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Pyramid Shaped Keyboard

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the hey-why-not dept.

Lordkolya wrote in to tell us about a pyramid shaped keyboard. It's supposed to be ergonomic, but it sure is ugly. I still need to try one of the Kinesis keyboards out. It's time for me to change keyboards again. I dunno if I can learn a new chording keyboard. I've tried a few one handed boards and had bad luck. Maybe I'm not destined to learn any more chords then E-A-D.

4 of 242 comments (clear)

  1. QWERTY myth repeated by Repton · · Score: 2, Informative

    His credibility does take a hit, though, in that he repeats the myth that the QWERTY keyboard was designed to slow typists down...

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    Repton.
    They say that only an experienced wizard can do the tengu shuffle.
  2. Gah! by FFFish · · Score: 3, Informative

    "Fundamentally, it is a pyramidal design with two edges rounded to accommodate and orientate the palms of the user's hands."

    WTF do people have to make up words like "orientate" when perfectly servicable words (like "orient") already exist?

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    Don't like it? Respond with words, not karma.
  3. False Authority Syndrome at work. by Chmarr · · Score: 3, Informative
    The century old conventional Qwerty (look at first five characters on the upper left of your keyboard) layout was intentionally designed to slow down typist on the original mechanical designs. The logical way to accomplish that goal was to place characters in locations that stressed the operator's hands, forcing them to slow down.

    That is such rubbish. Not only are there six characters in 'QWERTY', but the original layout was not meant to slow down the typist, but to reduce the chance that two letters next to each other in a word would require that two keys next to each other on the keyboard (as viewed from the 'piano keys with the letters raised on them's point of view) be struck, thus increasing the chance of a jam.

    So, in fact, the querty layout was designed to speed up typing, by requiring less of an artificial pause between keystrokes.

  4. Re:Kinesis keyboards by Nick+Mathewson · · Score: 2, Informative

    I agree, the default positions for the control and alt keys are idiotically. IMO, the programable version is a must so you can remap them. The way my thumb works, I like to switch control with delete and alt with end; this puts all the meta keys in easy reach of my left hand. With this change, you're home free.

    With this proviso, I'd recommend the Kinesis to anybody who needs to type more than a few hours a day, and who can afford a day or two of accomodation time.

    (I've never the tried the foot switch and my work seldom requires the numeric keypad. YMMV.)