
Where should the “6” key be? - ingve
https://ultimatehackingkeyboard.com/blog/2015/08/14/where-should-the-6-key-be
======
jwr
A side comment, as it's the first time I see the "ultimate hacking keyboard":

Whenever I see a keyboard with an "Fn" key, I sigh. This means that the
designer of the keyboard thought he knows better which functions I need and
took valuable space in the modifier row for a key which I will probably never
use. Media control functions? Come on.

Most keyboards that have an "Fn" key do not allow you to remap it in any way
and invent new, impressively useless functions for it, often involving holding
it for a second or longer to get to some functionality (the mind boggles).

I couldn't understand from the description if the "Fn" key is fully
configurable — I sincerely hope it is, because otherwise I will never want to
use this keyboard.

Otherwise this seems like a really nice design.

~~~
Tehnix
I actually use media control keys very often when playing music on my laptop,
much much quicker than going into an app first.

I actually like the how OS X by default uses the fn functionality, and you
press fn to access f1, f2 etc.. Except for very few games, I never actually
use those keys anyways. And even then I use something like Palua[0] to
automatically enable/disable the fn key based on the app that is currently in
focus.

[0]
[http://itunes.apple.com/app/palua/id431494195](http://itunes.apple.com/app/palua/id431494195)

~~~
pluma
Having to press three keys for a force reload (Ctrl+F5 on Windows/Linux) seems
incredibly awkward.

I can't really imagine living without F5, F11 or F12 as a web developer.

~~~
kitsunesoba
OS X key shortcuts are very much biased towards alphabetical keys. F-key usage
in standard system shortcuts is a very rare thing. In your particular example,
reloading is done with Command+R while force reload is Command-Shift-R. Most
OS X shortcuts follow this pattern: they're easier to remember (phonetic
association) and usually make for less awkward hand positioning when used.

Because of this, on my MacBook I've mapped FKeys to do global stuff; F1 brings
up Spotlight (launcher), F2 shows a Quake-style drop down terminal, and F3
bring up a popover calendar (Fantastical). The only exception is F4, which ive
set up to pop open Xcode's "Quick Open" UI.

~~~
jarek
Small point: the phonetic association of Cmd-R is great for English speakers,
but much less meaningful to users who don't know English

------
anon4
After investing in a Truly Ergonomic[0] keyboard, I personally don't want ever
again to use a keyboard with asymmetrically staggered keys. Having a perfectly
mirrored layout is much nicer to use. The 6 on it is on the right, if that
matters.

[0] That's the brand name, it's not really truly ergonomic, or at least not as
designed for ergonomics as a Kinesis. Homepage/store:
[http://www.trulyergonomic.com](http://www.trulyergonomic.com)

~~~
melling
My TEK stopped registering certain keys, like the arrow keys. Wasn't sure if
it's a Mac issue. I bought the Model 01 on Kickstarter which ships next year.

I've got tons of keyboard notes:
[http://thespanishsite.com/public_html/org/ergo/keyboards.htm...](http://thespanishsite.com/public_html/org/ergo/keyboards.html)

And I wrote a small blog on Ergonomic keyboards:

[https://h4labs.wordpress.com/2015/07/16/the-model-01-an-
heir...](https://h4labs.wordpress.com/2015/07/16/the-model-01-an-heirloom-
grade-keyboard-for-serious-typists/)

For something we use 8-20 hours a day, keyboards should evolve a little more.

I've read so many RSI stories it's scary:

[http://markmcb.com/2014/10/13/severe-hand-rsi-pain-and-
recov...](http://markmcb.com/2014/10/13/severe-hand-rsi-pain-and-recovery/)

[https://24ways.org/2014/dont-push-through-the-
pain/](https://24ways.org/2014/dont-push-through-the-pain/)

[http://www.looknohands.me](http://www.looknohands.me)

------
e28eta
Interestingly, the iPad split (software) keyboard chose "both". For en-US (I
don't know if it varies by region), the 6 key is drawn on the right side.
However, you can happily tap where it would be with your left index finger and
it'll type a 6.

------
tsomctl
Why not have two "6" keys, one on each half? The user can use whichever one he
likes.

~~~
sandyarmstrong
Because the keyboard can snap together for non-split use, and then you'd have
two 6 keys adjacent to each other.

------
Intermernet
Thanks for putting a lot of thought into this! I've used many KBs over the
years, and haven't thought about the alignment of the number row at all.

As an example, I just noticed that my Surface "Typepad" KB has a very narrow
tilde / back-quote key (~ and `) which biases the "6" to the left. If this
weren't the case than it would be more centered, but this is then thrown by
the width of the "Backspace" key.

Is numerical input (without the use of a number pad) covered at all in any of
the QWERTY vs. Dvorak vs. etc. debates? They have mostly looked at character
input to my knowledge, with little regard to numerical input.

