HHKB users...a question to all of you

[LiquidEvilGaming]

So i'm quickly getting used to the HHKB pro 2 layout much faster than i ever thought possible.....minus one glaring...muscle memory...madness inducing issue.....


Why on earth did they not make a dipswitch to swap control and caps lock?  The idea of using shift or a secondary layer for caps lock is maddening beyond words.


any suggestions?  It's my biggest hurdle with this layout atm.

[Bucake]

i think autohotkey can fix that?
another suggestion is a hasu controller, but you'd have to buy or make one (either way costs some cash)

[cheddarbek]

If you feel like turning screws, Hasu makes a drop-in replacement board running his TMK firmware. You could set the layout to whatever you'd like.

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=71517.0

[LiquidEvilGaming]

If you feel like turning screws, Hasu makes a drop-in replacement board running his TMK firmware. You could set the layout to whatever you'd like.

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=71517.0

Not sure i'd have the skill or courage for that myself, down the line perhaps though.

[nubbinator]

People who aren't Kanye West use caps lock?

[LiquidEvilGaming]

i think autohotkey can fix that?
another suggestion is a hasu controller, but you'd have to buy or make one (either way costs some cash)

Does auto hotkey create any lag issues or anything like that remapping keys?

[MJ45]

So i'm quickly getting used to the HHKB pro 2 layout much faster than i ever thought possible.....minus one glaring...muscle memory...madness inducing issue.....


Why on earth did they not make a dipswitch to swap control and caps lock?  The idea of using shift or a secondary layer for caps lock is maddening beyond words.


any suggestions?  It's my biggest hurdle with this layout atm.

For me its the best feature about the HHKB. I don't miss a dedicated caps lock and prefer the control key in that position.

[LiquidEvilGaming]

So i'm quickly getting used to the HHKB pro 2 layout much faster than i ever thought possible.....minus one glaring...muscle memory...madness inducing issue.....


Why on earth did they not make a dipswitch to swap control and caps lock?  The idea of using shift or a secondary layer for caps lock is maddening beyond words.


any suggestions?  It's my biggest hurdle with this layout atm.

For me its the best feature about the HHKB. I don't miss a dedicated caps lock and prefer the control key in that position.

I could see that depending on your usage of the board but for myself it's a major hindrance.  Maybe i'll get used to it but thus far it's slowed my wpm quite a bit.

[clacktalk]

you can get used to fn+tab for caps.

hhkb is by far the best 60% layout. but ya i would also suggest getting hasu controller for added programmability. the possibilities become endless

[appleonama]

Although I love my hhkb I can't use it as my main board due to the missing caps lock. I have my teamspeak channel and my bind for push-to-talk is caps lock and I can't stand having to go through the second layer to access caps lock.

[Bromono]

Dont understand why you would need capslock?

Shift + what  ever key you want seems to work for the most part.

UNLESS YOU LIKE TO "YELL" A LOT...

[dgneo]

So i'm quickly getting used to the HHKB pro 2 layout much faster than i ever thought possible.....minus one glaring...muscle memory...madness inducing issue.....


Why on earth did they not make a dipswitch to swap control and caps lock?  The idea of using shift or a secondary layer for caps lock is maddening beyond words.


any suggestions?  It's my biggest hurdle with this layout atm.

For me its the best feature about the HHKB. I don't miss a dedicated caps lock and prefer the control key in that position.

I could see that depending on your usage of the board but for myself it's a major hindrance.  Maybe i'll get used to it but thus far it's slowed my wpm quite a bit.

Are you one of those people who use Caps Lock for Shift essentially?

I don't quite understand how Caps Lock being gone is affecting WPM...

[Polymer]

I could see that depending on your usage of the board but for myself it's a major hindrance.  Maybe i'll get used to it but thus far it's slowed my wpm quite a bit.

Really?  The only person that uses that for normal typing is Wrona I thought..and that is just an oddball way to do things but if it works for you it works..

Still - The lack of a real CAPSLOCK key is one of the most glaring things for this keyboard so if you were so dependent on it you probably should've know..

For the rest of the people that use Shift keys, the CTRL position is a great replacement for what is a generally worthless key that carries prime real estate...

[LiquidEvilGaming]

So i'm quickly getting used to the HHKB pro 2 layout much faster than i ever thought possible.....minus one glaring...muscle memory...madness inducing issue.....


Why on earth did they not make a dipswitch to swap control and caps lock?  The idea of using shift or a secondary layer for caps lock is maddening beyond words.


any suggestions?  It's my biggest hurdle with this layout atm.

