Technology

When I was a kid, I got my hands on a PS/2 Y-adapter and so typed on two keyboards - left hand on one on my desk, right hand on one on a keyboard tray. I don't know what my typing speed and accuracy were then, but a few years back an entire office of people tried to beat me in a typing test and couldn't. Since then I've taken a typing test on a laptop while sitting in a hotel bed and gotten a score of 158 with, IIRC, 98.2% accuracy. (This was my best score but even since then all of my typing evaluations have gone well.)

I also use a trackball as exclusively as my environment allows, including while gaming (other than Minecraft). I'm not remotely a pro, but among my peers I tend to score highly in, for example, FPS'.

I'm not trying to brag; there are many better than I in both categories. The reason I bring these up is to demonstrate that something being the convention doesn't automatically make it better and something being unfit for your preferences doesn't make it inferior.

edit: AFAIK, I only have one left hand.

Keychron has a cheap one

I switched to a new key layout and was slowed down for like a month, and almost every day I could literally feel myself speeding back up. It was such a cool experience, and one that I imagine has beneficial like neural effects, that sometimes I think about switching it up just for fun.

I'd suggest just sticking with it. I now use English, German, and my custom Workman layout at home without any issue switching between them. Practice makes perfect and cause a bunch of work and fun things encourage typing a lot, practice comes easy and getting back to your normal speed happens quickly.

Picking a new layout like Workman or Dvorak where you can feel the benefits, plus a split keyboard's ergonomic benefits, and I think anyone would struggle to go back (assuming they do it for a month and give it a fair shake).

I'm going through this currently trying to find a privacy respecting Android keyboard.

Latest effort is Futo, recommended by a coworker. So far, I don't like it.

it seems to be perfect for people who are not working on a desk

It uses layers, the same way a phone keyboard has a separate layer for numbers and symbols. Holding down one of the three thumb keys on either side activates a new layer. Since you can use your thumb and fingers at the same time, there’s no lose in typing speed. Indeed, the layout puts numbers and symbols closer to the home row on a layer than using a physical number number.

For all symbols, you would have needed a shift-modifier to access those before. With this design, the symbols are closer but use a layer switch key instead of a shift key to access them.

Everyone who uses a phone keyboard has learned a new compact keyboard layout. It’s not so hard.

I love the Power Glove... It's so bad.

One button. Endless possibilities.

TKL FTW BTW!

I don't have this experience, I am briefly confused for a second and then it's fine, are you sure this lasts more than like 30 seconds?

the one with the biiig built in "leather" wrist rest? loved that thing!

you can make a ferris sweep. you would just choose which side you'd want and setup your layout with QMK. If you want Bluetooth, just use the nice! Nano controller. A coworker built one. It's tiny, about the size of your hand. He would also carry it around in his pockets and connect through USB to his phone for emails.

The only problem is he customized the hell out of the layout. I think he used Colemak. His layers kinda looked like this:

He said he had trouble using regular keyboards after getting used to it. He always had to carry it around with him.

Fun fact: that's Elijah Wood and it's his first film role