Thanks UHK for asking this question?

(personally, I think I'd just adopt to whatever, but "power users" may have a
different, justifiable position on this.)

EDIT: As an aside, what width space-bar do most of you think you require? I've
just been thinking about KB key-width, and the space-bar shaped elephant-in-
the-room loomed it's lengthy head.

Based on the visible wear patterns on my 7 year old laptop, I reckon I'd be
more than happy if the space-bar only extended from "V" to "N".

I assume the KB designers have already looked into this, and we've already
reached "optimum space-bar", but I'd love to see some research. Anyone know of
any studies that have been done that confirm why my space-bar needs to be more
than five times larger than the standard letter key?

~~~
lfowles
> EDIT: As an aside, what width space-bar do most of you think you require?
> I've just been thinking about KB key-width, and the space-bar shaped
> elephant-in-the-room loomed it's lengthy head.

Well, mine's about a half inch teardrop shape :)

[http://alphagrips.com/](http://alphagrips.com/)

I imagine it's just so wide so your thumb doesn't have to move from anywhere
on the main keyboard to hit it. It is used incredibly often!

------
cauterize
Does anyone else have links to other interesting approaches to keyboards
(products or otherwise)?

~~~
jodrellblank
My favourite approach is the DataHand (
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DataHand](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DataHand)
)

Also the chorded keyboard ideas like in Douglas Englebart's famous 1960s
computing demo, where he had a chording keyboard in one hand and a mouse in
the other (
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorded_keyboard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorded_keyboard)
). The modern variant on that has headed towards wearable mobile use with the
Twiddler [http://twiddler.tekgear.com/](http://twiddler.tekgear.com/)

Also, the Buxton collection includes some interesting keyboard designs
(including the two above): [http://research.microsoft.com/en-
us/um/people/bibuxton/buxto...](http://research.microsoft.com/en-
us/um/people/bibuxton/buxtoncollection/type.aspx?t=Keyboard)

------
nightcracker
I don't think removing the F row is wise or defendable. Personally I use the
Keycool 84 which has a really interesting layout:
[http://i45.tinypic.com/1z3bdkp.jpg](http://i45.tinypic.com/1z3bdkp.jpg)

Whether or not you like what the Keycool 84 does on the right hand side with
the arrow keys and Home/End etc, it should be fairly obvious that there's no
real benefit to removing the F row.

------
zdw
As someone who hits the "b" key with their right hand when typing, I find it
encouraging that they're splitting that off to the right side, as the vast
majority of "ergonomic" keyboards put it on the left side, as the home row
method of typing instruction recommends.

(I learned my non-standard method of touch typing playing MUD's via telnet in
the mid-nineties)

~~~
w0000t
Actually 'b' is at a completely wrong position( on a ordinary keyboard ). It
is inaccessible for both hand, without moving your wrist which causes strain.

I have globally remapped 'b' to the right of 'l'. It feels much better. The
old 'b' key is now unused.

~~~
rifung
Maybe I misunderstand but how can being forced to move your wrist cause
strain? Your wrist moves all the time in day to day activities.

If anything I would think keeping your wrist in the same position too long
would cause strain, especially if it's unrelaxed.

Even in piano, if you have to play the same notes many times, you are supposed
to move your wrist slightly so you aren't doing the same movement each time to
prevent injury.

------
userbinator
I almost never touch the 6 on the top row but use the numpad instead, although
it seems I use either left or right index finger depending on which hand I
pressed the last key with. If I'm typing the shifted version (i.e. the ^
operator), I always use my right index since my left hand moves down to the
shift key.

Perhaps for the same reason, I don't use anything other than the standard PC
layout; I'm basically memorised where all the keys are, and changing them will
greatly confuse me. Split keyboards don't work for me either.

IMHO if you have to consciously think about which finger is being used, you
should practice typing more. I didn't really know which finger I used and
actually had to slow myself down to figure it out.

Edit: after a bit of experimenting, my fingering pattern seems to be
approximately like this:
[http://i.imgur.com/zpcmHZ9.png](http://i.imgur.com/zpcmHZ9.png)

------
Sir_Cmpwn
What's most interesting here to me is that people are taught which fingers to
type with. I was never explicitly taught how to type, but I usually hit 6 with
my left middle finger. I type at 130 WPM on average.

Edit: after some screwing around, I hit every number but 1 with my middle
fingers (I hit 1 with my left ring finger).

~~~
rifung
Do you still type 130wpm if you are typing a lot of numbers? I'd be surprised
if you could reach those speeds while typing all number keys but one with a
single finger.