For me its the best feature about the HHKB. I don't miss a dedicated caps lock and prefer the control key in that position.

I could see that depending on your usage of the board but for myself it's a major hindrance.  Maybe i'll get used to it but thus far it's slowed my wpm quite a bit.

Are you one of those people who use Caps Lock for Shift essentially?

I don't quite understand how Caps Lock being gone is affecting WPM...

I have always as well as anyone i know on a personal level anyways always always always used caps lock for capital letters...honestly it's a bit of a revelation for me learning anyone uses shift TIL.  Guess i can either learn to get used to it or take one of the actions above.  We shall see how i adjust to it after using it for some time.

The entire hold two keys at once versus a caps lock key is an entirely new thing for me to get used to,but i will try to anyway.

[alexjd99]

Control is used so much more than caps lock, and fn+tab is still really fast, there's really no point in having a dip switch to swap them. And, one of the main reasons to get an HHKB is because of the layout, so why tamper with it?

[tp4tissue]

why not just buy the controller? it's a drop in.. you don't have to do nothin'

[LiquidEvilGaming]

why not just buy the controller? it's a drop in.. you don't have to do nothin'

Like i said if i keep the keyboard long term i may well consider it, but i have not even formed a solid opinion of it yet

[inanis]

You need to stop using Caps Lock as a shift key. That is just terrible.

Or, buy Hasu's controller. But even if you do that, pls, for the love of everything good, stop using Caps Lock as a shift key. Wait till you see how much your WPM improves when you do!

[LiquidEvilGaming]

p.s for those whom think it's odd to use caps lock over shift for capital letters

Quote from http://seanwrona.com/typing.html
I am also frequently asked for tips on typing faster. I believe my biggest advantage in typing is that I do not necessarily use the same finger to type the same key. I use whichever finger is most comfortable, which can vary based on the context of the letters in the word. I cannot completely explain what I'm doing since I have been doing it since my childhood and it comes naturally, but I do tend to use whichever finger is closest based on the positioning of my hands typing the other letters in the word.
Additionally, if you want to increase your speed, do not type each word at uniform speed. Speed through the easier words and take a little more time on the harder words to ensure accuracy. Always focus on the word after the word you are currently typing so there are no unnatural pauses in your typing. I recommend using caps lock instead of shift to type capital letters to allow more flexibility in the hand that you would normally use shift with.

http://seanwrona.com/typing.php

One of if not still the worlds fastest typist.

[LiquidEvilGaming]

You need to stop using Caps Lock as a shift key. That is just terrible.

Or, buy Hasu's controller. But even if you do that, pls, for the love of everything good, stop using Caps Lock as a shift key. Wait till you see how much your WPM improves when you do!

i'd have to disagree caps lock is fairly common for a reason,and as my last post showed one of if not the worlds fastest typist also recommends using it over shift for capital letters.  It's much easier and way more natural to hit one button that locks for a capital than having to unnaturally hold one button at the same time as typing another IMO it almost feels alien.

[inanis]

You need to stop using Caps Lock as a shift key. That is just terrible.

Or, buy Hasu's controller. But even if you do that, pls, for the love of everything good, stop using Caps Lock as a shift key. Wait till you see how much your WPM improves when you do!

i'd have to disagree caps lock is fairly common for a reason,and as my last post showed one of if not the worlds fastest typist also recommends using it over shift for capital letters.  It's much easier and way more natural to hit one button that locks for a capital than having to unnaturally hold one button at the same time as typing another IMO it almost feels alien.

We will agree to disagree. 

As long as you enjoy the HHKB, that is what matters.

[alexjd99]

But why would you use a key you have to disengage as a key that is usually only used for one letter at a time. Position wise, shift where caps is could make sense, but actually using caps as your shift key is godawful. Just because one fast person does it, doesn't mean it's the best way to do it.

[LiquidEvilGaming]

But why would you use a key you have to disengage as a key that is usually only used for one letter at a time. Position wise, shift where caps is could make sense, but actually using caps as your shift key is godawful. Just because one fast person does it, doesn't mean it's the best way to do it.

It's a far more natural flow imo to keep moving key to key than it is to pause and hold down two keys at the same time.  Honestly before i made this post i wasn't even aware anyone even used the shift key for capital letters. Using shift for capital letters feels as unnatural to me as using left handed golf clubs while i am right handed.

[LiquidEvilGaming]

double posted for some reason...apologies

[LiquidEvilGaming]

I actually found the dumbest most obvious solution to this....

I simply enabled sticky keys in windows and now shift acts like a normal caps lock for a single capital letter which makes it MUCH easier for me to use!

