Similarly, typing with keyboards where the thumb gets access to more than just the spacebar is another boon. (It's nice to be able to use the thumbs for space, backspace, enter, escape, tab).
When the keyboard lets your thumb reach 2-3 buttons each, you get to use the thumb more, which allows using the pinky finger less. (Which is nice, since the pinky finger is weaker than the thumb).
I find it quite nice to use my thumbs for Tab/Esc/Space, Backspace/Enter/Delete.
In general the thumb is very under-utilized on the keyboard but also the strongest finger. Any use of the keys beside the spacebar is a win in my mind. Alt is used so infrequently compared to most of the other modifiers.
I type ~100 wpm with essentially two fingers. I do use my thumb for the spacebar and my middle fingers for ~4 specific edge keys, but otherwise it's all index all the time.
I have a hairbrained theory that this has helped me avoid carpal tunnel because it forces my hands to move around a lot more, rather than hover in one specific position. I have no data whatsoever to back this up.
You are correct. And I learned to type with my right thumb exclusively, so it was very, very useful to me.
It wasn't quite my first keyboard, though. My first was the one that came with our Apple ][ GS (and I had previously used the Apple computers at school), though I did start to learn proper typing around that time.
Even though I haven't used it for years, I still use my right thumb exclusively when pressing the spacebar.
The old NeXT keyboards had a key under the space bar. It was, I believe, a Command key when used on the Mac, but I have not used one in ages... Seems that I use just one thumb out of two when typing (now my left after thumb tendonitis a decade ago) and only for space, so a good newly designed keyboard would give thumbs more to do. I believe several models of ergonomic keyboards do exactly this.
After using a split spacebar for some time now, I just can not see the idea of a single spacebar being optimal.
I have two thumbs. Why not use them? My right spacebar is space, my left is enter. I have never done anything else so profoundly productive to my computer.
I think this is one of the main reasons I went with space in this case. Hitting a shortcut starting with a key that either thumb can reach felt more like the Command key, which is part of why I like it. It seems that my thumb is more nimble (and has a much higher range of motion) than my pinky.
Apple also does well in their modifier key placement by having a narrower space bar that extends from "C" to "M" on most keyboards, meaning the modifier keys next to the space bar are easily reachable with thumbs.
imo this will be nightmare for both hands fast typists. Spacebar provides "anchor" for your hand. When you have bigger hands you can also put your thumbs under the spacebar in natural position to rest your hands.
There is so many better things to work on to be honest...
This also works with the space bar, as well as the tab key. I find pressing the space key to be a bit more fluid when I already know what I intend on typing next.
I think using your thumb for Cmd on Mac or Alt on other keyboards (i.e. the closest modifier key to the spacebar) makes sense and feels like less of a position shift from homerow compared to using a pinky.
And in fact I'd find it very hard to hit something like Cmd+Q with just my left hand if I use the pinky for Cmd.
I use my thumbs just as much for the control key for keyboard shortcuts, which I move [using xkb on Linux] to the keys left and right of space. I got used to it there as a Mac user (where it's the command key). I can't imagine trying to use control with my pinky in the corner.
It's true, I don't have any problem with using SPACE via left thumb, but I have never encountered a layout or keyboard that let's me use the thumb for modifier keys. Do you have an example?
Typing. I've always been a self-taught hunt-picker, but for some reason, as a teenager I picked up a terrible technique that involves using thumbs for keys to the side of the spacebar.
Later in life I trained myself into touch-typing (and then to use Colemak), but for some reason I can't seem to shake off this annoying thumb bit.
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