~~~
Sir_Cmpwn
No, if I'm typing a lot of numbers I switch to the numpad. If I had to use the
number keys along the top, I'd be much slower than 130. Numbers like "130",
though, I just noticed that I distribute the keys among several fingers. I'm
not sure of the rules my fingers are following in that respect. Examining your
own typing habits is fun :)

------
bluejekyll
I love the thought put into this. A few years ago this was exactly what I was
looking for, but today I am doing most of my work on my laptop, and even if
you plug this in there's a problem, your keymap is lost between the native
laptop keyboard and the UHK. To me this says that it's not really a hardware
problem, it's something that should be 100% software, and give you an easy way
to transfer keymaps from one system to another.

That is, I need a Mac keymap and a Linux keymap, where everything is synced
between. Which ironically, is pretty much already possible by customizing the
native keyboard layout files.

------
rayvd
From my typing class in high school (on a typewriter), we were taught to hit
the '6' key with our right index finger.

Ergo keyboards always seem to stick it on the "wrong" side. :)

~~~
rifung
I was taught the same method, although on a keyboard.

------
jsmcgd
Due to Benford's Law perhaps the 6 key should be located on the right as
you're left hand will, on average, type more digits anyway.

------
taneq
To the right of the '5' key, above the '3' key and below the '9' key.

------
jacobolus
A while ago, I wrote a post about this over at Geekhack, which I’ll copy here
[https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=66322.msg1566004#msg156...](https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=66322.msg1566004#msg1566004)

(go to that link if you want to see images inline)

* * *

Edgar Matias wrote (context: Matias’s Ergo Pro keyboard puts the 6 key on the
right hand):

> _That 's true, but it is consistent with the typing textbooks I've seen.
> It's been a while since I researched this stuff. We can get a quick & dirty
> estimate using Google..._
> [http://www.google.ca/search?q=fingers+used+to+touch+type&tbm...](http://www.google.ca/search?q=fingers+used+to+touch+type&tbm=isch)

When I search for “touch typing” in Google images (this query is a bit more
effective than the one you suggested, which quickly devolves into irrelevant
images after the first page or so), the first several examples are either on
Wikipedia or copies of images that originally came from Wikipedia / Wikimedia
commons. After that, there seem to be a bunch of examples each way. A sampling
of the ones with 6 on the left hand:

[http://i.imgur.com/p0dE8wo.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/p0dE8wo.jpg)
[http://i.imgur.com/UzgxGmz.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/UzgxGmz.jpg)
[http://i.imgur.com/7FFd9pv.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/7FFd9pv.jpg)
[http://i.imgur.com/qA8s3X9.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/qA8s3X9.jpg)
[http://i.imgur.com/mNE0Fhx.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/mNE0Fhx.jpg)
[http://i.imgur.com/KarYUjV.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/KarYUjV.jpg)
[http://i.imgur.com/mUY5aNM.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/mUY5aNM.jpg)
[http://i.imgur.com/fQx1h3N.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/fQx1h3N.jpg)
[http://i.imgur.com/qT0iUO3.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/qT0iUO3.jpg)
[http://i.imgur.com/wY33abR.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/wY33abR.jpg)
[http://i.imgur.com/SL7W4mi.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/SL7W4mi.jpg)
[http://i.imgur.com/ccDqf8c.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/ccDqf8c.jpg)

(Again, there is a similar variety of diagrams that put 6 on the right hand.)

Matias again:

> _While there are a few guides that deviate from the standard approach, the
> trend is pretty clear. Again, I 'm not disputing anyone's particular
> technique (whatever works for you) but there is an established standard. You
> can choose to follow it or ignore it. I chose to follow it. Microsoft
> ignored it._

To be as generous as I can: you’re greatly exaggerating how “established” this
“standard” is.

On the one hand, the original touch typing book from 1889 does put 6 on the
right: [http://i.imgur.com/iK8WNJp.png](http://i.imgur.com/iK8WNJp.png)

On the other hand, here’s a book from 1893:
[http://i.imgur.com/LyqyQ9M.png](http://i.imgur.com/LyqyQ9M.png)

As for my personal technique.... The way I type on a QWERTY/ANSI/IBM keyboard
– and I would strongly advise anyone else to use a similar fingering – is
roughly like this:
[http://i.imgur.com/oTgR4Kq.png](http://i.imgur.com/oTgR4Kq.png)

Typing “Z” with the ring finger, “X” with the middle finger, and “C” with the
index finger allows the left wrist to stay straight, with the arm coming
toward the keyboard at an angle, and makes it dramatically easier and more
comfortable to press all the keys on the left of the bottom row.

But this mainly serves to highlight how terrible the QWERTY/ANSI/IBM layout
is. On the upside, it’s ubiquitous. On the downside, almost everything about
its design is anachronistic nonsense.

Side note: this is sure a funny method:
[https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8404/8636675817_5398c6aba6.jp...](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8404/8636675817_5398c6aba6.jpg)