I'm smacking myself for not thinking of something so stupidly easy to begin with to address the problem.

[oneproduct]

Using caps lock instead of shift only comes into play once you start typing really quickly (though from a comfort point of view it's also easier to only have to press one key at a time). While I still use the shift key for capital letters, there's logical reasoning as to using the caps lock key instead of it. The thing that slows you down the most when typing quickly is making a typo, and having to time the hold + release of shift in tandem with a letter leaves a lot of room for error or forces you to slow down.

Two common errors you get when trying to type "Example" are:

EXample --> held shift slightly too long
example --> didn't hold shift long enough

I sort of see these kind of problems when I reach around 120+ WPM, mostly the first with the double upper case. Hitting caps lock is more uniform in terms of typing. Why would you do all your typing with single button presses then randomly incorporate another type of motion: press, hold and release? The question is just about whether you type so fast that press/hold/release causes you more problems than hitting caps/letter/caps.

[alexjd99]

Using caps lock instead of shift only comes into play once you start typing really quickly. While I still use the shift key for capital letters, there's logical reasoning as to using the caps lock key instead of it. The thing that slows you down the most when typing quickly is making a typo, and having to time the hold + release of shift in tandem with a letter leaves a lot of room for error or forces you to slow down.

Two common errors you get when trying to type "Example" are:

EXample --> held shift slightly too long
example --> didn't hold shift long enough

I sort of see these kind of problems when I reach around 120+ WPM, mostly the first with the double upper case. Hitting caps lock is more uniform in terms of typing. Why would you do all your typing with single button presses then randomly incorporate another type of motion: press, hold and release? The question is just about whether you type so fast that press/hold/release causes you more problems than hitting caps/letter/caps.

I do make a lot of typos like the first one, where the first two letters are capitalized. Maybe I should give sticky keys a try 

[LiquidEvilGaming]

Using caps lock instead of shift only comes into play once you start typing really quickly. While I still use the shift key for capital letters, there's logical reasoning as to using the caps lock key instead of it. The thing that slows you down the most when typing quickly is making a typo, and having to time the hold + release of shift in tandem with a letter leaves a lot of room for error or forces you to slow down.

Two common errors you get when trying to type "Example" are:

EXample --> held shift slightly too long
example --> didn't hold shift long enough

I sort of see these kind of problems when I reach around 120+ WPM, mostly the first with the double upper case. Hitting caps lock is more uniform in terms of typing. Why would you do all your typing with single button presses then randomly incorporate another type of motion: press, hold and release? The question is just about whether you type so fast that press/hold/release causes you more problems than hitting caps/letter/caps.

Usually i am between 95-100 with most of my keyboards so not quite into that 120+ range yet.  However i do have a rather funky typing style and that may contribute to it some.

[LiquidEvilGaming]

Using caps lock instead of shift only comes into play once you start typing really quickly. While I still use the shift key for capital letters, there's logical reasoning as to using the caps lock key instead of it. The thing that slows you down the most when typing quickly is making a typo, and having to time the hold + release of shift in tandem with a letter leaves a lot of room for error or forces you to slow down.

Two common errors you get when trying to type "Example" are:

EXample --> held shift slightly too long
example --> didn't hold shift long enough

I sort of see these kind of problems when I reach around 120+ WPM, mostly the first with the double upper case. Hitting caps lock is more uniform in terms of typing. Why would you do all your typing with single button presses then randomly incorporate another type of motion: press, hold and release? The question is just about whether you type so fast that press/hold/release causes you more problems than hitting caps/letter/caps.

Usually i am between 95-100 with most of my keyboards so not quite into that 120+ range yet.  However i do have a rather funky typing style and that may contribute to it some.

P.S my wife glanced over at this and said hun....you are odd i also use shift.

[oneproduct]

I'm pretty sure most people use the shift keys. I've never met anyone in person who uses caps lock instead. And when they teach it to children in schools I'm sure they teach them to use shift.

[LiquidEvilGaming]

I'm pretty sure most people use the shift keys. I've never met anyone in person who uses caps lock instead. And when they teach it to children in schools I'm sure they teach them to use shift.

I can only say in my own experience typing class growing up definitely taught caps lock, it's really eye opening to me to see so many people who do the opposite though.

TIL  Today I Learned

[Macsmasher]

I write a lot of SQL where characters are case sensitive. "SELECT * FROM tblWhatever WHERE UserID = 10". I have an HHKB and love it. However, I still tend to work on a RF TKL board. Yet I still use shift rather than caps lock simply because it's faster. I never use caps lock.

