Keyboards?
in [UK Mac]
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From: Rowland McDonnell on 8 Jun 2010 06:21 Mr Guest <tom(a)guest-spamtrap.co.uk> wrote: > D.M. Procida wrote (apparently) in uk.comp.sys.mac on Mon 07 Jun > 2010 17:42:41: > > > Rowland McDonnell <real-address-in-sig(a)flur.bltigibbet.invalid> > > wrote: > > > >> D.M. Procida <real-not-anti-spam-address(a)apple-juice.co.uk> > >> wrote: > >> > >> > Rowland McDonnell > >> > <real-address-in-sig(a)flur.bltigibbet.invalid> wrote: > >> > > >> > > And I need the back lifted up for some gradient, for > >> > > heaven's sake, surely that makes it easier for everyone, > >> > > just look at human anatomy! > >> > > >> > I like flat keyboards. Tilted ones make me feel as though I am > >> > stretching. > >> > >> <puzzled> > >> > >> Eh? How's that work, then? Geometry as I know of it means it's > >> the other way round in reality - the tilt means you actually > >> have less of a stretch. > > > > It feels like effort to lift up my fingers on a tilted keyboard. > > I like the way they can lie flat on a flat one. > > > > Probably for a touch-typist it's different. > > > > Daniele > > Not sure, I am a touch-typist most of the time, when I can get > things comfortably set up. I also prefer the keybaord to be flat. > > Not sure if it's a sensible question, but have you been taught or > learnt to play the piano? It seems my colleagues who prefer raked > keys have not and I was taught to and do still play (utterly > inadequately). > > From that point of view, the position the hands are held means > horizontal movement is easier than "going uphill" to the numbers > and function keys. There's no `going uphill' like that if you're holding your hands properly with a properly tilted keyboard. It's *all* just up and down a bit, if you're doing it right - reaching the back keys (the number row) results in the hands going DOWN, while reaching the front keys (zxc...) results in the hands going UP. (that's with me holding my hands in normal typing position) .... which is what you'd expect, from the geometry involved, so I've no idea how anyone manages to need to move their hands up to reach the back of the keyboard. I'd like to see how that works. I really can't see how you'd have to lift your hands to reach the back of the keyboard - the fingers need to stretch out a wee bit, and that moves the hands down as you reach. To reach the front, the fingers need to curl up a wee bit as they reach towards you, and that moves the hands up a bit. It's a lot less strain if the keyboard's slanted than flat and if you've got what I think of as a proper typing style[1] - fits the ergonomics of the human operator better, *assuming* a moderately good typing action. The best fit keyboard I've ever used was an IBM one back in the mid to late 80s which was curved from front to back, to give a superb fit between the reach of the fingers and the position of the keys. Each key switch seemed to be positioned exactly where the fingertip naturally moved to - heavenly! Never met the like since, mind. Rowland. [1] Don't argue, I got roped into teaching typing for one academic year, so I had to learn the proper official recommended stuff. Don't argue and please don't ask it's mind-fryingly tedious. -- Remove the animal for email address: rowland.mcdonnell(a)dog.physics.org Sorry - the spam got to me http://www.mag-uk.org http://www.bmf.co.uk UK biker? Join MAG and the BMF and stop the Eurocrats banning biking
From: Mr Guest on 8 Jun 2010 14:43 Rowland McDonnell wrote (apparently) in uk.comp.sys.mac on Tue 08 Jun 2010 11:21:17: > Mr Guest <tom(a)guest-spamtrap.co.uk> wrote: > >> D.M. Procida wrote (apparently) in uk.comp.sys.mac on Mon 07 Jun >> 2010 17:42:41: >> >> >> [Snipped] >> > >> > It feels like effort to lift up my fingers on a tilted >> > keyboard. I like the way they can lie flat on a flat one. >> > >> > Probably for a touch-typist it's different. >> > >> > Daniele >> >> Not sure, I am a touch-typist most of the time, when I can get >> things comfortably set up. I also prefer the keybaord to be >> flat. >> >> Not sure if it's a sensible question, but have you been taught >> or learnt to play the piano? It seems my colleagues who prefer >> raked keys have not and I was taught to and do still play >> (utterly inadequately). >> >> From that point of view, the position the hands are held means >> horizontal movement is easier than "going uphill" to the numbers >> and function keys. > > There's no `going uphill' like that if you're holding your hands > properly with a properly tilted keyboard. > > [Snipped... broadly agreed with] > > The best fit keyboard I've ever used was an IBM one back in the > mid to late 80s which was curved from front to back, to give a > superb fit between the reach of the fingers and the position of > the keys. Each key switch seemed to be positioned exactly where > the fingertip naturally moved to - heavenly! > > Never met the like since, mind. > Those were nice, I recall using one at secondary school that the deputy head had with an IBM PC he was trying out. Compared to the BBC Micro keyboard they were far nicer. > [Snipped...] > I'll give the new Apple ones a whirl, I'm intending to get an iMac or Mac mini Server later in the year as an investment so something comfortable would be best. -- MrGuest Always, seemingly, on the road to nowhere
From: Jim on 8 Jun 2010 14:47 Mr Guest <tom(a)guest-spamtrap.co.uk> wrote: > I'll give the new Apple ones a whirl, I'm intending to get an iMac > or Mac mini Server later in the year as an investment so something > comfortable would be best. They're a bit like a lot of Apple stuff - you have to use them for a while before you know if you like them or not. Just playing with one for 5mins in a shop won't cut it. Jim -- "Microsoft admitted its Vista operating system was a 'less good product' in what IT experts have described as the most ambitious understatement since the captain of the Titanic reported some slightly damp tablecloths." http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/
From: Mr Guest on 8 Jun 2010 17:36 Jim wrote (apparently) in uk.comp.sys.mac on Tue 08 Jun 2010 19:47:45: > Mr Guest <tom(a)guest-spamtrap.co.uk> wrote: > >> I'll give the new Apple ones a whirl, I'm intending to get an >> iMac or Mac mini Server later in the year as an investment so >> something comfortable would be best. > > They're a bit like a lot of Apple stuff - you have to use them > for a while before you know if you like them or not. Just playing > with one for 5mins in a shop won't cut it. > > Jim Presumably as they are USB I could just use it on my current machine (PC) for a bit to see how I get on? Then, as Andy has mentioned, eBay it if I can't get on with it. The Hackintoshbook might be migrated soon. Moving the HD from the netbook into the other machine didn't work, unfortunately, so going to start again this summer. Then see what funds I have left... -- MrGuest Always, seemingly, on the road to nowhere
From: Rowland McDonnell on 9 Jun 2010 06:28
Jim <jim(a)magrathea.plus.com> wrote: > Mr Guest <tom(a)guest-spamtrap.co.uk> wrote: > > > I'll give the new Apple ones a whirl, I'm intending to get an iMac > > or Mac mini Server later in the year as an investment so something > > comfortable would be best. > > They're a bit like a lot of Apple stuff - you have to use them for a > while before you know if you like them or not. Just playing with one for > 5mins in a shop won't cut it. I find that I can make a reliable judgement on a keyboard inside seconds. Just playing with one for five minutes is more than enough - in the case of keyboards. My initial impressions of every keyboard I can recall were reliable. First impressions often are, if only you can work out what your real first impressions really were. Rowland. -- Remove the animal for email address: rowland.mcdonnell(a)dog.physics.org Sorry - the spam got to me http://www.mag-uk.org http://www.bmf.co.uk UK biker? Join MAG and the BMF and stop the Eurocrats banning biking |