all I use and typing on my Macbook Pro's built in keyboard (on the rare occasions it's not in clamshell mode) is finally slower.

If the noise is a problem she's not going to be able to use a mechanical board unfortunately. If her main problem is just the key height tell her to give it an honest shot for 1-2 months and I bet you a Dogfish Head 120 minute IPA that she'll fall in love with it.

[.XL]

Ya, my Realforce is the quietest of my fancy keyboards even it's still borderline too loud in a quiet environment. Luckily I don't have the problem if that being a bother.

About the height of the keys, I had a similar problem when I first got my Filco brown. I thought the switch felt great but the height of the keys was off-putting. I had just spent 3-4 years typing on ONLY Mac chiclet boards.

The adjustment took at least two months before I was just as comfortable on a full travel key. Now it's all I use and typing on my Macbook Pro's built in keyboard (on the rare occasions it's not in clamshell mode) is finally slower.

If the noise is a problem she's not going to be able to use a mechanical board unfortunately. If her main problem is just the key height tell her to give it an honest shot for 1-2 months and I bet you a Dogfish Head 120 minute IPA that she'll fall in love with it.

Throw down a sixpack of Unibroue 'La Fin Du Monde' and I'll go up there and MAKE her like mech boards!

[Chobopants]

a) thought you were going to bed!
b) you read my mind, I just finished off a Unibroue sample pack last night!

[Larry Dallas]

Throw down a sixpack of Unibroue 'La Fin Du Monde' and I'll go up there and MAKE her like mech boards!

Throw in the Unibroue, a bottle of Robitussin, three White Castles (with cheese), an 8-track of "Blowfly's Disco", an Aston Martin DB9 (with carbon-ceramic brakes), a George Forman grill and a Mr. Microphone and I'll make her LOVE mech boards.

[spolia optima]

what kind of cold hearted person doesnt like a topre

++

[strum4h]

Going from my laptop scissor switch to the filco was a bit odd because of how high my desk is. Using it at my low desk at home is wonderful though.

[Vittra]

Unibroue mention? This is the BEST Geekhack thread EVER.

[Findecanor]

I sounds to me as if you don't have a wrist rest. If you add one, the difference will be smaller.
Also tell her in advance that she does not have to bottom out.

[RiGS]

It is nearly impossible to not buttom out on the Realforce, especially at high typing speeds.

[NimbleRabit]

I do transcription as well, and I don't have a problem with my keyboard (browns).  That's because I spent time getting used to it though, and at first I had all the same issues as your sister.  Especially the fact that the keys have a smaller surface area as that was causing me to make mistakes at first, and the noise was obviously annoying (but I have some closed headphones to cancel that problem).  I would say if she doesn't like it then there's nothing you can do, as you really have to give the keyboard a shot and try it for at least a week before passing judgement.

For me it turns out that the lighter key presses really negate a lot of the issues that I have and make me slightly faster on my mechanical than most other boards, and my fingers are significantly less tired and sore than they used to be after hours of transcription which is a huge bonus for me.

[K5Doom]

Unibroue is not Belgian, it's from Quebec (Canada).

And what the hell, you Americans have our holy Unibroue down there???
My whole world is shattered now.

[theferenc]

You dislike amazing beer? Weird.

[theferenc]

Weird, it's always been more flemish in my mind.

[BucklingSpring]

I think I taste the French part of Belgium in it.

You must have spent too much time in Pigalle if you recognize a French part in it. Zappa knew from experience (In France lyrics) the recipe to turn your Peter green. I bet you know it as well.

Uniebroue - Belgium roots but more to offer

It started with Belgium ideas and went beyond. We now have our own and they are awarded around the world.

Same thing with cheese.

[keyb_gr]

Back on topic, adjusting from flat keys to conventional "high" ones (or vice versa) does seem to be an issue indeed. My theory is that the whole sitting posture has to change.

That being said, I'd say it's worth it if it means you can use a nice board with browns or somesuch.

[hoggy]

Most people will use the same keyboard for years and will hate any other board that isn't exactly the same.  

I know people who spent an afternoon getting used to a newer dell rubber dome...

For them it's like getting used to another car.


Sounds like she's got a lot of muscle memory invested in her existing 'board.  You'll have to wait until she spills coffee on it.

[keyb_gr]

Speaking of muscle memory, I guess that is why G80s with blacks are common secretaries' keyboards here - if you've learned not to bottom out the switches, they're perfectly fine.

[Keylamity]

There's some really good thoughts here about her keyboard issues and.....flemish beer.  I'll pass this along and feel free to deposit more great notions....I've got some ideas to try.

Thanks very much for the thoughts gh'ers!:thumb:

[alaricljs]

I've got some flemish beer to try.

Fixed that...

You could also try the beer on her first then the keyboard

[alaricljs]

It's his SEEEESTER MEEESTER!

Hence why he should follow on with the keyboard rather than something else.

[hoggy]

She might find text expansion more useful than an unfamiliar keyboard.  Take a look at texter.

[AllNight]

I didn't have much troubles switching back and forth between scissor switches, my model M, 'normal' rubber domes, and laptop style rubber domes. I do it all the time, but ofc. my favorite is the M!