My typing speed...

[wellington1869]

Holy crap, I just tested my typing speed for the first time, I thought I was around 60wpm, but turns out I'm at 90wpm (with 95% accuracy, though thats at 5 in the morning . I used typing master's free test program (2 minute test).
 
I was just looking out of curiosity at the relatively new "colemak" keyboard (a competitor to dvorak). I think I'll continue to stick with qwerty.
 
I wonder though, if learning two keyboards adversely affects one's ability to type on their 'native' keyboard? Is it like languages where it wont matter? Or is it like playing with two different kinds of tennis racquets where there's an adjustment period if you switch back and forth and you might wind up worse on both?

[lowpoly]

I wonder though, if learning two keyboards adversely affects one's ability to type on their 'native' keyboard? Is it like languages where it wont matter? Or is it like playing with two different kinds of tennis racquets where there's an adjustment period if you switch back and forth and you might wind up worse on both?

I think we had that before and the answer was that it may or may not work for you.

[D-EJ915]

If it's like playing guitar then I think after a while of using both all the time you'd be able to use both equally as well like using 6 and 7-string guitars, baritone, short-scale, etc.  but then again a key rearrangement is more drastic than changing between types of guitars so it might not work as well.

[wellington1869]

Problem is typing has so much to do with muscle memory, seems to me. When you're going full-tilt anyway.

[FunkTrooper]

I'm using Colemak right now, and I would highly recommend it.  I'm *so* glad I switched from qwerty.  The only problem is, after you've switched, qwerty will seem so terrible to you that you just won't be able to use it.  You just won't want to use it at all.  All of its design flaws suddenly become so apparent.

[wellington1869]

The only problem is, after you've switched, qwerty will seem so terrible to you that you just won't be able to use it.

Thats actually something i'm afraid of I do a lot of tech support and I can never get too far from qwerty because of that. I wouldnt mind learning colemak for 'personal use' but then I'm worried about becoming worse on qwerty.
I suppose I could try using both for a while and see how I feel about it. Qwerty is probably so hardwired into my brain at this point that I could probably recover from any disruption fairly quickly.
 
But using both at the same time ultimately I think will be problematic, for me anyway. At least as far as typing fast goes. Cuz seems to me typing fast is accomplished by NOT being self concious of the keyboard. And having to switch back and forth it seems to me forces one to suddenly become 'aware' of the board, and that has got to slow you down (on both) as a result. Its too bad, I wouldnt mind a more scientifically designed layout, but there's more real-world context to consider I guess.