You hit the space bar with which thumb?

[garak]

.

[booyalab]

what kind of a dumb thread is this?
Oh well, I'm bored.
Right one.

[garak]

Designing the perfect keyboard has been in my thoughts for a long time. Just doing a little "research."

[Mr. Good Beats]

wouldn't which thumb you hit the space bar with rely on which is on your dominant hand?
if this were true then you would have to make two perfect keyboards, one for right handed people and one for wrong handed people.

[garak]

wouldn't which thumb you hit the space bar with rely on which is on your dominant hand?
if this were true then you would have to make two perfect keyboards, one for right handed people and one for wrong handed people.
I'm right handed and use my left thumb, yet I'm pretty sure more people use their right thumb for space. I'm still questioning whether I should be so fascist with the space bar or not.

[SensEye]

I had to do a test to check. It appears I hit the space bar with the thumb of the hand that hit the last key before the space bar is called for. So "both".

[Tybeas]

:blink: ... just found out I mostly use my right index for it or my left thumbs if the right index is pressing on another button ..... weird :huh:

[garak]

http://incise.org:82/pub/kbd.png

[Ascending]

I like it, I have a "natural" split keyboard, I don't think I would mind if the split was made wider and those extra keys placed between. Symmetry would look good.

[garak]

I currently own one of these (http://typematrix.com) and I sort of use that as a starting point. It's the best keyboard design around IMO, but it still has its deficiencies.

[Vagabond]

I had to test to find out :p
I use both equally, usually the one that is in a more comfortable postition at the time.

[Ascending]

To the original question: It's like conducting an orcahstra, depends on what mood I'm in, sometimes right, sometimes left, sometimes with both, sometimes with a random finger.

To the link: Looks nice but too pricy IHMO. I think it would be better if the two sides could be detached into seperate pads. Also programable buttons would be nice.

[Ka.avik]

both thumbs, usually left...(I'm right handed)

Now, you just need to mind-meld the TypeMatrix (http://www.typematrix.com/dvorak/) with the Happy Hacking (http://store.yahoo.com/pfuca-store/haphackeyser.html) keybard

[file cabinet]

apparently I use my right thumb.. [right handed]

[jimkopelli]

It depends on how I'm typing. Right more often than left... but sometimes I type one handed. Usually it's with whichever hand didn't type the last letter in a word.

[Edmond Zedo]

The big one in the middle. Unless this isn't a euphamism. Then it's the right.

[Warrior413]

The left. First-person shooters sorta drill that into you.

[s0978]

Right thumb.

Where's the space bar in your diagram?

Do most people know how to really type? For those that do, won't it mess them up if the layout changes?

[garak]

The left. First-person shooters sorta drill that into you.
Hm, I think you're onto something there. Not FPSes, but the fact that the mouse is used by the right hand. The left hand tends to take up more keyboarding slack.

[garak]

Right thumb.

Where's the space bar in your diagram?

It's in there, at the bottom .. look harder ;)


Do most people know how to really type? For those that do, won't it mess them up if the layout changes?
Actually, the more you type, the easier it is to change. And a person who types more is also going to benefit more from a better keyboard.

[BritainOphira]

I use my right thumb more, but I do use my left hand occasionally (no, not just the thumb, i move my entire hand and hit it). Of course, now that I'm thinking about it I can't type at all...

[Merkaba]

I mainly use my right thumb

[bmw318tiChic]

I am right handed, but I typically use my left thumb. My right thumb looks like a pinky finger, it's weird. (I was born that way; born with an extra finger as well.)

[Geoff]

Both, or either, or sometimes left or right for a while before reverting.

Having just done a test.

I am somewhere 80wpm+. Please dont mess around with the world's keyboards.. .I have a lot of synapses dedicated to something I dont wish to retrain!

-Geoff

[ohnoaninfp]

Whatever thumb I feel like using, sometimes both.

[Architectonic]

Mostly left but sometimes right. Whatever is most convenient. :)

[nonsequitur]

My right index finger, I do use both thumbs too, but it's mostly the index finger on the right hand.. Especially when I'm typing in my "unconcious mode". I suspect it's really down to which finger gets there first, though. Like everything else that I do, the way that I type isn't very consistent.

[Crazy]

I use the right more probably. It all depends on what I'm doing at the time really. If I'm typing sentances I use the right, if I'm doing other things with the right, I'll use any of the digits on my left hand.

[shaytana]

this is a test to see which thumb I use to hit the space bar, it would appear to be my right. I will vote now.

[jyakulis]

I don't even remember voting in this thread but apparently I did. I use my left.

[SCARYdoor]

I voted left but now that I think about it, I think I use my right since the left hand is so busy maneuvering through all those common letters over there. The right hand just sits there most of the time.

If you're making a keyboard though, I had an idea. You could have it split into two sides as one person said already, with programmable buttons, but have the buttons as individual screens so that people dont have to guess what they are. I think that would be pretty neat...

[philonightmare]

Right. My left is lazy or something.

[MasterMerk]

My right index finger, I do use both thumbs too, but it's mostly the index finger on the right hand.. Especially when I'm typing in my "unconcious mode". I suspect it's really down to which finger gets there first, though. Like everything else that I do, the way that I type isn't very consistent.

Same here. My thumbs are too skinny.

[garak]

If you're making a keyboard though, I had an idea. You could have it split into two sides as one person said already, with programmable buttons, but have the buttons as individual screens so that people dont have to guess what they are. I think that would be pretty neat...
Um, heh, probably not doable. :)

The timing of the resurrection of this thread is interesting, because I've actually been revisiting this issue in the last day or two.

I am now focusing on this: http://www.ergodex.com/

Two of them and an extra set of keys would give me two separate keyboards with 75 keys total, which are totally customizable. My current keyboard has 74, so that should work.

Problems:

- would cost $350
- no linux support, though I'm sure it could be reverse engineered. Buuut I'd hate to spend my money and then find out that I can't make it work.