[Polymer]

I'm pretty sure most people use the shift keys. I've never met anyone in person who uses caps lock instead. And when they teach it to children in schools I'm sure they teach them to use shift.

I can only say in my own experience typing class growing up definitely taught caps lock, it's really eye opening to me to see so many people who do the opposite though.

TIL  Today I Learned

You took a typing class?  Given your video I wouldn't have guessed that at all...nor would I have guessed 95wpm....

Nothing wrong with having a unique style though....whatever works for you...

[xtrafrood]

Although I love my hhkb I can't use it as my main board due to the missing caps lock. I have my teamspeak channel and my bind for push-to-talk is caps lock and I can't stand having to go through the second layer to access caps lock.

How. Come. I. Didn't. Think. Of. That?

[FLFisherman]

Although I love my hhkb I can't use it as my main board due to the missing caps lock. I have my teamspeak channel and my bind for push-to-talk is caps lock and I can't stand having to go through the second layer to access caps lock.

How. Come. I. Didn't. Think. Of. That?

Couldn't that be remedied by switching the HHKB to "Lite" mode? I think that switches the key to caps lock.

Alternatively, isn't it super easy to rebind the push-to-talk?

[keshley]

Although I love my hhkb I can't use it as my main board due to the missing caps lock. I have my teamspeak channel and my bind for push-to-talk is caps lock and I can't stand having to go through the second layer to access caps lock.

How. Come. I. Didn't. Think. Of. That?

I did years ago and gave up on it, because I'd forget to turn the bind back off.

[Bucake]

my HHKB doesn't even have a caps lock key because i am Elite
(thank you hasu)

[rowdy]

I actually found the dumbest most obvious solution to this....

I simply enabled sticky keys in windows and now shift acts like a normal caps lock for a single capital letter which makes it MUCH easier for me to use!

I'm smacking myself for not thinking of something so stupidly easy to begin with to address the problem.

And this one was the triple post

Just claim you were using Tapatalk.

I rarely use caps lock, except sometimes 'cause our standard at work is for SQL statements to be in uppercase.

[keshley]

I actually found the dumbest most obvious solution to this....

I simply enabled sticky keys in windows and now shift acts like a normal caps lock for a single capital letter which makes it MUCH easier for me to use!

I'm smacking myself for not thinking of something so stupidly easy to begin with to address the problem.

And this one was the triple post

Just claim you were using Tapatalk.

I rarely use caps lock, except sometimes 'cause our standard at work is for SQL statements to be in uppercase.

I still write my SQL statements in lower case, because I'm cool like that. It's a non-case sensitive language, I'll write how I want!

[LiquidEvilGaming]

Bit off topic from what the thread started as and perhaps my mind will change later on but..

I think the HHKB will end up being my travel board for use with laptop etc

But for home usage thus far i am preferring my Realforce overall both due to the layout and 55G switches.


This could of course change by the time i review the actual keyboard however.

Really liking the board thus far i just find it more optimized for on the go usage and for at home i feel more comfortable with my RF.

[FLFisherman]

Bit off topic from what the thread started as and perhaps my mind will change later on but..

I think the HHKB will end up being my travel board for use with laptop etc

But for home usage thus far i am preferring my Realforce overall both due to the layout and 55G switches.


This could of course change by the time i review the actual keyboard however.

Really liking the board thus far i just find it more optimized for on the go usage and for at home i feel more comfortable with my RF.

The HHKB is a great travel board. Definitely a good choice for taking around with you. I think you'll end up liking it so much you'll make it your full-time keyboard though.

[keshley]

My HHKB travels a lot, although I'm building a 40% board for travel to replace it, just want something a bit smaller.

But the weight and sturdiness does lend itself to travel.

[rowdy]

I actually found the dumbest most obvious solution to this....

I simply enabled sticky keys in windows and now shift acts like a normal caps lock for a single capital letter which makes it MUCH easier for me to use!

I'm smacking myself for not thinking of something so stupidly easy to begin with to address the problem.

And this one was the triple post

Just claim you were using Tapatalk.

I rarely use caps lock, except sometimes 'cause our standard at work is for SQL statements to be in uppercase.

I still write my SQL statements in lower case, because I'm cool like that. It's a non-case sensitive language, I'll write how I want!

MSSQL is a hybrid (like most things Microsoft).  If you create a table with a lowercase name, it will be sorted separately to all the uppercase-named tables.  That caused us a few problems until we realised what it was doing.  Hence the requirement that all SQL is uppercase.